ceramic caps to replace electrolytic?

[Niku-Sama]

So i have an extra og xbox that i used to replace the drive in another. One worked fine but wouldn't read discs the other wouldn't always turn on but had a good drive.

When i had it opened up i inspected it and noticed that the taller electrolytic caps around the CPU were bad. PSU and other caps were OK. So that's why it won't always turn on. M$ probably went with the same supplier as Dell did and these were made in the era of the capacitor plague. Considering this is a revised Xbox i can already tell it got cheaper caps. Launch x box still working no bad caps.

So any way any potential problems changing those to ceramic type?

I figure they aren't on an audio circuit...
Side note:
I already plucked the time caps or of these, they were dead anyway

[jb143]

If you can find a suitable replacement you should be able to. They usually have a much lower capacitance than electrolytics though. Another option would be tantalum capacitors which ARE electrolytic but are more reliable and have a longer life span than your typical aluminum electrolytic cap.

The capacitor plague is actually an interesting story involving corporate espionage and stolen formulas. Ultimately an incomplete formula (which caused all the premature failures) made it's way into many of the Taiwanese capacitor manufacturers and ultimately a large portion of the capacitor market.

[Niku-Sama]

oh yea I know all about the plague. I figure any time between 1999 and 2010 its gonna be pretty bad

[APE992]

I wouldn't do it, the engineers chose electrolytics for a reason and unless you understand what the circuit they're in is doing and if ceramics are appropriate for the application I wouldn't try swapping them.

This might help you out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67M7fsbLUIU

[Bratwurst]

I wouldn't do it, the engineers chose electrolytics for a reason and unless you understand what the circuit they're in is doing and if ceramics are appropriate for the application I wouldn't try swapping them.

I agree with this, plus if you go with quality electrolytics you'll have to replace them again in what, another 15-20 years?