SYMPTOMS
- PC self-reboots randomly
- Prime95 / mprime throws hardware errors after running for less than one minute
DIAGNOSIS
- board has leaking capacitors
POSSIBILITES
[ ] throw it all out of the window (and start a new life on an island without computers and electricity)
[ ] get a new board (€ 30-60)
[X] mount new caps (€ 10.80 and some hours of work)
REQUISITES
- EPoX 8K3A+ (2.5 years old)
- 12x 2200µF, 16V caps (from Technotronic)
- a soldering iron (approx. 10 years old, probably even older)
- someone capable of making all this happen
SOLUTION
- Step 1: some serious soldering iron modding
- Step 2: remove dead capacitors
- Step 3: mount a few caps and find out not all of them will fit because they're bigger than the old ones
- Step 4: throw away idea to mount remaining caps on the backside of the board
- Step 5: cable cut & soldering fun
- Step 6: mount remaining caps
- Step 7: for safety reasons, use "professional" isolation
- Step 8: name the caps after your favourite things in the software world
RESULT
- overvoltaged EPoX 8K3A+
- overclocked soldering iron
- no more self-reboots
- Prime95/mprime runs flawless
- gcc, glibc, Xorg, GNU and apt saved my day
- ~€ 30 to throw away for some other useless shit