I have figured out why my dead system won't boot/post. It turns out,
after a quick look, there are 3 bad caps (they are bulging at the top,
my thanks to the poster who suggested to check the caps). Anyhow, the
motherboard is a ECS K7S5A and the 3 caps that are bad are rated at
6.3volts at 1800 uf. I have an old motherboard with 3 caps that are
the same size and are rated at 6.3 volts but 1200uf. Will these work?
If not, where can I order the new caps from?

Chris
If life seems jolly rotten
There's spmething you've forgotten
and thats to laugh and smile and dance and sing!

In comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc Chris <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> I have figured out why my dead system won't boot/post. It turns out,
> after a quick look, there are 3 bad caps (they are bulging at the top,
> my thanks to the poster who suggested to check the caps). Anyhow, the
> motherboard is a ECS K7S5A and the 3 caps that are bad are rated at
> 6.3volts at 1800 uf. I have an old motherboard with 3 caps that are
> the same size and are rated at 6.3 volts but 1200uf. Will these work?
> If not, where can I order the new caps from?

Unless the old caps are low-ESR types, they will not work at all.
Even if they are low-ESR, you might have serious troubles, since
they are too small in capacity.

I used Rubycon ZL series caps for replacement with good experiences.
Rubycon ZLH are even better.

You need to replace with the same capacity, if necessary combined
from several capacitors. If you are sure the three are in paralell,
then you can use, e.g. two 2200uf and one 1000uf. If they are
not paralell, try with the closest match you can get, 2200uF
or 1500uF may work.

As to voltage, higher is better.

As to size, if these are 10mm diameter ones, you may not
get replacements that fit. Since bigger diameter caps
have better characteristics, this is not too bad. You can
mount them with a bit of air between cap and board and
bend the leads to fit.

As for a source, that depends on were you are. In Europe,
www.distrelec.com is a possible one.

Arno

Chris wrote:

> I have figured out why my dead system won't boot/post. It turns out,
> after a quick look, there are 3 bad caps (they are bulging at the top,
> my thanks to the poster who suggested to check the caps). Anyhow, the
> motherboard is a ECS K7S5A and the 3 caps that are bad are rated at
> 6.3volts at 1800 uf. I have an old motherboard with 3 caps that are
> the same size and are rated at 6.3 volts but 1200uf. Will these work?
> If not, where can I order the new caps from?
>
> Chris
> If life seems jolly rotten
> There's spmething you've forgotten
> and thats to laugh and smile and dance and sing!

my guess - despite being 33% smaller the ones you have will handle the job.
Consider that what was there has been deteriorating for some time before the
machine died and you will have been living with well less than the rated
value. These are only filter caps at any rate and since the application is
the same they can't hurt. Worst case - a little more instability than an
up to snuff machine.

On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 22:13:44 GMT, Chris
<(E-Mail Removed)> put finger to keyboard and
composed:

>I have figured out why my dead system won't boot/post. It turns out,
>after a quick look, there are 3 bad caps (they are bulging at the top,
>my thanks to the poster who suggested to check the caps). Anyhow, the
>motherboard is a ECS K7S5A and the 3 caps that are bad are rated at
>6.3volts at 1800 uf. I have an old motherboard with 3 caps that are
>the same size and are rated at 6.3 volts but 1200uf. Will these work?
>If not, where can I order the new caps from?
>
>Chris

Not cheap, but try http://www.badcaps.net/.

- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

"Arno Wagner" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> In comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc Chris
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>> I have figured out why my dead system won't boot/post. It turns out,
>> after a quick look, there are 3 bad caps (they are bulging at the top,
>> my thanks to the poster who suggested to check the caps). Anyhow, the
>> motherboard is a ECS K7S5A and the 3 caps that are bad are rated at
>> 6.3volts at 1800 uf. I have an old motherboard with 3 caps that are
>> the same size and are rated at 6.3 volts but 1200uf. Will these work?
>> If not, where can I order the new caps from?
>
> Unless the old caps are low-ESR types, they will not work at all.
> Even if they are low-ESR, you might have serious troubles, since
> they are too small in capacity.
>
> I used Rubycon ZL series caps for replacement with good experiences.
> Rubycon ZLH are even better.
>
> You need to replace with the same capacity, if necessary combined
> from several capacitors. If you are sure the three are in paralell,
> then you can use, e.g. two 2200uf and one 1000uf. If they are
> not paralell, try with the closest match you can get, 2200uF
> or 1500uF may work.
>
> As to voltage, higher is better.
>

