Re:Capacitor plague
by mey on Friday May 17, 2013 @07:48PM
(#5727274)
I probably used to have a stack of devices just in my house that would qualify for these, from desktop mobo's, graphic cards and routers. I've probably lost $5k personally over the last 10 years to this, of course almost always out of warranty period.
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It wasn't just computing equipment. I have hand-repaired a dozen sets of amplifiers and powered studio monitor speakers made between '02 and '06 that just needed $2 worth of caps replaced despite the manufacturer quoting $250+ for authorized repairs.
In about half the cases it was a combined failure of the caps being el-cheapo and also the board design placing them far too close to heat-generating components. Fortunately, it is still cents on the dollar to replace with a higher temp-specced part if you know how to wield an iron.