Sony VAIO graphics card upgrade

[thedats]

I have a Sony VGN AR630E laptop. I have been getting the blue screen of death and it looks like I have been having graphics card failure. I thought there was no option but found this site. Can I replace the card on this computer?

 

[meowmix44]

I have a Sony VGN AR630E laptop. I have been getting the blue screen of death and it looks like I have been having graphics card failure. I thought there was no option but found this site. Can I replace the card on this computer?

Blaming a graphics card for a blue screen makes no sense
It may be a virus, diagnose the virus by replacing the old HDD with a new one and reinstall OS

 

[thedats]

it's more than that. Yesterday I formatted both 160g drives and installed a fresh copy of W7 and for most of the night it worked great. I would use this as a DAW and my older audio interface requires a pcmcia slot, anyhow I recorded 12 tracks at 24/48 and thought I fixed it and the video card error I forgot about from months ago when I gave up on this one happened.

I get permanent video vertical markings on the screen. I did not get a blue screen this time (yet). The computer runs very hot idles at 50-55c when I was recording it got up to 65c and I put a fan on it they dropped it to 54c. I seems to get to a point may be the temp and once the screen gets whacked the only way to fix it is with a fresh install of windows. I never monitored the temps before, it was my wife’s.

I had it apart and blew out the cooling fins. There are 2 copper tubes that must be some kind of passive cooling perhaps they are plugged up.

I have pictures of the screen but see no way to attach it.

go here to see pictures

http://www.sevenforums.com/graphic-cards/276024-sony-vgn-ar630e-laptop.html

 

[thedats]

I opened it back up and cleaned the dry thermo paste off, it was very dry and hard to get off. Both the cpu and gpu. It's running at 27c after the boot. Might be a start. I still have no idea why the lines stay on the screen.

 

[thedats]

Google has been my friend again. I found many youtube videos with Sony’s as well as others with exactly the same issue. You can fix it temporarily by using a heat gun around the GPU. Some people take the MOBO out and bake it at 180deg for 10 min.

I used the heat gun and it did fix it. This is about a 3 month fix depending on how you use your computer. One guy cooked his 4 times and it’s still working.

It’s caused from poor solder used in the mid 2000’s and reheating it makes the solder re conform. It can be professionally fixed by re-solder balls. Beware a less reputable shop could just reheat it and you would be none the wiser.