Will you end up damaging this model?
Will you end up damaging this model?
I recently purchased this board on eBay for $4, marked as untested, but it functioned correctly before shipping. It only required a fresh socket cover, which I managed to install properly. After reapplying thermal compound to the chipset, I noticed a significant scratch on the back using pliers. The board is an MSI B450M PRO-VDH PLUS. I’ll share more details if you have them.
It wasn't a severe scratch and you're right about what those traces are for. Thanks!
Sure, I understand. Just like @Medicate mentioned, we can't be sure until you try it. I'm hoping for the best and would hate to miss out on a great opportunity.
You want a clearer answer about their role in the board's functioning. Yes, they are important.
It's hard to know unless you're part of the company. ~Note: Generally I assume missing parts can affect other functions, like a PCIe port failing or the CPU not getting power. It might seem simple but can be more complex than it looks.
You'd likely need additional images for any chance of that. Front and back views of the board. High resolution with all traces displayed.
There's a thin layer of somewhat transparent "paint" over the copper traces. Also the traces have some thickness to them.... it's unlikely you scratched the board deep enough to actually cut a trace. Add some layer or nail polish over that cut if you want to, or a tiny bit of electrical tape (or kapton tape), doesn't matter. As for what those traces do, nobody can tell you from just that picture. Could be connection to the ram slots, in which case if there's an actual cut traces, then one of the memory controllers could stop working (2 of your ram slots unusable) or maybe all four slots. Could be connection to the pci-e x16 slots, or could be a connection to something else.