Latest News! We are now reballing chips - see our Latest News section

UK-based Reflow Repairs is established as one of the top chip reflowing facilities in Europe with many satisfied customers - read their testimonies further on in the forum.

So much has been happening over the last few months, with moves into bigger premises, purchasing our big new Reflowing Station and the development of our own Reballing Oven and Macro Camera System.
More information here

Infrared Reflowing Services

If the display on your T61-p, T4x and R5x Thinkpad, or other laptop make:

Freezes, or disappears when you move it
Only works when pressing down on the graphics chip

Then your graphics chip will have become unsoldered.


If your T4x and R5x Thinkpad:

2.0 USB port only works at slower 1.1 speed
The Hard Disc runs / loads programs ONLY when you press on the laptop
Audio makes a crackling sound or sometimes makes no sound at all

Then your Southbridge chip will have become unsoldered.


We use the latest German manufactured Infrared Reflowing equipment to resolder the chip's Ball Grid Array (BGA) back onto the motherboard.

We clean all the dust and grime out of your laptop, and renew the old heatsink compound on the CPU and fan with top quality Arctic Silver.

For peace of mind, all reflowing work is covered by our 90 day guarantee.


Our Charges

All Prices include return UK carriage by courier

To reflow the GPU or Southbridge chip, with the laptop stripped to the base: £54.95.

To reflow the graphics chip on a complete laptop: £69.95.

Additional return carriage to Europe: From £13.50 extra depending on where you come from - contact us with your country's details.

Note that return carriage to USA and South East Asian countries are at least an additional £50.00

Special "Two Chips" Reflowing Service

On T43's especially we are finding that the Southbridge as well as the Graphics chip needs reflowing. Often this is only spotted during testing after we've reflowed the Graphics chip.

Our special charge for the Two Chip Reflow is £74.95 stripped down, and £89.95 for complete Thinkpads. Both prices include free UK carriage with the extra EU carriage as above.

You will be advised before we go ahead with the extra work.

Contact us on nick@reflowrepairs.com or via the forums, for more information and to book a repair.


Other Services

T30 memory slot resoldering.

T2x dead or pulsing fan - resoldering the inductors.

Apple G3 and G4 iBooks GPU reflowing.

Reflowing GPU chips on other laptop makes.

General laptop repairs.

For more information and pricing details contact us on nick@reflowrepairs.com or via the forums.


Latest News - New Chip Reballing Sevice

We now reball chips. This means that the chip is removed from the motherboard, the existing solder Ball Grid Array (BGA) removed, and a new BGA set fitted.
The refurbished chip is then reflowed back onto the motherboard.

Reballing is necessary when the existing BGA has "blown out" - that is the solder balls no longer solder properly to the motherboard and need to be replaced.
We are doing this on all boards at our discression, and for the time being you will not be charged extra for reballing if we find it's needed.

On the other hand if you'd prefer the chips to be specially reballed, our charge is an extra £20 per chip.
For the extra cost you'll have a refurbished motherboard that's in as-new condition, and is free from the "traditional" flexing problems.

Contact us on nick@reflowrepairs.com or via the forums.

EDIT> 02-07-10 Updated services and prices.

Reflow only ? Not a complete reball ?

I have considerable experience in reflowing GPU's and providing the whole reflowing process is carried out correctly, the graphics chip will be effectively resoldered back onto the motherboard.

To further enhance the reflow process I then apply a continuous adhesive bond around the chip.

Well, hope the adhesive help BTW, did you ever try to reflow the southbridge to solve the typical USB 2.0 -> 1.1 problem as there was some chance that it's caused by the almost same issue like GPU ?

I tried reflowing the Southbridge on a T42 just yesterday to test out the theory and it did not cure the 2.0 / 1.1 issue.

However I don't think the USB problem is due to the SB becoming unsoldered like the GPU, since the SB would have other problems as well - it would be too much of a coincidence to have the same set of BGA's coming detached every time.

If only it had worked though....!

Poshgeordie,

Thanks for posting the info about the service on this site. I have noted the email address.
Good luck!

thanks Killer - the email address has now been updated and is nick@reflowrepairs.com.

<EDIT> 03/09/09 Email address information updated

Hello,

I have purchased many motherboards that have video problems only to get them and find out that there is allready adhesive bond around the GPU chip.

Hi Dale

Are you referring to GPU's which Lenovo have put dots of red adhesive on? I've had to deal with loads of failures like that and it seems that the dots are purely decorative for all the use they are.
I've had no problems reflowing them and then applying a continuous bond around the whole of the outside of the chip; that way providing the reflow's done properly in the first place, the chip becomes properly secured to the motherboard.

I've also had to deal with a couple of failed GPU's where someone had applied a black coloured continuous adhesive bond. I've done a lot of research into the best adhesive to use and the black stuff is probably rubber based and will not secure the chip down like the stuff I use does.

