Recently I had one like that and it just snapped right off when I tried to remove the green stuff. Be patient and slow 😉

First impressions were good but this board no longer functions properly and has some kind of short across an IRQ line. It manifests as a key being held down, causing keyboard detection to fail and a constant beeping sound from the PC speaker at boot. The IRQ LED flashes in sync with the speaker beeps which is why I think it's a short across an IRQ line.

Pins around the general purpose I/O chip move when pressed with the tip of my multimeter probe so there may be a loose or intermittent connection there. This may or may not be related to the keyboard/IRQ issue.

See here for a video of the boot process:

https://youtu.be/LGTIjwCxZcc

This follow-up is to warn others to inspect and test your used purchases thoroughly while still within the return window.

Here is how one of the boards was shipped to me.

More corrosion found after further inspection under a microscope. This is not easily seen without magnification due to the location and subtle coloring next to the white plastic of the PCI slot.

Spray contact cleaner is your retro friend. Get some, use some, love some 😀

Going for an old motherboard without my contact cleaner is like going to work without clothes on!

This board has more problems than just oxidation on a couple of pins, as manifested by my ability to move some of the SMD pins just by pressing on them with my probe.

You're right that I need a good contact cleaner kit. I was able to remove some of the corrosion from the ISA slot with vinegar but a good kit will also provide a protectant to apply afterwards.

I cleaned the board with soap and water but this only minimally improves any surface corrosion which may require some careful scrubbing with an abrasive material.

Kahenraz wrote on 2021-09-24, 05:01:

This board has more problems than just oxidation on a couple of pins, as manifested by my ability to move some of the SMD pins just by pressing on them with my probe.

Well, that is definitely nasty and definitely defective!

But yeah, for an otherwise working board, contact cleaner can mean the difference between everything working well, and hours of frustrating troubleshooting.

And sometimes, you have to replace 3 PCI slots on a motherboard to get it working right.

I really don't want to replace any of the PCI or ISA slots if I can help it since this is extremely invasive. I also don't have any spare slots on hand.

Replacing any of these slots sounds miserable. There are so many pins.

Kahenraz wrote on 2021-09-24, 05:33:

I really don't want to replace any of the PCI or ISA slots if I can help it since this is extremely invasive. I also don't have any spare slots on hand.

Replacing any of these slots sounds miserable. There are so many pins.

Yep, you need a desoldering station for that job. And I got the slots from desoldering it out of a donor board (dead un-noteworthy motherboards)

It is definitely a miserable job.

But worth it to save an AMD Slot A motherboard that would otherwise be largely useless.

I have a desoldering gun but they aren't always successful completing their one job.

I wonder about the climate this was stored in. Must have been very corrosive. Board looks thoroughly rotten.

I'd cross myself and throw it back where it came from.

This board is not worth saving in my opinion. Too much trouble.