A30 Type 2654 Screen/Graphics Problem

[djsharpie]

Hi

I am new here but I am the proud owner of 3 Thinkpads!

I have an A30 type 2654 with Windows XP SP2 which I purchased 2nd hand recently. Every so often when it boots up the screen/graphics are unreadable, I have attached a photo as an example. I appreciate the vertical red line is a separate issue.

I am sure I was told recently this was a common problem and I was wondering if there was a relatively easy solution.

I did get this screen every now and again and a reboot did tend to sort it but the last 24hrs have disproved that option.

http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/1489/dscf4469h.jpg

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Thanks in advance

DJ Sharpie

Admin edit: Corrected link

[sjthinkpader]

Welcome to the forum.

Looks like a GPU detaching problem. What does the external monitor look like?

[rkawakami]

Welcome to thinkpads.com!

That is typical of a loose graphics chip (aka, GPU). The recommended fix is to have the motherboard re-flowed in the hopes that the solder balls underneath the GPU re-attach themselves to the board. What it amounts to is stripping the system completely down, removing the motherboard and doing one of two things:

- have the board repaired by a "professional"; i.e. one who uses commercial equipment designed to handle this type of problem or...
- a do-it-yourself approach using a heat gun, a thermometer and a good dose of luck.

The first method has a good chance of working, given that you select the right company. As it turns out, there's one in your neighborhood (see the "Reflow your T40 UK & EU" ad at the top of the page). Ask Nick if he can work on the A3x motherboard. The second method can destroy your motherboard if not done right.

A third "fix" may be possible but it's seen as a temporary fix and I'm not sure if it can be done on an A3x system. That is to wedge something non-conductive and non-flammable between the keyboard and the GPU in order to keep pressure on the chip. I don't know if the layout of the A3x motherboard would allow this; the T4x systems which have this same kind of problem has the room for this type of repair.

[djsharpie]

Thank you very much for the valuable advise. I will email Nick!! Sounds like the safest option.

Regards

Ian

[SMA]

The safest option would be to begin with an attempt to verify that the GPU is the problem.
Trying with an external monitor has already been mentioned.
GPU errors are usually sensitive to touches, but so are lcd errors.
So another suggestion would be to try pressing a little here and there. Try pressing on the lcd from the backside and
see if that makes any change to the screen image. Try to change the angel of the lcd. Try to press on some of the keys.

Also, you ought to consider the cost of sending the A30 out for repair. Might cost you more then what you payed for the machine.

[ajkula66]

That is a GPU problem, no ifs, ands or buts about it. I'm in possession of an A30 board that had behaved exactly the same.

The problem here might not be the loose GPU, though. Sometimes the VRAM itself goes bad on these planars, and they can be junked if that's the issue.

You may want to try to very carefully insert a couple of post-it sheets between the fan and GPU and see whether that changes anything. If it doesn't, you need a new planar, reflowing will not solve the problem.

Good luck.