A seasoned GPU repair expert, NorthWestRepair, recently shared a remarkable case of repairing a damaged Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4090. The card’s owner had attempted to modify the voltage regulator, resulting in extensive physical damage and a thermal paste overdose.
Upon inspection, NorthWestRepair found signs of amateur soldering, broken seals, missing screws, and a surplus of “goo” covering the memory chips and GPU. However, after toweled off the goop, the GPU and memory chips were found to be original and undamaged.
Further investigation revealed short circuits in support components like inductors and resistors. Despite initial concerns, the repairer’s tests eventually confirmed that the main GPU was functional.
The repair process involved fixing numerous intricate issues, including damaged or missing resistors, capacitors, and PCB traces. The total cost of repairs remains unknown, but NorthWestRepair described the fix as “very interesting” due to its complexity.
Using a thermal camera, NorthWestRepair diagnosed the RAM chips’ lack of power, which led to the replacement of the memory controller and MOSFET feeding the memory chips. Subsequent thermal images indicated that the repair was successful.
The RTX 4090 underwent rigorous testing, including memory training and GPU stress tests. After passing these tests, the card successfully booted in Windows, with tools indicating normal operation.
NorthWestRepair’s remarkable fix of the damaged RTX 4090 serves as a testament to his expertise and dedication to repairing complex graphics cards. The exact cost of the repairs remains unknown, but it highlights the value of professional repair services for high-end components like this powerful GPU.
Source: https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/graphics-card-repairer-laments-catastrophic-failure-of-customers-rtx-4090-volt-mod-and-thermal-paste-overdose