Laptop Video Repair

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Q: I need a graphics card replaced in the laptop. Everything else works but the card causes the machine to work only in safe-mode (aka without the drivers).

A: Note that few laptops have a separate video card; usually the graphics controller is surface mounted on the mainboard. However, there are several alternatives for you.

First, we can see about installing the correct drivers needed for your video, which is usually all that is required to make your video work as it should. This is a software fix that shouldn’t require more than an hour.

Secondly, if this laptop isn’t fairly new, it may require fresh heatsink compound for the graphics chip to perform up to it’s potential. For most laptops, this would require disassembly, then re-assembly of the laptop. Each step (disassembly, then re-assembly) takes an hour and would include cleaning the dustbunnies out of the cooling fans and fresh heatsink compound for the processor as well.

Finally, as a last resort, I can have the graphics controller re-flowed so that the contacts of the surface mounted part make better contact with the mainboard. This process includes the two hour effort of step 2 and another hour to re-flow the graphics controller; 3 hours total.

When you wish an appointment to resolve you video problem, please call 321-720-7705 (9am – 9pm, daily).