audigy 2 with damaged pcb

[maxfly]

ive got a audigy2 card that the plastic coating on the pcb flaked off after having been soaked in water for a couple of weeks<---oops.you think i could repaint the pcb with non conductive paint and render it usable again?
it still works but its really staticy and windows really doesnt like it anymore.installing drivers for it is almost impossible.

[eobard]

I don't think an absence of an outer protective coating is compromising the quality of the sound. I suspect that the soaking has damaged the components on the card. How/why was it soaked for that long?

[four4875]

I don't think an absence of an outer protective coating is compromising the quality of the sound. I suspect that the soaking has damaged the components on the card. How/why was it soaked for that long?


i agree. i'd try scrubbing the card real good with an old toothbrush and rubbing alcahol, make sure all the minerals and crap are outta the pins

[Adragontattoo]

you arent supposed to give electronics a bath!

much less for a couple of weeks!

sounds more like some of the components got corrosion of some form internally and have broken up in some form fashion or manner.

[Enablingwolf]

Ok I am curious. :D Why was this card soaked for a couple of weeks?

[ThePCGuy]

I'll second Wolf's question.

- Jim

[klingens]

What happened is that the electrolyte capacitors got their electrolyte diluted by the water. Unless you can replace all caps, this card is dead.

[maxfly]

sorry about the delay been busy lol.it isnt the whole card its a area about 1 1/2in x 1 1/2in.the side that got wet is the one with all of the sotter points on it.the side with the caps is,well looks fine.the card was getting a bit of water on it everytime my pump came on but not enough to make it obvious it was getting wet unfortunately.the inlet hose to my gpu block was dripping onto the sc.i didnt notice it until i decided to pull my rig apart to troubleshoot the sound issues i was having...after about 2 weeks lol.i in fact did try to clean it up with 91% alcohol and a toothbrush but the pcb plastic really flaked off bad then.ill give it one more good cleaning with some qtips and alcohol and see if that helps.id post some pics but im not at home right now.

[maxfly]

i guess my question should have been will the exposed pcb be sensitive to other powered components like fans vc etc...?could that be the cause of the static?id like to salvage it but...sounds like its toast.

[Enablingwolf]

Thank you for responding to my question.

If you happen to not be able to get the card runnig nright. It would be a good soldering lesson card. If you ever want to learn to microsolder and be able to voltmod cards.
I hope you can do something and get that card going again. It is unlikely me thinks.

[four4875]

the coating doesnt really provide any shielding, it'll prevent shorts, but nothing RF or magnetically interfering with the card. you can buy solder mask to replace what chipped off, it should come in a spray i believe.

[maxfly]

k ill try the solder mask.very true wolf.i do need some serious soldering practice lol.thanks for the help gents. :)

[GigaForce310]

Stick a fork in it cause' it's done.

Just because it works doesn't mean that much of the board is running on a thread or two. Fixing all of the damage on the board will likely cost you more than buying a new board. That is under the assumption that you can figure out all of the problems, get replacement parts, and replace/repair them. Else, it's just a waste of time. I say scrap/toss it. Remember, Good judgement comes from experience, experience comes from bad judgement.

[eobard]

I wouldn't toss it though. Old, burned (drowned?) out boards are a good source for parts. I've got a couple of mobo's that went belly-up that I keep around for whenever I need to do a cap swap on a friend's system.

[maxfly]

well its toast.i guess ill get the sottering iron out and see if i can hone my skills some.

[four4875]

try to cleanly get wires on the smallest pins you can, working your way down as you get better.