Main rig dead -- please help -- updated + pics

[xsilver]

Today, just got a new cpu fan so I thought I'd clean the case of dust too... took out the vid card to blow with air....
reassembled everything and it doesn't post anymore 🙁

sometimes it powers on but doesn't show anything on screen -- no noises though eg. no bios beep
sometimes it doesn't power on at all....

tried replacing the PSU already with a spare..... no good
board dead? its out of warranty -- damn :thumbsdown:
card possibly dead? tired a pci vid card too.... no good


specs:
p2.4c@3.0 -- alpha 8942 Hsf
asus p4c800deluxe latest bios
ati 9800np
2x512 kingston valueram
seagate 80gb

 

[Yanagi]

Tried resetting the bios?

 

[Gurck]

Try reseating everything, especially your ram & video card. With any luck it'll be as simple as that. Happened to me a few times. Also check that a loose screw didn't end up lodged somewhere, that can short-circuit your mb & prevent POSTing.

 

[xsilver]

Hey guys, finally found my problem -- it was the new fan I got for my alpha 8942 -- a coolermaster aero fan (squirrel type)
the alpha was not designed for fans that are not the standard width and the screws supplied dug into my motherboard -- shorted out / nicked some traces....... 🙁
what I need to know now is that since the mobo is out of warranty, would it be possible to fix the traces? I can see the damage clearly.....
what would I use to fix the traces, a solder pen? aka athlon overclocking style?
or am I just going to have to cut my losses and dump the mobo -- hate to see that happen -- this rig has been good to me -- in fact I got the damn new fan to see if I could finally hit 3.6ghz -- please say that's still possible ??????

 

[xsilver]

bump -- anybody?
here a some pics of what I'm talking about

http://img36.exs.cx/my.php?loc...amp;image=mobodead.jpg

I think spots A & C are ok as no traces appear to be cut but B & D look like some traces are cut....
I'm going to attempt the repair for sure -- just would like some help to improve my chances 😉

I guess there's a lesson to be learnt alpha 8942 + coolermaster aero fan == big disaster

 

[Tiamat]

Damn, that looks pretty bad. I dont think it is possible to fix/reconnect those traces. Sorry dude, looks like you might have to replace the board :/

 

[phisrow]

It's worth a shot. The board will have a dielectric coating on it. Use an Xacto knife or similar to scrape(very, very, carefully) that away to expose fresh copper. You'll then, depending on the size of the gap to be bridged, need to put a tiny bead of solder across it(more difficult than it looks, due to surface tension), solder a very thin copper wire, as short as possible, across the gap, or try the easy-but-less-likely-to-work conductive silver varnish bridge. Just be sure that you don't connect the wrong traces(which is easy to do, also because of surface tension) and you might be alright.

Good luck in any case, it would be a shame to lose a bit of kit like that.

 

[Gothgar]

Originally posted by: phisrow
It's worth a shot. The board will have a dielectric coating on it. Use an Xacto knife or similar to scrape(very, very, carefully) that away to expose fresh copper. You'll then, depending on the size of the gap to be bridged, need to put a tiny bead of solder across it(more difficult than it looks, due to surface tension), solder a very thin copper wire, as short as possible, across the gap, or try the easy-but-less-likely-to-work conductive silver varnish bridge. Just be sure that you don't connect the wrong traces(which is easy to do, also because of surface tension) and you might be alright.

Good luck in any case, it would be a shame to lose a bit of kit like that.

yeah, try what he said, the only way I see it as even being possible, make sure you coat the copper with something afterwards to protect it...

 

[xsilver]

hey thanks guys -- I'll post a follow up on if this sucessful or not 🙂
btw. why would the copper wire be nessessary? isnt the solder conductive on its own? If I can mangage to keep the solder traces apart then it would be ok? (this would be hard -yes-) or is the copper needed as some kind of "high conductive link" as the traces are form the northbridge to the cpu

If this fails
As this wasn't exactly planned, would it be worth just replacing this board with a cheap 865pe board (some performance loss over the875p?)

or selling the cpu/board combo for whatever I can get and starting new with the 939/3000+ combo?
how much will the performance gain be? also been reading that the 3000+/939 isnt a guarenteed 2.4ghz overclock?
I'm willing to spend some $$$ if it will increase performance signifiantly

 

[sharkeeper]

Carefully remove the resist (that's the coating applied to the board) on the affected traces ONLY and you should be alright using solder. It may be easier to rip a strand of copper from a very small piece of stranded wire (like a phone cord) and use that as well. Coat the repair with nail polish when done and watch those screws!

Cheers!

 

[phisrow]

I only suggested the copper because sometimes it is difficult to bridge cut traces with just solder(the solder tends to bead up on each trace, and refuses to meet in the center). A thin copper wire gives solder something to flow along, and can help with this problem. It is not, however, electrically necessary(purely a mechanical hack, at least for that short a distance). If you can make the solder flow properly, it won't be needed.