I damaged my motherboard.
I damaged my motherboard.
the mobo is an Asrock b460m. Before it stopped working, i was able to start it. However, in the bios i noticed the cpu temperature kept going up. It started at 60 degrees and kept increasing so i powered it off and removed the cooler. Once taken out, it made sense—the cooler wasn’t touching the cpu because there was almost no thermal paste left on the coldplate after removal. I believe the standoff was too high. Also, after removing the cooler, i heard a rattling noise when turning the mobo, which i thought was normal but i kept going. If i had stopped sooner when i heard that sound, maybe things would have been different. What images are you looking for? P.S. the cooler is a Deepcool gammaxx 400s model. I know it says lga 1151 compatibility, not lga 1200, but aren’t they the same? i can install it correctly except the standoff was a bit too high or maybe due to an incorrect socket.
I don’t notice any other damage besides the darkened area you referred to earlier, which is difficult to capture with your phone’s camera.
The images show the front, back, and a darker area. Is this spot something you should be concerned about?
The location seems unremarkable... but capturing clear images of PCBs is still challenging, even after my attempts. Spoiler: this is still better than nothing, perhaps someone can notice something! Are we really certain the motherboard isn’t faulty? It could just be that the cooler wasn’t suitable. I’m not sure where the burnt smell originated, so it might be wise to double-check. Anyone in the community spotted a defective component or trace? @ShrimpBrime, do you see anything in the original photos?
It’s unusual to find anything notable. Usually, electronics fail in predictable ways without any clear signs.
I understand, I don’t think there’s much to see either, but I’ve fixed several PCBs including motherboards—usually not the high-end gaming or consumer models—and often people notice something. However, it’s not always certain. The images here are pretty blurry too. *It feels like a puzzle,* you might stare at it for a while before spotting anything (depending on your experience).
Well there's just not a lot of information about the short. Generally you hear a pop or see a spark if you see damage. Also the description about the shorted board is very vague. Although from what we do know, the board was working but the cooler was loose. I would assemble, clear cmos and attempt post.
He claims to own a Deepcool gammaxx 400s unit. It’s unclear whether the problem is related to installation or overheating, especially since it happened during high-altitude flights. There seem to be missing components—overheating, disassembly, and a short circuit. If the board was removed while working, when did the short occur?