Repair strategy (was Re: eBay strikes again...)

< But whatever. It still doesn't explain why VCRs are always repaired to < component level (and I've worked on VCRs with PQFP chips, multilayer < boards, etc in them) and computers almost never are. Sure it may make < sense _sometimes_ to change the module. But not always. Here being the USA a VCR is $79 to $499, at 499 you repair, at 79 unless the problem is trivial it's a junker. NOTE: I'd used the term cost of repair exceeds value of unit before. The average motherboard for 386 and later machines it's unlikely to find 1488/9s on it or the such. Then again fixing a damaged connector or fried HCT244 may make sense. but if it's more than that, pull all the socketed stuff and trash it as I can get used or new before I'll find a replacement for the 84pin PQFP. I've been through the exercize with a 386/486 clone board that the external cache failed on. All I could do with it was disable the external cache, pull the cache rams (they were all good) as it as it was apparently one of the 84pin whatevers that developed a singular failure. At the time of the failure the cost for a new 486 board sans cpu was 69$ with twice the cache ram I had installed. I was able to keep it going at reduced performance but repair was not possible unless I found a similar clone and did a chip swap. IE: Cost of repair... Eventually the board was torched to remove all the usable components like the SIP resistors, clock cans, connectors and the like. Allison