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MacBook Pro Graphics Chip Replacement Process

Welcome to another look at one of our repairs. This time round we’ll be showing you some of the work that goes into a more complex repair- replacing the graphics chip on an Apple MacBook Pro in our Union Street, Dundee store.

This is a 2011 17″ Core i7 MacBook Pro (Model: A1297). It’s affected by a fault common to many MacBooks and MacBook Pros- a faulty graphics chip (in this case an ATI 216-0810005).

In particular, a number of Macbooks manufactured around 2011 have suffered from this failure, and in these cases we replace these with an updated 2013 revision of the chip. This is why we don’t reball (replace the solder balls on) the existing 2011 graphics chip- they suffer from a known flaw and would quite likely fail again sooner rather than later, so a complete replacement with the newer version is preferable.

Our job is to disassemble the computer, desolder the faulty chip, and attach a new one in its place… much easier said than done! Did we mention how finicky it can be to cleanly and safely remove the old chip, let alone install the new one? Fortunately, our technician’s experience, coupled with the specialised equipment we have, meant this repair had a much higher chance of succeeding with us than it might have elsewhere. And yes- as you can see in the final shot, it worked!

The stripes seen here are a symptom of the faulty graphics chip.

Disassembling the MacBook Pro- this board has the graphics chip on its underside.

The board is heated at a low and controlled temperature for several hours to drive out moisture. This significantly increases the chance of success.

We place the board on the BGA rework machine, a specialised device that lets us desolder electronics without the same risk of damage that can happen with less controlled heating techniques.

Now that the faulty chip has been desoldered safely from the board, we’re able to remove it.

The board after cleanup. You can see the space where the replacement graphics chip will go.

No stripes- the new graphics chip works. After our usual quality control checks to confirm that the machine is fully working, it’s ready to be collected by the customer.