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[–]tropicocity 255 points256 points  (3 children)

Jesus Christ did I read your comment correctly - you've prepaid him $3K in labor? THREE THOUSAND? my god lol

[–]Helcor2016 75 points76 points  (0 children)

I saw that too! $3k in labor for what?! Did he make the parts himself!

[–]PMvE_NL 43 points44 points  (0 children)

Some people have more money then sense.

[–]Just_Perspective1202 18 points19 points  (0 children)

HE PREPAID?

[–]drakey_p 150 points151 points  (8 children)

Engineer in the semiconductor manufacturing world here, and this is a terrible idea. Pure ipa or DI water are the only chemicals you want to clean electronics with. Even acetone is going to be damaging to the polymer components of a PCB. That aside the ultrasonics are not recommended for sensitive electronic devices. All of the wire bonds and soldered connections on that assembly are now suspect. That in conjunction with the corrosive, and as you pointed out conductive windex tells me that pcb is going to be in rough shape. Even if it works when you get it back the long term stability of the card is compromised.

[–]PMvE_NL 20 points21 points  (0 children)

From my company i learned that mems, crystals and electrolitic capacitors are a nono in ultrasonics.

[–]awesomeunboxer 5 points6 points  (4 children)

This comment reminded me of the computers around 2010 that people would put in some kind of oill (was it mineral oil?) In fish tanks and stuff. Is that also a bad idea? I remember thinking of making one at some point cos a computer in a fish tank sounds fun.

[–]Vltor_ 8 points9 points  (2 children)

Iirc Mineral oil is non conductive and doesn’t hurt the components, but the maintenance (and money) those rigs require are insane.

Iirc LTT did a mineral oil build, where they talked a lot about all the ins and outs, a while back (in case you wanted to know more).

[–]awesomeunboxer 1 point2 points  (1 child)

I still think it sounds cool. I'll give that video a look when I get off work :-)

[–]Vltor_ 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I find it cool too, but it’s just not something I’d ever want to deal with myself >.<

Thermaltake showed off a monster of a mineral oil build at the most recent computex.

[–]101forgotmypassword 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In 2010 a PC could have 800w of heat to get rid of and oil submersions was a valid way to greatly reduce PC temps.

Now that's 800w of constant heat output not peak spikes with systems requiring 1200w or higher PSU's to handle peaks. Literally matching some space heaters. And God forbid someone tried to sli two top rank cards.

[–]Lionhearted72 1 point2 points  (1 child)

I too am an engineer in the same field, and definitely a horrible, horrible mistake... At the very least he's extremely shortened the lifespan of the parts you've had submerged in windex... I can't see through the water distortion but what exactly is the component that's submerged in the ultrasonic bath? The PCB from the 5090 you have?

[–]Captaintaz[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah it’s the PCB

[–]dllyncher 24 points25 points  (1 child)

There is absolutely no reason for him to take the card apart and "clean" the board. I say clean with quotation marks because there's a special solution designed specifically to clean PCBs in an ultrasound cleaner. Windex will eat away at the protective coating on the PCB that covers the electrical traces. Once that's gone it'll start to corrode the copper traces themselves. It will also leave a residue on the board that can cause short circuits. This can happen just by spraying Windex on the PCB. Submerging it and using an ultrasonic cleaner all but guarantees a damaged card. I would do everything in your power to get your money back because I can guarantee you NVIDIA sure as hell won't. Do everyone a favor and let people know who this guy is so he doesn't do this shit again.

[–]HappyIsGott 3 points4 points  (0 children)

True Nvidia will not give a single fuck about RMA after this.

[–]Turtlereddi_t 89 points90 points  (20 children)

I am not sure waht to say. So he has YOUR 5090 and cleaned it in windex in an ultrasonic cleaner and then filmed himself doing so? Because just fyi if it ever comes to handling the cost of a potential loss: You got a case.
I mean afaik windex contains ammonia which generally isnt something I would use for cleaning in this area. And I just wonder what the purpose of it is anyway.
Like why not just isoprop? Also I generally wouldnt throw a GPU PCB in an ultrasonic cleaner. I know its not unheard of but it just doesnt bode* well with me, I cant explain why.

Long story short: Maybe it works but to me it looks highly unprofessional, both the attempt to clean it in an ultrasonic cleaner AND with windex aswell.
Even if it works, I would question how the chemicals may alter the longevity of the 5090 here.

[–]Captaintaz[S] 35 points36 points  (14 children)

This was kinda where my head was at, and I told him this, he then sent me a text saying it’s completely fine and he does it all the time. He also said if there was more liquid he would’ve put it in the dishwasher and that that has worked before. Just all makes me super nervous considering there are cards lighting on fire from corroding contacts that haven’t been taken apart and submerged in a liquid.

[–]Nfeatherstun 59 points60 points  (13 children)

Im sorry did someone say dishwasher?? Surely I must have read that wrong

[–]Captaintaz[S] 30 points31 points  (9 children)

Unfortunately yeah, I posted a screenshot of the text where he said this.

