'Reflowing' a graphics processing unit (GPU).

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Dave the bass
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#1 'Reflowing' a graphics processing unit (GPU).

Post by Dave the bass »

Has anyone here ever attempted to reflow the solder on a computer motherboard GPU chip?

I've inherited my Daughters HP Pavilion dv8000 laptop but it comes with a free fault natch.... thanks Rachel! The PC powers up fine but the display on the screen is a mumble jumble mess of characters. Powering up in 'safe mode' its possible to read icons on the desktop so I'm thinking the CPU and both HDD's and most things are working OK...which led me to the graphics chipset which has 'history'.

The laptop was used by her throughout 3 yrs studying Digital Animation at Degree level, 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.

Reading about on the net (ergo...it must be true then!) there's more than a few folk who have experienced similar problems with dv-series laptops with the same nVidia Go 7600 GPU chips. More than a few have had the chips re-flowed (and sometimes re-balled) either professionally or DIY.

Anyone here had a go or tried anything similar?

The DIY-er in me would like to attempt a DIY reflow with a heatshield made form an old foil pie tray and lots of foil covering the rest of the mother board and either a naked flame from a pen torch (or a heat gun).

I've totally stripped the laptop to get to the motherboard and CPU and GPU.

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CPU (top) and GPU (lower)...
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This one...
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#2

Post by floppybootstomp »

You've nothing to lose have you?

Students traditionally put over-burdening demands on laptops usually designed for nothing more stressful than word processing.

The greater majority of laptops (especially corporate crap like HP; Compaq, Dell et al) are not designed for intensive processing as demanded by some graphics and video rendering programs.

Or any video intensive games, for that matter.

Anyhoo, dry solder joints on laptop GPU bases are a common prob so all you have to lose by trying a solder flow is totally fubarring the laptop for good.

Your call :)
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#3

Post by colin.hepburn »

Hi DTB
I Repaired a Play station 3 yellow light of death with a heat gun which re flowed the solder if you try it let the board cool completely before you move it
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#4

Post by Nick »

I have a PS3 that needs it doing as well. I should give it a try, little to lose.
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#5

Post by colin.hepburn »

Nick wrote:I have a PS3 that needs it doing as well. I should give it a try, little to lose.
Yep the PS3 wasn't mine just a job I did for the young lad next door I have repaired two to date one only worked for a short time I just followed this

PS I have some PS3 spares if you want any bits
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#6

Post by Dave the bass »

floppybootstomp wrote:You've nothing to lose have you?
Yep, thats been my approach so far TBH Tone. Rachel doesn't need it anymore, she's contracting for a company that have furnished her with proper whizz-bang Computers specifically built to do the job she's doing PLUS she's now got her new laptop anyway. There is some info on the old HDD's she'd like to copy over at sometime but its not critical, hence me taking it on as 'project'. I've never been inside a laptop this deeply before although I have done a few little job's on 'em as lunchtime favours for fella's at work who've mulled DC sockets on them in the past.
colin.hepburn wrote: if you try it let the board cool completely before you move it
Thanks Colin. Noted.

The only concern (other than the whole thing bursting into flames...) is those small surface mount resistors sitting on top of the GPU.

I need to heat the whole area that they sit on enough to get the solder to flow between the underside of the GPU and the upper surface of the motherboard but NOT enough for the top mounted SMD's to incinerate and become a charred mass.

Hmm *chin rub*

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#7

Post by Bizzie »

Here's a way to do it in an oven Dave

http://www.computerrepairtips.net/how-t ... therboard/

Personally I think a hot air gun would be best, one designed for crafts might be best as they don't blow as fiercely as the paint removal type I have one that I use for heatshrink that has a small nozzle that makes it easier to direct it in tight spaces.
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#8

Post by Dave the bass »

Thanks Alec, I've seen mention of the Oven method before but exposing all the Electrolytic caps to 200 deg C worries me TBH.

I think localised heat as you say is the way to go. I've got access to heat guns and pen torches so thats OK.

If it really comes to it I suppose I could buy another motherboard, they do crop up on't the Bay, some of them aren't actually faulty too....allegedly :-)

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#9

Post by pre65 »

Maybe I could assist you ? :lol:


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#10

Post by Dave the bass »

Too-industrial perhaps? :)

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#11

Post by Lee S »

The BPGA on those chips is a right PITA Dave. Even if you can re-flow, it will be a temp fix as the solder they used originally is lead free (bloody H&S) and quite brittle. A true fix would be to remove the chip and re-ball with lead solder and refit. There are companies that will do the work, but not sure what the cost is. Probably more than the laptops worth TBH. My boss has tried with half a dozen of those HPs and never managed to get a lasting solution.

The solder cracks between the chip and mo-bo, so once the computer has warmed up, the fault tends to be less severe as things expand and "touch" again. It's cold starting where the issues are. Applying pressure to the chip/mo-bo is also a technique, but they are all sticking plasters for poor design, poor cooling and poor choice of solder by the mo-bo manufacturer.

I think the temp to get the solder to flow is something ridiculous like 4 or 5 degrees below the temp that will fry the actual chip too...

Good Luck !!! :(
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#12

Post by Dave the bass »

Lee S wrote:A true fix would be to remove the chip and re-ball with lead solder and refit. There are companies that will do the work, but not sure what the cost is. Probably more than the laptops worth TBH.
I've approached one company here in London and they want £135+VAT to just reflow the chip which as you say is possibly more than the laptop is worth. It was 'hi-spec' when Rachel bought it but it's prob's a bit pants nowadays. Not worth spending that amount on IMHO.

I was going to make up a shim to create a better heat conductive path to the cooling fan and tube-work that might prevent the chip getting so hot. If I can get it going it wont be doing any hard graphics work like it used to, I'll only use it for browsing and basic stuff.

I'll give it a go once I've got a foil pie tray (which despite appearences I don't eat a lot of before anyone starts..... ) :-)

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#13

Post by pre65 »

Dave the bass wrote: I'll give it a go once I've got a foil pie tray (which despite appearences I don't eat a lot of before anyone starts..... ) :-)

DTB
Oh yeah ? :lol:

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#14

Post by Dave the bass »

pre65 wrote:
Oh yeah ? :lol:
<shakes fist> Bluddy yeah! :lol:

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#15

Post by floppybootstomp »

Dave the bass wrote:There is some info on the old HDD's she'd like to copy over at sometime but its not critical, hence me taking it on as 'project'.
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.
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