Did my Storm kill my motherboard?

[_ChillaX_]

Ciao everyone here!

Like two weeks ago I installed my wc, cpu loop only right now. :toast:

But when it'd been working well for like one week, one day when I was listening to music, the screen went black! After that the computer just restarts every 3 seconds before the post is done. A new mb(P5WDH) solved that, but now I'm worried;
Did my motherboard die cause I didn't use any backplate to the Storm? I heard of some people claiming that if you don't use a backplate the mb will bend and fail.
Is that true?:confused:

Thanks!

[stormshadow]

what's your reasoning for not using a backplate?

[hopper]

im not using a backplate never even herd of one? i can imagine what it dose.. should it have come with one??

[thunderstruck!]

There is no backplate for LGA775 mobos, storm didn't kill your board. The way the storm mounts on the intel mobos, it's impossible for it to bend your mobo.

[_ChillaX_]

There is no backplate for LGA775 mobos, storm didn't kill your board. The way the storm mounts on the intel mobos, it's impossible for it to bend your mobo.

Okey, sorry if this was a silly question, maybe it's s939 that need a backplate?
Thanks for the answers, now I'm gonna mount it again! :D

[Bobsmith]

If it makes you feel any better, I just killed my mobo too. Of course, my problem was that I was a dumbass and managed to shoot water all over it while it was running. $200 down the drain <sigh>. Oh well, I guess there is really no similarity...nevermind. :D

[SiGfever]

You can warp the motherboard tightening ANY LGA775 waterblock down too much. Mine has a slight arch in it now with my FuZion as did my MP-05 SP LE and my Storm rev2.

[echn111]

That's unfortunate. There are so many ways of unintentionally killing a system, and especially the M/B, when you start changing your system, and often you don't know exactly what went wrong.

Product warranties is important if you're going to mess with your system and I'd recommend buying your more sensitive electronics from a vendor with a decent return/replacement policy.

My 680i M/B died for reasons unknown, and my UK vendor, DABs, organized pickup, replacement and re-delivery to me at no charge or hassle. All I did was pack the defective M/B and slap the self-addressed postage label they sent me. (No thanks to EVGA who gave me the option for an EAR RMA then rejected it a few days later telling me it was only for US citizens and told me to restart my RMA again...real constructive there...think I'll avoid EVGA in the future).

[MaxxxRacer]

There is no backplate for LGA775 mobos, storm didn't kill your board. The way the storm mounts on the intel mobos, it's impossible for it to bend your mobo.

HIGHLY untrue. Using a backplate with LGA775 and spring tensioned waterblocks/heatsinks is a MUST. anyone who does not is playing with fire.

[afireinside]

HIGHLY untrue. Using a backplate with LGA775 and spring tensioned waterblocks/heatsinks is a MUST. anyone who does not is playing with fire.

How is that "playing with fire"? I've been running with them no problem. P5B and XBX2 both with high pressure springs and no back plate. If mounted properly, the board should not warp much, if that is your concern with it. Just use washers behind the board and you're fine. Plus warping/bending the board shouldn't hurt anyway. I ran my ultra-d EXTREMELY bent for almost a year.

[neverthere]

Dumb question of the minute: Did swiftech ever ship their Storm's with backplates for LGA775? I don't think my Storm rev.1 ever came with nor did my Storm rev. 2

[sanhacker]

How is that "playing with fire"? I've been running with them no problem. P5B and XBX2 both with high pressure springs and no back plate. If mounted properly, the board should not warp much, if that is your concern with it. Just use washers behind the board and you're fine. Plus warping/bending the board shouldn't hurt anyway. I ran my ultra-d EXTREMELY bent for almost a year.

Well, I think it depends on the MB you are using. I'm using an EVGA 680i and when I tried to mount a Storm without a backplate, it caused the MOSFET heatsinks to totally separate from the board.

I then ordered a Thermaltake, yes Thermaltake, H plate for the back. It comes with a neoprene as well as Mylar backer between the plate and the back of the board. I ordered the EK mounting kit from Petra which uses larger screws than the Storm allows. M4 if memory serves. Soooo, I drilled out the holes in the Storm cover plate and now everything is nice and flat.

Before it was very bowed and contact was limited.

[Bobsmith]

Product warranties is important if you're going to mess with your system and I'd recommend buying your more sensitive electronics from a vendor with a decent return/replacement policy.

I suppose I probably could get away with returning the thing under warranty. But, at the end of the day I know I caused the damage by being an idiot, and I really have no one to blame but myself. So I just don't feel right about pretending it was defective...

@mcoffey: My situation was fairly similar. I rotated my pump and didnt notice that the tube tension had caused the barb to unscrew. Anyhow, the machine did NOT die instantly. I shut it down and dried off all the liquid I could see. Then it ran fine for at least an hour. I shut it off for the evening, and then the next day it was dead. So really my second screwup was probably not completely powering down and letting it dry for a few days. It might be worth doing that with your kit just to be sure.

