Killed a board - suggestions?

[Maxprime]

Well the Max3 is toast - just stopped working. I found a little bit of corrosion on the back (square millimeter or so). I sealed it very well (so I thought) - any suggestions on why the board died?

[afireinside]

Same happened to my NF7-S... It froze a week after my chiller was working and it froze a minute after booting the two times it did afterwards...

[Maxprime]

Well the odd thing is that I've had it running for over a month with no problems. If it was going to condense on the inside of the chamber, wouldn't it have done it already?

[afireinside]

I guess... I had some frost around the block. My guess is that my around the socket insulation was a bit subpar...

[Maxprime]

Besides the normal Mach I installation - are there any other steps I can take to make it more condensation-proof?

[Gary Lloyd]

Well the odd thing is that I've had it running for over a month with no problems. If it was going to condense on the inside of the chamber, wouldn't it have done it already?



It all depends on the humidity. One humid day, and there it goes.

I tend to think that most people don't take insulation seriously enough. It isn't just for condensation. It also improves the system's performance. And to give you an idea of how much is enough, 3/4" wall thickness (closed cell neopreme) is considered standard for low temperature systems.

[Maxprime]

I definitely will put some neporene in - any guides on how to do it well?

[afireinside]

3/4" is a bit much to fit on a mobo.... Wait till you see my evap tho :D Its gona be COVERED ;)

[PyroTeknik]

so if my house is always air conitioned/heated id have less chances of condensation?

[Holst]

Try cleaning it up and see if it still works.

If you have just shorted some bits out with the condensation mess then it may live again after a clean...

[Maxprime]

I cleaned it pretty well w/ alcohol with no luck. I figured it was some condensation I couldn't see or something. I have to RMA it regardless for the VDimm issue - but I don't want to kill the next one.

[Gary Lloyd]

so if my house is always air conitioned/heated id have less chances of condensation?



Yes, an air conditioner, if working properly, dehumidifies the air. As far as heating goes, in the winter, the air outside is very dry.

Hot humid weather is the worst.

[PyroTeknik]

yeah i live in texas... one of the hotter more humid places :)

[chris4521]

if you can, get your hands on some contact cleaner. it's basically super-high concentration alcohol in a spray bottle usually.use a toothbrush and go at the board then let it dry. worked for my old ti4200 when i had a little coolant incident :)

[Maxprime]

That's a great suggestion - I'll give it a shot. Any good FAQ's on super-protecting a board from condensation? (Neoprene, etc.) I'd rather be safe than sorry.

[NitroRat]

don't be afraid to use plenty of dielectric grease. I use it on the back of the mobo under the insulation just in case, and inside and around the cpu socket.

[Gary Lloyd]

yeah i live in texas... one of the hotter more humid places



Yep. Lots of mold problems down your way from all the humidity. Easily solved, but nobody listens to me... LOL

[Maxprime]

Originally posted by Gary Lloyd
Yep. Lots of mold problems down your way from all the humidity. Easily solved, but nobody listens to me... LOL

Preach, brother - preach! Neoprene I assume?

[Gary Lloyd]

Nope. Slow the airflow. This lowers the evaporator coil temperature, which removes more humidity faster. Just be careful that the temperature doesn't drop enough to freeze the coil.

The downside is that this lowers the efficiency. Therein lies the rub. Nobody wants to admit that the mold problems in high humidity areas are being caused by the government's energy efficiency mandates.

Unintended consequences and CYA. That's what government is all about... LOL

This article, which I wrote for the "Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration News" might interest you:

http://www.phase-change.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=418&highlight=

[Techmasta]

Here is Bowmans guide on condensation proofing.
http://www.phase-change.com/index.php?action=Articles_page&cat=Guides&id=25&page=1

[Maxprime]

Just went to Fry's, Home Depot, + a hardcore computer store and couldn't find any dielectric grease or closed cell foam - where can you get this stuff?

[mikead_99]

Originally posted by Maxprime
Just went to Fry's, Home Depot, + a hardcore computer store and couldn't find any dielectric grease or closed cell foam - where can you get this stuff?

Cooltechnica or dangerden both carry. Look under pelts, or maybe accessories.

[NitroRat]

Pick it up in any autoparts store

[nas]

how does silicon preforms for condensation proofing?

[Slickthellama]

i dont know wat you are talking about nas. But if you are talking dielectric grease, it simply is placed in spaces to prevent air flow from going through and thus there is no room for the water to condense.

[nas]

im talkin about silicon preformance in condensation proofing in general ... no connection to dielectric grease

[Maxprime]

Bowman said you can use either that or dielectric grease, but that silicon is a pain in the ass to remove and you'll have a lot of trouble RMA'ing a board that has it in the socket.