No it isn't. Not in electrolytics anyway. Replace with 6.3 volt, though a
volt or two higher would be OK. Anyhting much higher will reduce the
reliability. Replace them with 105°C caps if you can. These are
significantly more reliable than the 85°C caps that are probably fitted.

"Franc Zabkar" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 22:13:44 GMT, Chris
<(E-Mail Removed)> put finger to keyboard and
composed:

>I have figured out why my dead system won't boot/post. It turns out,
>after a quick look, there are 3 bad caps (they are bulging at the top,
>my thanks to the poster who suggested to check the caps). Anyhow, the
>motherboard is a ECS K7S5A and the 3 caps that are bad are rated at
>6.3volts at 1800 uf. I have an old motherboard with 3 caps that are
>the same size and are rated at 6.3 volts but 1200uf. Will these work?
>If not, where can I order the new caps from?
>
>Chris

Not cheap, but try http://www.badcaps.net/.

----------------

But he's already got bad capacitors. What he wants are good ones.

In comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc "M.I.5¾" <(E-Mail Removed)_spam.co.uk> wrote:

> "Arno Wagner" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> In comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc Chris
>> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>> I have figured out why my dead system won't boot/post. It turns out,
>>> after a quick look, there are 3 bad caps (they are bulging at the top,
>>> my thanks to the poster who suggested to check the caps). Anyhow, the
>>> motherboard is a ECS K7S5A and the 3 caps that are bad are rated at
>>> 6.3volts at 1800 uf. I have an old motherboard with 3 caps that are
>>> the same size and are rated at 6.3 volts but 1200uf. Will these work?
>>> If not, where can I order the new caps from?
>>
>> Unless the old caps are low-ESR types, they will not work at all.
>> Even if they are low-ESR, you might have serious troubles, since
>> they are too small in capacity.
>>
>> I used Rubycon ZL series caps for replacement with good experiences.
>> Rubycon ZLH are even better.
>>
>> You need to replace with the same capacity, if necessary combined
>> from several capacitors. If you are sure the three are in paralell,
>> then you can use, e.g. two 2200uf and one 1000uf. If they are
>> not paralell, try with the closest match you can get, 2200uF
>> or 1500uF may work.
>>
>> As to voltage, higher is better.
>>

> No it isn't. Not in electrolytics anyway.

A higher voltage will result in lower ESR and in lower temperature,
hence longer lifetime. Look into the datasheet of the ZL and ZLH
capacitors....

> Replace with 6.3 volt, though a
> volt or two higher would be OK. Anyhting much higher will reduce the
> reliability.

This is complete nonsense.

> Replace them with 105°C caps if you can. These are
> significantly more reliable than the 85°C caps that are probably fitted.

There are no 85C low-ESR capacitors on the market. 85C capacitors
will a) not do the job b) explode pretty fast.

It strikes me that you do not know what you are talking about.

Arno

In comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc "M.I.5¾" <(E-Mail Removed)_spam.co.uk> wrote:

> "Franc Zabkar" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 22:13:44 GMT, Chris
> <(E-Mail Removed)> put finger to keyboard and
> composed:

>>I have figured out why my dead system won't boot/post. It turns out,
>>after a quick look, there are 3 bad caps (they are bulging at the top,
>>my thanks to the poster who suggested to check the caps). Anyhow, the
>>motherboard is a ECS K7S5A and the 3 caps that are bad are rated at
>>6.3volts at 1800 uf. I have an old motherboard with 3 caps that are
>>the same size and are rated at 6.3 volts but 1200uf. Will these work?
>>If not, where can I order the new caps from?
>>
>>Chris

> Not cheap, but try http://www.badcaps.net/.

> ----------------

> But he's already got bad capacitors. What he wants are good ones.

You really have no clue, do you?

