When a laptop will not power on or a phone stops charging, many service centres quote for a complete motherboard replacement. That can cost almost as much as a new device. Chip-level repair is often a far cheaper alternative.
What is chip-level repair?
A motherboard is made up of hundreds of small components: power-management chips, charging ICs, capacitors, resistors, connectors and more. When a device fails, it is usually because one or a few of these parts have failed, not the whole board.
Chip-level (or board-level) repair means finding the exact faulty component and replacing it using precision tools such as microscopes, hot-air rework stations and micro-soldering equipment.
Board replacement vs chip-level repair
| Board replacement | Chip-level repair | |
|---|---|---|
| What is replaced | The entire motherboard | Only the failed component(s) |
| Typical cost | High | Usually much lower |
| Your data | May be lost if storage is on the board | Usually preserved |
| Availability | Depends on finding a matching board | Components are widely available |
Faults that chip-level repair can often fix
- Laptop or MacBook not powering on or not charging
- No display or no backlight
- Liquid damage and corrosion
- Phone or tablet charging IC and power faults
- Broken charging ports and connectors
- Gaming console HDMI port and power faults
- Failed control boards in appliances and AC units
If your device gets wet
- Switch it off immediately and do not try to turn it back on.
- Do not charge it.
- Do not put it in rice; it does not remove corrosion.
- Bring it to a repair technician as soon as possible. The sooner corrosion is cleaned, the better the chance of a full recovery.
Protect your data
Chip-level repair usually keeps your data intact because the storage is not replaced. Even so, keep regular backups. If a drive has already failed, data recovery may still be possible.
Chip-level repair in Qatar
IES Technology’s chip-level repair centre in Doha repairs laptops, MacBooks, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles and electronic control boards for customers across Qatar. Learn more about chip-level repair or request a diagnosis.