ASUS Z690 Hero owners are FUMING because their motherboards are MELTING, SMOKING and CATCHING ON FIRE!
Take a look at the SHOCKING REASON why these premium motherboards are literally melting down…
ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero : Potential Fire Hazard?!
ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero owners are complaining on social media, and in the ASUS Support Forum, that their premium motherboards are literally burning up!
In fact, one user, TheMaxXHD, had two of his ASUS Z690 Hero motherboards die in just 3 days, with one actually catching on fire!
Late at night I am merely surfing the web and all of a sudden it hard shuts off again, and this time when I look over there I see a component on the motherboard literally on fire.
Other users reported hearing loud pops, and either smelling or seeing smoke wafting from their ASUS Z690 Hero motherboards, before shutting down.
Even users who were lucky not to experience a fire or melting components, reported that their ASUS Z690 Hero motherboards were unstable, rebooting on and off.
The motherboard’s Q Code display would also show Error Code 53, which refers to a memory error. However, replacing or swapping the memory modules will not solve the problem.
Why ASUS Z690 Hero Motherboards Are Melting / Catching On Fire!
Users who reported problems with their ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboards, have noted that they were melting / smoking / catching on fire in roughly the same area – between the last DIMM slot and the Q Code display.
In that location, you can see two MOSFETs (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors), but they are apparently not the cause.
According to a YouTuber called Buildzoid, the capacitor next to those two MOSFETs are the likely cause of the melting / smoking / catching on fire.
He pointed out that the etched text on the capacitor is upside down, which suggests that they were incorrectly installed in reverse!
In this comparison, the reversed capacitor is seen in the picture on the left, with the positive terminal on the left, instead of to the right, as seen on the picture on the right.
When such a capacitor is installed in reverse polarity, it will not only fail to work, it will actually act as a short circuit.
This quickly creates hydrogen gas (which is flammable!), and eventually destroys the capacity and could even start a fire.
There is no doubt that installing capacitors in reverse polarity is a dangerous mistake.
ASUS Confirms Reversed Capacitor On Z690 Hero Motherboards!
ASUS confirmed Buildzoid’s assessment, stating that they have “preliminarily identified a potential reversed memory capacitor issue in the production process“.
They also confirmed that the reversed capacitor issue affects units manufactured in 2021, with the part number 90MB18E0-MVAAY0 and serial numbers starting with MA, MB, or MC.
They did not, however, reveal how this dangerous mistake happened, or why their quality control (QC) measures failed to pick up the mistake.
To identify whether your ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboard is affected by this reversed memory capacitor mistake, you can check the part and serial numbers in the product packaging label.
ASUS also created a serial number tool, for you to check if your motherboard is affected.
ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero : Is There A Recall?
Unfortunately, there is no general recall of the ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero.
While ASUS admitted that there is a reversed memory capacitor issue, they did not recall the ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboards.
They only stated that they are going to continue their “thorough inspection” with their suppliers and customers, and “will be working with relevant government agencies on a replacement program“.
It is unknown why ASUS would need to work with government agencies on a replacement program, but for now – there is no recall program.
Neither did ASUS get back to the user whose Z690 Hero motherboard caught on fire after 2 weeks :
I have heard nothing from them. I sent them via reddit dm my second board’s serial number that I had returned to my local microcenter, which was the board that actually caught on fire, so they have a paper trail to follow and maybe retrieve that board from the store, and I explained the issue.
My only hope is they are actually looking into this, because it is a serious concern. However, I have heard nothing, so I don’t know.
One can only hope, but if they just sit there doing nothing, its a pretty big shame, as Asus support is one of the supposed big reasons why people buy Asus
ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero : What Should You Do?
It is unfortunate that ASUS did not recall all affected ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboards. The memory capacitor installed in reverse polarity poses a real danger, and is a fire hazard.
Therefore, it would be advisable to avoid buying the ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero until this issue is resolved satisfactorily.
If you are using a Z690 Hero motherboard that is affected by this issue, you should IMMEDIATELY STOP USING IT, and reach out to ASUS.
Until ASUS agrees to fix the affected motherboards, the ROG Maximus Z690 Hero should only be used by “Those Who Dare” to risk damage, or worse, from the reversed memory capacitor…
If possible, return the motherboard for a full refund, or exchange it for alternative motherboards like the GIGABYTE AORUS Z690 Master (US | UK | AU | SG | MY), like TheMaxXHD whose Z690 Hero caught fire :
I have since swapped out the board for a Gigabyte Aorus Z690 Master and has been going just fine for almost a full week. Nothing else was changed other than the motherboard, indicating to me, this is a motherboard issue.
All in all, it appears like some boards have components in flames, some merely just become bricked with code 53. In any case, I would advise avoiding until and if Asus responds.
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