Stop replacing entire boards, try reflowing the RAM chips first

Had a GTX 1060 that kept crashing in games. Everyone on here said bin it or reball the core. I spent $15 on a hot air station from Amazon and just reflowed the RAM chips one by one with flux. Fixed the issue completely after 2 tries. Anyone else had luck with this approach before moving to full chip replacement?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencer_perry7727d ago

Hot air stations from Amazon for $15? Those things are barely good for shrinking heat shrink tubing. You're lucky you didn't lift a pad or cook the whole card. People talk about reflowing like it's some magic fix but half the time you're just reflowing a joint that wasn't even broken in the first place. That GTX 1060 probably had a cold solder joint on something else that just happened to get hot enough to reconnect temporarily. Not saying it can't work but most people end up with a dead card and a false sense of confidence after one lucky hit. It's a gamble every time you put heat on those chips.

robinson.jake27d ago

Broke my first attempt and had RAM chips flying across the room like popcorn, definitely a learning experience lol. Second try with more flux and less shaky hands actually worked though, felt like a total genius for a solid 10 minutes.