Knocking bits off a 7900GS (With pictures!)

[Darg]

I wouldn't like to get a card that was busted so I won't sell it to anyone either. I was annoyed enough at receiving a bent card from the MM. Atleast it still worked okay though.

I'm still tempted by the 2900XT. It has the potential to beat the GTX if ATi get their act together with drivers which I'm sure they will. Price wise compared to the GTX it's a steal.

Damn.. decisions..

Oh and yea I meant I was looking at the OCUK sorry, used to seeing the Asus as the cheapest.

 

[weird_dave]

This is my first question:
Is this a resistor or a capacitor and does it matter which way round I soldered it? (and yes I know I'm not the best solderer but these are tiny )
?

It's a capacitor, fine either way.

Second question:
Could this have permenently damaged the graphics card even after soldering it back on?

It's possible. thre's a chance it's not connecting properly with the pads, or it's a dead cap gone short or open. Got a multimeter? It looks like a decoupling cap so it should connect to the supply rails somewhere, I suggest buzzing out from each end of the cap (without touching the soldered bit) to the rails, if you can find them
Also buzz out that the cap isn't a dead short.

Okay.. I was trying anything I could think of to try and get the machine to boot. On one of my rummagings i managed to knock off a capacitor from around the power socket area. I soldered it back on after much effort and it seems to be stuck on the correct areas okay. Still no luck though and the machine still gives the 1 long and 3 short beeps of graphics card doom.

There may be a damaged track around the cap.

Okay now I spell like burning and my heads a bit woozy from inhaling solder fumes. What I want to know is.. can it be saved? Should I try soldering the little guy on the other way round?

I hope the burning smell isn't from the card! Don't solder the poor thing the other way round, it'll kill it.

Is it time for a 2900XT?

Looks like it, unless you can hand it to an electronics guy(/gal) to have a look at.

 

[Darg]

AGHH!HH!H!HH!H!!!

I just spent €406 on a 2900XT...

The doubt.. aghh! Buyers remorse! It'll pass soon. My dad is gonna freaking take my head off.

 

[Dingleberry88]

freezer-trick

?

 

[wudsta]

?

I was thinking the same - please explain this freezer trick, it sounds interesting!

 

[Trixxy]

lol wtf is that looks like its goona take off in a mo :O

It's a Swiftech MCW50-T waterblock with a TEC.


The freezer-trick is used to help remove ramsinks that have been epoxied on to chips. The idea is to seal the card in an airtight bag, put in the freezer for an hour or so to make the epoxy brittle. When you take it out the ramchips should pop off easily. I'd tried it on a previous card and it worked ok, but i was too impatient with that one.

It was a waste because I found out a month or so later that I didn't even need to remove the ramsinks (I thought they were causing corruption, but it was added volts to the gpu).