[sanhacker]

I suppose I probably could get away with returning the thing under warranty. But, at the end of the day I know I caused the damage by being an idiot, and I really have no one to blame but myself. So I just don't feel right about pretending it was defective...

I know that feeling. That's when I just say "Gunga Din" and write off my ignorance as a lesson learned.

Yes, it has been costly, yet it allows me to sleep at night !

[MrToad]

I had to use a Thermaltake backplate as well (I had it spare from my Big Typhoon, which's is mounted on my Athlon XP) with the Apogee...

I haven't tried yet, I might even have killed my MB. To busy atm to fiddle with the computer. Maybe when I finish with the loop and I fire it up I will find that the socket has ben "disrooted" so to speak.

When I mounted the Apogee w/o the backplate I suppose the bolts weren't in a 90 degree angle with the MB, and upon tightening the nuts, I had a look and the MB had a huge warp. I inmediately removed it and used the backplate, by I'm a bit wary of having already killed the MB.

Time will tell.

[MazterX]

Chilla# I have the same watercooling setup as you do :)
"Swiftech Storm ; EK fullcover for 8800GTS; DDC w/ Petra's top". I haven't really tryed it yet (my 8800 GTS failed, then Dustinhome.se sent me another one that didn't work :S) but, how is you'r temps on CPU and graphicscard? And btw, what cpu do you have?

Ps. Kul med lite svenskar p&#229; forumet. :D

[SiGfever]

I suppose I probably could get away with returning the thing under warranty. But, at the end of the day I know I caused the damage by being an idiot, and I really have no one to blame but myself. So I just don't feel right about pretending it was defective...

@mcoffey: My situation was fairly similar. I rotated my pump and didnt notice that the tube tension had caused the barb to unscrew. Anyhow, the machine did NOT die instantly. I shut it down and dried off all the liquid I could see. Then it ran fine for at least an hour. I shut it off for the evening, and then the next day it was dead. So really my second screwup was probably not completely powering down and letting it dry for a few days. It might be worth doing that with your kit just to be sure.
:clap: :clap:

At the end of the day all we really have is our integrity. :toast:

[echn111]

With regards to replacements and "lifetime warranties" for your M/B, the resellers' business model does take accidental damage into account, "especially" for boards targeted at "enthusiasts" (most who will move onto the latest, greatest M/B anyway). This is covered by the increased purchase price for such enthusiast products.

But if your M/B is broken and you choose not to take advantage of this, your choice; more money to big business.

[coyotetu]

That's right, justify it by their preemptive rise in cost, keep the circle going, if these "enthusiasts" would simply learn to take more care with the product, and, if not, have the honesty to admit to themselves that it was their fault and not RMA it, they wouldn't have this problem.

[_ChillaX_]

Chilla# I have the same watercooling setup as you do :)
"Swiftech Storm ; EK fullcover for 8800GTS; DDC w/ Petra's top". I haven't really tryed it yet (my 8800 GTS failed, then Dustinhome.se sent me another one that didn't work :S) but, how is you'r temps on CPU and graphicscard? And btw, what cpu do you have?

Ps. Kul med lite svenskar på forumet. :D

Ja det är trevligt :P..

I'm sorry, but I have only used the cpublock yet, the 8800GTS will soon be wcd too ;). I think I got 45/47 max load w/o clock and with yate loon @ 5v. :D

[echn111]

That's right, justify it by their preemptive rise in cost, keep the circle going, if these "enthusiasts" would simply learn to take more care with the product, and, if not, have the honesty to admit to themselves that it was their fault and not RMA it, they wouldn't have this problem.

You misunderstand. It is expected that enthusiasts (i.e. you/us) do strange things to their equipment that normal customers would not. Such as changing the stock blocks. Such as watercooling. Such as overclocking. "All" these will increase the chance of equipment failure. When failure does occur, yes you can argue that is was partially "their fault".

But is is misleading in many cases. The fact is, and the point I made, is that this is not only known, recognized, and 'expected', but acknowledged by the business models of many vendors and manufacturers. In such cases, RMA'ing equipment that fails after performing enthusiast related activities is expected.

[coyotetu]

You misunderstand. It is expected that enthusiasts do strange things to their equipment that normal customers would not. Such as changing the stock blocks. Such as watercooling. Such as overclocking. "All" these will increase the chance of equipment failure. When failure does occur, yes you can argue that is was partially "their fault".

But is is misleading. The fact is, and the point I made, is that this is not only known, recognized, and 'expected', but acknowledged by the business model. It is actually more dishonest to claim the opposite.

If you ignore all of the above points and claim that RMA'ing equipment that fails after performing enthusiast related activities is "dishonest", then you do a disservice to many honest people. And if you tell them to be "more careful" that is simply patronizing. No one sets out to damage their equipment.
And generally honest people cannot commit dishonest acts if they can (wrongly) justify it?

