Broke off a capacitor.

[Taoku]

This sucker died while I was installing my video card. I've read that it's only a cap from the onboard audio, and that it should be safe to use the motherboard with the onboard audio disabled (I do have a dedicated sound card).

Thoughts? Should I get it fixed, yes, no, why, etc...?

 

[djangoringo]

You could solder it or continue to use it again without the onboard audio(it wont work anyway...).

 

[getochkn]

A lot of caps are only conditioning caps, it's amazing how many you can pull off something and still have it work. lol.

 

[Taoku]

ok. So will I be able to use it with no problems whatsoever, as if this little...incident didn't happen? Because I'm kind of worried that the mobo will kind of break at some point.

 

[nukemaster]

Its all good

Caps can be used to filter power(it goes pos to neg and discharges its power if you have a small dip in power to keep it stable) this is why some things work with them gone.

They can also be used to block DC in audio(AC). If missing from that part of the system, you would just have no sound on the card(single channel, but those caps look awful big for dc blocking).

No harm should happen.

EDIT.

Ohh yeah low pass/high pass filtering can be done with caps + coils as well(even by mistake)

 

[Taoku]

They can also be used to block DC in audio(AC). If missing from that part of the system, you would just have no sound on the card(single channel, but those caps look awful big for dc blocking).

Funny you talk about big, when they're smaller than my pinky nail.

Anyways, tyvm to you and the other guys!

 

[Taoku]

Best answer selected by Taoku.

 

[nukemaster]

I am used to seeing little caps like this all over MB audio(still some larger ones, but yeah).
http://www.epanorama.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/soundcard2_DSCF0195.JPG

Then if you are like me and don't want to solder little stuff you do this path Its a small audio combiner(very basic, but it lets 2 computers both use 5.1 speakers at the same time without one system being able to leak into the other).
http://imageshack.us/a/img42/3721/onboardl.jpg

 

[Taoku]

Interesting!

I'm kind of a newbie at soldering, so I try to not mess up with those kind of things.
My face when I broke the cap was priceless, I could swear the mobo was screwed forever.

 

[nukemaster]

Just make sure that nothing is left sticking out and shorting and you should be ok.

I had a board with leaking caps in the USB system that literally made all the ports fail and I still used that board for years(with a pci USB card i had). Never caused a problem.

 

[Taoku]

I did left a little piece of iron sticking out of the place were the cap used to sit. No shorts, but the case/psu very often have this static/electrical feel whenever I touch a metalic part of it. I have no idea if it's because of that little piece of iron, but it is a very weird coincidence.

 

[nukemaster]

I do not think what is left can cause that.