CPU/Mobo What are "Solid Capacitors"

A

adityavj

Recruit
I come across the term "solid capacitors" a lot in MB reviews, I understand that capacitors store charge and provide current when required to the MB circuits, but are solid capacitors a feature or does the term just mean high quality capacitors.

Please let me know, I am going to buy a PC this week, would help a lot in my MB buying decision
 
Solid capacitors have a higher tolerance for higher temperatures and they also perform better with higher frequencies and higher current than electrolytic capacitors. The superior heat resistance and better electric conductivity will allow PC enthusiasts to tweak the highest levels of performance from their system without fear of excessive capacitor wear or exploding capacitors."

Six times longer lifespan

Higher tolerance for high frequencies & temperatures
Solid capacitors also deliver more stable capacitance and are less likely to be affected by temperature changes. , even at extreme temperatures, solid capacitors have relatively stable capacitance, especially when compared to electrolytic capacitors.

No more exploding capacitors

A few years ago, some people started experiencing problems with their electrolytic capacitors on their motherboards. Users began noticing bulging, or swelling of the capacitors, and in some cases, the capacitors were even leaking fluid. Obviously, this dramatically lowered their system's performance, and in several cases, damaged the motherboard to the point where it no longer operated.

As there is no liquid component to solid capacitors, they don't experience leaking or exploding. In addition, their ability to tolerate extreme conditions and their overall robustness, make them much more suited to extreme stress operation
Read more - http://www.piranhapc.com/all-solid-capacitors.html
 
^ Good post, If you used a source though, do mention it. Hat-tip to you if you didn't. :)

@OP
Capacitors (both kinds) made in Japan are famous for their above-average quality. If you do a quick search on the net you can learn to identify most leading japanese brands. As for recognizing solid capacitors themselves(among other components :) ):-
imageview.jpg


^Pic. courtesy hardwaresecrets.com
 
@amd999 - when you copy information from other websites and paste it here without any of your own knowledge and inputs, it is proper to enclose it in quotes, post only a short part of the text, and link to the original site you copied from.

What you are committing is plagiarism. Post has been reported. For a good example look at Amien's post and see how he has given proper picture credit. Being a tech blogger you should know this, or are all the articles in your blog also copied like this?

@TS: Solid capacitors basically use a solid electrolyte - they are exactly the same as regular electrolytic, and not all bare-can caps are solid as in the picture in Amien's post. The only reliable indicator is the series marking on the capacitor itself but it is difficult to verify in a retail shopping environment, so you have to depend on the marketing information.

Given all their advantages, solid capacitors are a marketing gimmick. They cost less and take up less board space, but high-quality wet capacitors like Panasonic FJ and FM perform better than solids. It really doesn't matter nowadays. The exploding cap problem was restricted to a stolen formula, there has been no recurrence and modern manufacturers are a little more careful. Capacitor failure is rare, and when they do fail it is usually due to something else failing and pushing too much voltage into them or excess heat.

Besides, all tier 1 motherboard manufacturers use only solid caps in the critical locations now - so it's a non-issue any way you look at it.
 
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