ASUS recalls Z690 motherboards for misplaced capacitor

ASUS is recalling some of its ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboards because a capacitor was placed the wrong way round. Reports appeared on the internet that this could cause mosfets to burn out.

ASUS is launching a recall for ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboards with product number 90MB18E0-MVAAY0 and a serial number starting with MA, MB or MC. Users can find the serial number on the box and on a sticker on the motherboard itself. ASUS calls on those affected to contact the support department.

The company reports that those models may have a problem with a capacitor that was placed the wrong way round on the motherboard during production. As a result, users may experience damage to components and may receive reports of debug error code 53. ASUS has put a page online where users can see if their motherboard has been affected by the issue. The manufacturer is launching the recall after receiving reports of incidents from the US.

Last week, several American users reported on Reddit, among others, that their ROG Maximus Z690 Hero had burned-out mosfets. Reference was soon made to the wrong orientation of the capacitor at those mosfets, which resulted in the polarity being reversed. Photos show that the dash on the nearby capacitor on affected motherboards is on the wrong side relative to properly functioning boards. The YouTube channel Buildzoid also pointed to the incorrectly placed capacitor as the cause of the problems.

ASUS ROG Maximus Z960 Hero with burnt-out mosfets, source: u/HizFather.