Everyone told me to replace that 2015 MacBook Pro logic board, but I spent 2 hours reflowing the GPU and it's still running fine 8 months later.

I know everyone says reflowing is just a temporary fix, but for a client who couldn't afford a $700 board swap, it was the right call and it's held up through a Chicago winter and summer so far, so when do you decide a 'band-aid' fix is actually good enough?

4 comments

4 Comments

kevin_lane27d ago

Honestly, the "right" fix is whatever gets the machine working for the person using it. If a $50 reflow buys another year or two of use for someone on a tight budget, that's a win. I've seen "permanent" board swaps fail in six months too. It's all a gamble, but sometimes the cheap band-aid outlives the patient's need for the device anyway.

spencerross26d ago

Ever try a fix so bad it makes the original problem look good?

rosecarr27d ago

Band-aids just make the real problem worse later.

abby_fisher18d ago

Ever tried just cleaning the contacts with a pencil eraser?