Missing unknown component on X800XL

[Death909]

Some components are missing on my X800XL, which I'm trying to fix. Specifically, my DFI mobo won't go past the 3rd red light when I have the card plugged in. I have already fixed all other damage except this.

Short version of what happened: volt modded the X800XL. Some stiff wire and poor soldering skills resulted in cut traces in the feedback circuit. Component B72 exploded (shot hot greyish gas through some tape I had over it). The components on the otherside of B72 were kinda warm, especially a small metal cap (which works).

So.. the missing component is labelled B72, it has no markings or information printed on it, and I have no idea what it is. I'm not sure if its nesscessary, but the video card isn't booting.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[jumanji969]

Can you get some pics of the card?

[cirthix]

where is it?

[Death909]

Its on the opposite side of the inductor / capacitor bunch. Otherwise, its on the top left hand corner of pics of the back of the card.

[SikaRippa]

Is the missing component the one indicated in figure below ?



I suppose that component might be EMI suppression filter, which is basically a high performance capacitor. A datasheet of that kind component can be found here:

http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/16352.pdf

The function of such filter is to remove unwanted high frequency noise, and I think the absolute value is not too critical.

--

Could you check following things to be sure about component:

- Is there third terminal middle of that component (if completely missing, check similar component in the card e.g. B79 nearby) ?
- Any labels top of those filters ?
- Are you sure you do not have any shorts left e.g. beneath of B72?

[Death909]

The component is the exact one indicated in the picture.

There is no third terminal on B72.

There is no label or markings on B72.

B72 is completely missing, nothing touching the solder pads at all.


I tried soldering a similair component from an old HDD, it didn't work in the exact same way. The lights on my DFI mobo go from 4 lit, to 3 lit, then a distinct clicking noise happens and it goes back to 4.

Occasionally, after a number of resets, the PC will boot up, but the card will show no life (pc doesn't recognise it, heatsink doesn't get warm even with fan stopped, fan runs of a mobo fan header though, so I'm not even sure the card is getting power).

[SikaRippa]

The component is the exact one indicated in the picture.

There is no third terminal on B72.

There is no label or markings on B72.

B72 is completely missing, nothing touching the solder pads at all.


I tried soldering a similair component from an old HDD, it didn't work in the exact same way. The lights on my DFI mobo go from 4 lit, to 3 lit, then a distinct clicking noise happens and it goes back to 4.

Occasionally, after a number of resets, the PC will boot up, but the card will show no life (pc doesn't recognise it, heatsink doesn't get warm even with fan stopped, fan runs of a mobo fan header though, so I'm not even sure the card is getting power).

OK. The missing component is not exactly the same component as in that link. However, I suppose it have to be some kind of capacitor / noise filter etc. Could you measure resistance/capacitance over such component (when removed) ?

You could check whether card is getting power by measuring DC-voltages of some nodes. At least all positive terminals of large electrolytic capacitors should have some voltage.

In the first post you said there are missing some components, you have replaced all but 'B72' ?

[Death909]

I can not measure capacitance in general, and resistance would be hard to measure. The component itself which is 'missing', I removed myself. Problem is, a 40w soldering iron isn't enough to melt the solder, B72 ended up cracking into two halves (not suprised, it didn't look very solid after it shot out gas/steam).

I'm not too willing to try with another B**.

As for the other components, I miss-explained that. I have re-soldered a few cut traces and in general repaired all physical damage to the circuitry. I have tested with my multimeter, and everything seems to check out.

I'm begining to doubt that I'd be able to fix it. I really hope I do, it was a $500 AUD video card..

[SikaRippa]

I can not measure capacitance in general, and resistance would be hard to measure. The component itself which is 'missing', I removed myself. Problem is, a 40w soldering iron isn't enough to melt the solder, B72 ended up cracking into two halves (not suprised, it didn't look very solid after it shot out gas/steam).

I'm not too willing to try with another B**.

As for the other components, I miss-explained that. I have re-soldered a few cut traces and in general repaired all physical damage to the circuitry. I have tested with my multimeter, and everything seems to check out.

I'm begining to doubt that I'd be able to fix it. I really hope I do, it was a $500 AUD video card..