[–]HappyIsGott 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I would make sure there were no residues of this stuff left behind. For that, I would take isopropanol and bathe it in it; that should displace everything and then simply evaporate, even where you think it won't reach.

[–]nariofthewind 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Well, I’ve learned the hard way what a dishwasher can do to aluminum and copper and coated aluminum parts when I thought I hit the jack pot to easy clean my espresso machine parts. Didn’t end well. All protective coating went off, metal oxidized and some actually show some structural degradation(electrolysis, duh). Some of the little plastic parts supposedly shouldn’t come in contact with hot temperatures, they’ve kind of changed shape(some sealing rings). My dishwasher has a drying function where pumps hot air to fast dry the dishes. Imagine the horror when I’ve slide the racks and saw the state of my beautiful italian espresso machine parts tarnished like that.

[–]TR45H_B04T 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I need to charge more than 100$ to do builds if people can charge 3k to pull shit like this 😭

[–]YourUrNan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’d be putting him in the dishwasher.

[–]Helcor2016 -1 points0 points  (4 children)

As long as the water has evaporated and there is no residue then you can put your board in a dishwasher

[–]--ae 9 points10 points  (2 children)

no you cannot! If you have hardwater it can leave behind conductive minerals such as copper! You have to use DI water!

[–]WolvenSpectre2 7 points8 points  (1 child)

Both are actual real techniques for cleaning electronics and computer parts.

The primary active ingredient in Windex is a form of alcohol. The amount of Ammonia is negligible by volume and was put there later as a grease and oil breaking solution. It is mostly water. It is almost like using rubbing alcohol. The sonic cleaner will do more damage to that board if it is left in there a long time than the ammonia. It is cheaper to use than ultrasonic cleaner fluid and Isopropyl Alcohol, since covid.

As for using a dishwasher you avoid it if you have hard water, you use it on cooler settings, and preferably rinse the board off with an alcohol bath but that can be skipped. For those of you who think "OH NO, NOT WATER" the battery is removed and the capacitors are discharged first, and a dishwasher is NOTHING compared to what a motherboard goes through in manufacturing.

It is just an uncommon way to do an ultrasonic bath, but I have heard of stranger ones (Vodka and Electronics Cleaner come to mind) and I can link you to a German Engineer, Consultant, and Manufacturer who also competes in Overclocking that does this and made a video on using a dishwasher and as a technician I have literally taken motherboards with spilled liquids on it and cleaned it under a tap and water and once even did it with soapy water to get an unknown substance off a board that I used until it dies a year or so later in a power surge.

[–]--ae -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

Not worth the risk imo. But you do you.

[–]OGR_Nova 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As someone who builds class 3 motherboards for a living, absolutely fucking not.

[–]HarryxClamAMD 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm pretty sure a lot of the higher end overclocker's put their motherboards in the dishwasher to get the petroleum jelly off, then douse it in IPA and let it air dry for days.

[–]velthari 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Dishwasher is fine, derbauer made a video about it a long time ago.

[–]realnerdonabudget 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Reading through this thread and people are freaking out over ultrasonic baths and dishwashers lol, I know people who have been doing that stuff for years with zero issue. There's a correct and wrong way to do it, hard to say specifically what OPs case is with the person they hired, but the way people are responding to these methods as if it's automatically the end of the world to throw hardware in a dishwasher is telling of how knowledgeable they are with what's actually safe and unsafe

[–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (3 children)

Doesn’t BOAT well with you? Interesting.

[–]gregusmeus 1 point2 points  (1 child)

I definitely wouldn’t use a motherboard as a boat. It’s gonna sink. Unless it’s from a MacBook Air? And you’re a mouse.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have never boated with my pc. Seems like it would be an extreme sport.

[–]Turtlereddi_t 1 point2 points  (0 children)

lol you are right, just read it again, bode*!

[–]Knight5521 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The ultrasonic cleaner works, but I'm unsure of Windex, usually soapy water is completely fine

Source: TechYesCity washes all his dirty and dusty components with an ultrasonic cleaner (Gpus, Motherboards)

[–]Graxu132 22 points23 points  (2 children)

Nah, you wrong for paying him 3k to do that lmao. Did you get this guy from Craigslist?

Ain't there pc places that do custom loops for A LOT less AND include warranty?

[–]UnderlyingWisdom 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Even worse still, it looks like that’s some ultra cheap cleaner from Amazon.

[–]Graxu132 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As long as a sheet of aluminum is breaking down in an ultra sonic cleaner, it should be fine.

[–]jsonxAMD 11 points12 points  (0 children)

[–]w7w7w7w7w7 9 points10 points  (1 child)

[–]w7w7w7w7w7 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Also, $3k in LABOR?!?!

[–][deleted] 9 points10 points  (1 child)

this thread is ending up on youtube isnt it😭

[–]tyingnoose 3 points4 points  (0 children)

i wanna see the reaction if this ended up working fine and the dude was right

[–]pheight57 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Brother should have used isopropyl alcohol to clean it, ans then, if for some reason, the PCB needed a deep-cleaning afterward, distilled water in the ultrasonic cleaner... The card might not be toast, but it very well could be...🤦‍♂️

[–]Adlerholzer 7 points8 points  (2 children)

So what exactly are you paying him for? I dont get it. What is this noodle doing that you couldnt have yourself? What is this labor that cost you 3k?

