Comments on: Replacing motherboard chips

By: Euan

Euan — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 15:05:03 +0000

Good Grief! Just cut the pins, remove the chip, heat pads to remove pins, solder braid to remove excess, Isopropanol alcohol to remove flux, solder new chip and Bob’s your mother’s brother! Talk about a long-winded way of doing things. Of course, this only applies if you don’t wish to re-use the IC :-)

By: ex micromedics tech

ex micromedics tech — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 15:06:53 +0000

We used to do this on a professional level at a laptop warranty repair shop.. using a heat gun, soldering iron, loads of flux, and old dead motherboards with differing issues.. anything we couldn’t fix, or that we screwed up, we bought a new one.

The best part was our diagnostic procedure.. press your thumb on the chips while the machine has power.. if any of them gets hotter than the processor, replace it.

Aside from that.. you’d be amazed how many motherboard issues are simple cold solder joints. Put your mobo under the scope, apply some flux and heat to any components that look iffy, and maybe save yourself a couple grand.

By: joel

joel — Sun, 05 Mar 2006 01:25:35 +0000

BTW 23,24 How the hell can you double post! It’s frigging impossible considering you have to check your comments through email!!

By: jona

jona — Sat, 04 Mar 2006 15:18:31 +0000

quickway of doing SMD chips, mount the chip in the right place with a little glue, next drown the pins on solder (quickly, dont bake it) then use that de-soldering breaded coppermesh to suckup the access solder again.. and you’re left with a very clean mount.. practice first with some old chips before doing the real thing tho..

By: jona

jona — Sat, 04 Mar 2006 15:18:05 +0000

By: quadrantsix

quadrantsix — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 23:48:06 +0000

You would like to see that? Well you’re just as bad as the 3 stooges at project oxcart and also they got finished at 10:30pm do you think I would give a f##k about sitting at my office that late for something so rediculous!? I would go home to my wife and kids. This is the problem with Techs they’re too stupid they are willing to do all this work for nothing! I cant even get a plumber to do something common for less then $300 a hour! Yet this guy ‘wayne the brain’ took on something at his work which most likely had nothing to do with what he was hired for and spent awhole day+ slaving over it. I got to find some help like this seriously! I’m sure this is the companys laptop too so why would I even care let the company deal with it and get me a new one for my work. Anyway brownie points for this one! If this was my co-worker I’d slap him or better yet have him wash my car with a bottle of spring water and some napkins. E for Effort!!!!!!!

By: Andre

Andre — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 23:17:18 +0000

Chipquik is faster and if you are careful the removed chip can be re-used. Also this does less damage to the pads.

However, cutting the pins off one at a time is a time honoured technique.
-A

By: craash420

craash420 — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 18:49:17 +0000

I’d like to see that quadrantsix! Be sure to document it well and include plenty of photos. Oh, and if you can do it while being paid you get bonus points.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 18:33:53 +0000

If the mobo was working fine and its just the firewire chip that burnt out was it really worth it.
Awsome idea for when something really integral gets fried.

By: Cliff Miller

Cliff Miller — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 15:09:57 +0000

This is the hackaday site. I didn’t expect an article on “the most efficient way to deal with a fried firewire chip.” This was an excellent hack! I join those who recommend chipquick, though – quick, sure, little chance of damage…

By: quadrantsix

quadrantsix — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 07:17:43 +0000

This was rather weak like one of those stick a PC in a toaster. Only justifiable with a rebuttal like “the reward was in the effort”. Because 8 hours to do a 2hour tops job with proper tools or even just get a pcmcia card would have been a lot smarter I must say. I mean my grandma could solder that if you gave her 8hours (she is good with a pin and thread!). I thought hackaday was about progression? This was not well planned, I’m going to submit a idea I have to mow your lawn with nose hair clippers!

By: weirdguy0101

weirdguy0101 — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 07:12:55 +0000

speaking of hot air tools, here’s how to make one
http://www.gideontech.com/content/articles/297/1

By: hakko

hakko — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 01:25:21 +0000

Hot air tools and improvised heat shields to protect surrounding SMD components. You’d have been done in about 45 minutes and it’d be indistinguishable from Factory. And sure the cost of the tool is off-putting to some, but after you’ve removed ONE admittadely large TSSOP 48pin with it you will never ever EVER go back to the heat-and-lift method.

There are other techniques such as smothering all the pins with solder, and I’ve used these with good success (and even for installation with the help of a good desoldering station), but you do run the risk of burning out a chip or lifting traces if you’re not familiar with the techniques.

By: Fist Of Konshu

Fist Of Konshu — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 22:22:34 +0000

How good your paid doesn’t matter when you are on salary.

By: paul h

paul h — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 21:18:34 +0000

waste a whole day or buy a generic pcmcia firewire card for $12 at newegg. definately got soldering skilz, tho.