[SOLVED] What is this stain/glue-like residue on my Motherboard?

[soutsos]

I did some research but I couldn't reach a conclusion. This is why I am posting here, so someone with experience can say what they think.
I had seen these stains when I first got the motherboard and there were also some scratches, but I thought that it was normal from the manufacturing process.

I bought this board as "brand new". The board is a Gigabyte X570 Aorus Ultra.

A friend of mine saw these and said that these are most probably flux residue from the board being refurbished/repaired. I am absolutely clueless when it comes to these things and thought that maybe the community here could help.

Thank you for your time guys.

 

[Nemesia]

Brand new means brand new. The moment you saw that you should have returned it and refunded and buy the board from a good sellers. It was obviously not new. The Aorus Ultra is not a cheap board and I would be angry seeing my brand new board in that state.

 

[soutsos]

Brand new means brand new. The moment you saw that you should have returned it and refunded and buy the board from a good sellers. It was obviously not new.

I really feel like an idiot.... It wasn't obvious for me, but thank you for sharing your expertise. Thank god I paid through PayPal. They have a great customer protection system set in place and will definitely see this case objectively and fairly.
I bought this a month ago, so I still have time to make a case. The unfortunate thing is that I cannot possibly return it at this time. The soonest I will have time to disassemble my computer and go through the process of installing every single piece of software I need will be in October...

 

[Nemesia]

I really feel like an idiot.... It wasn't obvious for me, but thank you for sharing your expertise. Thank god I paid through PayPal. They have a great customer protection system set in place and will definitely see this case objectively and fairly.
I bought this a month ago, so I still have time to make a case. The unfortunate thing is that I cannot possibly return it at this time. The soonest I will have time to disassemble my computer and go through the process of installing every single piece of software I need will be in October...

Where did you buy the board?

 

[soutsos]

Where did you buy the board?

ComputerUniverse https://www.computeruniverse.net/en/
I bought all my PC parts from them, ~$1750 order

 

[Nemesia]

ComputerUniverse https://www.computeruniverse.net/en/
I bought all my PC parts from them, ~$1750 order

Go on google and type "Computer Universe Rating" and look at them :/

From what I'm seeing you're lucky only the motherboard was sold like that as brand new.

 

[soutsos]

Go on google and type "Computer Universe Rating" and look at them :/

From what I'm seeing you're lucky only the motherboard was sold like that as brand new.

I will learn from my mistakes.. From what I see, most people complain about customer support and shipping, not about scams. Shipping was fine, their customer support is actually horrendous.
Just to be sure though, this is 100% signs of refurbishment/repair?

 

[Nemesia]

I will learn from my mistakes.. From what I see, most people complain about customer support and shipping, not about scams. Shipping was fine, their customer support is actually horrendous.
Just to be sure though, this is 100% signs of refurbishment/repair?

Let's say this is not refurbished/repair stain. It's still not a brand new motherboard. If the title of the product or the description did not say anything about the motherboard being refurbished/repaired than what your board should look like is pristine condition like the picture below.

https://images.anandtech.com/doci/14161/X570-AORUS-ULTRA_1200x1200_frontjpg.jpg

 

[soutsos]

Let's say this is not refurbished/repair stain. It's still not a brand new motherboard. If the title of the product or the description did not say anything about the motherboard being refurbished/repaired than what your board should look like is pristine condition like the picture below.

https://images.anandtech.com/doci/14161/X570-AORUS-ULTRA_1200x1200_frontjpg.jpg

Thanks, I really appreciate the time you spent explaining things to me. Have a great day friend!

 

[drea.drechsler]

Thanks, I really appreciate the time you spent explaining things to me. Have a great day friend!

Lots of misinformation from people who do not understand PCB manufacturing.

