Integrity of circuit pathways - repairability

[storp]

Over the past number of years, due to pressures to achieve greater production numbers (or lack of regard for quality, however one wishes to look at it) there seems to be more tenuously laid paths on certain PCB boards. They are not as robust, thinner.

This is a topic I've only heard mentioned in conversation(s) with techs.

Are these boards now as easily re-soldered when it comes to degradation of pathways/repair issues? OR more likely to be tossed into a deep ocean heap dead zone?

Are certain brands more likely to commit this act?

At any rate, I do like the more popularized black PCB instead of humdrum green!

 

[StrangleHold]

PCB are better now then they ever have been. Even on regular gigabyte board now have atleast 2oz. of copper. But for repairing them. Unless you can do it yourself, it would be cheaper to buy a new board.

 

[storp]

interesting vid on their making https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJS_Jqw3Sy0 but this may not be state of the art.

I've spoken with someone on the west coast who does re-soldering of boards (where paths have failed). Not mainly pc bards, but circuit boards nonetheless and part of the inspiration for this post comes from his input. Where brand names might charge exorbitant fees for replacement boards, that their larger assembled components rely on like for high-end TV's, only available through them.

Seems the abilities for repair however require some rather surefire measures at testing hardware lays and specific components, not just the trusty soldering iron, a roll of flux & a spring loaded magnifying window.

StrangleHold, are you saying that actual failure rates have not slipped for pc boards though?

I think they have.

 

[StrangleHold]

StrangleHold, are you saying that actual failure rates have not slipped for pc boards though?

I think they have.

No, not really. don't have anymore problems then I did years go.

 

[storp]

No, not really. don't have anymore problems then I did years go.

I'm talking about all the boards being sold on the pc market.

Unless you have a pretty large sample to go by...

 

[Okedokey]

You seem to ask questions that you're already convinced on the answer. I agree with Strangle, the reliability of electronics has increased a lot.

 

[storp]

You seem to ask questions that you're already convinced on the answer...

Quite the opposite, in my opinion anyway.

I reality, I have no idea of what Stranglehold is basing his response on. He could deal with a couple or many boards. I'm not privy to that.

I don't have a grasp on this myself, Okedokey, unless you happen to be referring to something else here...

A tech who works on circuit boards for tv sets -- you tell me, is it the same for pc boards and was this person correct? This kind of thing drives me to post here. I wasn't trying to 'pull a punch' by posting it second off...was merely starting to tell you where this was coming from.

But looking back, can see where it could have appeared that way...

 

[StrangleHold]

Quite the opposite, in my opinion anyway.

I reality, I have no idea of what Stranglehold is basing his response on. He could deal with a couple or many boards. I'm not privy to that.

Don't really know, been building computers since 1995. So about 20 years. How many, have no idea really. Probably in the hundreds.

Let me get this right, your basing your opinion on computer motherboard PCBs from a guy that works on TVs?

 

[storp]

Don't really know, been building computers since 1995. So about 20 years. How many, have no idea really. Probably in the hundreds.

Let me get this right, your basing your opinion on computer motherboard PCBs from a guy that works on TVs?

Hundreds - didn't know you worked with so many.

Only basing that opinion in part, since I didn't know if it applied as well to pc boards. The tech referred to actually is adept at working on circuit boards ( at least tv) from what I gathered. If you want, I can try to re-find him and pm you, for if you have the call for it (I have no other association with him)

 

[G80FTW]

You seem to ask questions that you're already convinced on the answer. I agree with Strangle, the reliability of electronics has increased a lot.

Reminds me of the days when you wanted to overclock a Pentium, all you did was connect 2 pathways with a lead pencil. Things were so simple back then

I dont think boards have gotten any less reliable than they used to be. Of course, i have always ran with Asus boards and they all still work perfectly fine except the one that i fried. But i certainly doubt technology would move backwards.

Cant say for tvs. The only tv iv ever worked on was a DLP. And those are pretty much dead. They were great in their time though, until everything failed on them quickly. I suppose if you were to buy an off brand chinese tv, i could see the circuitry being made cheaply.

 

[storp]

... Of course, i have always ran with Asus boards and they all still work perfectly fine except the one that i fried. But i certainly doubt technology would move backwards.

...I suppose if you were to buy an off brand chinese tv, i could the circuitry being made cheaply.

You fried it! But how?

Aren't many of the main components Chinese anyway?

 

[G80FTW]

You fried it! But how?

Aren't many of the main components Chinese anyway?

Because my graphics card wasnt connected properly to the board.

And yes, SOME of the components MAY be made in China, but you will find most higher end electronic components come from the pacific rim countries or Japan. Like Singapore or Malaysia.

And its not really a knock against China, many of the individual electrical components you find that are made in China arnt always of poor quality, its more the company that manufactures the entire item that makes the difference. If the item was manufactured by a Chinese company, chances are it was put together on a budget. A cheap budget. What China has always been well known for, its copying. Cheap copying. They rip off everything and produce it at half the cost, or less, and that usually results in poorer build quality as little kids usually wont be your first pick of engineers to build something.

 

[storp]

Alright, you guys are beginning to change my vantage on the quality of modern day mobos.

Hard drive reliability, on the other hand, could be another matter... (half-kidding)