Tinkerer repairs broken GPU in oven

A defective graphics card is often a case of electronic waste. However, an unusual trick with the home oven can revive the hardware. This is now reported by a user with a previously defective Radeon RX 6700 XT.

Radeon graphics card in the oven

When a graphics card refuses to work, hobbyists often try everything. An example of this is now provided by a Reddit user with a defective AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT. After all conventional repair attempts failed, he resorted to an unconventional method as a final attempt. The GPU ended up in the oven at home at 188 degrees Celsius for twelve minutes.

The unusual measure allegedly led to success. After cooling down and reinstalling it into the computer, the hardware worked properly again. The only noticeable downside was a slight expansion of the thermal paste on the memory modules, resulting in a small bulge on the back.

Why this works

Like user AF-Newb in his Post on Reddit reported, the oven was the last resort. However, the idea behind heating electronics is not new in the IT world but has been known for a long time. In theory, small broken solder joints can be repaired in the oven. The high temperatures melt the tin on the circuit board and reconnect components. A well-known example from the past is the Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTX. The card was notorious for its enormous performance, but also for its high heat generation. Due to the constant switching between heating while playing and cooling down after switching off, small solder connections broke in rare cases. Many hobbyists back then also heated the hardware and were able to extend the life of their GPU.

However, before going into the kitchen, hobbyists have to completely disassemble the card. The cooler, all plastic parts and the thermal pads must be removed as they would melt at 188 degrees Celsius. Only the bare circuit board is allowed into the oven.

Risks and durability

Despite successful reports, experts strongly advise against carrying out such experiments in your own kitchen or other places. Anyone who heats electronics runs various risks that should not be ignored.

• Toxic fumes: Melting plastic and heated metals release gases that are harmful to health.
• Contamination: The oven should then no longer be used to prepare food.
• Total loss: Temperatures that are too high can irreversibly damage important components on the circuit board.

The heat procedure is often only a temporary solution. Users usually only use the trick to get the hardware working one last time. As soon as the graphics card is exposed to normal temperature fluctuations during operation, the repaired soldering joints often break open again. So ‘baking’ your own GPU is not a real solution. Nevertheless, it remains a curious procedure that continues to amaze.