My new build:
GA-H77M-D3H(rev. 1.1), i7-3770S, not overclocked, BIOS: F9
no video card, 120GB SSD (no hard disk), no add-on cards
Crucial 8GB (2x4GB), 1600 (8-8-8-24)
Seasonic SS-400FL fanless power supply
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo cooler (using one push fan)
Silverstone PS07 case (using just one of the two front case fans, at low speed), Win 7 64-bit SP1
After running more than one week (24 hours a day at full load), the motherboard is still emitting an irritating "electronics" smell.
Idle core temps (via Realtemp) are about 27C; full load core temps max at 64C (well under 103C, which I believe is TJ Max for the I7-3770S).
The memory cards are cool. The blue (Northbridge?) heatsink is warm to somewhat hot to the touch.
No smoke, but the smell eventually fills the room, and is slightly caustic.
The main source of the smell is coming out the lower back of the case, from the exhaust of the heatsink fan, which pushes air through the heatsink, and then comes out of lower back vents of the case.
A small odor is coming from the (fanless) power supply, which vents out the top of the case. I don't think the power supply is the problem.
Total input power (measured by Kill-a-Watt) is 27W at idle, and 96W at full load.
The smell is more obvious at full load -- and dissipates only after the computer is turned off.
To eliminate the heatsink fan as a source, I removed it and ran the system at 30% load (resulting in max temps of 65C). Same smell.
I have two theories:
1. The smell is coming from the motherboard. If so, for how long, and can anything be done?
2. The (heated) thermal paste is giving off a smell. (I applied a "pea size" amount.)
Cooler Master says that neither the paste nor the heatsink is producing an odor -- and that the problem is probably a bad capacitor.
I can see all the capacitors, and they show no signs of leakage or cracking. Also, the board has performed properly so far (no crashes or blue screens).
Gigabyte has not yet responded to my support submission.
As the temps at full load seem good, I'm reluctant to reapply thermal paste -- but will do so if necessary.
Any suggestions?
