Has your graphic card getting out of working condition? Or you are fearing it might stop working soon? Now you don’t have to worry! We have covered you all! Today we are going to explain all you need to know about graphic card and whether graphic card are repairable or not.
Can Graphics Card Be Repairable?
Whether a graphics card is repairable or not depends on the nature and extent of the issue it is facing. In some cases, graphics cards can be repaired, while in others, it may be more practical and cost-effective to replace the card entirely.
Simple issues such as loose connections, driver conflicts, or minor component malfunctions might be repairable by troubleshooting and resolving the specific problem. For example, updating drivers, reseating the graphics card, or replacing a faulty cable may fix the issue.
However, if the graphics card has sustained physical damage, such as a burnt-out circuit, damaged GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or broken components, repairs might not be feasible or may not yield reliable results
What Is The Main Purpose Of A Graphic Card?
The main purpose of a graphic card is to render, display and produce images and media. It is capable of displaying information on the monitor. This information may come from the internal CPU, a DVD or online.
The information is then processed by the graphic card and displayed on the monitor. The graphic card produces a single picture, while the monitor produces an image by changing the picture thousands of times a second.
The graphics card has a processing unit called the GPU. It is very similar to the processor, as it is also made up of many tiny components. The GPU only works with graphics and renders the picture.
Now that was all you need to know about the purpose of a graphic card. Now how to we know if a graphic card is out of work. Read the next section to know.
How To Know Your Graphic Card Is Out Of Work?
Below are some of the ways you will easily get to know how your graphic card is breathing its last.
Visual Stuttering
As soon as your graphic card is out of work you will get to experience issues in the form of visuals stuttering.
However, if you are using a low-end card then you might get to experience a very unpleasant stuttering more than often. This is normal when your card is under heavy load. In the end your graphics card actually needs to get replaced as soon as you notice big stuttering.
Visual Artifacts
Visual artifacts are more difficult to detect. When you are playing a game and see visual artifacts you might notice that something is wrong with the graphics but you can’t quite put your finger on it.
The most common visual artifact is pix-elation, which means that individual pixels or groups of pixels are displayed incorrectly. Other visual artifacts include polygon- and jitterbugging.
So as soon as you notice them just be assured that you need to repair your Graphic card.
Often Crashes
If your PC crashes or freezes at random times then you need to know that your graphics card is out of work.
The reason why this happens is that your graphic card is not able to keep up with the demand. This is especially true if you are using an old and low-end graphic card.
Also If you are experiencing constant system freezes and reboots then you should look for some solutions.
Slow Performance
If your PC performs really slow then it is very likely that your graphic card is not working correctly. You will notice a big slowdown when you open programs and games.
Sometimes you will even notice that your PC is not responsive to your commands. You can try to repair your system in order to get back to normal performance. However, if you don’t know what you are doing then you should just replace your card.
Some Good Reasons Behind A Faulty Graphic Card
One of the most common computer problems is a faulty graphic card. It may be due to the damage of the chip itself by a power surge, by a shock or by something else.
Sometimes the solder joints the points where the chip is connected to the board fail, and the chip may break loose. Pushing down on the chip sometimes causes it to be pushed back into place and the computer will work again.
Other times there is a problem that is not easily fixed. To have a quick guide on how to repair your graphic card read through the next section.
5-Steps To Fix A Graphics Card
No, you don’t have to be an expert to repair your graphic card. All you need is some handy tools and your broken graphic card and some quick steps that are mentioned below. Before let’s look at the things you might need.
Things You Will Need
• A screw driver
• Heat gun
• Thermal paste
• and whole lot of patience
Step 1: Disassembly
If you want to remove the heat sink, you have to remove the two screws at the bottom of the graphics card. The heat sink needs to be lifted and pulled out.
Don’t forget to remove the power cable for the fan. The big grey blob in the middle of the card is a component that is faulty. There are hundreds of tiny solder points underneath the graphics processor.
