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Bad memory, need logic board replacement? Easily fixed LOL.

B

bbmiLo

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 3, 2011
119
0
1st gen Macbook Air problem, black screen with one beep continuously at start up, posted here 2 weeks ago:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1499858/

After doing some research I was ready to call it a loss, since the value of machine just doesn't justify the cost of logic board replacement.

Now, I currently live in Shanghai, I decided to visit one of the many repair shops anyway, just to give it a shot, no charge if not fixable, nothing to lose.

Guess what?
1 day, 600RMB (little under $100 USD), it came back to me working again flawlessly.
They simply just removed bad memory and soldered good ones to the board. As a bonus, even my airport non-existence problem is fixed too during the repair.
They also guarantee their work for 6 months.

So, if anyone has the same problem, instead of giving up or paying Apple to change the logic board, might well just give it a try at those independent shops, soldering memory isn't a DIY job, but can't be that difficult, afterall thousands of workers at FoxConn factory are doing it. :D
 
K

krravi

macrumors 65816
Nov 30, 2010
1,173
0
bbmiLo said:
1st gen Macbook Air problem, black screen with one beep continuously at start up, posted here 2 weeks ago:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1499858/

After doing some research I was ready to call it a loss, since the value of machine just doesn't justify the cost of logic board replacement.

Now, I currently live in Shanghai, I decided to visit one of the many repair shops anyway, just to give it a shot, no charge if not fixable, nothing to lose.

Guess what?
1 day, 600RMB (little under $100 USD), it came back to me working again flawlessly.
They simply just removed bad memory and soldered good ones to the board. As a bonus, even my airport non-existence problem is fixed too during the repair.
They also guarantee their work for 6 months.

So, if anyone has the same problem, instead of giving up or paying Apple to change the logic board, might well just give it a try at those independent shops, soldering memory isn't a DIY job, but can't be that difficult, afterall thousands of workers at FoxConn factory are doing it. :D
Click to expand...

The memory at the factory is soldered by automated machines where the chips are placed in the circuit board and sink into a bath of molten lead for a few seconds.

If these were soldered by hands, it will take forever.

But its great that you got yours working. Need some steady hands and focus, but I guess that 100 bucks over there can get you that.
 
M

MathiasVH

macrumors regular
Nov 7, 2009
147
6
bbmiLo said:
1st gen Macbook Air problem, black screen with one beep continuously at start up, posted here 2 weeks ago:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1499858/

After doing some research I was ready to call it a loss, since the value of machine just doesn't justify the cost of logic board replacement.

Now, I currently live in Shanghai, I decided to visit one of the many repair shops anyway, just to give it a shot, no charge if not fixable, nothing to lose.

Guess what?
1 day, 600RMB (little under $100 USD), it came back to me working again flawlessly.
They simply just removed bad memory and soldered good ones to the board. As a bonus, even my airport non-existence problem is fixed too during the repair.
They also guarantee their work for 6 months.

So, if anyone has the same problem, instead of giving up or paying Apple to change the logic board, might well just give it a try at those independent shops, soldering memory isn't a DIY job, but can't be that difficult, afterall thousands of workers at FoxConn factory are doing it. :D
Click to expand...

I bet they baked your logic board mate. It'll work for a while (6 months sound about right, maybe up to a year, if you're really lucky). Do it yourself next time :)

(While it certainly is possible to "solder good ones to the board", it would be quite a difficult operation, and it wouldn't explain why your airport-card started working again. Being baked on the other hand..) :)
 
B

BeeJee

macrumors 6502
Nov 27, 2011
369
2
Long Island/North Jersey
mathiasvh said:
i bet they baked your logic board mate. It'll work for a while (6 months sound about right, maybe up to a year, if you're really lucky). Do it yourself next time :)

(while it certainly is possible to "solder good ones to the board", it would be quite a difficult operation, and it wouldn't explain why your airport-card started working again. Being baked on the other hand..) :)
Click to expand...

lmao!!!
 
B

bbmiLo

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 3, 2011
119
0
MathiasVH said:
I bet they baked your logic board mate. It'll work for a while (6 months sound about right, maybe up to a year, if you're really lucky). Do it yourself next time :)

(While it certainly is possible to "solder good ones to the board", it would be quite a difficult operation, and it wouldn't explain why your airport-card started working again. Being baked on the other hand..) :)
Click to expand...


LOL really?
I had no idea about the "baking" method.
Whats the theory behind that?

I figured for <$100 it doesn't hurt, at least I got to copy out all my data, and will just casually squeeze the last bit of life out of it.
 
M

MathiasVH

macrumors regular
Nov 7, 2009
147
6
bbmiLo said:
LOL really?
I had no idea about the "baking" method.
Whats the theory behind that?

I figured for <$100 it doesn't hurt, at least I got to copy out all my data, and will just casually squeeze the last bit of life out of it.
Click to expand...

:) Good for you. 100$ would be cheap for a resoldering and replacement job. But it's a damn expensive baking.

The theory is simple: You place the logic board on some foil and put it in your oven pre-heated to the temperature where solder melts. You let it bake for app. 10 minutes and the small wear and tear that soldering joints are exposed to are melted into shape again. The downside to this: The soldering joints are left weaker than before. You'll almost certainly be able to bake it again when it fails (it will fail again eventually), so don't worry about it. At some point, though, there's not much more left to reheat back in place :) Good luck with it!
 
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