The Unhappy Me thread

[xilman]

Originally Posted by kladner

Misery does not really love company.

Laugh, and the world laughs at you. Crying doesn't help much.

Seriously, I hope things improve. My back problems were largely solved by good physio and there's a fair chance it will help you.

Depression is a different matter entirely.

[kladner]

Originally Posted by xilman

Laugh, and the world laughs at you. Crying doesn't help much.

Seriously, I hope things improve. My back problems were largely solved by good physio and there's a fair chance it will help you.

Thanks! I am very hopeful in that regard. I am not quite as badly off as I was on the weekend past.I am able to control the worst of it. I do wish I could have lined up PT sooner than next Friday.

Depression is a different matter entirely.

It is, however, a very familiar state. I at least have some coping skills, in addition to meds.

[airsquirrels]

Two of my computers went down unexpectedly last night in the freezing temps.

One the water loop got too cold and a fitting leaked, but it was repairable and lives again after an alcohol flush and thorough cleaning.

Unfortunately on the other the EVGA Superclocked Titan exploded and shorted the power supply. From the look of the card the L13, the R33 inductor for the memory phase got hot enough to melt the solder and slipped down against the inductor below it, the resulting short shorted out the 4901NF mosfet beside it and also the power supply. This sounds oddly like something I remember reading happening to LaurV. I was able to solder some things and get the system to boot and see the card on PCI, however it does not initialize in the driver logs and I fear it is no longer of this world. This is the first card I've lost and I'm a bit sad over it.

[kladner]

Originally Posted by airsquirrels

Two of my computers went down unexpectedly last night in the freezing temps.-------

----------- This is the first card I've lost and I'm a bit sad over it.

Wow! That is severe! My sincere condolences.

[xilman]

Originally Posted by kladner

It is, however, a very familiar state. I at least have some coping skills, in addition to meds.

I find EtOH gives short term relief in the absence of more effective prescription sedatives. Having migraines and not being able to take tryptans because of the interaction with SSRIs (see serotonin syndrome) is a bit of a bugger too.

Non transverso sed deorseum.

[chalsall]

Originally Posted by airsquirrels

Two of my computers went down unexpectedly last night in the freezing temps.

I am very sorry to hear that. Many usually need to deal with the opposite thermal issue... 8-)

Originally Posted by airsquirrels

This is the first card I've lost and I'm a bit sad over it.

Loss of good kit is always saddening. That's sincere.

[kladner]

Originally Posted by xilman

I find EtOH gives short term relief in the absence of more effective prescription sedatives. Having migraines and not being able to take tryptans because of the interaction with SSRIs (see serotonin syndrome) is a bit of a bugger too.

Non transverso sed deorseum.

Eek! I have taken sumatriptan for cluster headaches while thoroughly loaded up with fluoxetine. I believe the prescriptions came from the same doctor, as well. I was unaware of potential interactions. I will certainly have a look at the topic.

On the subject of 'vascular' headaches: I found that 500 mg of acetaminophen is about as effective for me as the triptan. Those headaches are perhaps the only thing I will take the stuff for. I consider acetaminophen to be as potentially damaging as the sumatriptan, which is loaded with warnings.

EDIT: I can't say that booze was helpful for me when cluster headaches were in season. I even strongly considered that alcohol might be a trigger for them. Cannabis on the other hand.....

[rogue]

Originally Posted by kladner

Eek! I have taken sumatriptan for cluster headaches while thoroughly loaded up with fluoxetine. I believe the prescriptions came from the same doctor, as well. I was unaware of potential interactions. I will certainly have a look at the topic.

On the subject of 'vascular' headaches: I found that 500 mg of acetaminophen is about as effective for me as the triptan. Those headaches are perhaps the only thing I will take the stuff for. I consider acetaminophen to be as potentially damaging as the sumatriptan, which is loaded with warnings.

From someone who suffered daily headaches for a few months last year, it turned out that daily use of certain over-the-counter medications can be problematic if used to treat headaches. I was using ibuprofen almost every day to treat a recurring headache. Apparently the ibuprofen itself was causing the recurring headache. I had to stop using it cold turkey for a few weeks. I'm still very cautious about using anything for temporary headache relief. Your headaches seem to have a different cause than mine, but I'm not doctor.

[chalsall]

Originally Posted by rogue

From someone who suffered daily headaches for a few months last year, it turned out that daily use of certain over-the-counter medications can be problematic if used to treat headaches.

I don't have anything to add to this post, beyond support.

[LaurV]

Originally Posted by airsquirrels

Unfortunately on the other the EVGA Superclocked Titan exploded and shorted the power supply. From the look of the card the L13, the R33 inductor for the memory phase got hot enough to melt the solder and slipped down against the inductor below it, the resulting short shorted out the 4901NF mosfet beside it and also the power supply. This sounds oddly like something I remember reading happening to LaurV. I was able to solder some things and get the system to boot and see the card on PCI, however it does not initialize in the driver logs and I fear it is no longer of this world. This is the first card I've lost and I'm a bit sad over it.

Related to our discussion on PM, here is a photo with my card.

