Prime computer performance, especially from the GPUs
(graphics processing unit), is
very important for the industry of picture processing, such as photo or video
editing. People use software like Photoshop or Final Cut Pro to render graphic
designs and piece together entire documentaries. Individuals are cropping or
resizing photos for sharing, compiling collages of images, all done on their
personal laptops.
Processing Pictures on the Laptop
Programs like Photoshop or Final Cut or any other image
processor require a lot of power from the GPU. Advances in chip size design and
heat dissipation help devices such as laptops and even smartphones garner
enough power to accomplish almost anything. Even so, in devices such as laptops
and compact systems with unibody style motherboards and other parts, one
problem still persists. Because of heat cycles and heavy loads, GPUs and
graphics cards effectively "burn out", leading to the need for some
laptop repair.
What Is Graphic Card “Burn Out”?
What this means is the solder balls and points that hold the
actual processing unit to the circuit board break free or become brittle and
lose conductivity. A computer suddenly will go from working fine to not
producing any image. In a desktop computer or workstation, a burned out
graphics card can be replaced relatively easily. In a laptop, where the chip is
built in to the motherboard, the cost of replacing the whole motherboard turn a
simple GPU failure into a “totaled” computer. There is a solution though, and
this technique is called the GPU Reflow.
GPU Reflow
Reflowing a GPU is a process of actually repairing the
native chip and processor circuitry, instead of simply replacing the whole
system. Reflows can be done on any type of GPU, but the cost of the labor of a
technician compared to the relatively low prices of a new desktop PCI card often
leads computer owners to replace a broken machine instead of repairing it. So
this fix usually stays in the laptop department.
To perform this repair, a technician isolates the GPU on the
circuit board, after removing the entire infrastructure from the laptop chassis.
The chip is cleaned and any material that is not a part of the circuitry is
removed. The technician will then use tin foil to create a heat shield around
all components other than the actual GPU top surface.
The repair is done by using a heat gun to force the solder
inside and under the chip to "reflow." After a measurement is taken
to determine how long and at what distance the heat gun should be used in order
to properly melt a sample of solder, the technician will position the heat gun
over the chip for the proper amount of time, based on the previous sample. When
solder melts it likes to flow in channels set up to meld with the metal
compound. Like water droplets flowing and connecting with others to create
little channels, molten solder moves to connect with more solder or other
contact points that chemically bond with the metal.
In essence, this reflowing simply refurbishes the contacts
of the solder points to the chip. Once the chip cools, thermal paste is applied
and the component is reinstalled and tested. There are caveats to this repair,
namely that it cannot be guaranteed for any specific amount of time and that
successful results vary. One should seek this repair after an assessment from
an experienced technician, and only once the computer is deemed a potential
candidate.
GPU reflows are not a permanent fix, as often the same heat
issues will simply undo the repair. But it beats the cost of a new motherboard
or logic board. And when time is crucial it can prove to be the best solution.
No parts are needed, and this repair can often be completed same day, and the computer
owner can get back to work.
If you are having a problem with the image function of your
laptop and want your pictures to show perfectly on the monitor, consult an
expert and find out if this solution will work for you.
