Pre-emptive capacitor change on beloved laptop: - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / repair

author: LootMaster
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2020, 10:57:30 pm
content: So my beloved laptop GT60 Quadro workstation that I love, because its easy to open and change the thermal paste, CPU and GPU are modular, its big and bulky/sturdy like I enjoy.Never crashed once, still going strong... If I ever wanna upgrade I have the 4 choices of 4th gen CPU's. And many choices of gfx cards. All in socket form.I already changed the keyboard... etc... when/if the screen goes I'll fix that.I wanna maintain this beloved object. Should I change all capacitors that are not ceramic or tantalum? And make this computer last as long as the silicon, ceramic, and tantalum?Those circular black things I remember seeing when I opened it, were those bobbins or capacitors?BTW, I got those hakko tweezers.

author: Mr. Scram
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2020, 11:46:15 pm
content: Unless you know you've got a model with capacitors which tend to fail I'd leave it alone. Fiddlesticking with a working laptop is likely to cause more issues than you solve.

author: LootMaster
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2020, 11:51:27 pm
content: NOTE: This message has been deleted by the forum moderator Simon for being against the forum rules and/or at the discretion of the moderator as being in the best interests of the forum community and the nature of the thread.If you believe this to be in error, please contact the moderator involved.An optional additional explanation is:

author: mnementh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2020, 11:59:53 pm
content: Depends on just how much experience you have working on laptops, and if any of those caps are through-hole; these are not unusual in gaming rigs because of the popularity of solid electrolyte caps which often still use them. Modern computer PCBs are a dozen or more layers; anyplace there's through-hole, you need to preheat the board with an IR bed before attempting to desolder the component. Failure to do this (and a dozen other precautions) will very often result in a damaged via between layers where it is impossible to fix.My personal recommendation here would be to use it til it dies and save my shekels, then put my money into a decent mid-price workstation laptop. OR Get a budget i7 or Ryzen Zen2 laptop, and plug in a nice desktop GPU of your favorite flavor in a ThunderBolt3 gaming GPU box.Or... you can see if your favorite budget/recycled portable has a extra NVMe slot that can be repurposed to one of these much cheaper gimcracks:mnem

author: LootMaster
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2020, 12:01:29 am
content: I'm pretty sure its an 8 layer?Wont I be able with tweezers? Come on...

author: mnementh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2020, 12:06:03 am
content: You asked. I've done it, and have the battle scars to prove it. Odds are your machine doesn't need the caps replaced, so really fixing what ain't broke yet.If you don't already know what's involved (which you wouldn't be asking in here if you did) attempting such a repair is much more likely to kill it than fix it.Cheers,mnem

author: LootMaster
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2020, 12:08:50 am
content: An IR bed you say?No way around it? Are you absolutely positive?

author: LootMaster
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2020, 12:11:31 am
content: wuts this?Come one people...Nuance..I need nuance in my answers.

author: mnementh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2020, 12:14:48 am
content: Quote from: LootMaster on October 18, 2020, 11:51:27 pmLooks like a bad case of drippy-dick from here. They have a shot will clear that right up.The black square parts are inductors in the VRM area. That cap looks to be SMD; you should be able to replace that without destroying the board. Why do you suppose it needs to be replaced? Have you been cooking BBQ on your processor or summat...?mnem

author: LootMaster
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2020, 12:34:56 am
content: Knew it was a cap... But its a solid type cap. Still... Its the component that will fail first.In order to save the most shekels, will have to change.gonna replace them in exactly 1 year.I aint buying no more laptops, this gonna last another 10+ years.

author: LootMaster
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2020, 01:30:28 am
content: NOTE: This message has been deleted by the forum moderator Simon for being against the forum rules and/or at the discretion of the moderator as being in the best interests of the forum community and the nature of the thread.If you believe this to be in error, please contact the moderator involved.An optional additional explanation is:

author: LootMaster
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2020, 02:06:01 am
content: So whats the verdict on "twisting the component"... This guy does it at the end, but honestly he's working it like a Cave Man...Cant he twist more perpendicular to the plane and pull less ??