Poor and dry thermal paste or a fan full of dust can cause some of these points to be broken due to a heat caused by a bad heat dissipation.
The main chip needs to be heated to a point where the solder will melt and rejoin the own solder point.
Step 2: Cleaning
When cleaning a thermal paste, be sure to clean it completely and do not use any abrasive products such as nail polish remover.
Step 3: Heating
If you want to fix a cracked or damaged graphics card, the first step is to ensure the card is not overheating. You can do this by using a heat gun to gently heat the chip for 10 minutes at 200*C.
Once you have done this, let the card cool for a while. The chip is now completely cool, and it’s time to touch it. The chip should move when you touch it, which means it’s time to go ahead and solder it to the board.
Step 4: New Thermal Paste And Assembly
This is a step by step guide on how to apply thermal paste on a heat sink and how to assemble the heat sink. Apply a small ball of thermal paste in the middle of the main chip.
You can make a thin film from the paste all over the chip. Putting the heat sink together is the opposite of the earlier step.
Step 5: Testing
Check the computer for driver issues. Install all the drivers on the computer if needed. Run the benchmark program to see that the heat is at normal levels.
When To Get A New Graphic Card?
Now, there are some hefty chances that your graphic card is damaged up to the extent of getting repaired. However, if a graphic card is damaged beyond repair then you might have to change your graphic card completely. You might then have to purchase another compatible graphic card for your system.
However, if you have data on the old graphic card then you might have to transfer them to the new graphic card. You might have to buy a new graphic card of a certain specification and then transfer the graphic card data to the new graphic card.
Is It Better To Purchase A New Graphic Card Than Repairing One?
Repairing a graphic card is not some easy task. Because all of the components are soldered it might be a hard task to find where the actual fault lies.
Because of this reason it is advised to purchase a new graphic card rather than repairing the old one. Most often the repairing might cost you time and a lot of money.
And there are some 50-50 chances that your graphic card will even come back to life. To avoid wasting labour as well as your money try to invest in a good graphic card.
How To Protect Your Graphic Card From Damage When Not In Use?
Protecting your graphic card from damage when not in use can be very easy. All you need to do is place a Ziploc bag with a little bit of silica gel inside the bag. That is all. The silica gel will protect your graphic card from moisture.
The bad thing about this method is that you need to replace the silica gel every month. Do Not Block The Vents If you are going to put the card in the box then you should do not forget to leave the space between the box and the graphic card.
How To Protect Your Graphic Card From Damage When In Use?
The graphic card needs a room to breathe. Do not put the graphic card too close to the wall. The graphic card should be placed somewhere where the heat is able to dissipate easily.
There should be at least 10cm of space between the graphic card and the wall. This will ensure that the graphic card will function and operate normally.
Some Things To Take Care Of
GPU hardware is very fragile and you need to be careful while trying your hands at it. Most of the hardware is joint together by soldering it so you need to take care to not damage anything while fixing the GPU.
Also while soldering take care that you do not end up damaging the hardware around the GPU. Often GPU chips are overheated and they end up burning. For this purpose if you are using a handle torch do not place it at one point for a longer time.
The main thing you need to take care of is the power supply. Always remember to use the correct voltage. Also make sure that the power supply is plugged in properly. Also make sure that you keep the temperature of the GPU to be within the right limits.
You can check this by using GPU-Z and making sure that the temperature of the GPU is at or below the max temperature. Also make sure that the fan on your GPU is working properly.
If it is not then you should try to clean the fan blades. If you are having any problem with your graphics card then you should try to check the motherboard’s BIOS as well.
Conclusion
As soon as you notice any of the mentioned problems with your PC then it is time to take action. A good solution to all of the problems listed above is the repairing of your graphic card and even replacement in some cases.
With the steps provided in this article It is quite easy to replace your card and guess you don’t have to be an expert. Best of luck!