I've got a Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 1 that was booting and running fine until I noticed that flexing the chassis causes the screen to turn to static and the system to crash. Initially, I was dealing with boot loops and graphical artifacts, but after some troubleshooting—like reseating the RAM—it's now running solid unless I bend it. I'm wondering if this damage could be due to cracked BGA joints or something similar. I want to repurpose it as a home server, so I'm looking for advice on potential repairs. Specifically, have I missed anything? Has anyone successfully fixed this kind of issue without replacing the entire motherboard? Is microsoldering worth it, or is my board essentially unusable? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
1 Answer
If you don't have experience with motherboard reflowing, I'd recommend just getting a used motherboard instead. They're not too expensive compared to fixing it, and it'll save you a lot of hassle. If you do have an old toaster oven you can use for a DIY reflow, just know it's pretty hit-or-miss and could even cause more damage, so proceed with caution! Good luck!
True, but for the P1 Gen 1, the used boards can still be pricey—like 300 euros or more! I hear you on the hassle part; maybe consider exploring other options for a dedicated PC instead!