Thinkpads Forum

I posted a little while back about a problem with the video on an A31 i have and found it is un-fixable..funny video from on board chip so i guess i need a new mobo,system board...have been hitting fleabay hard but no luck with anything at a reasonable price.. my machine is a nice complete unit right down to a %100 battery and i would like to get it back into use..
if anybody can help with a board OR fixing mine,,let me know...
Tnx..
Ron..

I believe this points to the same problem as experienced with the T4x video/system hang problems: a partially disconnected graphics chip or video memory on the motherboard. I have at least two A31 systems with this type of issue; random blocks of various colors showing up on a black desktop, ghosting horizontal lines (usually red) just visible, a noticeable square that surrounds the mouse pointer as it moves about the screen, etc. Sometimes maximizing a window, or moving one around the screen, eliminates the random blocks/lines but sooner or later it comes back.

One solution (beside a motherboard swap) is the hot-air gun. Heating up the chip(s) enough so it melts the solder and restores a good connection can work, but it can also toast your motherboard (pun intended). Other "fixes" are to wedge something between the video chip and keyboard so that it maintains some pressure on top. I've been slowly collecting the pieces I need for the hot-air gun fix but I can't say when I'm going to attempt it. I already have an infrared thermometer, access to a hot-air gun at work and some very neat heat-insulating rubber material (stuff we use at work; not easily or cheaply obtainable). Now about all I need to do is strip out a motherboard and heat up the blower.

There have been quite a few reasonably priced boards and fixer-uppers on eBay recently, unless you're in the same boat I'm in and you can't find one with the 32MB video memory.