Intel D975XBX2 "Bad axe 2" broken capacitor Help!!!!

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weepaman180

n00b
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May 19, 2008
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Hi, I have a D975XBX2 motherboard with a broken capacitor. I just installed windows and played games for around 3 hours with no issues. I don't want to mess things up by trying to solder it back as I don't have the proper equipment or knowledge to do it so here is my question. Does anybody knows what is the "Job" of that capacitor? and what problems I might run into if I don't solder it back? its the one circled in red in the pic. Thanks in advanced.

mb2.jpg
 
Well, I don't have that motherboard (willing to take donations, however :) ) or its wiring schematic, so we can only really stab in the dark here.

My rough guess is it runs in parallel with its close neighbor, providing some filtering for the PCI-E slot above it. I imagine, if what I said is true, you won't run to any problems as long as you don't use that bottom PCI-E slot (and perhaps its PCI neighbor).

If you could take some high-resolution, close, WELL-LIT shots of the front and back we might be able to figure that bit out.
Another question, how did you break it off? Those are standard solder-through electrolytic capacitors. They're rather difficult to remove by force.

If you can get a similar capacitor with the same specs, you should be able to solder it back on. The RoHS solder they use takes a lot of heat to flow, though.
 
You might be able to go to a TV repair place and say you need that capacitor replaced.
 
agree with both the above. It would be 2 minutes work for anyone who knows how to solder electronics if you had a replacment cap and I am certain that one is nothing special.

There are guides on the internet on how to read the markings on the cap.

If you will post everything you can read off of that cap I will find you a replacement you can buy online (and maybe at radio shack). If there is still wires coming out of the bottom of the cap it may be able to be reused as it is, just depends. I am looking for stuff like 50uF 10V etc. and stick it next to a ruler and give me as accurate measurement of the length of the body (looks to be 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch tall but hard to tell, and the diameter).

$10 25W pencil soldering iron kit, read some soldering how-tos on the net, practice on some scrap wire and old motherboard or cards for an hour, (unsolder and resolder simular cap/components on junk equipment) and you could easily fix that yourself and /gasp learn a skill. :eek:

Soldering is very easy, the biggest mistake is to overheat stuff, it only takes 3 seconds of heat to melt the solder to remove or insert a component.
 
That one will certainly do the job, my "guess" is b0633 is batch 2006 week 33 so its not important. Almost bet that is the exact cap used on the board.
 
I think you are way more likely to screw up soldering a capacitor between two slots than that missing cap is likely to give you a problem. Heck you used the system for three hours so its obvious nothing critical will meltdown from that loss of that cap. Avoid the bottom two slots and you should not have much of an issue.
 
ocellaris said:
I think you are way more likely to screw up soldering a capacitor between two slots than that missing cap is likely to give you a problem. Heck you used the system for three hours so its obvious nothing critical will meltdown from that loss of that cap. Avoid the bottom two slots and you should not have much of an issue.
Click to expand...

er, you do the soldering from the backside of the board. Not even going to bother with the rest of the comment.
 
ocellaris said:
I think you are way more likely to screw up soldering a capacitor between two slots than that missing cap is likely to give you a problem. Heck you used the system for three hours so its obvious nothing critical will meltdown from that loss of that cap. Avoid the bottom two slots and you should not have much of an issue.
Click to expand...

Seriously, replacing the cap will take about 2 minutes of work including letting the iron heat up. The only thing you could do wrong is to solder it on with the leads reversed (polarity), so just ensure that the + and - are the way the original cap was.
 
weepaman180 said:
I'm planning to to order the parts. How am I going to solder it from the back?
Click to expand...
well did the wires break off? if there are still the 2 wires in the holes, you should desolder them with some braid so you can just put the new cap in the holes and solder away. put the cap in, bend it a little so it stays put then flip the board over and solder the two wires
 
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