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Help - broke off tiny component(?) on GTX 460 underside

Hurlbag

Hurlbag

Hurlbag

Associate
Joined
18 Jun 2010
Posts
354
So I was trying to remove a ruined screw on my graphics card to replace the heatsink, when my grip slipped and I knocked a tiny piece of what looked like a circuit bridge thing, but i'm not sure if it's important? I don't want to use my graphics card til I know what I broke off is necessary or not (I assume it is) - pics below

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As you can see it's so small I probably have no hope of soldering it back on..

Anyone with some helpful input would be greatly appreciated, want to sort this asap :( cheers
 
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I'm sorry to say but I think it might be very bad news. It looks like you have ripped off the etched surface as well so would be impossible to solder back. Btw that tiny component is probably an IC or transistor.

Hopefully I'm wrong!
 
I would have a go at soldering it, get the chip with some tweaser then melt the solder on the pcb then quickly put it in place before the solder sets.
 
Well You have pulled off a lump of track !

It looks like a resistor and I would say You can pretty much bet it's required..

As Your asking the question, pretty obvious (going by screwdriver performance)You don't really look to have the skill's to fix it :D

Find a Friend with good soldering ability, clean up the edge of the broken track, carefully glue the component in place with the smallest amount of something like superglue (not the solder pads)
With a small superfine pointed soldering iron re-solder the ends and if You fail to bridge the damaged track just make up a small link with a strand of wire, but it looks like that copper pad (to the right of the damaged end) should be able to be bridged to with solder.

Quite a simple Job if You have good eyes and a small soldering iron

Hope it works out
 
JAKUS said:
Well You have pulled off a lump of track !

It looks like a resistor and I would say You can pretty much bet it's required..

As Your asking the question, pretty obvious (going by screwdriver performance)You don't really look to have the skill's to fix it :D

Find a Friend with good soldering ability, clean up the edge of the broken track, carefully glue the component in place with the smallest amount of something like superglue (not the solder pads)
With a small superfine pointed soldering iron re-solder the ends and if You fail to bridge the damaged track just make up a small link with a strand of wire, but it looks like that copper pad (to the right of the damaged end) should be able to be bridged to with solder.

Quite a simple Job if You have good eyes and a small soldering iron

Hope it works out
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Good answer.. I would put money on your grip slipping , because the screwdriver is not the right size, probably too small, which is probably why the screw is also chewed. Use the right tools, folks!
 
Thanks for the replies, and yes i'm pretty careless when it comes to screws lol. Will see if I can find someone Jakus - a question though, does melting the solder directly on the soldering iron tip ruin the conductivity? will need a hell of a pointy soldering tip to avoid direct contact with the solder itself for this job it's so small.
 
hi there , it doesnt ruin the conductivity, but burns the flux which helps the solder flow onto the component and pcb......where abouts are you in the world.? this is an easy job for experienced folks.......but if i was you, for breaking it off in the first place...do not attempt....im sure you can find some one close to you who will do it.....
 
Haha, believe me I don't trust myself one bit with soldering - around Kent in London myself so it shouldn't be hard to find someone for the job. Really sucks all this because of a mashed screw, Skyrim will have to wait :(
 
Hurlbag said:
Thanks for the replies, and yes i'm pretty careless when it comes to screws lol. Will see if I can find someone Jakus - a question though, does melting the solder directly on the soldering iron tip ruin the conductivity? will need a hell of a pointy soldering tip to avoid direct contact with the solder itself for this job it's so small.
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No, How soldering works (very, very, basically) is when heat is applied it melts,
Generally we use a self fluxing solder (flux cleans the solder surfaces as you solder) the solder will melt and bond to the board tracks and components when along with the solder is heated sufficiently to allow the solder to melt and flow.
Solder is very electrically conductive so providing it has a good joint at each end (the component and the board track in your case) the two things don't have to be hard together.
The skill is heating the parts to be soldered as quickly as possible and applying the solder to that joint obviously with consideration to the fact that (in your case) we need to get more heat to the board end than the delicate resistor which could be easily damaged by excessive heat

When they make these things the manufacturer may use multiple stages, for different components some may be soldered by passing the board through a bath of molten solder others through very hot Air with the components having been glued in place and solder paste pre-applied to the ends... Just think about how complex that's got to be with tiny components on both sides !! It's truly remarkable they survive all the "Herberts" grubby mitts man handling them !
 
I did something like this with an x800xl once upon a time.

Plugged it in and it ran for some time.... not that I am suggesting you do this of course :)
 
Hurlbag said:
Ahh I see, well if that's the case it doesn't sound as hopeless as I thought it was though I won't hold my breath lol. That's quite a process, not surprised considering how small most parts are.

Also what about conductive glue like Rhodri2311 said, would that be an option instead of soldering? came across this not sure if it would be suitable though http://www.smallbattery.company.org.uk/sbc_wire-glue.htm
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I would say not, without looking through the circuit it's hard to say how critical that resistor is.....You don't want a quick fix bodge to fail and potentially allow other components to be overvolted and burnt out !

If You clean it up and glue the component back in place it's a 2 minute job to solder it, just find a local TV/electronics repair shop, another good place to try would be an electronics component shop...You may even find an enthusiast working at somewhere like ****** that would do it for a Beer ;)
 
I can't see because of your red splodge but it looks like the damaged track is connected to the test point slightly to the right.

Should be easy for someone with a steady hand.

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eyetrip said:
I did something like this with an x800xl once upon a time.

Plugged it in and it ran for some time.... not that I am suggesting you do this of course :)
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I did the same with my current GTX260 - knocked a small bit off the same as you. I plugged the card in and hoped for the best - it worked and is still working to this day 3 years on, overclocked too :D
 
This happened to one of my cards years ago and it somehow worked for a few years. I can't guarantee it'll be the same for you though.
 
JAKUS said:
As Your asking the question, pretty obvious (going by screwdriver performance)You don't really look to have the skill's to fix it :D
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The wear is odd on the screw. The top looks like he over tightened then realized. Then looking at the bottom, it was that tight it then slipped trying to loosen. Worn exactly horizontal.
 
How the fudge did you do that lol.

I've been screwing all over my PC many many times per year, sometimes even many times a day (this causes some discomfort, soreness and difficulty walking), and I've never come to ruin anything.
 
Brig said:
Btw that tiny component is probably an IC or transistor.
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With 2 terminals?!
99.9% it is a capacitor. You may be ok without it, but as you've got it to hand I'd definitely solder it back on. Hard to tell from the photo whether you've removed the top solder pad from the board. If so, does that top pad have a trace going straight to the copper circle to its right hand side? looks like it does. If so, just solder one end to that.

Easiest way, first run your hot iron over each pad on the board to smooth/flatten any broken solder. Lay the capacitor on the table next to you as if it was in situ on the board, ready to pick it up from the middle with some tweezers. Heat a little solder onto one of the pads (or the copper circle) and gently lower the cap so that one silver end touches the heated solder and the other end is over the other pad. Remove your soldering iron just as you put the cap in place; hold it still for a second until the end in the solder 'sets' firm. Once that's done, just heat a little solder onto the other end and pad.
The key here is a little solder. Any big blobs of solder will end up bridging the two pads together or burning out the capacitor as the greater amount of heat they hold for a longer time could cause damage.
 
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