graphics video card-Reballing/ repair

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lafite1968

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Feb 15, 2017
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Gentlemen,

Can anyone recommend a good reputable computer repair shop that they can perform "reballing" for my laptop? Location is Los Angeles California, zip is 91801.

I ran the SONY hardware diagnostic software and pointed to video failure, screen shows some blue / purple vertical columns, device manager cannot detect the Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT card, thus showing genetic instead and cannot install the Nvidia driver.

I tried the hair-dryer method, did not work. Have not tried the oven-baking method as I am not comfortable enough nor skillful enough to truly take the whole laptop apart to get the motherboard.

Thanks
 
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A reball over here costs about 300€ easily for something as simple as a old arcade machines board that went bad (I am talking about only 1 board here)...
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jaslion

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Dec 17, 2012
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The baking method is a temp fix and most only last for a couple of months after that. The 8600m is a well known card to have this type of failiure and there is nothing that you can really do about it. The only real option is to get a new laptop.

Your laptop is really old anyways and even a cheap one will be a lot better than what you currently have.
 
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lafite1968

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Feb 15, 2017
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@jaslion:

First of all, thanks for yr reply. Besides this laptop, i also have another sony's (flip) and a desktop. This particular laptop VGN-AR770 is something very special to me, I fought battles with this one. Besides, I just paid more than $200 to replace HDD with Samsung SSD 850 EVO.

Thanks ,...
 
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jaslion

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Dec 17, 2012
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Unless the 8600m gt is a mxm card it's time to let the laptop finally rest. I can't tell without the complete model number so I kind of need that. If it's an mxm card you can replace it with another 8600m from ebay.
 
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faalin

faalin

Illustrious
Feb 22, 2012
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Looks like all the Sony VGN-AR laptops have on chip graphics so no removing it. One guy i saw used a small potpie tin pan and cut out the GPU chip size and used a heat gun to warm it up to get it working again.
 
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lafite1968

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Feb 15, 2017
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@faalin & @jaslion :

it's Sony VGN-AR770-CTO (customized order to build); yeah the Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT is soldered on motherboard.

When I ran the Sony diagnostic software test, hard drive/ SSD , memory and CPU/motherboard got green lights--no error, only video has error.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyUzACH8KVw

This is the reason why i need a good reputable repair shop for Reballing. Thanks !
 
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jr9

jr9

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Dec 6, 2017
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You'd have to get an electronics tech to do this who can solder. This is outside what most PC techs do. 96% of them will tell you to replace the laptop. You'd have to call the shops and see if they could even do it. What you'd have to pay someone to do this would make it not worth it. I'd send someone somewhere else if they wanted this done. It sounds like a ridiculously annoying job.
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

Titan
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Mar 16, 2013
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Yeah, it's "special".
But it is a decade old.

A reflow (in the oven) is a very temp fix, if it actually does anything at all.
A real 'reball' is much more intensive, and would be very expensive.
And those are just for poor solder connections. Not a fix for the actual GPU gone bad.

The SSD you put in it tripled the value.
Take that SSD out and put it in something else.
That Sony is dead.
 
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lafite1968

Commendable
Feb 15, 2017
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@USAFRet & @jr9 :

Thank you both for yr replies.

Yeah it is a decade old, with intel 2.6 Ghz processor, Intel RAID and set as "0" for speed, Blu-Ray RW drive that costed me more than $3k back then,....today, i see her as a 1950s Ferrari classic, hope you understand what i mean,.... of course i can take out the SSD and put it somewhere else as you suggested.

I knowing all device has its mechanically life, just want to keep her functional for a little bite longer,...

I appreciate if anyone knows a good guy who can do a professional re-balling, please let me know...thank again
 
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jaslion

Splendid
Dec 17, 2012
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A reball over here costs about 300€ easily for something as simple as a old arcade machines board that went bad (I am talking about only 1 board here). The labourhours can easily drive up the costs so high that you can have a really good laptop for the price of the repairs.

Also don't forget that the 8600m is know for this issue and a redo of the solder is not a quaranteed fix since most often it is actually the gpu being dead. This means that a reball does nothing.

I also have special hardware to me and I just placed my 8800 ultra on a displayshelf togheter with my first desktop and a couple other things. Almost nothing works anymore but at least I remember the good times I had with it when it worked.
 
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