Capacitor plague: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 05:50, 26 December 2005

Revision as of 07:32, 3 January 2006

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[[Image:Bad_Capacitor_01.jpg|thumbnail|right|Leaking Chhsi capacitors on a MSI 694D Pro [[motherboard]].]]'''Capacitor plague''' (also known as '''Bad Capacitors''' or, '''BadCaps''' or '''Bloated Capacitors''') is an informal term used to reference the common premature failure of certain brands of [[electrolytic capacitor]]s used on some [[PC motherboard|motherboard]]s, video cards, and power supplies.

An incorrect electrolyte formula within a faulty capacitor causes the production of [[hydrogen]] gas, leading to bulging or deformation of the capacitor's case, and eventual venting of the electrolyte. In rare cases faulty capacitors have been reported to fail catastrophically.