While cleaning my laptop, I accidently broke 2 transistors with the screwdriver. I have shared the pics below.
Now the problem is:
1. My graphic card is not being detected.
2. HDMI is not working
Now, do I have to replace the motherboard or it can be fixed easily?
25 Comments
I’m not sure what the components are but…they are surface mount components; for someone with the right tools and skills to re-solder, you might get away with a repair providing you didn’t break the PCB tracks or components while you were cleaning your laptop with a screwdriver.
Overall, you have 3 options:
1. Go on eBay and purchase a replacement motherboard for your laptop model. Any other model will not work, each one is unique. You’ll find your model number on the bottom cover you removed to open the laptop.
2. Find a repair shop or someone with a really, really steady hand and hope they can fix it, the pieces are really small, and the solder joints are even smaller.
3. Outright replace it, salvaging the harddrive/SSD and cutting your losses.
Looks like you broke two chips (voltage regulators most likely) and maybe even an smd cap, I see 4 ripped pads. You’re gonna need an experienced tech to repair that.
Most likely one of those chips are on the enable line, so the GPU is not getting an enable signal. Your HDMI is connected directly to the dGPU so as dGPU is not enabled, HDMI isn’t working also.
Short answer – yeah pretty much.
Slightly longer answer – it’s not impossible to fix, but finding someone with the right tools and expertise will be difficult and the repair will probably be very expensive.
You never heard of a old tooth brush or paint brush? Instead you use a screw driver…
I wouldn’t want to solder micro wire (for those broken pads) without a proper soldering station and microscope. it’s definitely doable and should be fairly easy for a trained repair technician.
“with a screwdriver”
I was about to say with some flux and a pencil tip soldering iron you could do it, but then I zoomed in and saw this. You also ripped off a few pads. You’re f’d my dude.
https://preview.redd.it/wjbov0tydtid1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c13ed87fe74ba197bc8495e677d183b5d22606a7
Clean it first, then get it checked. (It looks fine)
what do you think?
Well, time to learn how to solder
Well, time to learn how to solder
Pretty much borked now.
Don’t throw it away and keep both the components and the laptop. Eventually somebody might want to repair it. Somebody with board repair skills can definitively do it. I would certainly do it, tbh.
Anyone with a little bit of experience with microsoldering can fix that easily if there’s anyone near you – I could and I’m a certified idiot
So let me get this right……you ripped off electrical components, and before you asked here you turned it back on????? For future reference definitely ask before you go shooting power through the circuit board 😂. Probably can be fixed but depending on how old the laptop is might be better to just get a new one. I’m not a professional but I’m guessing you are looking at $200+ to fix this as a professional with the right equipment to fix/solder something this small is going to charge a pretty penny.
I mean you could give it a shot your self. You really have nothing to lose if you were going to replace the MOBo or laptop anyway. Ive soldered stuff smaller than this before but it takes practice.
Stick it in rice for 12 months in a hole in the ground
It can be repaired
nothing critical
Fixing that isn’t worth the money or effort get a new motherboard or a new pc entirely if you were thinking about upgrading anyway
Wander over to Asurion/ubreakifix: https://www.asurion.com/ (click the link to find a place)…click the find repair place link on that page.
Keep all the things that fell out, no matter how small or silly it may seem.
See if you can send the guys the pictures and ask if they do surface mounted component repair. If they say “no way”, ask if there’s a place that does surface mount fixes that they suggest.
What did we learn today? Leave it to someone else next time.
Yep… Unless you can solder
It can be fixed. Some pads are ripped but the traces are there to repair them. It takes someone with a good microscope, steady hands and expirience with smd soldering
Someone who offers this kind of services is northridgefix (you can find them in YouTube) but I’m not sure on prices
Not necessarily. A skilled technician might be able to work with the pads that are left to solder those chips back on, assuming they can find replacement transistors from a donor board.
Have you seen ol’ yeller?
If your graphics card isn’t being detected then those resistors where giving it power