What's absent from the PCB? TUF z390- pro gaming
What's absent from the PCB? TUF z390- pro gaming
Looking at the cystomer returns, it looks like transistors above the PCIe slot are missing. Before proceeding with more tests, getting those back would help. What components can be soldered here, and where can I source replacements? I’m trying to repair this board.
Request a person with the same motherboard to capture a high-resolution image for precise part identification. Up to this point, we have a photo of solder points that appear factory-fresh, suggesting they were not removed or the work was excellent. Are these missing chips likely causing any issues with the board’s operation?
These are PCIe muxes... generally employed to rearrange PCIe lanes among slots. It seems like a manufacturing flaw because there are no signs they were ever installed—no traces indicate removal. You’ll have to locate high-resolution board images (or another example) to identify the model, then search for matches.
They typically reuse the same ICs across motherboards in the same line (like z390). These components are probably PCI-E muxers or splitters, enabling conversion such as x16 to 2x8 or x8+x4+x4. The board should work with a video card plugged into the PCI-E slot connected to the chipset. The chips appear intact—either they were deliberately desoldered or never installed properly.
If he manages to start it, it would be fascinating to observe the BIOS or GPU-Z outputs as the connection is established. I anticipate it will operate solely on x8 (the initial eight slots would connect directly, while the remaining eight would pass through the missing components). Achieving this would require significant work to ensure the board functions flawlessly with no flux or other contaminants present.
Thanks! I'll attempt to power on the board tomorrow and share the results.