Reflowing a Graphics card using an oven

[stroebs]

Has anyone on this forum ever done this before? I've seen a few Youtube videos of this being done, so thought I might as well try it!

I've put my GeForce fx5200 into my oven, preheated at 140 degrees and I want to see what happens! Will it fry, will it work.

I am a little skeptical about YouTube vids sometimes but seeing as I've seen so many success stories, I just hope this will work out. Will keep updated.

EDIT: IT ACTUALLY WORKS! Result below:

The problem:
POST
Trying to boot

The result of baking the card:
POST
Trying to boot

Steps on how to do it:
Step 1: Prepare a baking tray (preferably a very thin one) by covering it with a single layer of tinfoil
Step 2: Preheat the oven to 140 degrees celsius
Step 3: Remove ALL components you possibly can (including all heatsinks and wipe the card clean of anything left on it)
Step 3: Roll 3 or 4 small balls or squares of tinfoil and place them on baking tray evenly spread out so you can place the card on them
Step 4: Once the oven is at 140 degrees, place the card on the tray and put it in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 5: You need to turn the oven off immediately after it is done, you want it in for the shortest amount of time possible
Step 6: Once the card has cooled a bit, take it out of the oven gently without tilting it and place it in a well ventilated area for an hour minimum.
Step 7: Replace all components you removed and test it out!

 

[killadoob]

What does re flowing it do?

 

[KhoisanX]

Fixes dry solder joints.

 

[stroebs]

What does re flowing it do?

Softening (melting) the solder of the components and allowing them to "sink" into each other again, as it was in the factory, then the cooling process hardens the solder once again and forms a "new" connection between component and PCB.

All of this to hopefully fix the artifact problem I'm having with the card.

reflowing - A technique used in the printed circuit board industry in which a component is heated in order to melt solder deposits and causing them to flow. It produces a bright, attractive looking material but its main purpose is for quality control. ...

 

[cerebus]

Softening (melting) the solder of the components and allowing them to "sink" into each other again, as it was in the factory, then the cooling process hardens the solder once again and forms a "new" connection between component and PCB.

All of this to hopefully fix the artifact problem I'm having with the card.

Yea it must suck not being able to play crysis with your 5200 being broken and all.

 

[stroebs]

Yea it must suck not being able to play crysis with your 5200 being broken and all.

Well the idea of this is to test if it works with a FX5200, then move it up to a GeForce 8800GTX...

 

[chickenbeef]

I've done it with success, even worked on an old motherboard

 

[Mr.Jax]

Yes it will work.

Just be sure to remove all plastics from the card.

You could always try a heat gun (what i use to DIY flow soldering...), but be careful not to blow off the components

 

[UnUnOctium]

Reflowing in an oven does work but it's very easy to get it wrong. Make sure you put it in a pre-heated oven and you keep it there only for the amount of time necessary. You want it in there as short as possible.

 

[J0n0]

In an oven??? What about all the other components? Everything will be exposed to the extreme heat unlike when you either use a hot air station or old fashioned soldering iron... I'm not sure all the components could survive through the heat.

Seeing it just being a 5200 go ahead and give us some feedback.

 

[midkemia]

What can you lose? I would think a heat gun is a better option for the DIY, but an oven would work in the end as well

 

[stroebs]

In an oven??? What about all the other components? Everything will be exposed to the extreme heat unlike when you either use a hot air station or old fashioned soldering iron... I'm not sure all the components could survive through the heat.

Seeing it just being a 5200 go ahead and give us some feedback.

20 minutes to go for the cooling. I first removed everything I possibly could from the card before I popped it in the oven.

 

[AstroTurf]

No flux added or anything?

 

[stroebs]

No flux added or anything?

Nothing whatsoever.
Anyone in CT have a PC I can pop a PCI-Express x16 card into? I don't have a PC with PCI-E, sold all PCs in my house in favour of laptops.

 

[Park@82]

never heard of this. let us know how it goes.

 

[Archer]

Nothing whatsoever.
Anyone in CT have a PC I can pop a PCI-Express x16 card into? I don't have a PC with PCI-E, sold all PCs in my house in favour of laptops.

Depends if there is a bottle of vodka in it for me

 

[cerebus]

The idea behind reflowing is to heal the microfissures that develop over time with stress. Heat gun wouldn't do the same.

 

[AstroTurf]

I have 3 damaged cards laying around at work.
Will try it on them sometime.

 

[stroebs]

Depends if there is a bottle of vodka in it for me

If I can sell the 8800GTX for a decent price I'll give you 30%

Or a bottle of Vodka... That would probably work better for me

 

[Archer]

If I can sell the 8800GTX for a decent price I'll give you 30%

Or a bottle of Vodka... That would probably work better for me

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