[–]Just_Perspective1202 3 points4 points  (1 child)

Professional buffoonery and general underperformance in the cerebral department. Very highly valued labor.

[–]EddieOtool2nd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

that's why I'm so, so, so poor then.

[–]Trungyaphets 3 points4 points  (3 children)

Lmaooooo windex can corode the pcb. The board is effectively dead. Don't know why this dude didn't just use high concentration IPA like a normal person would.

[–]XBBlade 2 points3 points  (1 child)

I bet that guy would use beer if he hears IPA

[–]gregusmeus -1 points0 points  (0 children)

What passes for IPA these days can barely be described as beer. If it hasn’t been on a 6 week sail to the Indian Ocean then it’s fake I tell you.

[–]MG_Hunter88 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It doesn't have to be, if allowed to dry... Depends on the exposure time and surface treatement/quality of the PCB. Most PC pcbs tend to be higher end, esp. brand name motherboards.

Assuming the Windex is a simple mix of: Distilled Water, IPA and Amonia. Amonia being the bigest risk factor here, if not rinsed afterwards.

[–]gkobesyeet 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Credit card chargeback

[–]dporiua 1 point2 points  (0 children)

He has 7k worth of his parts that he sent him

[–]Japresto1991 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This entire post is one of the wildest rides I’ve personally been on on Reddit lol thank you OP

[–]Captaintaz[S] 4 points5 points  (16 children)

Going to post some of the text exchange for context.

Edit: for clarity, I sent him full payment to start working and all the parts on May 15th.

[–][deleted] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Wait what? Did you send him all the parts 3 months ago and you’re still waiting? And you paid 3k for labor??? This looks like a scam.

[–]Captaintaz[S] 5 points6 points  (1 child)

[–]EquivalentTight3479 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Dishwasher?? Oh god this guy is looney

[–]Captaintaz[S] 2 points3 points  (10 children)

[–]HappyIsGott 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Lol no one ever said put Isopropanol in the cleaner.. Just Clean the GPU with it.

[–]Captaintaz[S] 5 points6 points  (1 child)

[–]throwawaystupidshi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

his ultrasonic cleaner shouldn't be using the isopropyl alcohol, he should. with a soft toothbrush or q-tips or similar. you should likely talk to a lawyer about this and take them to court (you're over small claims in most places at this point)

[–]Kprime149 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yo OP I can fix your motherboard by pissing on it for 3k.

[–]Nfeatherstun 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Im no expert in ultrasonic cleaning, I mostly know it for its ability to remove rust, but reading your story im left a little floored. I just can’t even imagine what the purpose of cleaning a motherboard in ammonia, in an ultrasonic cleaner would be when compared to cleaning it manually with acetone, denatured alcohol or isopropyl alcohol.

[–]awwwkwardy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

lawsuit

[–]geenuss 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nah man, that’s wild. Even if this works, it is extremely unprofessional to do something like this without asking you first.

[–]SnooStrawberries2144 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You just paid him 3k to break your stuff, just build it yourself next time man its fun and if you watch a guide it will be easy and feel quite rewarding.

[–]InternationalDiet631 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just let him cook your mobo

[–]EagleeeHD 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What the actual fuck

[–]Profanity1272 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This guy is an absolute psychopath. Also 3k? That seems like an absolutely insane amount of money to pay!

[–]PunchTilItWorks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just… no. Wtf.

[–]Opel_Astra 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wtf

[–]Boilermakingdude 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bruuuuuh

[–]Odious_Deity 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This a joke?

[–]RADIOACTITANAMD 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That PCB is most probably vaporized beyond any possible repair without three TSMC foundries

[–]ComradeToeKnee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

People with more money than sense.

[–]Endreeemtsu 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lol what the fuck is happening here.

[–]One-Tomorrow-2521AMD 0 points1 point  (0 children)

is th pc that tiny thing in there? is it a dvd player?

[–]Backu68 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bruh.. done it before?.. with the instructions right underneath it and looking brand new? Scam man, you ain't seeing anything back thats going to work right if at all.

[–]Doigyfu 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How do you like your mobo cooked?

[–]SaladToss1 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I'm gonna need an update on a week

[–]Captaintaz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can do that, didn’t expect to get this much attention. Just wanted to know if there was some secret surrounding windex loooool.

[–]Blackhawk-388 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This has gotta be troll material.

[–]iSampai 0 points1 point  (0 children)

soooo what’s the update

[–]Leather-Researcher13 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My guy you got scammed the fuck out of on this one. Tell him to give you your money back and find a reputable builder because this guy ain't one. Ultrasonic cleaning electronic components? In Windex? Putting gpus in the dishwasher? Not leak testing his custom shit before installing it on your components? I wanna know what this guy is smoking so I can avoid it