Arno

"Arno Wagner" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> In comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc "M.I.5¾" <(E-Mail Removed)_spam.co.uk>
> wrote:
>
>> "Arno Wagner" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> In comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc Chris
>>> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>>> I have figured out why my dead system won't boot/post. It turns out,
>>>> after a quick look, there are 3 bad caps (they are bulging at the top,
>>>> my thanks to the poster who suggested to check the caps). Anyhow, the
>>>> motherboard is a ECS K7S5A and the 3 caps that are bad are rated at
>>>> 6.3volts at 1800 uf. I have an old motherboard with 3 caps that are
>>>> the same size and are rated at 6.3 volts but 1200uf. Will these work?
>>>> If not, where can I order the new caps from?
>>>
>>> Unless the old caps are low-ESR types, they will not work at all.
>>> Even if they are low-ESR, you might have serious troubles, since
>>> they are too small in capacity.
>>>
>>> I used Rubycon ZL series caps for replacement with good experiences.
>>> Rubycon ZLH are even better.
>>>
>>> You need to replace with the same capacity, if necessary combined
>>> from several capacitors. If you are sure the three are in paralell,
>>> then you can use, e.g. two 2200uf and one 1000uf. If they are
>>> not paralell, try with the closest match you can get, 2200uF
>>> or 1500uF may work.
>>>
>>> As to voltage, higher is better.
>>>
>
>> No it isn't. Not in electrolytics anyway.
>
> A higher voltage will result in lower ESR and in lower temperature,
> hence longer lifetime. Look into the datasheet of the ZL and ZLH
> capacitors....
>
>> Replace with 6.3 volt, though a
>> volt or two higher would be OK. Anyhting much higher will reduce the
>> reliability.
>
> This is complete nonsense.
>
Not so. If the capacitors are too high a voltage, then the insulating layer
does not reform fully when the polarising voltage is applied. This in fact
considerably lowers the reliability of the capacitors. Just check any
decent manufacturer's reliability data for voltage derating (assuming you
could understand it).

>> Replace them with 105°C caps if you can. These are
>> significantly more reliable than the 85°C caps that are probably fitted.
>
> There are no 85C low-ESR capacitors on the market. 85C capacitors
> will a) not do the job b) explode pretty fast.
>

Really? Then it is you who doesn't know what you are talking about. The
first catalogue I grabbed off my shelf has 3 pages of them made by Siemens
and EPCOS, and they are specifically sold for use in computer power supply
systems (from very large to extremely small). 4 pages later turns up a page
and a half of the same thing made by Panasonic. So presumably they will do
the job, just at a lower reliability. Many suppliers of even very expensive
systems prefer to use 85 °C capacitors because they are almost half the
price. Personally, I would never use them as they only have about a third
to half of the MTTF of a 105°C device. Looking inside this very computer
reveals that all the capacitors that can be seen without a magnifying glass
are all rated at 85°C.

> It strikes me that you do not know what you are talking about.
>

In that case I would stop travelling anywhere by aeroplane. I am an
electronics engineer in the aerospace industry, and I most certainly do know
what I am talking about. A substantial amount of hardware goes over your
head to prove it.

"Arno Wagner" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> In comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc "M.I.5¾" <(E-Mail Removed)_spam.co.uk>
> wrote:
>
>> "Franc Zabkar" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 22:13:44 GMT, Chris
>> <(E-Mail Removed)> put finger to keyboard and
>> composed:
>
>>>I have figured out why my dead system won't boot/post. It turns out,
>>>after a quick look, there are 3 bad caps (they are bulging at the top,
>>>my thanks to the poster who suggested to check the caps). Anyhow, the
>>>motherboard is a ECS K7S5A and the 3 caps that are bad are rated at
>>>6.3volts at 1800 uf. I have an old motherboard with 3 caps that are
>>>the same size and are rated at 6.3 volts but 1200uf. Will these work?
>>>If not, where can I order the new caps from?
>>>
>>>Chris
>
>> Not cheap, but try http://www.badcaps.net/.
>
>> ----------------
>
>> But he's already got bad capacitors. What he wants are good ones.
>
> You really have no clue, do you?
>

Whoosh!