global Laptop and motherboard repair tutorial | Page 47

Okay, now back to the GPU and why/how it can cause Power Issues with the laptop.
Typically a motherboard will have a Northbridge chipset, a Southbridge chipset and a GPU
chipset (3 Separate IC Chips), though the need for smaller and thinner laptops has led to newer
technology parts and components. A lot of laptops will integrate the Southbridge chipset and the GPU
into one IC chip. A good example is the HP DV series, which mainly used an AMD/NVidia or
Intel/ATI Chipset. The AMD/NVidia IC would use integrated Southbridge/GPU on about half of the
models released. If the heat-sink only has one additional cooling thermal pad (besides the CPU pad),
then chances are the GPU and Southbridge chipsets are integrated. If the heat-sink has 2 additional
thermal cooling pads, the one closest to the CPU would be the GPU and the furthest is typically the
Southbridge chipset. The Northbridge does not produce heat.
The CPU is one of the most stable components in a laptop and there will be no need to discuss
any repair to that part in this book. They can “fail” though and if a replacement CPU is readily
available, you can try exchanging just to rule out the CPU. But chances are, it is not the CPU that
is causing the issue (unless you installed an incompatible one).
The GPU connects to the motherboard using a BGA (ball grid array) connection; this is a
connection that does not allow for physical removal of the chip without special equipment (rework
machine or similar)