Can the graphics chip go bad on a laptop

Soldato
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17 Jun 2012
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Took laptop apart to clean fan, on putting back together I now have problems, it's an old laptop 2004 so not really a big issue but, the top ram slot now doesn't work and also when I power on it's either spins up with a black screen or I get severe artifacts, and vertical lines, on the screen, now with the keyboard removed if I press the motherboard the artifacts go all over the place, just a big mess of random stuff.

I have got it to boot with no artifacts a few times, if i bang, quite hard, on the laptop, it seems to fix itself, sometimes, usually though, either black screen, or vertical lines with loads or random mess.

I have removed the m/b so only video cables is attached and same thing, maybe 1 time out of 20 it will be ok and will boot.

Now I gave it another thud just there and low and behold it was ok again and I booted in, the screen is now pretty dark though so I tried to change the brightness/gamma under display properties and it does nothing, weird.

I thought it might be overheating, the heat sink does get very hot, I think way too hot, but this shouldn't affect it when powered on right, I mean it would take at least a few minutes for it to overheat?

So all it can is,

1. Bad ram or bad slots
2. Overheating
3 Bad video cable (looks totally fine though)
4. Bad chips/electrical component.

I thought I might try and reflow it. I don't suppose there is much anyone here can advice, but just wondering if anyone had anything similar.

Can graphics chips actually go bad, why when I thud the laptop, in the center, does it sometimes boot ok?

Doesn't really make sense, if a chip goes then surely you just would never get anything, no boot etc.

It comes across as a bad cable/or bad connection but then I stripped it down to the video cable only, and the video cable looks 100% secure and together.

Would bad ram/slots cause there issues?
 
could be a graphics chip, see it all the time. What happens is the repeated heating/cooling of the solder causes the connection to gradually weaken over time. When you whack it I'd imagine you're reforming the connection for a brief period (although for the record you probably shouldn't whack it anymore)

If you want to use the machine reliably then i'd send it away to be re-balled by a third party - although be prepared for the same problem to occur within the next couple of years.

If you just want to drag some extra life out of it, remove the mobo and use a heat gun on the GPU (no longer than about a minute and only over the gpu chip itself) then press down hard on it using some kitchen roll to protect your hand from the heat. Might buy you a week or two.
 
This sounds like that most likely explanation, i don't have a heat gun but thought i'd try the tinfoil/oven method, do you know the length of time and temp in oven, I think you leave the gpu uncovered and cover the rest?
 
Well I just checked speedfan and it's way too hot, it says

Local Temp 49C
Remote Temp 81C
Temp 1 80C
HD Temp 37C


The fan is on full speed all the time, why would it suddenly start overheating like this, I have the fan plugged it, the h/s goes next to it, at the side, and can only really be in one position, so what could I have done to cause this overheating?
 
if you've lost 1 ram slot it may not be the gpu has come lose but another chip has
fan constantly on and over heating is usually a board problem

solder melts about 180-190deg c
watch out for fumes from the board if your going to roast it

and from what i've read about the oven method you need to keep the board flat by using a jig or it may get flexed and you will lose other connections

theres usually another big chip on the board thats not heatsinked (like the gpu is) push that one down as well

I say attack it with the heatgun :D
 
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