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PSA: Do NOT use the front USB ports on ICH5/ICH5R motherboards

T

The Pentium Guy

Diamond Member
Sorry, this is just a little rant.

I plugged in a camera on to the front USB port of my ASUS P4P800-e Deluxe and the board basically fried. Apparently this is a common problem:

Source
It seems the ICH5/ICH5R are sensitive to static discharge. If
the static enters a USB port (the USB port is hosted by the
Southbridge ICH5), it causes an electrical phenomenon called
"latchup". Latchup is where a phantom PNPN semiconductor junction
forms - that is the same structure as an SCR. Latchup turns on
the junction, and the junction sits across the power rails of
the chip. A _large_ current flows through the ICH5 and it gets
really hot - so hot in fact, that it can burn. The Southbridge
can be destroyed in a matter of seconds.
Click to expand...

Front USB was working for quite a long time, functioning with a low-powered devices (flash drive, in this case) - but only working as USB 1. Occasionally when my system starts up, "System failed CPU test". I never quite got around to the cause of the problem (I think time was the factor there, it would usually work after some time).

Now, I plug in a camera and it fries out my board, "System failed CPU test". Tsk, shame really - great board.

Just don't use the front USB ports if you have a board with the ICH5/ICH5R southbridge.

-The Pentium Guy
 
I'm not sure if this affects all boards, some may be more resistant to static discharge than others.
Not a clue though, I did a few minutes of google searching and I was amazed at the number of people with the same issue.
 
This is not unique to the ICH5.

This is your chip...:thumbsup:

This is your chip on ESD....:thumbsdown:

ESD is bad for ICs...mmmkay?
 
Most Common Ways to Kill a PC: USB Device Mishaps
USB mishaps and short circuits seem relatively rare next to some of the other entries in this list, but we did receive quite a few letters about them. The defining factor with these incidents seems to be the sheer randomness. A device might work perfectly for months or even years with a given system, then kill it the next time it is plugged in.

The problem with USB is that it transfers more power than most other I/O interfaces, so a short circuit can have disastrous consequences for the rest of your computer if the motherboard is not properly outfitted with board level fuses. Another possible cause is that the 'hot pluggable' nature of USB interfaces means that they are plugged in and unplugged much more than other I/O devices, leading to increased wear and tear and more chance of an electrical mishap.
Click to expand...
 
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