That does look exactly like residue from a board cleaning process. It may have been repaired by the mfr. and then batch cleaned instead of the more aggressive in-line cleaning boards fresh out of mass soldering receive. This is usually due to a solder joint that didn't solder properly in the mass soldering process and has to be touched up or re-flowed by a technician. It will then be cleaned in a batch process because the in-line process is highly automated and probably working an entirely different product by the time the tech gets the rework batch done.

THIS IS VERY COMMON! Boards are sold as new because they ARE new. There is no scam here.

 

[soutsos]

Lots of misinformation from people who do not understand PCB manufacturing.

That does look exactly like residue from a board cleaning process. It may have been repaired by the mfr. and then batch cleaned instead of the more aggressive in-line cleaning boards fresh out of mass soldering receive. This is usually due to a solder joint that didn't solder properly in the mass soldering process and has to be touched up or re-flowed by a technician. It will then be cleaned in a batch process because the in-line process is highly automated and probably working an entirely different product by the time the tech gets the rework batch done.

THIS IS VERY COMMON! Boards are sold as new because they ARE new. There is no scam here.

I'm not an expert by any means, but your answer seems very controversial to me. "The board was repaired by the manufacturer or retouched/reflowed by a technician" isn't that refurbishment by definition? Also, how do you explain the scratches? I posted this on imgur and every use said that it was not signs of a brand new board. I'm sorry, but I have to disagree with your claim that this is brand new.
Anyhow, I don't mean to insult your PCB manufacturement knowledge, so I have messaged Gigabyte directly to verify if what you're saying is valid.

I will update the post with their answer as soon as I have it.

 

[drea.drechsler]

I'm not an expert by any means, but your answer seems very controversial to me. "The board was repaired by the manufacturer or retouched/reflowed by a technician" isn't that refurbishment by definition? Also, how do you explain the scratches? I posted this on imgur and every use said that it was not signs of a brand new board. I'm sorry, but I have to disagree with your claim that this is brand new.
Anyhow, I don't mean to insult your PCB manufacturement knowledge, so I have messaged Gigabyte directly to verify if what you're saying is valid.

I will update the post with their answer as soon as I have it.

Hey...believe whatever you want it really doesn't matter. I just feel obligated to state some facts about board mfg. processes. Mass soldering isn't 100% and however tight the process they will accrue some defective boards at the end of a run. They don't throw them away...they touch up the bad joints and sell the boards. They have full warranty too.

I do agree the cleaning job could have been better; I worked in both aerospace and a commercial PWA manufacturing and the flux wash residue would have been rejectable only in the aerospace. Commercial would have been rejectable only if the board was to be conformal coated.

The scratches were hard for me to make a judgement on when viewed in on such a closeup. BTW...did you check to see if there's any peel-off film on that shiny surface? Both of my recently purchased boards had film on heatsink logos.

If you want to return it go ahead, many retailers and e-tailers, e.g., Microcenter, freely allow 'no questions asked' returns.

 

[drea.drechsler]

...Isn't what you described above what "refurbishment" is by definition?

No, it is not.

YOUR definition is not industry definition.

 

[drea.drechsler]

I don't have any definition that's MINE. That's why I asked. A question mark at the end of a sentence, makes that sentence a so called "question". This is what a question is:
Google explanation -> a sentence worded or expressed so as to elicit information.
Wikipedia -> A question is an utterance which typically functions as a request for information, which is expected to be provided in the form of an answer.

I'm glad you know what Google and Wikipedia is. Smart boy.

You should have taken the time to also look up 'refurbishment':

Refurbishment is the distribution of products, usually electronics and electricals, that have been previously returned to a manufacturer or vendor for various reasons, like not sold in the market or new launch of a product.

Operative in that phrase: RETURNED TO A MANUFACTER and NOT SOLD IN THE MARKET.

And you might also read up about rhetorical questions.

 

[g-unit1111]

Hey guys let's cool the arguments here and keep the personal attacks to yourselves. If this thread continues to go off the rails it will be closed and warnings may be issued.