Xtreme way of fixing laptop graphics card!

Well i think many of you people have heard of how cold can sometimes fix memory sticks and how extreme heat (200 degrees) can fix motherboards and some other components.

I tought of trying the heat to fix my laptops GeForce 8600M GS graphics card.

It did give alot of graphics errors at even underclocked to 200mhz core.

I heated up my oven to approx 200 degrees of celcius and did put my graphics card in there with some screws holding it so components dont touch metal inside oven.

After i took graphics card out of oven, i did let it to cool down for 30mins and later put graphics card back to my laptop.

So far it have worked at slight overclock without problems and 0 graphics errors.

This must be something to do with re-melting the cracked joints in BGA balls or something like that but for me it fixed a graphics card and i dont need to buy 320euro replacement from my laptop manufactuer.

Anyone else have tryed this method? and if you have please give your results.

Sorry my crappy english.

I have 2 of these laptops, luckily other one have never needed any kind of fixing, temps seem be quite low on that one.

Yeah, lots of people have tried an oven rework, it helps re-bond the BGA balls, like you said:
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1421792

W0W, xtreme, I love to try that sometime.

Yeah, IMO it's due to the new RoHS solder(s). They require a higher temp to melt, and they tend to create cold joints. I find that lead free solders just don't flow as well.

Great !! .. now if the woman doesn't see me :D

My 3870X2 just started getting Big green squares & little orange ones ..

It's wourth a yelling at huh :rofl:

I have done the mem freeze thing and it worked soooooooo

Just be warned, you might have some weird smelling fumes if you decide to bake your card, I'd read the hard forum thread just to get an idea of the process, then go for it. It really is a relatively low risk project, just follow the directions ;)

If you have a hot air rework station, you could turn it into a 5 minute job ;)

would this wok for a cpu? i think mine is bad

Wait, are all laptop videocards removable?
I have a 8600M GT on my G1S, afaik, videocards were like "soldered" into the motherboard? I guess I was wrong?

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Originally Posted by shoota

would this wok for a cpu? i think mine is bad

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Typically no, the die isn't joined to the package via BGA. If the CPU is soldered onto the board, then the same principle will apply.

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Originally Posted by slim142

Wait, are all laptop videocards removable?
I have a 8600M GT on my G1S, afaik, videocards were like "soldered" into the motherboard? I guess I was wrong?

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Yeah, this is exactly what we're talking about. The solder balls in between the GPU and the motherboard go bad (at times).

I just tried this on an LCD that started flickering on and off a few months ago. Took the power supply board out and heated the back of it with a hair dryer for 4 or 5 minutes and now it's working great. Great find! :clap:

Going to try it out on my 6600gt and 8800gt tomorrow.

some motherboard gpu's are removable...

some are actual cards... heck i have a nvidi 8600 or 8800 m sitting on my desk, its almost like a desktop card minus the fact it plugs to teh mobo with a plastic socket...

also I have revived a few motherboards by running them in a hot shower for 30 min... then baking in oven for 3 hrs or so

Sure hope you were using lead free mobos shannon, or else state of CA will get on your ass!

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Originally Posted by Russian

Sure hope you were using lead free mobos shannon, or else state of CA will get on your ass!

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ummmmm... sure..... yeah thats for sure.... what kind of idiot do you think i am. :ROTF:

you bathe with your hardware? Shannon that's ummm lol... I will take my video card for a hot shower tomorrow =P

interesting, got some problems with my laptop video card too, so might be worth a try.
For how long did you leave it in the oven?

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Originally Posted by diredesire

Yeah, IMO it's due to the new RoHS solder(s). They require a higher temp to melt, and they tend to create cold joints. I find that lead free solders just don't flow as well.

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100% Accurate.

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Originally Posted by diredesire

Just be warned, you might have some weird smelling fumes if you decide to bake your card, I'd read the hard forum thread just to get an idea of the process, then go for it. It really is a relatively low risk project, just follow the directions ;)

If you have a hot air rework station, you could turn it into a 5 minute job ;)

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Yeah i succest proper ventilation nearby your oven, it maybe get bit hmm.. smelly :D

Or other way to do this if you have proper BGA equipment.

