Can You Repair A Motherboard

Kazzanova

I was moving my z77x ud3h to it's new case and while unscrewing something in the instance I sneezed and ended up dropping the screw driver tip into the board. I striking a trace about the eye of the ram slots and now the board is interim as if it is shorting out. I have breadboarded it, tested across multiple ram sticks, psu's, etc... I know I didn't get moisture on it and so I am pretty sure it'south the divot in the trace causing the issue.

Anyways, I was wondering if it is possible to fix the tracer with a electrical conductivity pen (I should have one laying around somewhere from a dfi lan party mod,) or some sort of solder method? I will try to get a picture uploaded of it later, but it'south one trace and it's about the size of the tip of a sharpened no2 pencil.

Any help or advice is appreciated. I would hate to accept to spend more $$ on a new z77, this board was going to plough ii soon :/ I sent gigabyte a back up request, haven't heard back yet (as I accept read somewhere that they may repair the board?)

Thanks in advance

-Kazz

plugwash

A silver conductive pen designed for electronics may piece of work, so may soldering a very fine wire (probablly 30awg or so) along the rails bridging the gap. Neither will be easy though and both are likely to void whatsoever warranty y'all have remaining.

Before any repair yous volition demand to carefully scrape or sand away the solder mask so you can get a adept joint to the existing rail.

Smoove910

Pics? Demand to verify if it's a surface damage, or multilayer damage. If merely surface damage, Plugwash's advice is sufficient. If the screwdriver gouged through the top layer and damaged layers beneath, yous might non be able to repair.

LoneThrasher

I incertitude sneezing on a board would practise what y'all are describing. Can you RMA it?

Kazzanova

Bought the lath in 2022, something like September I think it was? Don't know if information technology is RMA able?

Sorry for non uploading the pics yesterday, had a bunch of family randomly show upward and it turned into a BBQ. Just got out of work and took some pics and noticed something else that I didn't see before. Here are the pics, and the something else is on i of the mounting holes. Don't even know what it is, but looks like some kind of liquid caused something?

Too, the stripping of the mounting surface area happened in an old case I originally had this lath in (my old original thermaltake armor.) I moved it from the Armor to a Corsair 500r, and was upgrading to my 4790k and was moving information technology to my TT soprano case when all of this happened.

Album of pics: http://imgur.com/a/Sh4d7

I have never seen the liquid looking residue stuff on any of my motherboards ever. I wearable nitrile gloves when building, always ground myself, and I have never had issues til I dropped this stupid screwdriver on the trace :/

PornoSatan

Equally far as the liquid stuff goes. MIght exist flux?

haz_mat · Jul 21, 2022

Information technology looks like you didn't hitting a RAM data trace, at least between the cpu and ram. The pics are a fleck fuzzy, simply it also doesn't look like you lot hitting anything at a lower layer in the board either, or you'd see piffling bits of copper exposed in that gash. I think you have a good chance at fixing this one only y'all're going to take to do some careful sanding to get that trace ready. Information technology is very easy to tear away more trace once the surface resin is gone.

Equally for the liquid looking residue, it might be flux like the concluding guy said. Probably non electrolyte, no caps nearby and I think they're all solid state polymer at present anyways. Considering its near the solder at a screw hole, its likely merely leftover flux. The solder around the screw hole does look chipped withal, and if some of those bits got stuck somewhere so information technology could cause a short. EDIT - I have a similar board, and it looks like the solder pad things don't completely environs that screw hole so disregard that terminal chip.

qbanb8582

Bought the board in 2022, something similar September I recall it was? Don't know if it is RMA able?
Deplorable for non uploading the pics yesterday, had a bunch of family randomly evidence up and information technology turned into a BBQ. Just got out of work and took some pics and noticed something else that I didn't meet before. Here are the pics, and the something else is on one of the mounting holes. Don't fifty-fifty know what it is, but looks like some kind of liquid acquired something?

Also, the stripping of the mounting area happened in an old case I originally had this board in (my old original thermaltake armor.) I moved it from the Armor to a Corsair 500r, and was upgrading to my 4790k and was moving it to my TT soprano case when all of this happened.

Album of pics: http://imgur.com/a/Sh4d7

I take never seen the liquid looking residue stuff on any of my motherboards always. I clothing nitrile gloves when building, always ground myself, and I have never had issues til I dropped this stupid screwdriver on the trace :/

Just going by the motion picture Its hard to tell if that did real damage. Unremarkably the border of the trace is usually nonconductive. I just looked like yous scraped the protective coating which shouldn't cause a trouble electrically. But without having a meter and information technology beingness physically in front of me its only all speculation.

