A system administrator notices that a dedicated graphics rendering node periodically undergoes sudden hard reboots during heavy rendering jobs. Operating system event logs show no crash dumps or blue screen errors, displaying only unexpected power-loss event entries. During a physical inspection of the motherboard, the technician observes that several electrolytic capacitors surrounding the CPU voltage regulator module (VRM) have distended, bulging tops and traces of dried brownish residue. Which of the following is the most appropriate corrective action to resolve this issue?
- Replace the motherboard due to compromised voltage regulation components.Answer
- BRe-apply thermal compound between the CPU heat sink and processor package.
- CReconfigure the system memory modules into matching dual-channel slots.
- DReinstall the host operating system to repair damaged power management drivers.
Answer
Replace the motherboard due to compromised voltage regulation components.
Distended (bulging or leaking) capacitors near the CPU voltage regulator module (VRM) indicate severe physical failure of power filtering components on the motherboard. When the CPU draws high power during intensive tasks, the damaged capacitors fail to smooth out voltage, causing sudden reboots without OS error logs. Replacing the motherboard is the standard CompTIA solution.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Motherboard Failure Symptoms and Distended Capacitors
Estimated Time:1m 30s