How do I know what was fixed?

[iamdickens]

 Or if anything was done? I sent a motherboard in for RMA. No beep, no post, no boot. I just now got it back. It was in the same box I sent it in, but it WAS opened and in a new anti-static bag. The board looks like an old board, including thermal paste on the cpu hold-down bracket. Can't be my board since I take care not to get thermal paste on anything but the cpu. So this must be some used board.

 My board should have been repaired or a new board sent. Why do I get a used, dirty board back? What's up here? Does Gigabyte stand by their warranty, or am I getting screwed here?

[absic]

Hi there,

sorry to read about your concerns and your suspicions of of being sent a different board back to the one you sent in for repair. Where in the world are you located? This would help point you in the right direction for further help.

The first thing I would do is contact the RMA department and express your issues to them as only they will be able to answer if/how they repaired your motherboard and if they sent a substitute board back to you, as thermal grease on the CPU hold-down bracket could just have happened when they were working on it and it could still be your original board.

[Dark Mantis]

Did you not take the serial number of the motherboard before  sending it for RMA ? or for security measures. I always make a note of the serial numbers of all my equiptment for insurance purposes and for use when updating etc.

[iamdickens]

 Nope, I'm not that organized to keep records of serial numbers for ALL my pc parts. But I will search further to see if I kept it in my e-mails with Gigabyte. And thanks absic . I will contact the RMA department to find out what repairs were needed and/or made.

[Dark Mantis]

Actually if as you said the motherboard box that the board was sent in was the same one returned it should have the original serial number on the sticker on the side. See if these two match up.

[iamdickens]

 Talked with the RMA staff. It's the correct board. The thermal paste is from testing it (you would think they would clean it off) and they found and replaced a bad capacitor.

 Thanks for your responses.   

[absic]

Hi again,

pleased you managed to find out what happened and I have to agree with you when it comes to cleaning off the thermal paste, they could have done better there.