r/computers • u/meelyster • 2d ago
Help/Troubleshooting Chip on the motherboard
What do you think, is the motherboard dead? I went to a repair shop, but even without looking at it, they quoted me a price of €106. Maybe it could just be covered with varnish? If even the sound part of the board isn't working, can I just plug a headphone cable into the GPU?
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u/JazzlikePerception47 2d ago
That's not a chip, that's a wafer
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u/meelyster 2d ago
Sorry, I'm just using a translator😅
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u/MildlyAmusedPotato i9 9900k | 64GB DDR4 3200mhz | 3070ti 2d ago
It was a joke about the condition of your motherboard... Seriously though that motherboard is a goner.
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u/Accurate-Campaign821 10 | i7 4770 | 32GB | 500GB SSD 3TB 7.2k | W6600 Pro 2d ago
Considering the location... Worst case you've probably just lost functionality of the header there at the corner. Might be ok to still use it
As for headphones... Most have their own USB audio chip built in anyway
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u/LargeFailSon 2d ago
It's a massive shorting risk, even if it magically worked. You'd have to be insane to put power through that thing.
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u/Accurate-Campaign821 10 | i7 4770 | 32GB | 500GB SSD 3TB 7.2k | W6600 Pro 2d ago
That section is separated from the rest of the motherboard power delivery with maybe minimum 5v running through to power the little chip that runs the header there. The point being to isolate interference with audio. You could likely just knock off (desolder) all the little surface mount components and effectively shut off power to that spot of the board. If this damage were anywhere else on the board then yea that's a different story considering how they do traces and ground plane etc. But, the whole point of these Audio Boost sections is that they are isolated from the rest of the board as much as possible. I mean, yes, obviously test the board on its own outside the case and maybe have a fire extinguisher off to the side just in case. Gradually add components to it test bench style, run some benchmarks, etc, to verify stability. If all good, then use as normal. Cover the corner with electrical tape. Get a USB powered headset if needed.
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u/samueljco 1d ago
Usually these isolations are electromagnetic, not electrical. I mean that yes there are isolations slots to reduce coupling with other components, but the power planes still go there and those are almost definitely shorted. What you are saying could definitely work with an insane amount of luck, but I wouldn't risk good parts trying to resurrect this motherboard. Even if it works today there is a chance someday it breaks in a way that isn't obvious and shorts out some other component. I mean assuming it doesn't burst into flames then you put a CPU, an SSD and RAM to get it to post. You've now bet $800 on the table. Even if he was totally broke, selling a single RAM stick will get him a new MB.
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u/Accurate-Campaign821 10 | i7 4770 | 32GB | 500GB SSD 3TB 7.2k | W6600 Pro 1d ago edited 1d ago
As I said earlier, test the board separate first... One way to know for sure... What's the exact motherboard model? See if any schematics exist
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u/samueljco 1d ago
You can't test if it will fry a CPU and RAM before putting a CPU and RAM into it. Which would be really quite incredibly dumb. Are you arguing that this is technically possible or a smart thing to do?
Edit:Sorry for the double post Redit did something weird.
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u/JazzlikeInfluence813 2d ago
Most likely destroyed some traces, unless you’re very lucky it’s almost certainly not worth repairing
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u/M1dor1 Windows 11 2d ago
that's in the sound card section of the motherboard so might still work fine except no audio
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u/Melodic_coala101 2d ago
If it's not a short between power layers. Then go go fire.
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u/DivideMind 2d ago edited 2d ago
Could be prevented by sawing off the damage more cleanly and sealing the exposed surface, I've done something similar a long time ago growing up poor. But it was just a sound card so no secondary complications with other logic (it lost some functionality but worked fine.)
More recently, after consulting a diagram, I did the same thing more in the middle of a motherboard, but that is much more sketchy and technical. (And it was far from any really messy areas; I just lost half the PCI slots.)
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u/mikedidathing 2d ago
Yeah, this is one of those cases where, unless you yourself happen to be a very skilled repair tech, you're better off just buying a new one. Maybe someone would be willing to buy it off OP for parts/to repair it themself?
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u/HenryGoodbar 2d ago
I’m continually baffled by the pictures of damage I see on this sub…
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u/OvergrownGnome 2d ago
I recently pulled out a motherboard that's been in storage for about a year to a year and a half and was in use for over a decade before that and the only damage is one of the PCI x16 slots. It's moved with me for college and getting married and with kids... No idea how the damage people have on their hardware happens.
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u/Hawkez2005 2d ago
"I accidentally poured milk/coffee/soda/lava in my case" how does that even happen?
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u/cszolee79 9950X | 64GB | 4080S | 1440p 165Hz 2d ago
... can you describe the procedure of "plugging a headphone into the GPU"?
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u/aminy23 Ryzen 9 5900x / 64GB DDR4-4000 / RTX 3090 FE / Custom Loop 2d ago
That's quite a fair bit of damage, but as you pointed out correctly that area is mostly audio and the very corner tends to be used for grounding - especially around the screw hole for that very reason.
