'Reflowing' a graphics processing unit (GPU).

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Dave the bass
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#16

Post by Dave the bass »

floppybootstomp wrote:
I have an external hard disk dock that takes 2.5" (laptop) disks and connects via USB so if you like, when I call to borrow woodworking clamps, I'll bring it with me and you can transfer data.
Nice one Tony, cheers, that'd be great.

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#17

Post by SimonC »

I'm following this with interest. I've got a compaq laptop with a well documented GPU soldering fault that I want to have a go at rescuing some time.

Keep eating those pies and blowing hot air :-)

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#18

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SimonC wrote: Keep eating those pies and blowing hot air :-)

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#19

Post by Mike H »

Dunno looks complicated, have you seen this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflow_soldering

Might have better success with a fine tipped soldering iron and a magnifying glass. Also maybe stick a lump of metal onto the top of the chip with heatsink paste for the duration.
 
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#20 Re: 'Reflowing' a graphics processing unit (GPU).

Post by Mike H »

Dave the bass wrote:she ran a program that put major stress on the graphic ability of the laptop which really did cause the laptop to run hot, so hot infact it would crash and splutter when she was 'rendering' an image or sequence and had to perform this task near an open window or door to allow cool air to be pulled into the laptop.... no really. That hot.
And many people still don't know a laptop can't actually be used on the lap, it blocks the fan underneath! And the standard feet still only give it a naff gap as well, so I mine's usually standing on two strips of 12mm MDF
 
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#21 Re: 'Reflowing' a graphics processing unit (GPU).

Post by Dave the bass »

Mike H wrote: Might have better success with a fine tipped soldering iron and a magnifying glass. Also maybe stick a lump of metal onto the top of the chip with heatsink paste for the duration.
:lol: There's about 200 joints on the underside of the chip Mike, it'd have to be a magic soldering iron (and very fine too!) to get under in under there :lol:
Mike H wrote: And many people still don't know a laptop can't actually be used on the lap, it blocks the fan underneath!
Aye, that pesky HP Laptop has its cool air intake underneath and is easy to block but ... this little MacBook laptop I use is totally smooth and fan-free underneath, the fan intake and extract are built into part of the screen hinge housing. I use this flat on my workbench day in day out.

Maybe its a design and costing thing? ....this basic MacBook was £869 and the old HP was <£600 IIRC.

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#22

Post by Mike H »

Quite possibly.

Yes I see your problem. :shock:
 
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#23

Post by Dave the bass »

Meh! The operation was NOT successful.

I made a heatsink/deflector out of an old foil pie tray and carefully heated up the GPU mount substrate (good word that) and allowed to cool. Carefully re-assembled and.... nope... doesn't even power up now, eek! Power LED just flashes once and thats it. Tried recharging batt and all the like, nope.

Oh well, live n learn.

MoBo's come up on't the bay but they're pricey -> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HP-Pavillion- ... 415bc296ae

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#24

Post by Mike H »

This was hot air gun? And watching the solder through a magnifier?
 
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#25

Post by Dave the bass »

Almost, I used a small flame thrower, no really, and just played the tiny flame around the chip mount. Like this... http://www.maplin.co.uk/micro-jet-gas-torch-27919


You can't actually see any of the solder joins, theres approx-200-300 of them on the underside of the GPU. It's mounted direct on the mobo.

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#26

Post by colin.hepburn »

I thing that was your problem using that when I did the PS3 I used a 1500 watt hot air gun much hotter than a flame torch and a faster even heat up over a wider area of the board i think the speed of the board heating up was the trick
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#27

Post by Dave the bass »

Possibly, although the idea with using a tiny flame torch was that I'd only heat a small area quickly rather than the wide-angle blast from a hot air gun. We use these heat torches at work for various jobs.

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#28

Post by Nick »

Problem with that, is if only a small section of the array is molten, the other balls that are still solid would prevent the device from flowing and remaking the contacts. You need all the array to be molten to allow the device to centre itself on the grid.
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#29

Post by Laurence »

I wouldn't have thought it worth doing in any diy capacity.

I had a friend that used to reflow xboxes with a proper station specific to the job. Even he has given up doing it now, because the xbox has become more reliable and the worth of any which had this problem is beneath the amount of money he would need to justify the effort.

i have had on occasions equipment such as an IBM thinkpad which were well known to suffer this problem. I found the best solution is sell it for spairs and repair explaining the problem fully and don't buy another one of the same poor design.

Any equipment which sufferes this problem is badly designed and no matter how many times you fix it you will never put it right once and for all. So you need better designed equipment.
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#30

Post by Dave the bass »

Nick wrote:Problem with that, is if only a small section of the array is molten, the other balls that are still solid would prevent the device from flowing and remaking the contacts. You need all the array to be molten to allow the device to centre itself on the grid.
Yeah, thats what I aiming for Nick as I played the flame around the whole chip mount but not directly at the GPU chip itself. But it didn't work, meh! The natty heat deflector seemed to do its job OK too so I had high hopes but nah, no joy on this one. Looking around at prices the mobo is too expensive to warrant splashing out too much on a 5 y/o 2nd laptop I think.
Laurence wrote: Any equipment which sufferes this problem is badly designed and no matter how many times you fix it you will never put it right once and for all. So you need better designed equipment.
Yep, I think you're right Laurence. I'm not alone, there's many who've suffered the same problems too. I voluntarily took this on a project when I was given this old laptop from my daughter who'd hammered it throughout her days at Uni working on Digital Animations. It's done its job, looks like it'll be off to the retirement home soon.

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