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I think I broke it - any PC repair people out there?
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Jayem See
Perkone
Caldari State
#1 - 2015-01-03 20:32:07 UTC  |  Edited by: Jayem See
I'll try to keep this short whilst conveying my dismay.

Following a horrible day at work on New Years Eve, I called my Grandparents to rearrange my visit and returned home. I turned my PC on to pay my car tax and...nothing. Dead.

I followed the normal "Wall to PC" checklist and it was still dead. Next check had to be my PSU. I had a spare one that I could use so I began the dismantlement.

It went very wrong indeed.

I decided to remove my graphics card, as it was in the way of everything. I pushed the small release catch and gave a gentle tug. I felt it give. Happy, I carried on. Then there was a noise that I never want to hear again. "SPROING"

It was the noise you get running your fingers over the strings on a Grand Piano.

The plastic connector on the mobo, that the GPU sits in, had pulled away, still attached to my graphics card. My heart was in my boots. When I looked down, there were all the PCI pins waving naked, quivering in a tangled mess. I've tried my hardest to realign them but it's impossible. They are less than 1mm wide and 1mm apart.

Is this something a repair specialist could rectify or is it just a lost cause?

It took me bloody ages to save up for that mobo and I am devastated that it let me down just by removing my graphics card. I could have screamed.

Anyways. I'll accept advice, sympathy or hugs. All equally welcome Sad

Aaaaaaand relax.
DaReaper
Net 7
Cannon.Fodder
#2 - 2015-01-03 20:50:25 UTC
Jayem See wrote:
I'll try to keep this short whilst conveying my dismay.

Following a horrible day at work on New Years Eve, I called my Grandparents to rearrange my visit and returned home. I turned my PC on to pay my car tax and...nothing. Dead.

I followed the normal "Wall to PC" checklist and it was still dead. Next check had to be my PSU. I had a spare one that I could use so I began the dismantlement.

It went very wrong indeed.

I decided to remove my graphics card, as it was in the way of everything. I pushed the small release catch and gave a gentle tug. I felt it give. Happy, I carried on. Then there was a noise that I never want to hear again. "SPROING"

It was noise you get running you fingers over the strings on a Grand Piano.

The plastic connector on the mobo that the GPU sits in, had pulled away, still attached to my graphics card. My heart was in my boots. When I looked down, there were all the PCI pins waving naked, quivering in a tangled mess. I've tried my hardest to realign them but it's impossible. They are less than 1mm wide and 1mm apart.

Is this something a repair specialist could rectify or is it just a lost cause?

It took me bloody ages to save up for that mobo and I am devastated that it let me down just by removing my graphics card. I could have screamed.

Anyways. I'll accept advice, sympathy or hugs. All equally welcome Sad


Hate to say, but if the port came off the board, you will need a new board. You could try to repair, but most likly needs a surface mount soder, and thats not very easy without skill and equipment. Though, it might be your board was toast when you started. And i feel your pain, i once accidently snaped a power connector holder off one of my motherboads, was not fun.

OMG Comet Mining idea!!! Comet Mining!

Eve For life.
Jayem See
Perkone
Caldari State
#3 - 2015-01-03 21:02:58 UTC
Thanks DaReaper. The board is still alive - as evidenced by me being here!

I removed everything bar my wifi card and my boot drive and gave it a go.

Am running on my CPU's onboard graphics. I derided them when I bought the chip but damn am I glad for them now.

I have a 4670k and the mobo was a Giga Z87X-UD4H. I can still update my market stuff and run the odd mission on an alt. Hardly the stuff of legend!

Not sure how I am going to sort this out.

Aaaaaaand relax.
Mina Sebiestar
Minmatar Inner Space Conglomerate
#4 - 2015-01-04 01:17:07 UTC
That looks like sli board did u try 2nd slot.

In theory it should still work that naked one but you need to slot plastic back.....heh good luck.

