[Darth-Apple]

I just turned my computer on to find a busted $130 video card (discounted significantly from the original price), smoking in my PC. Of course I cut the power very quickly, as any smart computer technician would, but honestly going back to integrated graphics reminds me of how CPU intensive even basic graphics can become when you only have a dual core CPU to work with and a lot of multitasking to deal with as well.



So, anyone here have any experience getting busted cards to work? I don't have the money to easily replace this card out of pocket, so I'm hoping to be able to repair it. I've already dusted it quite a bit, and I'm not sure if there is really any hope left for a smoked card.

[Thomas]

There's nothing you could have done :p

[SpookyZalost]

I actually do, depending on if the gpu chip underneath the heatsink is fried or not, it's likely you blew a capacitor or two, which is an easy fix with a soldering iron, and up to $10 in parts depending.

I recently recapped a video card with busted caps myself

so basically, take the card out, give it a good once over from the surface, remove the heatsink to look at the gpu and check for damage (might as well put new thermal compound on while you're at it, Arctic silver has been known to improve video card life by replacing manufacturer stuff with it.

just be careful, and if you have to do any surface mount stuff, be patient, do them one at time, and ideally, if you can get a hot air gun and liquid solder/flux mix it makes things a lot easier for that stuff.

it's time consuming but worth it... and way cheaper than buying a new video card.

[zoldos]

I just turned my computer on to find a busted $130 video card (discounted significantly from the original price), smoking in my PC. Of course I cut the power very quickly, as any smart computer technician would, but honestly going back to integrated graphics reminds me of how CPU intensive even basic graphics can become when you only have a dual core CPU to work with and a lot of multitasking to deal with as well.

So, anyone here have any experience getting busted cards to work? I don't have the money to easily replace this card out of pocket, so I'm hoping to be able to repair it. I've already dusted it quite a bit, and I'm not sure if there is really any hope left for a smoked card.

It's trash now.  Esp. if it was smoking. lol Was it Nvidia or ATI?

[SpookyZalost]

I still think it's salvageable.

smoke is usually blown caps, and video card's especially have all sorts of redundant circuits and components to prevent the chip it's self from suffering damage before the less expensive components.