Repair Sapphire R9 290X 4Gb - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / repair

author: Cybrema
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2016, 10:15:56 pm
content: Another buy from eBay.Component C2319 was snipped away. That one I managed to fix with a part from another card but I found out that there was one small black component attached as 'funny angle' I just had to remove it to put it on better, but disaster of hal happened and component did not stay as it was and after all it was lost in the dusty room of my night fixing session. There was no way to find it anymore and I had to take another from another card. I really tried to keep it still so I would remain with possible polarity but component were small and I can't know which way it was since it dropped out from the tip of my soldering iron. So I just would need to know if that part in picture (actually not the same card but similar) is diod, or just another resistor. I would need to know values also.This card did not work and before I put any more blaim on that part, I should know more.Is there anyone with R9 290 or R9 290 card doing some measurements? I would like to know measurement value of component C 2319 and that ?diod or resistor? that is marked with small yellow circle on the picture. Which one is it?All other parts seems to be well and prepared and I can't tell yet if there is any further problems or is it just some BIOS reprogramming ahead or just another trash can operative travelling agency.Thanks!

author: Vgkid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2016, 10:19:57 pm
content: Looks like a resistor. Since you don't know the value, measure some others on the board.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 08, 2016, 10:20:22 pm
content: That's a resistor.

author: Cybrema
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2016, 10:52:20 pm
content: Good to know. Thanks. Computer did give me 5 beeps and fan did not go on. Computer continued it's ordinary start up and Windows did'nt recognize the card. I wonder what's going on in it's logics. Could it be bad former BIOS flashing? I could try to program the BIOS from it's pins without removing it.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 08, 2016, 11:14:22 pm
content: As there are two bios chips + switch, at least one of them should be good unless you flashed both of them at once. As that resistor and probably the cap too are located under the RAM IC, there should be identical parts under another RAM chip as those are basically copy/paste x RAM IC count. If I didn't got rid of my last two R9 290 two weeks ago, would measure them. Capacitor value most likely is not critical. If that capacitor has 0805 size, I would expect something in 10-47uF range.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 08, 2016, 11:25:46 pm
content: Also there is no need of any programmer to revive the card even with both bioses being corrupted. Just make a bootable flash with dos containing autoexec.bat which will run atiflash with necessary parameters automatically. So no gpu working, would not prevent it from running unlike you do it manually.

author: Rasz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2016, 12:01:09 am
content: identical mirrored block is about a centimeter up and to the right on your picturebut WTF, this is not fixing pots with a hammer, at least measure voltages on gpu, ram and bios chip

author: Cybrema
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 11, 2016, 12:53:27 pm
content: Flashed both BIOS. Another with R9 290 and another with R9 290X.Im not sure if I made a problem by erasing and trying to flash U300 and U350 BIOS kind of chips with the code from another R9 290X. The write did not go in properly and result did show different than was written.I quess it's read only chip but since I douple checked the U300 and U350, it just changed it's content since I erased it. So im happy to ask at this point that, what does it stand for there anyway?Now that I have soldered parts and everything is as those should be and I can't find any visible problem.. Card does not reply, fan won't turn on and Windows does not regognize it. I wonder what's wrong? Fuse? Broken diode? That mistaken U300 and U350 erase? Im so close to get it on!

author: Cybrema
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 11, 2016, 01:04:20 pm
content: Is there any instructions about those Test Point "TP" pins? There's a TP row between bios switch. It would be super to have a testing device with test point connector clip. Superfast way to see what ever was wrong about it.TP15,17,19,21,23,25,31,32, TP34,36,38,40,42,44, TP48 at base side and TP27,28,16,18,20,22,24,26,29,33, TP46,47,35,37,39,41,43,45 and TP49 at cooler side.For measurements? Did'nt find meanings for those from internet yet.

author: Rasz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 11, 2016, 10:20:31 pm
content: Quote from: Rasz on July 09, 2016, 12:01:09 am...

author: Cybrema
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2016, 09:01:43 pm
content: Can't do that. I don't have special equipment for all that. No no.

author: Srbel
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2016, 11:06:11 am
content: All you need is a 5 dollar multimeter.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 14, 2016, 11:15:18 am
content: Quote from: Cybrema on August 13, 2016, 09:01:43 pmWhy then you even do bother trying to fix it?

author: Srbel
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2016, 06:25:19 am
content: @CybremaHave you managed to measure the voltages?

author: Cybrema
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2016, 02:33:54 am
content: No. Ended up with no idea about U300 and U350. Can't work since tried to flash em with certain versions and something else occurred. Tried to confirm since it was flashed but it did show up something else than orginal or flashed information. So atleast those weren't completely 'read only'. Im really bothered about whole task. Atleast Bios is good in both of them. Right now I don't have enough room to do those measurements and I have huge load another tasks as more important going on. Card altough looks good. Maybe I should just sell it.

author: Rasz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2016, 04:50:59 am
content: you dont need additional space to measure anything, simply solder wires to all interesting rails (gpu,ram,eprom)you are struggling with basic stuff, better sell this as broken

author: Srbel
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2016, 07:01:57 am
content: Too bad to give up on such an high-end card.

author: Cybrema
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2016, 04:24:32 pm
content: Yes. I just don't have too much time to work with this card. I didn't get answer for those 2 bios chip questions. Maybe I allready fixed it by programming both bios chips but caused the halt situation by trying to program those 2 more chips.Card does heat up while it's installed and computer is on. There's just nothing to recognize it.

