[Mel] where to buy 1200uf capacitors?

Thought I'd have a go at repairing a p3 motherboard, which has two capacitors which have kicked the bucket, both rated at 6.3v 1200uf. Problem is, they seem to be non-standard, and I can't find them in any of the usual places.

Is there any places in close to the melbourne cbd where such parts could be obtained? I'd do it over the internet, but the stores listed in the sticky only really accept credit card payments.

 

just get a value slightly larger value if you can't find 1200uf. even 2200uf will probably be fine.

 

You wont get 1200uF, they aren't a standard stocked value, go to the next highest capacitor

Jaycar will have 1000uF and 2200uF in 10v, but even both of these will be quite a bit bigger than the ones in your motherboard and you will probably have problems physically fitting them in. Farnell will have them in 6.3V meaning they'll be smaller to fit in and if I remember they should have 1500uF sizes as well

 

howdy Siggi , try Opamp Electronics i buy from them and they are great.

1200uF 10V +/-20% +105C ZL Series Radial Electrolytic Capacitor

http://www.opamp-electronics.com/ca...ies-radial-electrolytic-capacitor-p-1269.html

 

Hey, thanks for the replies guys. I rang around a bit, and a guy from jaycar pointed me to RSAustralia. I've been to their website, but I didn't realize they had a storefront in melbourne
So, a quick trip to port melbourne, and I got exactly what I needed (10v 1200uf)
and now everythings running great.

As for getting a higher uF rated capacitor, I would've thought that'd be dangerous? seeing as how it supplies power to the cpu, any fluctuations of the d mb design could be harmful.

Edit: Thanks for the website, I'll check them if I need anymore. Do they accept paypal or DD?

 

They don't 'supply' power, they smooth it, well they decouple the voltage noise in the supply be exact. More capacitance - lower noise. It isn't a problem at all to increase the size of them, I replaced all the caps on my motherboard with ones nearly double the size and it actually overclocked better than it did when I took it out of the box

 

huh. I was under the general impression that capacitors stored a low charge, and then released it in a higher energy burst, sortof like a dam in a river (not really)
Interesting, thanks for that.

 

That is very close to how they work, they do store charge, but dam in a river is not the best of analogies. Think of it as a tank in a water pipe system. You have a pump which creates pressure (power supply, voltage) but it isn't a constant flow and its more like a pulse out of the pump as the motor spins it. The tank builds up pressure and for all the little periods that the pump isn't supplying, the tank maintains the pressure for it, supplying water out of it when the pump is off. Now a bigger tank wont increase the pressure, the pressure only comes from the pump, but the tank will hold it for longer than a smaller one.

 

Well, what can I say, I was taught electronics by a guy who carried around a hammer each class, and beat the shit out of the table next to anyone who talked too loudly :s Didn't pick much up from that class except how to use the gadgets we made to annoy people. (The cricket, anybody?)

 

Does that mean you can use abit higher voltage as well as uF for replacing on motherboards?
I got to do mine as well, and i have a few laying around that are abit high value eg
I got a 2200 16V that i want to use in replace to a 1500 10V

 

The voltage on the capacitors is only for the safe maximum voltage you can use them at before they go bang, it has little effect on how it operates in the circuit.

If you even look at how capacitors fundamentally work, it is fairly obvious. A capacitor is only 2 plates in parallel separated by an insulator. The value of the capacitor is a function of the distance the plates are separated, and so to get the most value out of the least space, they put the plates together as close as possible. But the closer you place them the lower the voltage needed to arc across, so they give a rating on the safe level you can use them at without arcing and damaging the cap. Its also the reason that higher voltage caps are physically larger, they have to put more insulator between the plates, so you might have problems fitting the large caps in your motherboard. If they fit, it's fine to use them

 

If anything using a bigger value will be better as it will smooth the power even more.

 

it will smooth low frequency better

it will not smooth high frequency noise better

however, the high frequency smoothing is usually taken care of by 10-100 nF ceramics.