Resurrecting integrated circuits by cooking them.

[Jay Jaeger]

On 7/28/2019 4:24 PM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:
> On 7/28/19 1:02 PM, Jerry Weiss via cctalk wrote:
>> This method is not limited to "vintage" components.
>>
>> My MacBook Pro 2011 fails dues to its (famous) problem with the discrete
>> AMD GPU connections.   A reflow restores the laptop, but inevitably I
>> have repeat the process every few months. Depending on who you believe,
>> the fault is with the A) poor thermal design, b) BGA solder used or C)
>> bumps on the AMD GPU itself.  The reflow is easy enough to do, but
>> disconnecting the very fragile cables to remove the motherboard is not
>> for everyone. Using an inexpensive infrared thermometer improves the the
>> process.
> 
> <snark>
> And of course, the solder is Pb-free...
> </snark>
> 
> --Chuck
> 
> 

Exactly.  And machines of that era had a lot of problems (I have
reflowed two early PS/3's a total of three times, and a MacBook) as
manufacturers climbed the learning curve.  The Microsoft XBox 360 "Red
Ring of Death" was another instance.