DESPERATE STRAITS!!!

[Rohan Beckles]

Help!!! --

I have an ASUS CUV4X-D with a dead CPU socket (CPU0). Some of the
components around the socket are damaged, probably happened when I
tried to install a waterblock.

Anyway, I have recently been in contact with ASUS. Their position is
that they will not repair the board due to its age, and they will not
release specs of the components in question, due to liability issues.

If anyone has any experience of repairing these boards, I would dearly
like to hear from them. I am based in the U.K., BTW.

Thanks & best regards,

Rohan Beckles
(e-mail address removed)
--
ABIT VP6
Intel Pentium III "Coppermine" @ 1.0GHz (x2)
Crucial 256MB PC-133 SDRAM (x4)
Seagate Barracuda II 20.4GB
ABIT Siluro Ti4200 128MB 8xAGP OTES
NetGear FA310TX
Linux Kernel 2.4.28

 

[Noozer]

Help!!! --

I have an ASUS CUV4X-D with a dead CPU socket (CPU0). Some of the
components around the socket are damaged, probably happened when I
tried to install a waterblock.

I don't see any questions here, but I'm assuming you want to repair your
board...

It ain't gonna happen. Find a replacement.

 

[Nero]

waste of time even thinking about repair.............................
too much to go wrong.

 

[Nero]

Why should ASUS fix it???
you messed it up...................
if you owned a twenty year old Ford would you expect Ford to repair it???

 

[notritenoteri]

I've repaired boards like that I use a 5 lb hammer and a trash can.
Oh yah you also need the price of a new MB

 

[Paul]

Help!!! --

I have an ASUS CUV4X-D with a dead CPU socket (CPU0). Some of the
components around the socket are damaged, probably happened when I
tried to install a waterblock.

Anyway, I have recently been in contact with ASUS. Their position is
that they will not repair the board due to its age, and they will not
release specs of the components in question, due to liability issues.

If anyone has any experience of repairing these boards, I would dearly
like to hear from them. I am based in the U.K., BTW.

Thanks & best regards,

Rohan Beckles
(e-mail address removed)

There are two people who frequent the Abit newsgroup, and they
repair boards. In North America, there is "Homey"
(motherboardrepair.com). In the UK, there is "bigbadger", and
he can be reached via email.

Bigbadger can be reached via email by tacking @btinternet.com
onto the end of his name. He also goes by the name of steve
and you tack @thebageplace.fsnet.co.uk onto the end of steve.
(Got that from a Google search. I break up email addresses
as an antispam measure, for all the good it will do.)

Send an email to Bigbadger and get a quote for how much the
repair might cost. If it is simple things, like electrolytic
capacitors or MOSFETs, then it can be repaired. It really
depends on how much thermal damage there is to the motherboard
PCB itself (if the board is delaminated, tracks could be broken
and repair would be difficult without info from the factory).
Since you've done mechanical damage, the motherboard itself
should be in good shape. If any chips with high pin counts
are involved (Northbridge, Southbridge, processor socket), then
those are a little more high tech in terms of replacement
technique, and only a big shop might tackle a job like that.
Sourcing parts like that might require scavenging another
board, and the repair price would be astronomical. No matter
who replaces high pin count devices, there is always the
possibility that the repair doesn't work. (You can change
big chips a maximum of three times, if the board is in good
shape.)

If it is just small stuff damaged, it might be feasable to
repair it for US $50 to $100. If the board has sentimental
value to you, that is about the only reason I can see for
attempting a repair. The biggest challenge will be finding
a detailed picture of the board, so that the person doing
the repair will have some idea as to what was there. If
resistors were busted off, the repair person might never
know what value they were.

You could register at forums.2cpu.com and place a
"want to buy" advert for another CUV4X-D. You might get
lucky and find a UK seller willing to part with a
motherboard.

HTH,
Paul

 

[aberger]

If the CPU socket is damaged and has to be replaced it doesn't make
economic sense to repair the board because of the effort required to
remove the old socket, clear the solder from the holes, clean the old
flux away and solder in a new socket. This could easily be a 3 hour job
with only a moderate probability of being successful. If you broken
some of the other components around the CPU, such as the elctrolytic
caps, then you might have a chance. Not too long ago a board of this
level of complexity might cost as much a s$500 for just the raw board,
then it made sense to attempt to fix it. Today you can buy an ECS
motherboard for an AthlonXP for around $60 US.

arnie

 

[Ed]

On 4 Jan 2005 14:02:16 -0800, (e-mail address removed) wrote:

Today you can buy an ECS
motherboard for an AthlonXP for around $60 US.

arnie

I wish the new Asus boards were $60!

Found a NF2 board for under $50 on pricewatch.com.....
ECS N2U400-A
nFORCE2 SPP/FSB 400/AGP 8X/DDR 400/USB 2.0/LAN
Retail Box $49.00

Ed