Flame from motherboard.

[SpecterM]

I had a question about a motherboard and need some input. I bought a motherboard off of ebay, its a socket 939 and I noticed its missing a microproccessor beneath the ram slots 1 and 2. I only have 3 days to test the board so I plugged it all in to see if it worked and when I turned it on, I had a small burning flame come out of the case behind the two capacitors that sit behind the two pci slots.

the seller is trying to tell me that the flame is because of a bad PSU OR I grounded the board somewhere. Basically saying that it was me that fried the board.

Im not a noob and have built at least a dozen computers before. never have I experienced anything like this before. his comments make me real nervous to even buy another board and try it out. All the parts came from previous working units.

This isnt the actual board but its a reference of the one i bought.
http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz223/SpecterM/mobo.png
Can I get your input?

 

[sandyduff]

I would open a dispute on ebay... if you know the motherboard was installed correctly and the psu is fine then you have been sold a firey lemon... he may not have known it was faulty but it clearly is...

 

[SpecterM]

Thanks for the fast reply. The seller says he will honor a return, obviously I have to pay for return shipping. That part doesn't bother me so much. I think what Im afraid of is buying another board and having it happen again. I guess then I will know if it was user error or not.

do you think he could be right about the PSU causing a flame on the motherboard?

 

[tsranch]

The PSU couldn't have caused that, inadvertant grounding maybe but look under the board after you remove it and if there's a small black spot on the case something grounded. As you say if something was missing on the board, there could have been residual material on the backside of the board and that could have grounded. The grounding would have burned it off and possibly left a small black smudge on the board.

 

[SpecterM]

you are a wealth of knowledge. there is nothing black on the back side of the board or the case.

The board is all packaged up and ready to go back, but here is a pic while it was still in the case. sorry the image is so poor.

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz223/SpecterM/badboard.jpg

 

[Dusnoetos]

bummer....

Well at least it went out in a blaze of glory...sorta...

If you are considering re-buying from the guy I would request (demand) current high res pictures of the board he is selling you.

Never messed with ebay but I would start a dispute if the guy hassles you.

 

[sandyduff]

I think its just a freak incident... and since its older hardware this sort of thing is more likely as it looks like a cap has gone bad and burned out... if it ever happens to you again i would be amazed...

 

[bz2klag]

A missing chip isn't uncommon, that may have been a feature included on
other models of the same board, but not on the model you have. Probabily
irrelevant in this case.

Getting a bad board isn't the norm, it's probabily OK to try again.

Next time though, set the board up on a nonconductive surface and test it
before you install it in a case. Just CPU, RAM, VIDEO, nothing else. That should
always be the first step with a board, new or used, just to be sure it works first.

 

[Dusnoetos]

I had something similar happen once... but it was my own ignorant fault.
a screw got dropped on the board and it connected two things. Left a scorch mark and the PSU cut out.... but much to my amazement the board continued to work...


EDIT: ^^^^bz2klag speeks good advice.

 

[SpecterM]

A missing chip isn't uncommon, that may have been

Next time though, set the board up on a nonconductive surface and test it
before you install it in a case. Just CPU, RAM, VIDEO, nothing else. That should
always be the first step with a board, new or used, just to be sure it works first.

ignorant question here... how do you turn it on if its not connected to the case? and what would you use as a non conductive surface to test it on?

 

[Bobnova]

You can touch a conductor (screwdriver) to the two power switch pins on the mobo, or there is a pin on the main ATX connector that you can short to something, google that one.

 

[Dusnoetos]

ignorant question here... how do you turn it on if its not connected to the case? and what would you use as a non conductive surface to test it on?

The mother board should have come with peice of foam - you can set it on that.

just short the 2 pins that you attache the power switch (front panel)

let us know if you have any more questions.

 

[SpecterM]

Finally figured out how to take better pics.

 

[Dusnoetos]

Wow... not sure what to say. you defently had a burn out... but I have know idea from what..

I hope your next board works out for you.

 

[QuietIce]

Next time though, set the board up on a nonconductive surface and test it
before you install it in a case. Just CPU, RAM, VIDEO, nothing else. That should
always be the first step with a board, new or used, just to be sure it works first.

+1


I might not build a permanent rig for weeks after getting some of it's parts - but I always check them on the (wooden) table within a few days of delivery - new, used, or open box doesn't matter ...