author: Cybrema
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2016, 10:20:36 am
content: I tell you what. Is there anyone with fixing service international with decent prices? I could consider about sending this fine instrument to be served.Altough I assume that there would'nt be any ekstented solderings on the circuit board. Im only intrested about fine quality results.And you know what. This card really seems to be almost cool as new. It just won't turn on. I quess it could be even some little problem with cooler fan power part only. Im just not good with measurementics. Thanks!

author: TiN
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2016, 01:48:35 pm
content: Cost of just shipping for such service alone would be more than getting just new modern card (which would be faster, cooler and smaller)..

author: Rasz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2016, 11:37:15 pm
content: Quote from: TiN on September 25, 2016, 01:48:35 pmyou should probably check 290x prices

author: Cybrema
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2016, 06:09:10 pm
content: I bought a new one, thanks!Now I have this old one with a problem. I have way too much time to fix it but I think it's not too simple to measure these components since I don't know what values should be and I just can't find out how circuits really go under those. So diodes may show results from both ways anyway and so on.To stay reasonable, I would need to know more about these two chips (U350 & U300). Another thing that I should know is that is there measured value from fuses even if it was broken.C2319 condenser was accidentally separated and salesman did not know any furter problems. I took one from another card and it was suppose to work immediatelly. It just didn't. So im not sure if they or former owner were trying to use it while the part was loose and have caused some other part brake down by doing so. What do you guys think?Card really heats up while installed and machine releases 5 long beeps but no vision comes up to screen and computer won't recognize the card if I start up with another card and fan stays still.Conclusion is that this thing does not get power. Im sure that pro would find the problem easily but I usually just play with these things. I can mostly change only the part that is visible broken. Measuring part by part is not the question because I don't have schematics and right values for each.And I really did something to those U350 and U300 with my chip programmer. So im really not sure if I caused a new problem by doing so or not.So. What should we do now? This card is really cool though. Almost new shape.There's pictures about what I allready fixed. picC2319news.jpg shows the new spot of C2319. The copper was separated and now tin goes directly to two spots that was left there. picC2619newps.jpg shows the small resistor. I used ordinary 30W Stannol soldering iron and pressed the small component on it's place with needle. First thing to do was to take old tin away. Then a hip of tin on another spot. Then component on it and keep it still with needle while it drops on it's place with hot touch. Then it was easy to make another spot with a hip of tin. At late night it was calm and still enough.That's all about it so far. What next?

author: Srbel
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2016, 07:00:18 am
content: There is a short somwhere. You said that it gets really hot. What part of the board gets hot? If it is the GPU, than it is shorted (dead).

author: Cybrema
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2016, 10:50:21 pm
content: It heats up. Maybe not more than it should but how could I know since the fan won't go on. It's quite clean card. Not any visible short outs.

author: Srbel
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2016, 09:49:34 am
content: You will have to measure the voltages on the card. Buy a cheap multimeter. They will work fine. Something like this:Less than 4$...http://www.ebay.com/itm/LCD-AC-DC-Digital-Voltmeter-Ammeter-Ohmmeter-Multimeter-Volt-Tester-DT830D-Tool-/172352727778?hash=item282105eae2:g:ggAAAOSwhwdVUep8

author: sanny
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 24, 2016, 10:19:52 am
content: I think it's electronic capacitance.

author: Cybrema
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2016, 04:09:03 pm
content: I have measurement device. How about those U300 and U350? Is there any idea what those chips are for and is it possible that I caused disfunction by programming on those?

author: Cybrema
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2017, 03:31:30 pm
content: Ok. Card died. I sent it in service and there was mudman working. He broke attachment slide, cooler plastics and overheated the gpu. He was suppose to check two cards and tell if he could fix em. I told not to start without permission. The place was in Finland, Helsinki, Vuosaaren ATK. Too bad service! The guy took apart another card totally, so now it's not even fixable.So I got another one to be fixed. There seems to be just some BIOS problem with this one. I allready got a BIOS pack for R9 290 from Sapphire and now im seeing a card with U2 and U3 BIOS chips. I just don't know which one goes with 'Silent' -mode and which one is with 'Über' -mode, so could you guys tell which is which. BIOS files for my 102-C67111-01-AT is 28PA500.SB5 (64kb) and 28PA500.UB5 (121kb). Switch at vga connector side is suppose to be 'Silent' -mode and 'Über' at power connector side.I use extented programming clip, so I just need to know which BIOS for each.

author: Rasz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2017, 04:22:50 pm
content: its not bios problem, those cards die from hardware working on the physical limit

author: Cybrema
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 06, 2017, 08:42:18 pm
content: Ok. Here's another one. U300 broken (burned) and Q300 broken (hot out) also. Q300 seems to be 8pin mosfet. Do you guys know what circuit that might be and which parts I should check also? I allready exchanged U300 from sparepart card (Sapphire R9 290X) and tried to exchange that Q300 aswell, but it seems to be broken mosfet also. Had to order couple new ones from China and Im now waiting for those to arrive. It takes couple weeks atleast, so I have good time to test this thing if there's still something else wrong. What are your quess?

author: mikkh
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 21, 2017, 05:42:57 am
content: All those are reference cooler cards?