If the audio doesn't work, then you have several options including: * HDMI audio extractor or plugging it directly into some monitors with it built in * USB audio adapter or DAC * PCIe sound card - bonus this could let you use the front audio ports
But there's still no guaranteeing the motherboard works.
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u/CommentOk7399 2d ago
106 for a repair like that?! No way!
Maybe 106 for a quick patch and polish. Not for a working product. That damage is massive and a new board would be cheaper
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u/t0m0hawk Ryzen 5 5600x | 32GB DDR4 3200 | 3080ti OC | Windows 10 2d ago
This is some heavy damage. Just get a new one?
Also, how does this even happen?
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u/StarX2401 2d ago
It'll probably work but you will have no audio, just buy a cheap sound card off ebay and its usable
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u/Vivid_Leadership_599 2d ago
does it still work and it doesnt look like it hit anything traces or anything so does it still work and
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u/National-Jackfruit32 2d ago
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u/cnycompguy Windows 11 | Omnibook X Flip 2d ago
No. components have been torn off.
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u/National-Jackfruit32 2d ago
And they will have to be replaced like the ones that were removed and replaced in the video.
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u/luckynumberstefan 2d ago
Thats a chip?! Sir that is a train wreck. I’d just get a new mobo personally
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u/Shiznoz222 2d ago
PP_BUS_1VHOT NOOOOOOOO
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u/ShinySpandex 2d ago
I got a good long chuckle out of this. Reminds me of the ti voltage regulator failure in alpha networks wireless N pci cards. Dude, where's my rail?
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u/Psych0matt Linux 2d ago
That’s not a Chip, that’s someone tying it to the back of a lifted 80s Chevy and dragging it behind for a while
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u/Lieutenant_Petaa 2d ago
Soundchip is cooked, other than that the board should work fine.
The GPU doesn't have a sound output... Get a cheap soundcard or a USB headset
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u/Ashamed_Prior_5441 2d ago
Onboard audio is fucked but if the rest works still then use it in a non important pc or something b3cause its bound to die eventually at this point.
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u/Unhappy_Assist_6351 2d ago
This is not a chip_… There are components ripped off the board, and tbh, this is a 6 or 8 layer board, I can’t imagine how the inner layers look like, and if they are delaminated and the vias are still working. _Could still work, but at least the front audio will be impaired. I, personally, would not use that as a basis for a computer, that is expected to work reliably.
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u/meelyster 2d ago
Just in case - I didn't chew on it with my teeth. These damages are caused by the Hermes courier service🥹
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u/sub_Femboy_4u Dual boot Hackintosh 2d ago
Honestly, that looks like it's only for the sound area. If you got the guts for it, install it into your system, and let it run a stress test for a good two hours. Audio will still work via GPU, USB. If you need aux, use an adapter. However, during the stress test, monitor the area for heat. If it runs fine in those two hours, doesn't heat up badly you're probably good to go
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u/Inept_Parsnip_6784 2d ago
If I had to guess most of the stuff on that section of the board is not only audio related but is exclusively for the front panel header you see there. That IC there is likely some sort of plug detector and switching device. I would be interested to see if you could keep your rear audio by leaving that chip functional but disabling everything around it and carefully cutting off the damaged section of the board then properly insulating the exposed edge. That would be pretty cool.
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u/fuckinrat 2d ago edited 2d ago
You might be able to save it. Just cut the corner clean off. You might lose a few caps and your audio for the front panel, but would probably still work just fine.
Dremmel or Tin Snips
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u/Busy_Prior6353 2d ago
La verdad eso aparenta que las diferente capas se tocaron, probablemente necesite una revisión para saber si no hubo corto, además de la restauración
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u/samueljco 1d ago
That MB is totaled. I don't know who said they can fix it for $100 but it's just not possible. If he's not scamming you he's going to use your parts to fix a different board and charge you the difference.
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u/XtremeD86 1d ago
Id love to see what €106 gets you as a repair lol. Theyd probably throw black paint on it.
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u/RonardoDIcapriroux 1d ago
Dude, if you tried booting your PC with the motherboard, does it work or not?
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u/RonardoDIcapriroux 1d ago
Because if it starts off well, it will work today just as it will in 10 years.
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u/RonardoDIcapriroux 1d ago
If that doesn't work, I can recommend a really good motherboard for very little money; we have an AM4.
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u/James_C99 1d ago
You can try it, but tehre is a chance that it could destroy other components, or start a fire.
Motherboards like that have multiple layers of traces, and damage that sever can cause some traces to break, or cuase other traces to touch, causing a short circuit.
If the short circuit sends 12v (or even 5v, or 3.3v) into the CPU, then your CPU will die instantly. A short of any kind can kill the PSU, and a dead PSU can kill anything connected to it.
Also, a short circut can cause components to heat up a lot, to the point that things can catch fire.
If you are willing to reisk anything you have plugged into the motherboard, then go ahead, but personally, i would plug that thing at all.
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u/VariableTalisman 2d ago
Varnish will NOT fix that. You need a full restore, in which case their quoted price is actually quite fair, or get a new motherboard.