- The Workshop's Power Mac G4 MDD was in for cooling improvements, but a Sonnet Encore/ST Duet dual 1.8 GHz processor upgrade card suffered catastrophic failure due to an exploding tantalum capacitor.
- The explosion scorched nearby circuitry, rendering the rare aftermarket upgrade unusable, though the Power Mac's logic board survived and was later replaced with an official Apple dual 1.42 GHz module.
- Tantalum capacitors are generally reliable but can fail dramatically through thermal runaway, often due to manufacturing defects or stress, though such events are uncommon.
- The damage appears confined to power regulation circuitry, leaving the CPUs potentially undamaged, raising the possibility of repair by an experienced electronics technician.
- The article calls for skilled technicians to attempt restoring the rare Sonnet card, emphasizing the importance of rescuing vintage hardware and accepting challenging repairs.