Your points do nothing to address the issue, you've expanded upon your previous statement. We'd all enjoy lower prices if people that made these kind of accidents could admit to themselves that it was their fault, and proceed no further.

These components were not made to run as anything other than stock, with stock equipment. You can try to justify it with this "they expect it" argument, but the plain truth is that this shouldn't be the case.

Call me old fashioned, but I think the RMA process should be reserved purely for defective product, anything less is, yes, dishonest.

[echn111]

And generally honest people cannot commit dishonest acts if they can (wrongly) justify it?

Your points do nothing to address the issue, you've expanded upon your previous statement. We'd all enjoy lower prices if people that made these kind of accidents could admit to themselves that it was their fault, and proceed no further.

No one sets out to damage their equipment.



These components were not made to run as anything other than stock, with stock equipment. You can try to justify it with this "they expect it" argument, but the plain truth is that this shouldn't be the case.


Incorrect in many cases (edited). As stated a few times my comment that "it is expected" that many enthusiasts (i.e. you/me) overclock or make physical changes to the board. I back this assertion up by the warranties of many of the newer motherboard products, especially those targeted at enthusiasts who will overclock or change the stock blocks (etc). And my contribution to this thread was to look out for these legitimate warranties that remain valid even after performing such activities. Especially if you decide to watercool.

Your comment "the plain truth is that this should be the case" is a subjective view backed up by "nothing". Do not misrepresent your subjective opinions as facts when they are not.



Call me old fashioned, but I think the RMA process should be reserved purely for defective product, anything less is, yes, dishonest.

If I have a legitimate warranty, I will use it in a legitimate way. If you decide not to, due to personal reasons, that is your right. But do not impose your personal views on other people. Keep your high handed morale judgement to yourself.

[_G_]

In refrence the origional topic I think the EVGA boards tend to be less rigid than other boards. My first one (s939) only lasted a few months and was bowed pretty bad(stock backing blate with a stock amd hsf clamped on it)
on the rma I got back I put a steel backing plate on it and that fixed the bowing problem. long story short if it doesnt look right it probably isnt :rolleyes:

[coyotetu]

No one sets out to damage their equipment.and this says what, exactly? of course nobody sets out to damage their equipment, it's their choice what to do if the situation arises.




Incorrect in many cases (edited). As stated a few times my comment that "it is expected" that many enthusiasts (i.e. you/me) overclock or make physical changes to the board. I back this assertion up by the warranties of many of the newer motherboard products, especially those targeted at enthusiasts who will overclock or change the stock blocks (etc). And my contribution to this thread was to look out for these legitimate warranties that remain valid even after performing such activities. Especially if you decide to watercool.Regardless I doubt these revised warranties have approached anything that can be considered a majority. I'm arguing against the blatant RMA'ing of non-defective, user-error product, you may choose not to address that, but don't tell me this is justified in any case but those revised warranties.


Your comment "the plain truth is that this should be the case" is a subjective view backed up by "nothing". Do not misrepresent your subjective opinions as facts when they are not.Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. :stick: Excuse me if I'm an idealist.




If I have a legitimate warranty, I will use it in a legitimate way. If you decide not to, due to personal reasons, that is your right. But do not impose your personal views on other people. Keep your high handed morale judgement to yourself.This does nothing to address what I'm opposed to, the violation, and unfortunate success of RMA's outside some warranties.

Maybe you missed the point of a public forum, I'm sorry if you disagree with my opinions, but you have no ability, nor right to squelch my opinions.

[echn111]

Maybe you missed the point of a public forum, I'm sorry if you disagree with my opinions, but you have no ability, nor right to squelch my opinions.

Go for it. People will continue to "legitimately" use their warranties regardless.

And I am fully open to hearing different views and certainly am open to hearing them. Ok you've got morales. Point taken and really, that's your right.

What I think is distasteful is your preaching and pushing of your personal morales on a "watercooling" forum.

Anyway, my advice still holds. Look for a good warranty that will still cover you in case of watercooling problems.

[serialk11r]

Hmmm... My cheapness says that if the warranty covers it and you can get a warranty you should do so even if it was totally your fault that something got screwed up. However I realize that if I myself were to try to RMA something I killed I cannot get myself to do so. It depends on what you think. Plenty of people think going to the store, getting 10 processors and testing each one to see which one gets higher clocks then returning the rest is totally fine, even if some of them screwed up because you gave them 1.8V or something.
For me, the only bad thing I ever did was buy a floppy drive, screw around with it and break it, then return it. Well it was 10 bucks, but anything more than that I probably wouldn't have the guts. Yet some people do. I'm sure there are people out there that kill motherboards and everything then just take it back to the store and say "it didn't work...".