IC7 MAX3 PCB crooked?

[Jakob Seedorff]

Hi,

Yesterday I bought the new Abit IC7 MAX3 mainboard. However, I noticed that the printed circuit board (PCB) is not entirely straight. The board is a little bit raised (about 3 mm.) in the lower right-hand corner (the board does not lie flat on an even surface).

The board would of cause be straightened out when the lower right-hand fixation screw is tightened, but how would the (although limited stretch) affect the SMD components and the internal connections?

I decided to return the board, which the dealer accepted with no complaints.

I have now received a new board. Guess what, exactly the same problem!

Have anyone else seen this "problem".

Best regards

JSE

 

[Richard Hopkins]

"Jakob Seedorff" wrote:

Yesterday I bought the new Abit IC7 MAX3 mainboard.
However, I noticed that the printed circuit board (PCB) is not entirely straight.

I've probably seen 1,000 motherboards over the past few years. Don't think I recall seeing any that didn't suffer from a small amount of bowing.

The board would of cause be straightened out when the lower right-hand fixation screw is tightened, but how would the (although limited stretch) affect the SMD components and the internal connections?

No problem whatsoever. The boards are designed with this possibility in mind. In fact, distortion of the fibreglass substrate is designed into every Pentium 4 motherboard from the outset.

Have anyone else seen this "problem".

What problem? ;-)

 

[TomG]

I have seen the situation where the board did not lay flat many times and never had any issues with respect to what happens when it is secured to the case mounting. I would also point out how much flex the P4 heat sink mounting induces when you clamp a stock Intel heat sink into the black frame that is secured into the 4 holes in the mobo... you talk about flex! I was worried about that but have seen no negative effects as a result.