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Recap guide

Recap the PC motherboards, 1999 to 2007

Only boards from the plague years need this, so it depends on the exact model and date, not the family name.

Open the interactive checklist Tick off each capacitor as you replace it. It saves in your browser.

Check first. A recap is not always the answer here, so look at the guides before you order parts.

Where to start

Clues from write-ups and forum threads, not a diagnosis. Low confidence means one thread or one repair; high means several write-ups agree.

  • Bulging caps near the CPU (Medium confidence). A plain-language Abit BP6 page explains the plague and how to pick replacements. It describes bulging 6.3 to 16V caps of 1000 uF and larger near the CPU and VRM. Source
  • Brands and values (Low confidence). A VOGONS thread covers brands and which cap values actually fail on Athlon XP and P4 era boards. Source
  • HP Compaq example (Low confidence). One HP-Compaq board repair replaced four bulged caps and lists their values. Source

Tips, tales and maybes

Found in write-ups and forum threads. These are other people's reports, not tested by us. Check part references and values against your own board.

  • Tip: Fit and batch warnings on the BP6 (Medium confidence). The BP6 guide says by the time cans visibly bulge the caps are already thoroughly bad, that the board needs 8mm diameter radials because 10mm parts will not fit every spot, and that every cap of the same brand and type should go, not only the visible ones. Gold lettering marked many of the low-ESR parts. Source
  • Tip: Partial recap and height check (Low confidence). A guide says many people replace only the larger caps (470uF and up) because small values rarely fail, suggests Panasonic FM or Rubycon ZL for VRM duty and stepping voltage up a notch, and warns to check height against heatsinks. Source
  • Watch out: The biggest recap risk is new damage (Medium confidence). A blog on when to recap says the biggest danger is introducing faults that did not exist through desoldering damage, torn traces or ESD, and that many faults are not capacitor-related at all. It argues age alone is not a reason, while leaking or venting caps and known problem batches are. Source
  • Maybe: Bulged Rubycon caps near the CPU (Low confidence). A GX270 owner reported kernel errors, freezes and finally no boot, with bulging caps clustered around the CPU, and noted they were Rubycon rather than the more notorious brands. He suspected heat or design in that area. Only a question, with no confirmed outcome. Source
  • Maybe: Old caps may be fine, or reform (Low confidence). A VOGONS thread argues many 1990s-2000s boards run fine on original caps, with degradation (higher ESR, drift) possible while still working. Posters mention reforming unused caps through a current-limiting resistor, and preferring Digi-Key or Mouser over eBay. Source

Before you start

  • Boards changed during production. Check your board number against the guides before you order parts.

Guides we used

This page and the interactive bench are built from these. They have the photos and the full detail, so please read them and support their authors.

The capacitor list

We have not checked a capacitor list for this machine yet, so none is shown. Follow the guide above for your board, then add the capacitors in the interactive checklist and it builds a shopping list for you.

Skip the sourcing

While you are in there

Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. These links only search by name. Disclosure

Steps, tools and safety

The steps, the tools in top, middle and budget picks, and the safety list are the same for every machine, so they live on one page: How to recap, step by step.

Values are shown as published in the guides above, and boards changed during production. Check the board in front of you. A recap involves hot tools and, on some machines, dangerous voltages. You do it at your own risk.

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