GTX 580 VGA Hotwire not working

[Phatboy]

Please make sure you pull down the old PDF and try and find other copies and ask them to be pulled down. Others may not be so lucky or forgiving if they Fubar their cards!

Here's my current build if you interested in what im doing! Thanks for your help!

http://forums.overclockers.com.au/sh....php?t=1009628
Theres also a full build log with my old UD9.
http://forums.overclockers.com.au/sh...d.php?t=976135

[Shammy]

ya i did right away sorry about the fubar

[Phatboy]

Think you missed one of my questions...

"One other thing, the Vcore Adjust solder pad is very fragile and one has started to lift. Is there another safe termination point if it breaks and would I need to make a jump wire to repair the circuit where the pad was, if it breaks right off?"

[Shammy]

yes one side of the below green resistor is directly connected to the vcore adj pad, do a continuity check with a multimeter to see which side and use that side if you dont wanna use the pad

[Phatboy]

Hi Shammy,

Im not having much luck with the repair.
The original working board now has a damaged Vcore adjust pad and I tried the resistor you marked above but it hasnt worked. Can you please advise what alternatives I have.
I believe with the missing Vcore adjust pad the circuit is now open and needs a repair bridging wire, but I cant tell where the pad goes to, Ive tried to trace it but Im just not sure.

Ive ordered proper 0402 SMD's that will be here in a week so Im just going to try and get 1 board going again until they arrive.

[Shammy]

1 you mean that card boots fine just that you cant use vcore adjust due to pad broken
OR
2 card cannot boot due to pad broken?

lets just focus on 3 green dots at the below picture



the trace should run from the left green dot to the middle green dot to the right green dot. Middle green dot = broken pad.
so now just solder a wire to join left green dot to right green dot since middle green dot is borken
notice that the right green dot is a pad of the resistor you want to remove for vcore adjust. thus with the greendots connect wire repair you will do, you can use any point on this 'greendots connect wire' to do vcore adjust as well.

Now this time please have a steadying tape or something so that you dont yank off a solder pad again.

[Phatboy]

Originally Posted by Shammy

1 you mean that card boots fine just that you cant use vcore adjust due to pad broken
OR
2 card cannot boot due to pad broken?

lets just focus on 3 green dots at the below picture



the trace should run from the left green dot to the middle green dot to the right green dot. Middle green dot = broken pad.
so now just solder a wire to join left green dot to right green dot since middle green dot is borken
notice that the right green dot is a pad of the resistor you want to remove for vcore adjust. thus with the greendots connect wire repair you will do, you can use any point on this 'greendots connect wire' to do vcore adjust as well.

Now this time please have a steadying tape or something so that you dont yank off a solder pad again.

Thanks Shammy I really appreciate your assistance!
The card fails to register in bios, I assume because its now "open circuit" until I repair the trace.
I have tied the wire through the rear top hole on the card to secure it and hot glued it down. The cable tension isnt really the issue, the Gigabyte cards seem to have really poorly adhered pads/tracks and they probably use lower temp solder. Im using a Hakko 936 soldering station with fine tip set at 350C and only touching the pads for 3-4secs (or less) and they sometime start to peel or lift without any cable tension. Using fine .71 lead based solder (lower melting temp than the tin based) Im also using a flux pen to aid in even clean melt. Do you have any other advice for how to avoid the lifting pad issue? Ive even re-tinned the iron tip with a re-tipping repair.

Anything else you can think of to make this as clean a job as possible?
Perhaps a lower temperature or specific SMD solder or paste?
Should I pre-heat the board to 150c to prevent a bit of thermal shock?

[Shammy]

you sound liek u know what u're doin, maybe too fine a trace, and u need to lower heat... a finer wire will usually exert less strain on a pad too.

[Phatboy]

Yeah Thanks Shammy, the standard fine multi-strand front panel reset/power type wire is more flexible but a little too thick and doesnt hold its shape as well, where as the single strand breadboard type hookup wire is a good size and solders better but its also stiffer (not so good) but it holds it shape better (good).... So its a toss up. I think Ill stick to the stiffer single strand for the main wire runs and get some smaller resin coated fuse type wire for the repair work.

What do you think?

[Shammy]

see as you deem fit, you can probably use your gut feel when you twang the wire in your fingers.