Graphic Cards Anyone tried baking their old GFX card?

nanoneo

nanoneo

Adept
We've all heard of how people have saved old GFX cards by baking them in an oven.

For those who haven't ever heard of it, link here Baking your Graphics Card (in the oven) - Graphics-Cards - Graphic-Displays

I ask because my trusty ol 4670 stopped working all of a sudden. No display at all. I don't want to buy a new GFX card right now as I barely game anymore. Occasionally I will play FIFA12, TF2 or some older game and my 4670 ran them all fine.

Edit: Damn, didn't notice the stupid typo in the title! Apologies.
 
Yes, I baked my 8800GT last month. The card was performing great until one fine day while booting Windows up, the 3D driver couldn't load up and I got a BSOD. From then on I had all lines on my screen and I was barely able to get Windows running. I used my onboard graphics for a while till I read how successful this could be and decided to go for it.

img20120816112213.jpg

I removed the heatsink, the SLi and Display protection caps and preheated the oven to 190c. I then put the card in a oven tray lined with foil and the card resting on 4 small foil balls. Finally when the oven was pre-heated, I put it in for 10 minutes of baking.

img20120820132142.jpg

After the baking, I let it cool on its own for an hour or so and the attached the heatsink and fired up the card. Everything worked perfect. The card successfully booted windows, worked in 3D mode and even ran 3DMark06 with a higher score than last year lol. Anyways since your card is toast, I highly recommend you try it because as of such.... what have you got to lose?

Only con of this method is that it only delays the inevitable. You're card is dying and this oven trick is just delaying it from fully failing. Many people have said that after 5+ revives even this won't work anymore so highly recommend you start saving up for a new card. Also, ovening burns plastic on your card, although it won't destroy/melt the plastic, the plastic will smell funny and some parts like the fan connector and the PCIe 6-pin connector might shrink with the heat making it difficult to fit those connectors in after a while.
 
Thanks for the detailed response. I understand that it just lengthens the life of a card a bit. But I don't want to pony up the cash for a new graphics card right now. At least till I can upgrade the rest of my system a few months later.
 
interesting. I think what it will do is melt the solder and when you let it cool the solder will reset. This might solve any dry solder problems that might have cropped up over the years. I also think that the same can be achieved by reapplying solder to all points if one is good at soldering.
 
True although this doesn't take more than 30 minutes (10 for baking - 20 for cool down) and its practically effortless.
 
First off No one is gonna eat it hence I wont bake it.
Also my Mum will thrash if I touch it rather put some metal items in it. Mee still a kid for her.

Lol.....On the topic,thanks for the info. Is it working only for Gfx or all electronic components like RAM...etc., Anyone try it.
 
My mom wasn't too cool with it either but she relented in the end. From what I've read on the net it fixes quite a few parts- motherboards (including laptop and xbox motherboards), graphic cards, mobile phones chipsets. Mainly complex circuit boards of which the solder has weakened (loosened?). Also parts which have as less plastic on it as possible.
 
^ How long did your card last after the process?

Even if it doesn't work for my card I must do it in the name of science. :detective:
 
Well so far so good. Its been a month and a half now and its performing just like it always did. Its even handling 5hr+ BF3 sessions with ease.
 
Back
Top