Motherboards stew: Asus confirms “flipped” capacitor

Asus has to admit a serious defect in one of its motherboard models, which can be traced back to an absurd error. In the high-end model ROG Maximus Z690 HERO, a capacitor was apparently simply mounted the wrong way round.

From error 53 to the motherboard that burns to itself

The ROG Maximus Z690 HERO is a motherboard that is priced at over 600 euros in the upper-priced class – even if there are, of course, much more expensive options. Now it turns out that the price here probably does not match the quality requirements that one would even place on the cheapest models: ASUS made an embarrassing mistake during production that can have serious consequences. If a capacitor is incorrectly installed, the best-case scenario is debugged error code 53; in the worst case, the motherboard will burn out.

After initial reports of defective and serious problems, the specialists from Actually hardcore overclocking made to fathom the cause. The astonishing result of this investigation: In a certain batch of motherboards, one of the storage capacitors shows an inverted orientation, in short: it was installed the wrong way round. This error can already be recognized with a visual inspection and should normally be easy to spot during quality control.

Asus offers exchange soon

As Wccftech writes, Asus has now confirmed that with certain series of the ROG Maximus Z690 HERO it is precisely this assembly error that causes problems. “We have tentatively identified a potential problem with flipped storage capacitors in the production process on one of the production lines,” the company said. All models with the part number “90MB18E0-MVAAY0” and all motherboards whose serial number begins with “MA, MB, or MC” are affected. The corresponding numbers can be found on the sticker on the sales box; all affected models were produced in 2021. Asus is now setting up an exchange program for affected users, but no precise details are yet available about the process. Currently, the way for those affected is via the normal support channels or the seller’s guarantee. Processor, CPU, chip, SoC, hardware, GPU, processors, chips, mainboard, nanometer, components, system on chip, motherboard, circuit board, printed circuit board