You choke behind a smile a fake behind the fear

Because >>I is too hard
Concord Guy's Cousin
Doomheim
#5 - 2015-01-04 02:12:55 UTC
Mina Sebiestar wrote:
That looks like sli board did u try 2nd slot.

In theory it should still work that naked one but you need to slot plastic back.....heh good luck.
Confirming that the motherboard should have 2 full size PCI express slots, 1 is PCIEX8 the other is PCIEX4

ISD LackOfFaith ~ "Your Catalyst was a hamster, and your Retriever smelt of elderberries"

NPC Forum Alt, because reasons.
Jayem See
Perkone
Caldari State
#6 - 2015-01-04 08:40:59 UTC
Hmmm. Well I can't use my 280x as the PSU doesn't have the power for it. I'm sure I have my old 6850 knocking about somewhere though.

Gotta be better than using the on board GPU.

I'll try it in the second slot. Could be a good stop-gap. Thanks!

Aaaaaaand relax.
Jayem See
Perkone
Caldari State
#7 - 2015-01-04 09:43:01 UTC  |  Edited by: Jayem See
This is proving harder than I thought. My Wifi card is blocking the second PCI-E slot. Why can't life just be simple?! Heh.

I either need a PCI-x1 Wifi card or some kind of adapter for my current one.

Still no word from XFX regarding a fix/replacement PSU. I'm giving them some New Year leeway before I go off my rocker at them. Big smile

Are USB Wifi adapters any good? That could be an easy solution....

Aaaaaaand relax.
Indahmawar Fazmarai
#8 - 2015-01-04 11:17:52 UTC  |  Edited by: Indahmawar Fazmarai
Jayem See wrote:
This is proving harder than I thought. My Wifi card is blocking the second PCI-E slot. Why can't life just be simple?! Heh.

I either need a PCI-x1 Wifi card or some kind of adapter for my current one.

Still no word from XFX regarding a fix/replacement PSU. I'm giving them some New Year leeway before I go off my rocker at them. Big smile

Are USB Wifi adapters any good? That could be an easy solution....


USB Wifi have a shorter range, but unless your computer is really away from your router and your home is specially hostile to Wifi, a USB Wifi will do the job easily.
Jayem See
Perkone
Caldari State
#9 - 2015-01-04 19:40:43 UTC
I am just about ready to throw my PC out of the window!

I've bought a USB Wifi adapter. Can I get it to pick up a network? Not a chance. All of the options in the software that came with it are greyed out. Troubleshooting comes up with nothing. Resetting the router gives no joy at all.

I even read the manual. Nothing.

So back to square one.

Anyways. I've ordered a new motherboard so the only remaining thing to do is argue the toss over the PSU.

Aaaaaaand relax.
Mina Sebiestar
Minmatar Inner Space Conglomerate
#10 - 2015-01-04 21:23:48 UTC
it is strange your board do not have Ethernet on it just go cable to router it is most stable connection anyway i have 2 laptops 2 tablets and phones on wireless to router but my rig is always connected on router via cable.

You choke behind a smile a fake behind the fear

Because >>I is too hard
Jayem See
Perkone
Caldari State
#11 - 2015-01-04 23:02:13 UTC  |  Edited by: Jayem See
Mina Sebiestar wrote:
it is strange your board do not have Ethernet on it just go cable to router it is most stable connection anyway i have 2 laptops 2 tablets and phones on wireless to router but my rig is always connected on router via cable.


I don't have the option to go direct cable. If I did have that I would leap on it.

I am perfectly able to create a PC from small parts but wifi/connectivity is a gap in my knowledge.

Am getting tired of how badly things are going atm. I love my PCs, I build them all myself but everything I try is going wrong.

I don't have infinite resources to work with. I feel like I am just about hanging on.

Edit - lol - I sounded a but desperate there but I am fed up. Also - you kinda missed the part where I am working with a hamstrung mobo.

Aaaaaaand relax.
Jayem See
Perkone
Caldari State
#12 - 2015-01-04 23:45:14 UTC
Listening to Sweet Dreams and dreaming of PC happiness.

Why not.

Aaaaaaand relax.