Can the graphics chip go bad on a laptop

Soldato
Joined
17 Jun 2012
Posts
11,259
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?
 
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?
 
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