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Originally Posted by slim142

Wait, are all laptop videocards removable?
I have a 8600M GT on my G1S, afaik, videocards were like "soldered" into the motherboard? I guess I was wrong?

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Yes there is tons of laptops that have replaceaple graphics modules as they say it.
I have FSC 2528-22P laptop and it got the non-standard MXM-II version that i belive also punx223 have.

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Originally Posted by punx223

some motherboard gpu's are removable...

some are actual cards... heck i have a nvidi 8600 or 8800 m sitting on my desk, its almost like a desktop card minus the fact it plugs to teh mobo with a plastic socket...

also I have revived a few motherboards by running them in a hot shower for 30 min... then baking in oven for 3 hrs or so

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You maybe have FSC 25xx series laptop? If not what laptop you got?
The plug is below pcb nearby hdmi, tv-out and vga connectors?

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Originally Posted by HDCHOPPER

Great !! .. now if the woman doesn't see me

My 3870X2 just started getting Big green squares & little orange ones ..

It's wourth a yelling at huh

I have done the mem freeze thing and it worked soooooooo

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Not shure does ATI/AMD use same solder material in BGA balls as nVidia does but if its erroring out then you have nothing to lose but try it :), just make shure you have proper ventilation nerby oven it might get bit smelly.

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Originally Posted by Mic

interesting, got some problems with my laptop video card too, so might be worth a try.
For how long did you leave it in the oven?

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10 Mins, but thats minium anything beatwean 10-15mins is ok, not shure how it effects if its longer.

Arent PCB fumes bad for you lol

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Originally Posted by biglipzit

you bathe with your hardware? Shannon that's ummm lol... I will take my video card for a hot shower tomorrow =P

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I wouldnt do anything Shannon would do. That n00b breaks more hardware than anybody else I know

What is a BGA ball and why would it crack?

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Originally Posted by MeltedDuron

This does really work. I bought a dead cheap HP Compaq V6000 laptop for the workshop that was dead. I did some reading and everyone said it was the GFX chip from NV.

I took a 340c hot air gun too it for about 5 mins max and then left it. Im currently installing Windows 7 and all seams okay.

Thank you for this tip, im really happy and impressed with my self!

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Yep, there are several HP laptops that are NOTORIOUS (DV2000 series, DV6000, 9000[IIRC]) for this issue. I just repaired a laptop for a friend by doing basically the same thing. A hot air gun will do it, 5 mins might be a little high, actually :eek:

It's been a really big NV issue from what I've read, other mfgrs are experiencing the same thing, but 80% of the issues I've seen are NV.

Thanks alot rintamarotta!

This insane sounding fix actually worked, after a bit of writting with dell the best solution they could come up with was having a technician replace the card with a similar one that worked, pretty expensive solution though.
I kept getting green squares all over the screen each time I booted and it would only boot in safe mode. Now after a nice trip in the oven the video card works just fine again.

:bows: xtreme! 'nuff said! :up:

I think I already know the answer, but I'll ask anyway.

I have a P35 board that started freezing up, then started rebooting randomly.

Ran memtest, errors even at stock with two different kits. Tested cpu and both kits on a different board, no problems.

I'm guessing Northbridge/memory controller is cooked.

As far as I'm concerned, I've got nothing to lose but, do you think baking the board (or maybe a heat gun on the northbridge) will help?:shrug:

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Originally Posted by my87csx481

I think I already know the answer, but I'll ask anyway.

I have a P35 board that started freezing up, then started rebooting randomly.

Ran memtest, errors even at stock with two different kits. Tested cpu and both kits on a different board, no problems.

I'm guessing Northbridge/memory controller is cooked.

As far as I'm concerned, I've got nothing to lose but, do you think baking the board (or maybe a heat gun on the northbridge) will help?:shrug:

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Depends if the BGA ball array have some cracks, but its worth of a try, like you have someting to lose with allready broken motherboard.

So, put it to the oven allready, damn it... :D

nice share there buddy ill have to try it sometime.