Reflowing the CPU

Timbo9876

Timbo9876

Member
Has anyone had good success reflowing the CPU? I watched Computer booter popcorn the motherboard when he performed the reflow. I ask because I have had good success using naked snakes pressure mod to not only to lower CPU temps but also reconnect solder balls (I use a little more pressure). I have one that has currently has lasted over 8 months with over 60 hours of game play, and there is no sign of it giving up.

So is it worth doing a reflow when this pressure mod to date hasn't failed, and I have performed this mod on 6 consoles?

Any thoughts, anyone?

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Timbo9876 said:
Has anyone had good success reflowint the CPU? I watched Computer booter popcorn the motherboard when he performed the reflow. I ask because I have had good success using naked snakes pressure mod to not only to lower CPU temps but also reconnect solder balls (I use a little more pressure). I have one that has currently has lasted over 8 months with over 60 hours of game play, and there is no sign of it giving up.

So is it worth doing a reflow when this pressure mod to date hasn't failed, and I have performed this mod on 6 consoles?

Any thoughts, anyone?

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Heat expansion over time, heating up and cooling down all the time creates stress. Then the solder were ever it is , gets pressure from heat or cold, also corrosion, then looses contact. I like your method saves a lot of fooking around . I like the quick fix. More time for gaming less time for repair. But as a hobby it's all good fun!....reflow it properly. If that is your only option. Pre heat mother board first. To get rid of moisture. Moisture is your enemy when reball or reflow, but when you reflow I think the loss of contact from solder gets worse. So I would guess that the pressure trick you are using. Compensate 's for the loss of contact whether you reflow or not, so it seems from your stated experience you are maybe getting better results . It all a crap shoot.:sfun oldguy: :grenade:
 
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It's important to note that all the consoles have webman with a minimal of 32 percent fan speed.the consoles never goes above 59 degrees, and that was with 6 hours of game play playing TLOU.

I know this site wants me to repair rather than mod, but this works with no failures to date. So is it worth the risk of popcorning the motherboard when naked snakes pressure mod has a good long-lasting solution?



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I think the phrase if it isn't broke, dont fix it applies here. If it is working completely fine no issues over an extended peroid I would not bother going at it with a reflow as you'd just be adding a possible variable to what could speed up a possible failure.

If you have boards you want to experiment with then sure go for it, but it's rare I have seen an actual failure with the CELL CPU other than the usual loud fan because of poor thermal contact under the IHS.
 
Ah, but the 6 boards I have done this on all had solder ball connections issues under the CPU which caused graphic anomalies and GLOD. So they were most definitely broke, now all work with the oldest one being 8 months old with over 60 hours of gameplay racked up since the pressure mod away applied.

My question is, why do a reflow with the risk of popcorning the board when this mod to date has not failed.

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Lol sometimes it's the simple mods that make such a difference to the way the console performs. Naked snakes CPU pressure mod makes a huge difference to temperatures. Now this mod (with a little more pressure) boots consoles with GLOD. And poor computer booter popcorned the board after hours of work only to end up with a brick. I have videos in other posts if this ever happens to your console, showing how this is achieved.



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I think it largely comes down to a users skill level and equipment. The pressure mod you are describing is acceptable if you don't have a BGA rework station/skill to carry out a proper reball and just want a fix so to speak. Is it something I would do to a customer console no way as I don't feel confident I could warranty that.

Reflowing is kinda in the same ballpark due to it not being a long term fix in my opinion. My personal console was resurrected with a profiled reflow and has been fine for 3-4 years but again not something I could warranty as it's just to inconsistent to be sure how long it'd last.
 
Yep, but until I see this mod fail, and it hasn't yet, then in my opinion, this is better and safer than a reflow. Even if you wanted to lift the CPU and do a reball, it carries the risk of damage to the MB. And everyone I have spoken to about it says that a reflow is fifty fifty and a failed reflow can leave the MB useless.

Peace [emoji3577]

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Cool, if you are happy to put a seal of approval on it then go for it. Be interested to know the outcomes when a larger amount have been done.
 
I now piggyback tantalum tokins onto the top side of the motherboard. I had two consoles turn off after a few hours of playing TLOU, and the sudden shutdown, followed by an instant boot when pressing the power button, showed me the CPU tokins could be on there way out so I piggyback two tantalum tokins on the CPU and one on the RSX. After this, no shutdowns, and I was able to play TLOU for 6 hours straight with no shutdowns. I now add the tantalums whenever I need to do this modification. I then got another GLOD console off eBay, and after adding the tantalum caps, I got no shutdowns after 3 hours of game play (TLOU)


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It's all explained in the link below, this is not a fix, it's a modification that addresses the issue of broken CPU solder balls connections. This must be used in conjunction with CFW operating webmans fan control. I would set the minimum fan speed to 35 percent to limit the possibility of motherboard warping.

 
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