As a forewarning, JUST BECAUSE YOUR VIDEO CARD BREAKS DOES NOT MEAN FOR ONE SECOND THAT YOU SHOULD TRY THIS! THIS COULD POTENTIALLY DAMAGE PERFECTLY GOOD HARDWARE THAT IS UNDER WARRANTY AND YOU SHOULD INVESTIGATE EVERY AVENUE OF OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU CAN BEFORE DOING SO!
I originally saw a thread on TL about a failing video card and attempts to fix it. I've since search for it and was unable to find it. During a drunk birthday party I boot up my PC to play some music while guests talk and hung out in my room. What happens? Artifacts and crazy lockups out of absolutely nowhere. Frustrated and angry my mind leaps to a random thread I read a while back which now is nowhere to be found. Upon further googling I find this website Shooooop
It describes BAKING YOUR VIDEO CARD TO FIX IT! This seemed very counter intuitive. I continued to lock up and my card has long since been out of warranty, so I try it. I preheat my oven and follow all the directions to the t. I am now on a perfectly working computer BUT TL! I want to know if any techs are out there, how long will this ridiculously silly fix last? I am considering buying a new card on monday before the midnight release, but if my problem was indeed microfractures in the card's sodders, is my card effectively fixed? Or should I buy a new card as promtly as possible? Thanks ahead of time guys,
Also monion, my biggest concern is monday. I dont want to sit down, finish installing, boot up and completely melt on the biggest day for years. I'd love to ride this card until it dies, BUT I'd rather not have it die on midnight release night. I just want to know the legitimacy of this fix and if it will last for a while at least. Chances are to be safe I'll buy a card either way, just wondering if any guru's have the answer ^^
On July 25 2010 17:11 Pathology wrote: BUT TL! I want to know if any techs are out there, how long will this ridiculously silly fix last? I am considering buying a new card on monday before the midnight release, but if my problem was indeed microfractures in the card's sodders, is my card effectively fixed? Or should I buy a new card as promtly as possible?
While you may have melted the microfractures back in to place (or at least in a better place than before), keep in mind other, possibly healthy parts may have been affected.
Go buy a new card ASAP, and make sure the next one isn't faulty (get it before Monday, yo)
Do you know how they make circuit boards? Pick and place machines put all the components on to a to a board with solder paste, and then the whole board is baked in a reflow oven. Virtually every circuit board you've got has been baked in an oven. If it was a good reflow (and you didn't melt any plastic on the board) then it should work fine as long as you don't overheat it again.
I'm not talking from experience of putting graphics cards in ovens though, merely explaining that baking a circuit board is perfectly legitimate to reflow it.
edit: Here's a video showing the process. The "reflow" part is just an oven.
Prolly its a method meant to resolder chip on the card. Nontheless, sounds risky as its very easy to destroy PCB (+ other elements often dont like such treatment) if you heat it too much, but if temperature is too low nothing will be fixed - normal service would use something like hot-air to heat only the chip :D
On July 26 2010 00:59 beamerkun wrote: Prolly its a method meant to resolder chip on the card. Nontheless, sounds risky as its very easy to destroy PCB (+ other elements often dont like such treatment) if you heat it too much, but if temperature is too low nothing will be fixed - normal service would use something like hot-air to heat only the chip :D
You just have to make sure you don't go above 400 degrees. At the same time you have to melt the solder. So that's why it's a very specific temperature.
An oven is perfect cause it maintains the temperature, not too hot, not too cold. Hot air actually would be MORE risky, and LESS effective
This was a big problem with the older faulty Nvidia cards where baking would help the PCB. Baking is definitely legitimate (I mean the card itself gets pretty hot by itself). Ovens are pretty good with it, just make sure you have a good oven.
I think the problem had something to do with faulty chip connections between the GPU and the PCB.
Obviously there is a lot that can go wrong here and you should only do it when there doesn't seem to be any other way to fix the card AND when you're outside the warranty and can't just get it replaced.
While it's been shown to work it's an extreme last resort because with a lot to mess up (weakening solder in key areas, as it heats up it can spread out and then when it cools down it becomes brittle, not giving a good connection and now your bake has just made your card even broken-er). Not to mention that you've to hope it was some nearly microscopic trace that developed a crack as opposed to one of the hundreds of tiny parts on a pcb all of which have to be functioning that could have failed.
Well i've got a laptop that's out of warranty with an old nvidia chip that started to fail while playing HoN. Now it's sitting upside-down on my desk after I took it apart to reapply solder paste (which didn't work ofcourse) and put it back together (no screws leftover!)
I should have a replacement laptop on the way, but I'll give this a go with the laptop mainboard... and repost if I ever DO do it
There's no way to know how long it'll last... There was a similar trick to fix a RROD (but you'd use the Xbox's own heat)
The Xbox worked perfectly for 2 weeks.
For all I know it could be a "permanent" fix (though it's "normal" lifespan is probably greatly reduced.) I personally just wouldn't trust the card. If I were you, I would start shopping for a new card.
Ty all very much for your responses, went out and got a GeForce 240 gt 1 gig as I'm risking nothing for release night. Appreciate everyone's input and good luck to those who are as stupid as me to try this hahahah. Enjoy release night boys and girls, seeya on
EPT
