Member Avatar for Sam_E

Over the summer my computer developed a weird problem where it would turn on to a gray screen, turn off and turn back on, do that a few times till the logo finally came up. I did some troubleshooting, couldn't figure out what it was, and eventually it stopped happening.

Since then maybe once every two weeks it would do the same thing on start up, but once I finally got into windows, everything ran perfectly. I asked around and no one seemed to have any answers.

Well tonight I got home after a long day of class, with a ton of work I needed to do, only to run into the problem again. Main issue this time was I couldnt get it to go on for the life of me. Frustrated (and going through a massive cold I might add) I tore into the laptop. I switched out RAM, tried different slots, reseated everything, reconnected all the wires there were to no avail. When I finally unscrewed the heatsink from my vid card, I noticed two of the soldered metal fasteners that the screws go into to secure themselves into the mobo had snapped off. So now my vid card is sittilg attached only by 2 screws instead of 4. Now after a break I decided to see if the problem could possibly be caused by a poor connection from by card to my mobo, so I booted it up while holding my vid card tight against the mobo and behold it started.

The reason I'm posting here is I still find the problem weird. Once the computer booted up I flipped it up and over to re screw it in and there were no issues. I figured if it was lose the computer would boot down if it lost the connection again. If anyone has any insight into possibly what the exact problem this is, it would be most appreciated. I uploaded a video to youtube so other people could see first hand what happens:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlBg370udOg

  • 2 Contributors
  • 1 Reply
  • 144 Views
  • 6 Days Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by c-tech

Dani AI

Generated

The symptoms you described are most consistent with an intermittent mechanical/electrical contact between the GPU/heatsink assembly and the motherboard. The fact that holding the assembly in place temporarily cures the problem points toward a loose mount, damaged board posts, or a cracked solder joint rather than a pure software fault. ’s suggestion about overheating is worth keeping in mind because heat cycling is a common cause of fastener failure and solder fatigue.

Immediate steps to take (safe, non-destructive):

  • Back up important files before further testing.
  • Work with the battery unplugged and the machine grounded (ESD precautions).
  • Use a bright light and magnifier to inspect the board around the mounting posts and the GPU connector for cracked solder, lifted pads, or torn traces.
  • With the chassis open, try a controlled pressure test: gently apply pressure in different spots (near the connector, near the heatsink posts) while attempting a boot to localize where contact fixes the fault. That helps distinguish a connector/edge contact issue from a solder/BGA crack.
  • Clean the card/slot contacts with high‑purity isopropyl alcohol and a lint‑free swab if oxidation is present.

Repair/mitigation options and cautions:

  • Don’t run the laptop with missing or loose mounting points — heatsink misalignment risks overheating. For a temporary clamp use non‑conductive shims or nylon washers to restore even clamping force only until a proper repair is made. Avoid improvised metal shims that could short components.
  • Short‑term fixes: replace broken standoffs with correct OEM or M2 standoffs and use high‑temp nylon washers. Long‑term fixes: replace the damaged chassis part or have a board‑level repair shop replace broken posts or repair BGA solder joints. Reflow/reball is a specialist job and risky as a DIY.
  • While you’re inside, clean fans, replace thermal paste/pads if necessary, and verify fan operation (echoing ’s overheating point).

If the controlled‑pressure test shows the problem is fixed only by pressure over the GPU BGA area, treat it as a likely solder/joint issue and seek professional rework. If pressure only at the screw locations cures it, repairing the mounting points and restoring proper heatsink torque is the priority.

Member Avatar for c-tech

it seems you already figured out your problem man. but if it starts again then there might be some issues with the video card overheating and this may have been the cause of the two screws becoming loose.

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.