Dale, welcome to the forum. For those of you who may not be familiar with who Dale is, he is the owner/operator of Superior Reball. They are a US based company who do GPU reballing among other repairs. poshgeordie, good luck with the new business. It is a sorely needed service in the UK and Europe. It's amazing to me how one huge design flaw by the IBM PC division is spawning new businesses 5 years later ...

Thanks Bill - just here to help.

And sorry Dale I didn't spot that this is your first visit here so welcome from the other side of the 'Pond', and honoured to be in your presence M8!

It is amazing that this Radeon series of chips has such a fundamental flaw and yet turns up all over the place. You'd have thought that with it being so popular that ATI might have redesigned it.

@poshgeordie, well thanks. I am not 'Bill', but I think he'd have made a similar statement. .

Harry - I'm losing the plot!

It had been a very long day with a lot going on and my brain was elsewhere!
Many thanks for your good wishes which is greatly appreciated.

Hello Nick,
Good luck inyour new business!! There is plenty of work to go around for all of us thanks to IBM.

Dale.

Thanks Dale, much appreciated.

Nick

Very, very, very good news, indeed!

I certainly also wish to express both my welcome and appreciation towards you, Nick, for offering this very valuable service for us Europeans. Needless to say, I never hope that I shall need to have any of the T42's that I am "taking care of" going through a reflow, but statistically - well - it just might happen to me too, some day. Now, fortunately, an experienced (and very friendly, too!) fellow ThinkPad'er is offering this advanced service here in Europe which certainly is very good news for those of us who are fond of our e.g. T42's - that Nick is around to help try breathe life back in them, if ever necessary.

All the best with your business, Nick, and you're surely very welcome to include me in your file of "potential-customers-who-will-not-hesitate-for-one-second"... if need be!

Best regards,

Johan

Thank you so much Johan - really encouraging and much appreciated.

My aim is simple - to offer the sort of specialist and comprehensive repair facility that I would want to use (not that I wouldn't now - you know what I mean!!).

There are many areas I could go into - backlight tube replacement for instance, but what I'd appreciate is to hear what you guys would like me to offer.

<EDIT> Would a replacement battery cell service be of interest. Getting decent replacement batteries is a minefield and the logical solution is to do it myself.
Idea is something like send me your old battery pack & I'll replace the old cells for new.
I have an extensive knowledge of electronics and am very aware of the hazards of handling lithium cells, but know that I'd be competent to do it.

My T30 battery has given up, so I think I'll do a cell change on that and see how it goes.

Would anyone be interested in sending me their batteries for me to have a look at - I'll initially charge cost price + carriage.

Nick,

May I offer a thought or two?

The problem with sending batteries for refurbishment, rebuild, repair (whatever is the right term?) is that it leaves the TP user without a battery for an unspecified time.
If you were able to offer a replacement battery or an exchange service then that could be achieved in a fixed timeframe. Just brainstorming ... so please kick my comments deep into touch if needs be.

(For those not familiar with 'kicking to touch' then please investigate the laws of Rugby for some entertainment.)

Good point Killer

Also it means that I'm not under pressure to produce a battery on demand so to speak.

Think you've just scored a try there!

(again refer to K's rules of Rugby )

Nick,

Just another thought ... my neighbours have an old (HP labelled) Compaq laptop and they asked me to help because the beast will only work on the mains. I looked at it for them and the battery charge light only comes on if I wiggle the power cord in its socket. Every so often the battery charge light comes on and then it will only stay on if the lead is held in that position. If I let go then the light goes out.

Either it is a duff battery, a duff lead, a duff connector, or all three.

So the question is ... Is this the sort of thing you could fix?

Maybe this is slightly off-topic but I'd be interested in your thoughts.

Anyway, Newcastle Falcons are doing well at the moment ... to get us back on the topic of Rugby. How long before Wilkinson can play?

I had an HP compaq laptop in for repair with similar symptoms and changing the DC socket on the motherboard sorted it out.

I think what's happening is that the DC motherboard connector or the plug / lead is intermittent. Due to the intermittent nature, the HP's running on a combination of the battery and mains as the lead's moved, giving the appearance that the battery is actually faulty.

Strip the HP so you can get to DC mobo socket.

You need to check DC volts on the socket and what happens when you waggle the plug.
Then position the plug to measure volts on the socket and move only the lead into the plug.

From this you should be able to isolate either the plug or socket.

If the plug looks Ok then I'd go for the socket.

To be honest I want to stay away from this sort of thing and concentrate on those more unusual repairs, however I also want to stay true to providing what I'd want from a repair centre, but I cannot do everything I'd like to do at the moment.

To get back 'on topic'...I see Johnny Wilko's expected to stay with the Falcons for next season and is expected to return before the end of March.

Nothing but possitive, possitive, possitive...

