Atom Ant wrote on 2024-12-18, 10:37:

Okay, so actually, I’m unsure about doing the modification. It feels more like I shouldn’t do it. While a third ATA connector would be useful, I’ll manage to connect everything using the two existing ATA connectors.

You've quickly dissuaded by 2-3 comments 😀 The motherboards are yours, so you can do whatever you want with them, including chip "transplant" experiments.

dionb wrote on 2024-12-18, 00:33:

auron wrote on 2024-12-17, 23:02:

[...]
bloated capacitors, judging by the picture, as seems to be customary for abit gear.

Time to break out the soldering iron then. Not a difficult fix. A lot easier than moving RAID chip and IDE connectors.

That's right. The only tools you'll need are a 30W soldering iron and a good desoldering pump.

analog_programmer wrote on 2024-12-18, 10:57:

Atom Ant wrote on 2024-12-18, 10:37:

Okay, so actually, I’m unsure about doing the modification. It feels more like I shouldn’t do it. While a third ATA connector would be useful, I’ll manage to connect everything using the two existing ATA connectors.

You've quickly dissuaded by 2-3 comments 😀 The motherboards are yours, so you can do whatever you want with them, including chip "transplant" experiments.

There is nothing wrong with doing it, if one has realistic expectations about the end result. Otherwise, there is likely to be disappointment. The potential gain vs risk calculation also comes into play.

Doing it for the sake of doing is fine, if that is what one knowingly wants to do.

darry wrote on 2024-12-18, 15:35:

There is nothing wrong with doing it, if one has realistic expectations about the end result. Otherwise, there is likely to be disappointment. The potential gain vs risk calculation also comes into play.

Doing it for the sake of doing is fine, if that is what one knowingly wants to do.

Maybe he'll do it for the sake of curiosity*. In worst case this experiment may end up with two working motherboards - ABIT SA6 (from the donor SA6R board) and ABIT SH6 (in it's original state), which wouldn't be much of a loss.

* - Human curiosity, the spirit of exploration and experimentation are driving forces, not greed and will to hoard a "precious" things 😀

analog_programmer wrote on 2024-12-18, 16:23:

[...]

Maybe he'll do it for the sake of curiosity*. In worst case this experiment may end up with two working motherboards - ABIT SA6 (from the donor SA6R board) and ABIT SH6 (in it's original state), which wouldn't be much of a loss.

* - Human curiosity, the spirit of exploration and experimentation are driving forces, not greed and will to hoard a "precious" things 😀

Worst-case he'll damage traces or cook beyond repair other components on both boards while attempting to desolder and resolder, and for good measure damage the IDE/RAID chip itself too, resulting in two dead boards with no RAID. Not saying that's going to happen, but I get the impression TS thinks replacing caps on the SA-6R is too difficult to consider. If that's the case, the vastly more difficult operation with the IDE/RAID controller shouldn't be attempted until a lot more confident, particularly not on such hard-to-come-by boards.

I'd recommend the much easier cap fix on the SA-6R first. If that all goes well, then consider desoldering the RAID chip. If that goes well (i.e. the now SA-6 works after the operation), only then consider attempting to resolder the chip on the SH-6. But unless you've done this kind of SMD chip move before, practice on some common, undesireable boards first (maybe some P4 SDR-SDRAM things...)

dionb wrote on 2024-12-18, 09:44:

TLDR: in their day and for their intended purpose, these solutions made sense.

But only if it would work as intended what the HPT366 f.e. didn't, as described above - OK this one isn't RAID, it's just an UDMA66 controller.

Atom Ant wrote on 2024-12-18, 10:37:

soggi: I wouldn’t destroy that SA6-R board, just would become to a regular SA6. Anyway, the SA6-R looks kind of old compared to this new SH6. The capacitors are bulging.

Okay, so actually, I’m unsure about doing the modification. It feels more like I shouldn’t do it. While a third ATA connector would be useful, I’ll manage to connect everything using the two existing ATA connectors.

Keep in mind that it's not just about the controller chip and the IDE ports...you have to populate all the resistors and stuff around them, dozens of small parts.

dionb wrote on 2024-12-18, 17:15:

Worst-case he'll damage traces or cook beyond repair other components on both boards while attempting to desolder and resolder, and for good measure damage the IDE/RAID chip itself too, resulting in two dead boards with no RAID. Not saying that's going to happen, but I get the impression TS thinks replacing caps on the SA-6R is too difficult to consider. If that's the case, the vastly more difficult operation with the IDE/RAID controller shouldn't be attempted until a lot more confident, particularly not on such hard-to-come-by boards.

Exactly that, full ack! Replacing caps is much more easier than moving all these (small) SMD parts.

kind regards
soggi

dionb wrote on 2024-12-18, 17:15:

Worst-case he'll damage traces or cook beyond repair other components on both boards while attempting to desolder and resolder, and for good measure damage the IDE/RAID chip itself too, resulting in two dead boards with no RAID.

That would only happen, if his hands are "stuck into his a*se". I mean both hands, literally 🤣

I don't believe that anyone with absolutely no skills in working with electronic components on a PCB would buy a rare board with the idea of using it as a chip donor for another board.

dionb wrote on 2024-12-18, 17:15:

Not saying that's going to happen, but I get the impression TS thinks replacing caps on the SA-6R is too difficult to consider. If that's the case, the vastly more difficult operation with the IDE/RAID controller shouldn't be attempted until a lot more confident, particularly not on such hard-to-come-by boards.

Recapping the mobo is very annoying and sometimes time consuming hard job (because of those big ground planes between the motherboard's PCB layers). Maybe he's just a rationally lazy person and he may just not like that sort of activity. I don't like replacing old electrolytic capacitors on motherboards either.

To transplant the chip he needs nothing more of a hot air gun, a fine tip soldering iron, a magnifying glass/USB "microscope", some good solder flux, some good leaded solder, a steady hand and a couple of minutes. IDE connectors will need more time and effort + solder suction pump, it will be easier to buy them as a new spare parts instead to remove the ones from the board. If there's a couple of missing SMDs around the RAID chip (some resistors, resistor networks and a couple of capacitors)- they're easy, but needs some more tinkering and time.

P.S. Hey, I'm just trying to encourage the guy not to give up his idea so easily, which in this case doesn't seem like something too difficult to achieve.

Keep them both as they are, it would be a pity to destroy 2 beautiful Abit boards. I use my SH6 with a 1 GHz Coppermine with a single HDD and runs just fine. No need for multiple HDD's or ODD's on a retro system.
By the way, congrats on your purchase!