I wonder in what kind of case the B72 exploded ? You made some volt mods (?), traces were cut, you repaired traces, put power on -> explode ?

If that was correct 'logic' either the mod went somehow bad (too high voltage?) or the repairing of traces did not succeeded (shorts/opens). Since you have repaired everything that seems to be burn, some of the IC's (core, memory..) might be destroyed - quite hard/impossible to repair

[Death909]

Well, it was more like:


made some volt mods (VDD,VDDQ first, both worked perfectly), traces were cut (VGPU, instead of lowering resistance from .44 K OHMs, made it infinite), didn't notice the damage, put power on .. nothing.. the clicking I mentioned.. the smallish super cap on the opposite side got warm, so did the inductors, reset it.. nothing, reset it -> POOF!

I've checked the capacitors, I'm assuming the inductors are fine (if they're dead, they're not going to conduct, so power reg will be poorer but it doesn't really matter to me currently).

Since the resistance was increased to infinity, the core should have close to 5v thrust through it, but the IGPU protection should have kicked in (*should*, its possible that the IGPU protection is only designed to prevent smaller overvolts, 5v might be capable of instantly killing the transistors in the core without the IGPU helping, but I hope I'm wrong).

[SikaRippa]

Well, it was more like:


made some volt mods (VDD,VDDQ first, both worked perfectly), traces were cut (VGPU, instead of lowering resistance from .44 K OHMs, made it infinite), didn't notice the damage, put power on .. nothing.. the clicking I mentioned.. the smallish super cap on the opposite side got warm, so did the inductors, reset it.. nothing, reset it -> POOF!

I've checked the capacitors, I'm assuming the inductors are fine (if they're dead, they're not going to conduct, so power reg will be poorer but it doesn't really matter to me currently).

Since the resistance was increased to infinity, the core should have close to 5v thrust through it, but the IGPU protection should have kicked in (*should*, its possible that the IGPU protection is only designed to prevent smaller overvolts, 5v might be capable of instantly killing the transistors in the core without the IGPU helping, but I hope I'm wrong).

That explanation makes situtation more clear. The case you described ( instantenous high voltage ~ 5 V at feedback due to cut traces) will propably cause damages to Vcore and current protection circuitry can not shut down in such condition. In fact I think the Vcore will be damaged in ANY case a such high voltage is applied to VDD or any other I/O (even protection circuitry itself cannot stand 5 V due to breakdown voltages set by used IC process)

[Death909]

I'm assuming on the 5v thing, it might draw from the 3.3v line (just using 5v cause its pretty much the most I'd expect to be running through the video card (besides 12v for the fan..).

So.. is there no hope?

To be honest, all I really want is to be able to play gal civs 2, which some boring card like a X300 might even do well enough (2.84ghtz Opteron 939 should be capable of supporting the GPU). But I don't have much money to spare, and if the X300 can't deal with GC2 then I've wasted $80-$90 AUD.

[SikaRippa]

I'm assuming on the 5v thing, it might draw from the 3.3v line (just using 5v cause its pretty much the most I'd expect to be running through the video card (besides 12v for the fan..).

So.. is there no hope?

To be honest, all I really want is to be able to play gal civs 2, which some boring card like a X300 might even do well enough (2.84ghtz Opteron 939 should be capable of supporting the GPU). But I don't have much money to spare, and if the X300 can't deal with GC2 then I've wasted $80-$90 AUD.

I am not familiar with X800XL and do not know how the voltage generation is organized. However, I have seen in some/many cards where the Vcore voltage is generated from 5 V or 12 V (!!!) line because that provides more power (=ratio between in/out voltage levels of regulator is larger). Even if they are using 3.3 V (you could check it out by intensive examination of card..) I am quite sure that is too high voltage for Vcore - sorry

[Death909]

Damn. First time I've killed a pc part, first time I've lost $270 USD because of an oversight. I find it ironic that I spent $50 AUD on better cooling for the card only to render it dead a few days after.

A friend has offered me his old Sparkle 6600, its been spilling graphical corruption everywhere, so I'll probably try and fix it before deciding on buying a new video card.