Review on 🔧 Mega R3 Board by ELEGOO - ATmega 2560 + USB Cable - Ideal for Arduino IDE Projects - RoHS Compliant by Leo Puente

This is my second board from Elegoo. The first came with the kit and worked fine but its connectors have been trained so I don't think it will work for long. This would be the case with any brand of MEGA 2560. Anyway, I ordered this "new" from Revain. The one I received has been redesigned and has solder on top of the large Atmel chip as well as a small tangle of hair that I removed. After thinking about it I realized that I didn't need this board as I should know that it is reliable as it is part of a system that will hopefully work for many years to come. So, this board was a big disappointment for me. picture attached. On the top of the large Atmel chip you can see how the traces change their reflection as they go through the soldering flux. Also, some of the pins on the top of the chip are slightly crooked. Update: Elegoo sent me another board without asking for a replacement. I am changing my rating from 1 star to 4. This replacement board looks and works well. I like the labels on the sides of the connectors showing the pin descriptors. And since my development took place on one of these boards, I have no problem installing it on the system.