Cheap bust video cards

[Shrek]

I'm trying a few experiments with reflowing PCIe video cards (using flux and not the oven method) and was wondering where I might find cheap bust video cards, and by bust I mean video artifacts and not a bad flash of a dropped card, and by cheap I mean ... cheap.

 

[Toothless]

I've got a damaged card with no cooler you can have. HD5770 or 5750 with a list of physical damage.

 

[Shrek]

I'm after avoiding physical damage (other than bad solder joints), but thanks for the offer.

 

[qubit]

This looks like an interesting project. Have you got the specialised equipment for reflow soldering?

I'm also curious what the purpose of doing this is.

 

[Shrek]

This looks like an interesting project. Have you got the specialised equipment for reflow soldering?

I'm also curious what the purpose of doing this is.

Nope, I am going to try a small heat gun that arrived today and watch the temperature with an IR thermometer I have.

The purpose is to see if this approach works; people try without flux which I think is a big mistake.

 

[qubit]

Yeah, flux is very important for any kind of soldering and is sometimes critical.

I wonder if the heat from the gun held in the hand would be too localised and uneven though.

Also, it's hard to draw conclusions from this experiment, because the card may have failed for reasons other than dry joints and those faults are usually hidden, with perfectly good looking components actually being bad. Overheating failures are quite likely too on a graphics card, especially if it's been overclocked. Therefore a dead card after reflowing doesn't necessarily mean that the reflow was a failure, due to these confounding factors. You can only say it was a success if the card works again.

 

[Shrek]

Yeah, flux is very important for any kind of soldering and is sometimes critical.

I wonder if the heat from the gun held in the hand would be too localised and uneven though.

Also, it's hard to draw conclusions from this experiment, because the card may have failed for reasons other than dry joints and those faults are usually hidden, with perfectly good looking components actually being bad. Overheating failures are quite likely too on a graphics card, especially if it's been overclocked. Therefore a dead card after reflowing doesn't necessarily mean that the reflow was a failure, due to these confounding factors. You can only say it was a success if the card works again.

My intent is to heat the GPU from above, so by the time the heat gets to below things should be quite spread out and being hot air it should even out anyhow (as it blows off to the side). But even if it works, some people report short lifetimes; then again I think they are the ones who are not using flux.

Too tired today although the heat gun was delivered; will try tomorrow after work (I have a few failed cards to try) and see if I can get to clean off the baked flux from under the GPU if the trick works.

 

[Shrek]

It worked on 2 of the 4 bust video cards I have, not bad for a $25 investment; I used plenty of flux and heated the GPU from above till the board smoked just a little and then tested before washing off the flux with isopropyl alcohol.

The real test is time, but my preference for fan-less cards means I will not be using these cards a lot; but I can push them a bit with FurMark GPU Stress Test

 

[candle_86]

I've got an x850 XT PE and a Radeon 9500 I'd be happy to let you try to fix, id want them back after though if they work, niether have physical damage, the 9500 artifacts, and the x850 XT PE wont show anything, both worked fine for years until they suddenly died

 

[Shrek]

I've got an x850 XT PE and a Radeon 9500 I'd be happy to let you try to fix, id want them back after though if they work, niether have physical damage, the 9500 artifacts, and the x850 XT PE wont show anything, both worked fine for years until they suddenly died

The cost of shipping both ways pretty much buys you the heat gun; might as well try yourself.

TACKLIFE Heat Gun, Dual Temp Hot Air Gun with 380W High Power, 7.2Ft Cable Mini Heat Gun for Epoxy Resin Supplies/Crafts/Shrink Wrapping/Soldering/Vinyl Wrap/Wire Connectors/Candle Making - HGP40AC - - Amazon.com

$19 with postage (special offer at Amazon that I missed).

 

[candle_86]

The cost of shipping both ways pretty much buys you the heat gun ($25); might as well try yourself.

no ive got a heatgun, and tried to fix them with the oven, it was a no go, right now they hang on the wall as decorations

 

[Shrek]

no ive got a heatgun, and tried to fix them with the oven, it was a no go, right now they hang on the wall as decorations

Ouch... the oven has probably destroyed the electrolytic capacitors (200°C is too much for them), exactly why I went the heat gun route and I am guessing you didn't use flux?

Since you already have a heat gun, all you need is flux; I used normal rosin based flux, but there are special liquid fluxes for reflow work.