This has been my experience with Nick. He not only reflowed (I understand this is not the same as "reballing", but hopefully will work much time) my T42 GPU, but he also found for me for few money a key of the keyboard that I had damaged due to the many open/close of the keyboard I did for trying to temporary solve the GPU problem with post-it papers, and he replaced it and also he changed my processor by another one more powerful I bought and we sent to him, on top of cleaning the fan system... Everything very fast and with a very good communication.

Even more, having had an unexpected delay that we cannot put on his back, and knowing I was somehow in a hurry for having back the laptop, he voluntarely changed the standard way of sending back the laptop for a more express one.

So, a very good alternative for those that unfortunately suffer the GPU problem and are in Europe (also other valid for other continents, of course), and for a very competitive price. Hope you will not have the need of his services, but if you do, use them.

Nick, thanks again and good luck and business.

Javier

Thanks javier - it was a real pleasure doing the work for you and meeting such a pleasant person as well.

Take care and enjoy that Madrid sun!

And again very possitive.

After my previous post or March, 27th. I want also to add more possitive experience with Nick.

His work reflowing my ATI GPU on my T42 has been succesful, my laptop seems to work perfectly now and even some BSOD (blue screens) errors that I remember to have suffered time ago and that I now remember that in the events report were saying something related to the graphics and that forced me to save my office files from time to time, seem to have dissapeared too....

But, additionally, it seems that a "side (collateral use to say military people) unwanted effect" came. In order to do the reflowing and the cleaning of the processor fan, the BT (integrated BT and modem) card had to be unplugged, and after the work is done, to be plugged-in again in the MB.

Since I got the laptop back from Nick, I started to get error messages like "Problem with USB device..." or "unrecognized USB device..." related to the internal Bluetooth device (I was not aware it is an internal USB device in this laptop).

Nick has been very helpful, voluntary and available to help me in solving the problem, with many suggestions, including to send back the laptop to him and test and try to fix it for free (I said not, because BT is not critical for me and the cost of sending the laptop would not payed the benefit) and propossing different alternatives.

On top of it, the communication, using email, has been fluent, fast and very good.

Problem seems to have been solved today (48 hours without problem), and it was only a problem of how much thighten the card was screwed onto the MB. If do it very tight, the problem is there, if I unscrew a bit (really very few), it works...

Again, we usually only tell when things doesn't work as we would like to.... I feel is even more important to say when some one (Nick in this case) works as a very quality person.

Kind regards and, Nick, thanks again. Good luck in your work.

Javier

Thanks Javier.

Your bluetooth problem is worth mentioning here as being another potential TP soldering problem.

I'll start a new thread about that I think.

It's always great to be able to help you and I would now like to see if we can get that 600 working....(what am I saying!!!).

Just one thing - is there any chance of sending some of that Madrid sun up to the foggy north east of England? Actually do you want to send your football team here as well?!

Nick,

you are very welcomed.... I didn't exagerated anything (even being born in the SouthEast of Spain )) )

Yes, we will have to work with my 600.. remotely, of course, it doesn't value the cost of couriers today, but it is something loved for me... It has been with me for more than 15 years now

And talking about Sun light... I tried many times with worlwide people I worked with, but no way to put any Sun light in the internet links... believe me... It didn't passed thru... even using optical fibers

Regarding football... I currently live in Madrid, I feel we should find some one in Barcelona for helping both of us....

Finally, more seriosly, I'll have a look to your new thread regarding the BT problem and will add my penny of experiency.

Kind regards.

Javier

"Even in the most hard days and works one should find a reason for smiling and do smile the others"

Oh well...guess I'll have to put up with the fog after all!!

As you are getting sunburnt over the next few months Javier, just think about those of us who had all three days of summer over the Easter break

Personally I don't think you were trying hard enough to push Sun Light down those Internet cables. Maybe if you tried putting down that bottle of Vino de Mesa and used BOTH hands....

Nick, I remember a comic of Vicky the Vicking (and Olaf), years ago, that presented one of their battles against the Great Britain people and had 5 pictures, the first 3 of them was totally clouded and raining, the forth one was sunny and the last one was again raining. No words in neither of the forst 4, and in the last one, Olaf said: "Look, this was the summer of this country......"

And, if you ever come by a place where I would be at the same time, it will not be a "Vino de Mesa" what I would offer you, but at least a "Crianza" and most probably a "Reserva" one....

Best regards.

Hello all,

I will give a big thumbs up for Nicks excellent service finally available in the EU. I sent 10 boards of all kinds to Nick, and 8 came back repaired, two will probably need reballing in order to work again (fortunately all the FireGL boards i sent worked

Excellent service and communications - thanks!

regards,
Jesper James

Thanks Jesper - it was a real pleasure meeting you.

As he says, 8 out of 10 were successfully reflowed. The other two needed reballing.

I will be offering a reballing service in the near future for those boards which need it.

Most boards only need to be properly reflowed and for most people this is the ideal service.