T30 Video problems

[maxmaff]

Hi to all,

i'm a newbie in this forum. I have a T30 2366-57G (1400x1050 display) used.
Sometimes (usually after some minute running) dragging some windows or using graphics programme (corel draw) i can see some horizontal flickers (on the border of the windows or near icons or object) like loosing part of the horizontal sync.
After some checks I've seen that switching video from only LCD to presentation or with external monitor the noise is constant and very hard (difficoult to read the lcd) and the external monitor was perfect. After some test (modify configuration software etc.. upgrades..) I note that moving the chassis flexing form opposite corners the noise was temporarely fixed.
Leaving the keyboard and switch it on if I press strongly with my finger in the middle of the mainboard, on or near the ATI video processor the noise was temporarely fixed.
I have "disassembled" completely my pc (motherboard side) and "rebuilt" back fixing strong any contact and any screw but nothing changed.. maybe before was better, now i can't flex it so easy

Can someone help me?

PS: sorry for my basic english

thanx a lot

Massimo

[RealBlackStuff]

Hi and Welcome to our forum.
The signs you describe indicate a problem with the graphics card. This is a sub-board, which is connected onto the motherboard, using many little balls of solder. Officially it's called a BGA, or Ball Grid Array.
These balls have sometimes a tendency to become "unstuck" and/or lose part of their connection. Flexing the T30, i.e. bending it's shape by putting pressure on different places, sometimes temporarily fixes this.
If it continues, you may want to start looking for a new motherboard, or find someone reliable who can fix this for you cheaper than a new motherboard would cost. It's not something that most of us can do ourselves.

[tfflivemb2]

Welcome to the forum Massimo!

It sounds like the GPU might have bad solder points. For most people, the only wway to fix it is to replace the system board. On the other hand, ff you have access to a heat gun and a IR temp gun, you might be able to repair it, by removing the system board and adding controlled heat to the GPU causing the solder points to solidify. There is a stick in the T4x conference that explains this process, as it is common in the early T40-T41 machines.

[maxmaff]

thanks a lot, both of you...

I was thinking the same.. I'm able to make "extreme" soldering but not in this way you explain me. I ask to some collegue to have the right heating gun and ir temp.. and I'll read the instruction. I'll try, if don't work i've nothing to loose anyway i'll look for another mainboard on e.bay.

thanks again, after my experiments I'll post here the results.. (working.. or burning.. ) ahha



Massimo