There plenty of PCB repair kits, they're not inexpensive. I think it would probably be better to see if they'll repair it or go a new one. Maybe check ebay looks similar they're going for around $110 or so.

As far as residue its just flux, its done with a no clean flux that may not always come off in manufacturing. Its nothing to worry near, as its non corrosive and non conductive.

Kazzanova

I was using my notation 3, I will accept to break out my big camera and attempt to go some better macro shots. It appears to exist superficial, as if I just scratched the protective layer, but I don't encounter why information technology would be shorting out otherwise. I will try to have some better more detailed pictures tonight, and if it is but a superficial scratch, I am back to square one on what would be causing it to short :/

Just going by the movie Its hard to tell if that did real damage. Usually the edge of the trace is usually nonconductive. I just looked like you scraped the protective coating which shouldn't cause a trouble electrically. But without having a meter and information technology being physically in front of me its just all speculation.
There enough of PCB repair kits, they're non cheap. I think it would probably be meliorate to come across if they'll repair it or get a new one. Maybe check ebay looks similar they're going for effectually $110 or so.

Every bit far as residue its just flux, its done with a no make clean flux that may not always come up off in manufacturing. Its nothing to worry about, as its non corrosive and non conductive.

mi7chy

Exercise you see copper? Information technology looks like information technology only scratched the top soldermask which is the protective lacquer layer. To test and confirm you can use the continuity office of a Fluke multimeter and the pointed probes to poke through the top layermask and measure the resistance on opposite sides of the scratched trace. If information technology'due south 0 ohm you accept a break. It's easy to ready if information technology's indeed broken . Remove the motherboard from the case, carefully utilise an exacto knife to scrape off the lacquer exposing about a 2 cm width along the copper trace where the scratch is. Then, melt some solder across the two points. If the scratch turns out to be also broad where the solder doesn't connect you tin can solder a sparse wire beyond the break.

Jorona

I dunno, this all sounds like it's only a mis-mounted stand up off or something. I highly doubt that scratch bankrupt the trace.

Kazzanova · Jul 21, 2022

I dunno, this all sounds like information technology's simply a mis-mounted stand off or something. I highly incertitude that scratch broke the trace.

Took it out, tried information technology on cardboard with multiple sticks of ram (unlike brands/speeds etc,) tried information technology on 3 different psu's, etc etc. As well stand offs in both cases are already in from factory.

*edit*
New pictures:

Took a couple more shots with a much better camera. Hopefully this will show a better view. I don't run across any visible copper in these pictures, just in person I swear I tin meet a trivial shimmery something at the very tip of the divot that goes into the trace. I however tin't imagine what else this might be, acts like a short just everything else works on it's on separate from this board (minus the 3570k as I don't take another mobo with the proper socket to test, but it hasn't been unseated at all in the motion so I don't recall it'south the problem)

qbanb8582 · Jul 22, 2022

Looking at the college quality photos, it looks a piffling deeper then I expected. Its possible that broke the trace and that part of the circuit is now open. Which depending on that it does could cause issues. Only style to know would be to measure from stop of the circuit to the other or across the trace. Not sure what type of meter yous would be using just 0 ohms isn't an open necessarily.

You could try to repair that trace. If yous got skilful soldering skills you could probably simply scrape some of it off and solder a jumper wire. A cleaner option would just get some traces, you'll probably want a calipers to know the width of the trace.

mi7chy

Much clearer pictures and the verdict is the trace is toast. Easy fix though. Just make certain you scrape the lacquer off the trace towards the pause so you don't elevator the trace and brand the break wider.

Kazzanova

Looking at the college quality photos, it looks a little deeper so I expected. Its possible that bankrupt the trace and that office of the circuit is at present open. Which depending on that it does could crusade issues. Only way to know would be to mensurate from cease of the excursion to the other or across the trace. Not sure what type of meter you would be using simply 0 ohms isn't an open necessarily.
You could try to repair that trace. If you lot got good soldering skills you could probably just scrape some of it off and solder a jumper wire. A cleaner option would simply go some traces, you lot'll probably want a calipers to know the width of the trace.

I am decent with soldering, merely this thing is tiny. I take huge clumsy hands :/ I can ever give it a shot, but I am still trying to get in touch with Gigabyte to meet if they tin do anything for me.

Much clearer pictures and the verdict is the trace is toast. Like shooting fish in a barrel fix though. Just make sure you scrape the lacquer off the trace towards the intermission then you don't elevator the trace and brand the interruption wider.

Cheers!