[SOLVED] Broken resistors on CPU

Shalou

Prominent
Sep 17, 2021
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I've recently bought a CPU with 3 broken resistors and one resistor half way broken. Can this CPU work without those? I've searched about it for a while and so far I've seen people saying that it is needed for overclocking only. Is my CPU and my motherboard safe without these? (Or any other components.)

Edit: I have one more question: Will it work perfectly fine at it's base clock? Or will I have some performance loss because of those?
 
Solution
The SMD stuff underneath and around the CPU is usually capacitors, their role is "decoupling", sort of softening current spikes due to sharp changes in the power draw of the CPU itself. It will most likely ok to power-on but missing components may lead to stability issues.
I've recently bought a CPU with 3 broken resistors and one resistor half way broken. Can this CPU work without those? I've searched about it for a while and so far I've seen people saying that it is needed for overclocking only. Is my CPU and my motherboard safe without these? (Or any other components.)

Edit: I have one more question: Will it work perfectly fine at it's base clock? Or will I have some performance loss because of those?
Impossible to precisely know what you're talking about without a picture.
 
The SMD stuff underneath and around the CPU is usually capacitors, their role is "decoupling", sort of softening current spikes due to sharp changes in the power draw of the CPU itself. It will most likely ok to power-on but missing components may lead to stability issues.
 
Solution

Shalou

Prominent
Sep 17, 2021
101
5
595
The SMD stuff underneath and around the CPU is usually capacitors, their role is "decoupling", sort of softening current spikes due to sharp changes in the power draw of the CPU itself. It will most likely ok to power-on but missing components may lead to stability issues.
Stability issues like; shut down, heating, fluctuating performance and such or just performance loss?
 
Stability issues like; shut down, heating, fluctuating performance and such or just performance loss?

Most likely just BSOD's or lockups in high-loaded situations; similar to overclocking beyond the VRM's capability to deliver clean power.

But if they are chip caps for final stage decoupling and filtering of voltages they're also highly redundant so even more likely nothing will be the effect-- as long as nothing remains to short out to other terminals. If something is left to create a short then maximum smoke could ensue, with permanent damage to CPU, motherboard and other components (PSU, GPU, memory) in a cascade of failures not outside the realm of the possible.
 
Last edited:

Shalou

Prominent
Sep 17, 2021
101
5
595
Most likely just BSOD's or lockups in high-loaded situations; similar to overclocking beyond the VRM's capability to deliver clean power.

But if they are chip caps for final stage decoupling and filtering of voltages they're also highly redundant so even more likely nothing will be the effect-- as long as nothing remains to short out to other terminals. If something is left to create a short then maximum smoke could ensue, with permanent damage to CPU, motherboard and other components (PSU, GPU, memory) in a cascade of failures not outside the realm of the possible.
Here is an image of it. It's a Xeon E3-1245 V3
Also are these capacitor slots replacable right now? Or is it damaged pretty bad there?
View: https://imgur.com/R0v6jAG
 
Here is an image of it. It's a Xeon E3-1245 V3
Also are these capacitor slots replacable right now? Or is it damaged pretty bad there?
View: https://imgur.com/R0v6jAG
The locations that are empty, with just the two solder lands, aren't a problem. In truth, it's not entirely inconceivable those locations weren't left open by the Mfr. intentionally. The one that's leaning and contacting the adjacent one is a problem...use an appropriate tool and push it back in place. Preferably remove it entirely as doing that it will at least be perfectly safe against possible shorts and damage.

Now install it in an appropriate system and run with it a while. Run some stress tests and check for stability. If it remains stable think nothing more about it and move forward.
 

Shalou

Prominent
Sep 17, 2021
101
5
595
The locations that are empty, with just the two solder lands, aren't a problem. In truth, it's not entirely inconceivable those locations weren't left open by the Mfr. intentionally. The one that's leaning and contacting the adjacent one is a problem...use an appropriate tool and push it back in place. Preferably remove it entirely as doing that it will at least be perfectly safe against possible shorts and damage.

Now install it in an appropriate system and run with it a while. Run some stress tests and check for stability. If it remains stable think nothing more about it and move forward.
I guess I'll just try the safe way and just take it to a technician with another CPU that has same capacitors to replace these 3 currently.
Thanks for all the help, I appreciate it. <3
 
I guess I'll just try the safe way and just take it to a technician with another CPU that has same capacitors to replace these 3 currently.
Thanks for all the help, I appreciate it. <3
If you're getting it for free...or a couple beers...it's a good deal.

If you're spending very much more, I'd at least just try it before throwing more money on a used CPU you don't even know works yet. It can't hurt so long as you remove the capacitor that's shorting.
 

Shalou

Prominent
Sep 17, 2021
101
5
595
If you're getting it for free...or a couple beers...it's a good deal.

If you're spending very much more, I'd at least just try it before throwing more money on a used CPU you don't even know works yet. It can't hurt so long as you remove the capacitor that's shorting.
I've got the CPU for like 30 bucks and repair will cost about 10 bucks. The previous owner of this CPU told me that it's working, and I wouldn't be surprised if it worked actually. There are no other good CPUs around used market in my country so this is the best deal I could ever have on my budget.
 
Should be easy fix if you have another one like that to measure the values of the missing components...
Stability issues will probably be IO errors which may or may not lead to kernel panic or BSODs depending on the OS in use. If the board VRM is a better one, might be completely un-noticed.
I second to the above - need to reseat the knocked off piece using soldering heat gun before use.
 
I've got the CPU for like 30 bucks and repair will cost about 10 bucks. The previous owner of this CPU told me that it's working, and I wouldn't be surprised if it worked actually. There are no other good CPUs around used market in my country so this is the best deal I could ever have on my budget.
Well...a $40 dollar loss is 33% more than a $30 dollar loss. I'd just try it to be sure first.