New motherboard... PCB corner bent up, would you return it?

[phaxmohdem]

Just got my new motherboard I orderd for my file server today: Gigabyte GA-M57SLI-S4. Got her from newegg. After taking her out of the antistatic bag, I noticed that the lower PCB corner near the PCI slots was bent up pretty bad, and it even appeard that the PCB was cracking a bit. However there are only a few traces through this region (appears to go to the floppy connector)

Reluctant I put my "B-Squad" equipment in to test it (afraid of frying my good chip and RAM) and it booted into windows xp pro and posts just like normal.

Should I return this board? or should I give it a few days to see if it remains stable even with the damage?

(Side note, I kinda REALLY need this server back up and running having to wait another week or two for an RMA would suck)

 

[lxskllr]

It sounds to me like the damage is in a non-critical area. If it works for a few days as a test run I'd be inclined to keep it, especially since you need your server up and running.

 

[bruceb]

All depends. If you paid for a New Board, yes return it.
If you bought Open Box or a Returned board, then it
would be up to you to decide if you want to live with it.
Personally, I would send it back.

 

[DSF]

Personally I'd send it back. If problems arose down the road, I wouldn't want there to be a chance they'd blame me for the damage since I didn't report it right away.

 

[lxskllr]

Originally posted by: DSF
Personally I'd send it back. If problems arose down the road, I wouldn't want there to be a chance they'd blame me for the damage since I didn't report it right away.

It's a $90 board. After screwing around with shipping/insurance, and time down I think I'd just eat the cost if something went up. It's not worth the hassle of sending it back imo.

 

[phaxmohdem]

Hmmmm. I"m installing Server 2003 on it right now, I think that I will run it full bore, with Prime95, and Seti@home for 48 hours, while doing my normal network tasks on it as well and see if it works. At the first sign of instability or a BSOD I'll fill out the RMA forms. So far nothing appears affected, I isolated the corner and wrapped in electrical tape to be on the safe side, and even the floppy drive works fine which I figured would be the part to not work if there was one..... for $90 it is a helluva board. I've built several other systems based off this same board and they are all among the most stable I've seen, so I'll cross my fingers for now I guess.