Total BS. 
Unless you had a catastrophic fan failure on your processor, and it
literally 'cooked' the motherboard, they are dead wrong. What they claim is
near impossible.

Ask them what tests they performed to come to this conclusion.  For
instance:

* Did they put a new processor on the old system board to rule out system
board failure, and vice versa?
* Does the processor fan still work? If so, how did the Processor fail?
* Did they use proper ESD (electrostatic discharge)protection? If they don't
know what this is, accuse them of the failures. Ask to see evidence they use
ESD protection. This includes wrist straps, shoe straps and grounded tables
they work at.
* Did they hear post codes or use a post card to determine systemboard
failure? If so, what exactly was the post error.
* Did they use a different Power supply other than the one from your
chassis?
* Did they swap out the memory with _Qualified_ memory.
* Did they reset the BIOS or try to reflash the BIOS?
* Did they detach the systemboard from the chassis to rule out grounding
problems?
* Did they disconnect all drives before testing?
* Did they try a different video card?



Unless they have followed a regimen of tests to rule out actual failure vs
misconfiguration, the issue is still in the air, (unless your systemboard
smells burnt).


Second, unless you have gone beyond the manufacturer's warranty the system
board can be RMA'd. The processor may also have a waranty, depending on
whether they bought a OEM model or a Boxed model. These are usually a year.

Third, I don't know what they charged for new components, but they are at an
all time low. 150$ gets you a high end processor and systemboard (no
memory).

I would grab your closest 15 year old boy in your neighborhood and take him
down there to call them on this. For the most part, if a system does not
fail in the first month, it probably will not ever fail before it is
obsolete. A dual processor/systemboard failure is extremely unlikely. If
either one fails, voltage usually gets cut off to the other. I think that
Processors are in the .5V to 2V range. The board runs at 5V. How exactly
does a processor, which does not store power, burn out a motherboard? Have
them explain that! 

I used to work for Intel, where we ran systemboards through a set of tough
tests. The best one was what we called "shake and bake". Heat it up to
+200F, then vibrate it for a couple of hours. All systemboards go through a
similar test. 
Don't let them tell you it was heat that killed the systemboard. It may have
killed the processor, but not the systemboard. 

Unless they provide specific details as to how they know the systems are
dead, I would refuse to pay. Let them keep it! For 400$ you can buy new damn
computer. For 25 bucks you can sue them in small claims.

Nerd From Hell
(goddamn hacks!)

write offlist if you want more ammo....




> -----Original Message-----
> From: camplate [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2002 10:39 AM
> To: brin
> Subject: More computer fun!
> 
> 
> Just got word on the computer that was bad. Shop said: 'The 
> processor failed, which caused the motherboard to fail. Since 
> it was the CPU, the motherbaord's warrenty is void.' The shop 
> then went ahead and put in new motherboard and CPU without 
> asking, bill: $400, or more.
> 
> I'm reserving my judgement until I get some comments. Anyone 
> have any help?
> 
> Thank you
> Kevin T.
> 
> 

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