author: mnementh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2020, 02:47:50 am
content: Quote from: LootMaster on October 19, 2020, 12:34:56 amSolid caps were developed to combat the "capacitor plague" you seem certain your laptop suffers. They do not have any juice inside them to spill.They are so called because they use a semisolid putty electrolyte, and will survive longer than that machine will be able to run any relevant OS. Which, as it is already 8-ish years old, will be the next 3-5 years at most. It is already well past its best-by date, and by a good margin.Unless you've been cooking your laptop hot enough to fry eggs on it, that cap is not going to spill its guts any time soon.Cheers,mnem

author: LootMaster
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2020, 02:50:00 am
content: I got win10 running fine.win10 is gonna get the boot in 10 years minimum.

author: Nusa
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2020, 03:10:57 am
content: Practice on something you don't care about first. Your favorite working machine will be in extreme danger from you if you don't already have some actual experience doing the job first. Once you're practiced, it'll still be safer for the machine to leave it alone, but the danger will be fairly mild.

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2020, 09:44:33 am
content: Also, Win 10 is not Win 10.Essentially, each feature upgrade, and there are two released every year, is a new version of Windows 10. Each with it's own lifecycle. Often with new hardware requirements.At some point, there will be no new drivers for key components. At some later point, something will break compatibility, and you will not be able to install a current version of Win 10 anymore. And then your installed version will run out of support...I had that topic at work last week. Stupid Panasonic Toughpads, all are looking the same, all with the same Model number on the front. But looking at the full model number hidden behind the battery, shows that there are at least 5 different versions of this thing. And the oldest of these only have drivers up to Win 10 1709, which ran out of support last year.So Windows 10 compatibility is never a be all, end all.

author: Haenk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2020, 10:19:47 am
content: The PCB seems to have only 2 electrolytic (solid) caps, SMD, which are fairly easy to replace, no hot air and preheating needed.However: Don't do it just for fun. If the Laptop starts to behave strangely, that might be the time to check the caps (however it's more likely the battery or PSU). Unlikely the caps are the reason though...

author: HowdyPartner
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 19, 2020, 12:13:36 pm
content: Quote from: Nusa on October 19, 2020, 03:10:57 amGood advice. When you look at it being done on Youtube it looks too easy, when you read about it on forums it sounds too difficult. Get a bit of practice, but not on something you want to preserve.

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2020, 04:21:27 pm
content: I have lots of equipment that are well over 30 years old. While some electrolytics has failed, most are still good. Random tests show leakage current and capacitance are well within tolerance. I give a good visual inspection and replace ones that are damaged. Especially with through-hole and SMD constructions, chances of causing damages are too great.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 20, 2020, 11:34:19 pm
content: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."And, in my mind, the high density construction in a laptop makes for an excellent environment to stuff things up, underlining the above sage advice.

author: george.b
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2020, 11:55:13 pm
content: If it ain't broke, don't fix it .While some pieces of hardware are known to need "re-capping" as a matter of course (e.g. some old Amiga computers, which are nigh on 30 years old now and were fitted with particularly crappy SMD electrolytic caps), some people seem to think that's necessary on all kinds of hardware, nevermind that it's only 8 years old and shows no sign of failure.No. Just don't. Beloved, you say? Then leave it alone.

author: LootMaster
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2020, 04:23:01 am
content: Could not resist, for 320$ CAD only 30 min away. Pristine... Besides dead battery but I dont care.Got myself another one. I like these MB'sI can run 64 bit CAD/CAM quite well, I can program H7...What is it gonna be in 10 years? I dont think I will be blown away.I blown away by how pretty these MB's are however, not much solid caps to replace. People love these in tuner forums because you can upgrade the GPU to 1000 series.Heatsinks are well made...Hinge is solid.http://www.xyverx.net/ms-16f41-genuine-original-msi-motherboard-intel-gt60-ms-16f4-series/http://www.xyverx.net/ms-17631-genuine-original-msi-motherboard-intel-gt70-ms-1763-series/MSI>>>ALL BRANDS

author: Rasz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2020, 01:44:08 am
content: meaning you are currently ~$500 into 8 year old laptop capable to play most games at 30fps in lowest settings

author: LootMaster
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2020, 04:43:43 am
content: I play mostly WC3 and other RPG classicsThe rest does not seem to exist.It runs 64 bit CAD/CAM very well tho… I can simulate the machine and load assemblies super fast.