7970M reflowing/baking tips

Greetings forum, so a few days ago I left the laptop after winning an SC2 game -stayed in game- and came back to a BSOD, first in about 2 years. I restart, computer works fine then BSODs again the next day. Then the BSODs increased in frequency and only happened when I was utilising the AMD in games. I didn't install any software or new drivers/system files at that point, except a canon printer driver.

I figured I might want to update the drivers on AMD/Intel, and that's when the Windows-won't-start-blank-screen-with-blinking-cursor plague started. Did a clean safe mode uninstall-reinstall using Guru3D's DDU with every version of drivers I have known to work since the beginning, including the very first that came shipped with the machine, and the very latest. Same result every time, the iGPU works fine on its own with any Intel drivers until I attempt installing the AMD drivers, the computer either BSODs or restarts to a blank cursor-blinking scree. When I disable/uninstall the AMD in safe mode and restart, computer works. BIOS still sees the card and so does windows, but device manager only shows it as stopped/cannot start when there is a driver.

I have two courses of action still untried, a clean windows install, and a vbios flash, but unless someone here can convince me they'll make a difference, I'm going ahead with reflowing the card. It's over 3 years old at this point and endured long gaming hours, and the prognosis of the problem seems to clearly indicate to me a hardware failure.

There are also dozens of identical complaints with the same card popping up everywhere now, I guess 3 years is the magic number for the AMD 7970M, and I can't find a thread where this issue was solved.

So my questions are:

1- I don't think it's safe to do it in the kitchen oven I use for food, so I'm buying a small cheap one for the occasion, does it need to be an air/bake oven or will a conventional oven with metal leads work?

2- Most sources I saw recommend preheating the oven first to about 385 Fahrenheit, but wouldn't preheating the oven risk damage to the card since not all components expand at the same rate? If I must cool it gradually, shouldn't I heat it gradually?

3- What is the preferred temperature/duration for a 7970M that's been tried?

 

Depends; unleaded ?

Air is better; more even distribution.

Exactly, so don't preheat. Set to 240°C/465°F (see reflow window) and wait until it 'pings'. However, the temperature probe of an oven is notoriously unreliable. If you can, use a digital thermometer and drop its sensor inside the oven.

A minute, at most. It's just to melt it a bit and hope for the best, don't want the solder dripping off, after all. If it didn't pan out, set the temperature +10 and retry. Then another +10 and so on.

 

Thanks for the response. Almost every other source says that the temperature should be around 190C/385F for 8-15 minutes. When it "pings" it means it's preheated and ready @Set temp, no?

 

It's safer to start lower, but as this is unleaded solder; not much will happen at 190°C. And sure, 'ping' sound is 'set', but the thermometer is infinitesimally better and quite cheap, so ...

 

I'll do it today, but one final question: I tried working with the computer with the 7970M completely removed, and it behaved very erratically. Sometimes it would POST, sometimes it wouldn't and go into a restart loop. Windows doesn't start..etc. What happens if I don't stick that card back in for whatever reason, shouldn't the laptop just work with its iGPU? There doesn't seem to be a BIOS option to delete it as such.

 

mmm nope, the EM series is known to go crazy once u remove the MXM gpu. there has to be a physical card in the machine for it to work properly, even if the card is basically dead

 

i baked my 6970 as follows 385 for 8 mins and it works fine. dont know how long but it works after 1 month and heat is low and no issues yet.

 

Hi Neo, ok i am having the same problem that you were having a few years ago. so my question is did it work baking yur 7970m in the oven.
I have an m18x r2- 7970 m radeon, BSOD when installing the drivers. Iam gonna bake that ***** tomorrow hope ill have a reply before doing it.
Best

 

It varies a lot. A month, a year, maybe. That it worked involves some luck too, so good to hear it's treating you well!