I can't attach photos to the PM message. I already repaired that card, but I don't have a slot for it, so now is waiting, it is not mounted together with the cooler because I still have to replace some electrolytic capacitors. I still have to write an essay about the story, and post it on the hardware thread, but I was very lazy related to the subject. Beside of what is "already known" is the fact that - when I got all the components, ordered from the web - I put it into a SMT oven, because it was impossible to heat it enough with the soldering iron! This PCB has the freaking highest thermal dissipation I ever saw, i.e. in the same second when you take the soldering iron away, the tin is cold and hard. No joke! So, I decided to do it "properly", and used soldering paste instead of soldering wire, and pass it through an SMT oven. I was so in hurry to do this, forgetting to remove the plastic of the connectors, and using an improper heat-mask to cover the electrolytic capacitors - they can not stand passing through the oven, the electrolyte may boil and they can explode easily. After it came out on the other side of the conveyor belt, the capacitors were looking not like cylinders, but like American football balls. And the size, too.

I have a photo somewhere... (taken before cutting them out).

Now, most probably I will never write that article, because the most important/funny part of the story I told it already...

Anyhow, I replaced the smaller capacitors, and still waiting to replace the bigger ones, you can see in the photo the melted connectors (the plastic part should be removed when put into the SMT! Now we know! ) and the missing capacitors, which I directly cut out with a pair of pliers, without wasting time to even try to un-solder (which in fact is impossible, the terminals of the capacitor will break inside of the capacitor, before coming out from the PCB, due to the heat dissipation of the last, you can't melt the tin inside of the via without melting the tin inside of the cap first!). I want to use a very special capacitor, same value (270uF/16V) but with a very low ESR and a very long life time (10k hours, as opposite to 2k or 3k hours the original one on the PCB) and I didn't get it yet.

But the MOSFET and the coil were soldered just fine (a bit rough because I used more paste, but this helps with the thermals), and the card is working properly (already tested).

[edit 2: the mosfet was extremely tricky to remove, due to the "pattern" of connections under it, see the datasheet to see what I am talking about. I also used more flux, as I was afraid that the "pattern" of terminals under the package may create a short circuit, which resulted in even uglier soldering, but no bother here]

BTW, for me it was L12 and Q16, the same place like yours, however different components. I still have 8 pieces of the mosfet and about 22 coils if you want to try a rework, I can send you some (I ordered the MOQ from the web, and "experimenting" in the process, read like I destroyed few, to see how I can better solder them). The real problem is a design issue (flaw! or BUG!) with EVGA's air cooler. The cooling plate has a hole in that place, therefore stepping only half onto the surface of the moses/coils there (the two moses and two 0.33 coils). Worse, there is a rubber in that hole, which stops the heat dissipation. Before switching to water cooling, I was thinking if and how can I "fill" that hole (like to use some pressed aluminum foil, or something, make an aluminum foil ball and press it together, this is quite effective to dissipate the heat). I am sure it could help. Other people on the web (see overclocker's forums) had the same problem (the L12 or L13 coil dying first, causing the mosfet to die, because the coil is not properly cooled there!)

Mine blown after I replaced the thermal pads. It was working only half of the capacity (more like 30%, I commented on the forum at the time), and getting very hot. Therefore I opened it and I replaced all the thermal pads. I saw the L12 coil had "cracks" in it, like it was overheated (read: like a building well-shaken by an earthquake), but I said that a new thermal pad will solve the problem. After I put it back, it worked for about 20 minutes, and it blown, with noise and smog.

Now, after "repairing it", I only tested it a bit, and it seems to work fine, but I didn't "squeeze" it yet, and I will not do it unless I put the right components (capacitors) on board. For testing I used a 2200uF cap connected on the other side. That is a grenade-size. There is no hurry, however, I currently have 6 Titans, from which only one is "slotted" (and I have 4 580s, from which only 2 are "slotted", in the same box like the Titan), because I have no "slots" to put them into. I am in process of buying a x99e-ws mobo (or equivalent, 4 PCIe x16 full) since Christmas, but no way to get it in Thailand for the "normal" price, i.e without paying double or triple. I had the hand on one on newegg, but they don't sell to Thai, and till I "moved" (asking from help on the other side of the big pool), it was sold. The mobo will host 4 water-cooled Titans, which lay under my desk since about that time, since Santa brought them, but that is already a different story. Maybe I will write about it in the future...

Anyhow, there is no hurry. Yet.

[airsquirrels]

Originally Posted by LaurV

Related to our discussion on PM, here is a photo with my card.
Attachment 13900
....

Anyhow, there is no hurry. Yet.

That sounds like the story of what happens anytime I attempt to repair electronics. I manage to repair the original fault but through a series of unfortunate events cause damage to 3-4 other components and ultimately become frustrated.

I had the same problem with the heat dissipation on the Titan board, my soldering station just couldn't keep things hot enough to rework the components. It looks like my MOSFET is fine, however the coil is definitely shot. I agree with the problem with EVGAs stock coolers - I have one other Titan on Air and I'm thinking it may get a water block soon to avoid the same fate.

I would certainly be willing to help obtain and forward that host board to you, along with my injured Titan. It is a shame to have idle Titans - they could help in Madpoo and I's Triple/Strategic Double project.