physical damage to PCIE slot[?]

I got a damaged PC: the back of the case had been whacked next to the video
card. To remove the card, I had to straighten the back slots. Now it had
been issuing beeps on startup meaning no VGA card detected. I tried 3
other cards in the slot, but still beeped at me. So then I tried the
secondary PCIE slot, and it goes. I ran memory and disk diagnostics, no
problems found. So now it is operating, albeit with only a x4 speed slot.
Well it wasn't a gaming PC.
I shone a bright light and magnifying glass along the primary PCIE slot,
but cannot see anything cracked or twisted.

wrote:
I got a damaged PC: the back of the case had been whacked next to the video
card. To remove the card, I had to straighten the back slots. Now it had
been issuing beeps on startup meaning no VGA card detected. I tried 3
other cards in the slot, but still beeped at me. So then I tried the
secondary PCIE slot, and it goes. I ran memory and disk diagnostics, no
problems found. So now it is operating, albeit with only a x4 speed slot.
Well it wasn't a gaming PC.
I shone a bright light and magnifying glass along the primary PCIE slot,
but cannot see anything cracked or twisted.

PCI Express interfaces can be damaged by static electricity.

They could be damaged by removing the card with the power on.

It might visually look good, but be electrically damaged.

Paul

On Sat, 21 Oct 2017 02:02:29 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

I got a damaged PC: the back of the case had been whacked next to the video
card. To remove the card, I had to straighten the back slots. Now it had
been issuing beeps on startup meaning no VGA card detected. I tried 3
other cards in the slot, but still beeped at me. So then I tried the
secondary PCIE slot, and it goes. I ran memory and disk diagnostics, no
problems found. So now it is operating, albeit with only a x4 speed slot.
Well it wasn't a gaming PC.
I shone a bright light and magnifying glass along the primary PCIE slot,
but cannot see anything cracked or twisted.

It works, which is surprising considering the amount of damage
transferred from the back of the video card to the MB. Everything
about the PCIE looked good, including inside the slot. And the video
board was locked, screwed down, both secured to the case, as well a
slotted securement at the opposite side next to the signal
connections.

The force then went somewhere, was absorbed into the MB. Probably
just beneath the plastic slot, at a contact-to-trace level -- rather
multi-level to a parallel axis for pathways possible in MB epoxy.

You could put the MB on a towel, hooked up to a basic boot -- PS and
keyboard. Put the video card in and turn it upside down. Use an
eraser(s) in your hand to apply pressure the back/front sides.

I've done this with larger-component and two-sided signal pathing,
more or less successfully, to localize suspect areas on a rather
large tubed, heavy-iron sound amplifier boards. First amp, fixed it
to work like champ;- second time up, on different amp, it's better,
although not quite perfect;- I still can monkey around to get a little
signal dropout.

These are solder "re-flow" jobs. Otherwise perfectly secured and
looking tits to soldered connections that are in actuality
cold-soldered;- the mechanical aspects to pressures applied by an
eraser, as might compressed air refrigerant, expose for faults.

Digital signals I wouldn't hold much store in for a similar analogy,
than possibly to try it for rainy-day grins.

On Saturday, October 21, 2017 at 6:17:12 PM UTC+8, Paul wrote:

PCI Express interfaces can be damaged by static electricity.

They could be damaged by removing the card with the power on.

It might visually look good, but be electrically damaged.


I considered the possibility that the PC was dented with the power on, so
I did not put the original graphics card back in. Since then, I have tried it a
couple of junk PCs, and that card is okay.