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| ==Motherboard Testing== | | ==Motherboard Testing== |
| [[User:Tex|Tex]] 20:37, 26 May 2010 (UTC) | | [[User:Tex|Tex]] 20:37, 26 May 2010 (UTC) |
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− | {|fontsize="14" border=".05" fontweight="bold" cellpadding=".5" width="100%"
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− | |align="left" padding=".5"|There are a multitude of items to check in motherboard testing. This is not for the faint of heart. '''Lose hope all yea who enter here'''.
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− | {|fontsize="12" cellpadding=".5" border=".05" font-weight="bold" cellpadding=".7"
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− | |width="25%" align="center"|STEPS
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− | |width="75%" align="center"|NOTES AND DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS
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− | | Check For Visible Damage ||
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− | *Check for blown capacitors. Do a careful visual check. Then do it again. This will save you wasted time further down the road. '''ANY''' domed capacitors warrant recycling the board.
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− | *Check for damaged sockets or other damage to devices on the motherboard. If it is a socket 775 or socket xxxx check carefully for bent socket pins with a magnifying lens. If there '''ARE''' bent pins recycle the board. It's not worth time repairing the socket.
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− | *Check for dark areas on the underside of the board where a device (surface mounted) may have over heated. Recycle the board if you find any.
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− | *Broken or missing memory slot attachment arms are no reason to reject a board as long as the board passes all the other tests.
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− | | Is it a '''DELL''' motherboard ? ||
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− | *Remove the heatsink and, if it is of use on other types of motherboards, save it. Otherwise, recycle the heatsink.
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− | *Remove the processor and save it for testing later if it qualifies (it is of the minimum speed and processor type).
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− | *Remove the button battery and save it for testing later.
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− | *Remove any jumpers and save them.
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− | *Recycle the motherboard. DELLs require a special chassis and cannot be universally mounted in third party chassis's.
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− | | Is it a '''BTX''' format motherboard, a '''multisocket server''' board, or have a '''non-standard ATX''' format? ||
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− | *Remove the heatsink and, if it is of use on other types of motherboards, save it. Otherwise, recycle the heatsink.
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− | *Remove the processor and save it for testing later if it qualifies (it is of the minimum speed and processor type).
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− | *Remove the button battery and save it for testing later.
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− | *Remove any jumpers and save them.
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− | *Recycle the motherboard.
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− | | Check for '''SATA''' ports ||
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− | *Absence of any SATA ports is reason to recycle a motherboard.
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− | | Reasons '''NOT''' to reject a motherboard on preliminary inspection ||
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− | *Missing PS2 ports as long as there are USB ports available.
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− | *Missing on-board sound (resolved with PCI based sound cards).
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− | *Missing LAN ports (resolved with PCI based LAN cards)
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− | *Missing on-board video (resolved by PCI, PCI-e, or AGP slots on the motherboard)
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− | *Missing PCI slots - as long as there are PS2 or USB, video, and sound ports on the board.
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− | *Broken or damaged Northbridge, Southbridge, or SUPERIO chip heatsinks can be replaced as can any on-board fans.
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− | | Visual inspection passed - what now ?||
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− | *Place the motherboard on the test jig.
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− | *Orient the motherboard so the external ports (printer, PS2, USB, etc.) are facing you
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− | *Motherboards '''GENERALLY''' have a standardized layout as follows:
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− | *Upper left quadrant contains the memory slots, main power connector, floppy connector, and either one to two IDE connectors (if any...)
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− | *Upper right quadrant contains SATA connectors, SOUTHBRIDGE chip, RAID connector (if any), front panel header, USB header(s)
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− | *Lower right quadrant contains AGP/PCIe video slots, PCI slots, button battery (this can actually be in this quadrant or the upper right), PCI extender slot, and audio header
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− | *Lower left quadrant contains the CPU socket, CPU heatsink, the 12 volt power connector (4 pin Molex), and all the external connectors
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− | | Affix sticker || Initial a 'Tested by' sticker and stick it to the device in a way that it will be easily removable later. Try sticking it to your jeans or shirt first, it makes the sticker a little less sticky. Once you are done testing devices make sure to place them in the box to go to the store.
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− | |}
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− | [[Category:Hardware Testing]]
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− | [[Category:Howto]]
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− | [[Category:Advanced Testing]]
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