# How a dead GFX Card is made alive professionally



## rakesh_sharma23 (Dec 21, 2014)

How a dead GFX Card is made alive professionally.


In this article I will show you how a dead graphics card is repaired. No oven baking, no do-it-yourself type trikes, just a pure professional repairs.
Meet the victim, my old no display, dead ATI-Radeon X1650 graphics card. 


*i.imgur.com/SI8zWca.jpg


Removing the heat sink.
*i.imgur.com/CLn2O4k.jpg
*i.imgur.com/ut9h8t7.jpg
*i.imgur.com/NhpdqQx.jpg


Thermal compound on the chip cleaned.
*i.imgur.com/9jmUOhY.jpg


Now circuit board is installed on a BGA chip reflow machine.
*i.imgur.com/6tk9uJW.jpg


Heater head mounted properly.
*i.imgur.com/5H3zvqN.jpg


Machine in action 
*i.imgur.com/cG0T5Ji.jpg


Within a minute chip is out.
*i.imgur.com/CEt9EJO.jpg


There is very little space between chip and circuit board approx. 0.1mm still you can see their is dust under the chip. This dust, heat and moisture together sometimes oxides and breaks these fine connection resulting a GPU failure.
*i.imgur.com/AWkM6NW.jpg


Chip is mounted on a reballing mount.
*i.imgur.com/NkbxtO0.jpg


You can see many connection pins have gone black due to dust and oxide layer.
*i.imgur.com/mc7vRX6.jpg


Heat cleaning the chip connection terminal.
*i.imgur.com/F7EYxVq.jpg
*i.imgur.com/6uhe1nJ.jpg
*i.imgur.com/WbBtM7P.jpg
*i.imgur.com/ybGFuqj.jpg


Preparing the chip for new BGA soldering balls. Flux, 0.6mm lead free soldering BGA balls and grid.
*i.imgur.com/VBTOEcs.jpg


Some close look on BGA soldering balls
*i.imgur.com/xV5utqN.jpg
*i.imgur.com/S93ofI0.jpg
*i.imgur.com/4G0kjfs.jpg
*i.imgur.com/VlHrz9H.jpg


Grid aliened, chip ready for reballing.
*i.imgur.com/z2zsxPC.jpg
*i.imgur.com/gj3nyLn.jpg


Ball properly falls into place.
*i.imgur.com/y1t0iNc.jpg


All missed holes are carefully populated with a ball using a fine needle.
*i.imgur.com/Nm4WXkd.jpg


Perfect. New shiny ball are in place. Looks nice
*i.imgur.com/FF6uUNP.jpg
*i.imgur.com/yoDPr7a.jpg


Little heat for removal of any excise flux applied during the ball placement stage.
*i.imgur.com/GcnvL5p.jpg


Now chip is carefully placed back on the circuit and controlled heat is applied for re-soldering.
*i.imgur.com/VOL9EOP.jpg


Perfect chip re-soldering 
*i.imgur.com/zhcSpwL.jpg
*i.imgur.com/wPLqIj7.jpg


New thermal compound is applied and heat sink installed.
*i.imgur.com/cGABFAM.jpg
*i.imgur.com/D5oAsXv.jpg


Test system ready. Now is the time that will show whether the GPU is back to life or gone forever.
*i.imgur.com/hlghiZY.jpg


It’s live..  Success. 
*i.imgur.com/rtekl9T.jpg
*i.imgur.com/kpUJtA2.jpg


Some GTA san andreas run shows that GPU is 100% fine. 


Hope you like this article.


Regards
Rakesh Sharma

Source / More Info


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## Rajesh345 (Dec 21, 2014)

Nice educative article  ,
From which place similar repairs are done ?
what was the expense ?
Are you working in this field?


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## bikramjitkar (Dec 21, 2014)

Great stuff mate! Is this your job or hobby?


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## rakesh_sharma23 (Dec 22, 2014)

By profession I am a Software Developer. But this is my hobby.


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## Gollum (Dec 22, 2014)

This looks like a very old card.
how old is this article?


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## Nerevarine (Dec 22, 2014)

So the reason gpu dies is because of dust ? this , this changes everything


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## rakesh_sharma23 (Dec 22, 2014)

Nerevarine said:


> So the reason gpu dies is because of dust ? this , this changes everything


Oxidation and quick change in temperature with time, sometimes breaks these fine connection. Dust increases this process. 

Dust also reduces the thermal efficiency of heatsink.

This is according to  my experience. what i have personally seen and fixed.


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## harshilsharma63 (Dec 22, 2014)

You did this in Jodhpur?


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## Zangetsu (Dec 22, 2014)

Good article for repairing dead GPU

but not everyone will have the required machines for DIY

btw u own the repair machine ?


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## rakesh_sharma23 (Dec 22, 2014)

harshilsharma63 said:


> You did this in Jodhpur?


Yes in Jodhpur.


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## Rajesh345 (Dec 22, 2014)

What is the expenses you incurred for this? 
Normally whom should I contact for similar works


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## harshilsharma63 (Dec 22, 2014)

Where in Jodhpur did you do this?


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## rakesh_sharma23 (Dec 22, 2014)

I dont own this machine, But have a full access to it. that too on Sundays only.


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## Nerevarine (Dec 22, 2014)

So, will it be possible to repair out of warranty graphics cards like this in any commercial place ?


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## rakesh_sharma23 (Dec 22, 2014)

Yes Only if problem is not with the chip  If chip is kaput than nothing can be done.. Cos Nvidia and AMD sell their chips to OEMs only, no replacement chip is available in market.


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## anirbandd (Mar 20, 2015)

impressive


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