Dead GPU 7970M?

Weird issue, this is a M17x R4 with 7970M and it's claimed to be dead.

The 7970M shows up in device manager, but as disabled. No idea on how the drivers work on this thing.


EDIT:

rip card or?

 

Yes , it's dead if there are lines running across the screen.

 

thanks

 

Certainly a failing 7970M. I got a 780M calling your name if you're so inclined.

 

It's not mine, I'm trying to fix this for a friend. So I have to ask him first what he plans to do after this.

 

Another one bites the dust. Mine lasted like 2 months. I bought mine used though.

 

Probably the solder on the bga vram modules cracked (especially the lower row in which the boards bent a bit due to the heatsink). You could try to bake it in the over for 10 min @225 degrees, I succesfully revived a dead 7970m that way in a M17x from a friend, and the card still runs.

 

No, don't do it.

Go to resoldering service in your town and ask them to use lead solder on vRAM.

 

Reflowing may help assuming that the problem is cracked solder joints. I've revived some cards in the past by baking, but it's usually a temporary fix. Sometimes there's other damage that can occur besides cracked solder points, such as VRM damage, or internal damage to the GPU core or VRAM modules. There are hundreds if not thousands of SMD components on these cards that can fail. One 5850 I had had a broken capacitor which caused the card to white screen. I tried replacing it but ended up lifting the solder pads and ended up with a pretty red paperweight

 

They charge around 30 per vram module, total about 240 euro which is the cost of another 7970m.

Atleast that is the quote that I got from a reflow company.

I would agree that it is a better solution, but way to expensive

 

It's not that expensive in Poland, sorry didn't know about the prices in other countries.

By using oven you just revive dead body from the grave, it will last a month, maybe two.

 

How much would it be in Poland?

 

I'd go back to indonesia, my friend can do it for free.

Problem is that this computer is not mine.

Would you recommend reflowing everything? The VRAM, VRM chip and even the core?

 

Makes more sense to put the entire card in a reflow oven so everything gets reflowed. If you take it to a shop to get it reballed, they will remove the component, remove the existing solder, and reattach using fresh solder. Problem is how would you know which specific components needs to be reballed, unless there's some way to test individual vram modules or the gpu core itself, and then it can get crazy expensive.

A reflow in a reflow oven should not cost much since you are not removing any components, but you're heating the existing solder to a temperature where it will liquify and reflow. If there are any cracked solder joints causing problems, reflowing should fix that, but probably only temporarily. Again, the card may have another problem like internal damage to one or more components that reflowing or reballing won't fix.

 

50-70$