Invisible wrote:
> Picture the scene:
> 
> I get called to a PC that won't boot any more. I remove one of the PCI 
> cards, and suddenly the PC works perfectly. Hmm.
> 
> On closer inspection, one of the ICs on the PCI card looks... Well let's 
> put it this way. The writing appears to be scortched. The surface of the 
> IC is apparently damp with an oily liquid. There's a bulge in the 
> surface of the IC, together with a few small cracks.
> 
> Here's a question for you: Why would an IC suddenly do this?
> 

Someone let the magic blue smoke out.


Seriously - Any number of things can cause a cascading effect.  The card 
has the +12v and +5v rails.  If the chip or voltage regulator has 
something go wrong, it can cause *unlimited* current & poof.

As to what initiated the event, that's any number of things.
The voltage regulator on the card on in the PS could have had a problem.
The chip could have had a design defect.
The chip could have just normally failed.
A voltage spike could have fried something.
A problem that happened long ago set up the failure, but it didn't 
happen until now.
etc....


Tom

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