Gah, rust on GFX card?

[Agent]

I would rma it if it's possible, thats a bad flux job. You wouldn't buy a shirt with a stain even though you could wash it out.

Terrible comparison

Flux is fine on a card, even like that. Its not going anywhere, and its not going to short anything. Not many fluxes are conductive. Even if this is conductive flux, again, it is not going anywhere. Its only going to cause an issue if you mess with it (plus, its dry now!)

Even if you RMA it - I cant see that most company's will accept this as a fault.

Unless you're having issues with the card, just leave it. Its gone like that because its on copper, nothing more. I'm shocked at how many people think this is an issue. Each to their own

[format]

I don't know if any of you guys have seen my thread about my POST code error (its in the abit support forum) but the error I'm getting is C1 and the abit site says this -

1. Please update flash BIOS first2. Please change graphic card3. Change slot first or send to RMA at last4. Clear CMOS and load BIOS default

I'm going to try my brothers gfx card and see if that does anything.

[donkiddik]

Terrible comparison

Flux is fine on a card, even like that. Its not going anywhere, and its not going to short anything. Not many fluxes are conductive. Even if this is conductive flux, again, it is not going anywhere. Its only going to cause an issue if you mess with it (plus, its dry now!)

Even if you RMA it - I cant see that most company's will accept this as a fault.

Unless you're having issues with the card, just leave it. Its gone like that because its on copper, nothing more. I'm shocked at how many people think this is an issue. Each to their own

I'm in total agreement with you Agent, why all this fuss over a bit of flux, at least you know the board has been soldered correctly with less chance of dry joints

[peterb]

Flux is an essential component in the soldering process - removinf metal oxides and allowing the solder to wet the two materials (usually copper) together. The Introduction of lead free solders has required new formulations of flux to cope with the changed alloys (the solder and copper form an alloy at the joint - sodering is a complex process metallugically.

Fluxes for electronic components are very different from the fluxes used to solder copper pipes together. They are usually acid based and the residues are corrosive particularly to steel items) and should never be used for electronic assembly. Modern electronic use fluxes are usually water soluble - the Regulations for Substances Hazardous to Health (RoSHH) also limit the solvents that can be used to wash off flux residue, however in consumer electronics, it may be cheaper not to bother - the flux residue does no harm (except that it can make visual inspections a bit harder - in high end military, aerospace, medical type equipment, the residues would be washed off for that reason)

Bottom line - the card works, and while the amount of flux residue may be considered a little excessive - it isn't a problem. It probably wouldn't be be accepted as defective if you did RMA anyway (so you have the cost of returning it, having it tested, and then sent back to you).

So put it back together, enjoy whatever applications you are using it for, and stop fretting about something which is pretty trivial!