How to Reball a South Bridge Motherboard IC
Many people are fearful of poking around too much in the internals of a computer, thinking that they might break something. But for those computer owners willing and able to venture in, it is entirely possible to make upgrades and fixes yourself. Reballing, or resoldering, a faulty chip, such as the South Bridge IC, for instance, can be done with common equipment that some people have around the house, and can significantly improve a faulty chip connection if done right.
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Things You'll Need
- Screwdriver
- Aluminum foil
- Exacto knife
- Canadian Loonie
- Solder
- Egg timer
- Heat gun
Instructions
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1
Turn off the computer and remove the power cord from the wall outlet. Take off the side panel of the computer case. This may require a screwdriver, depending on the design of your case. Lay the computer on its side, on a level surface, with the motherboard facing up. A level surface is important, because if there is a significant slope where you are working, the South Bridge chip may slide while the solder is malleable.
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2
Identify the South Bridge IC. The location will vary, depending on the design of your motherboard, but the South Bridge IC is typically connected to the PCI and USB slots.
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3
Pull out enough aluminum foil to cover the entire motherboard. Cut this section of foil from the main roll and create three more sections the same size. Lay them all on top of each other, with the sides flush, and fold an inch of each corner over, so that the four sheets will stay together.
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4
Lay the foil, which is your heat shield, over the motherboard. Locate the South Bridge IC through the heat shield, and make an impression of it in the foil with your fingers by pressing down gently.
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5
Cut out the impression you made with an Exacto knife, and lay the heat shield on top of the motherboard again, so that the South Bridge IC pokes through the hole. Ensure that the entire South Bridge IC is coming through the hole. If it is not, enlarge the hole so that it is.
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6
Lay a Canadian Loonie, or a round piece of metal of similar size, on top of the South Bridge IC. Place a small chunk of solder on top of the coin.
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Set the egg timer for 20 minutes and start it.
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8
Put the heat gun on a low setting and start with it a foot away from the motherboard, with the heat gun pointed directly at the South Bridge IC. Slowly begin to lower the heat gun, over a 10-minute period, so that you end up 3 inches away from the South Bridge IC.
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Once the solder on the coin is flowing, watch 60 seconds elapse on the egg timer, and slowly start to pull the heat-gun back over a 10-minute period, to the original height of 1 foot. This slow lowering and raising is so that the motherboard does not suffer any heat shock, and it is an important part of the process.
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10
Remove the coin and the heat shield, and allow the South Bridge IC to fully cool.
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Replace the side panel, stand the computer back up and plug its power cord back into the socket. Turn it on to ensure that your reball was successful.
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References
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