Weird huh,...well, that's somethin' else I'll have to add to my data base of useless information.
Those swollen caps were probably leaking internally, enough to create a ripple, and force the re-boot because of verying voltage, but not actually open up, or create dead short.
My guess is that the distended caps were in the vicinity of the NorthBridge circuits, since you said it was getting very hot.
EDIT: Maybe you want to invest in this freak of nature, and then sell the machine.
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