Microsoldering & Motherboard Repairs in London
Component-level motherboard repairs when replacing parts isn’t the answer. We fix the boards other shops call unrepairable — under the microscope, at our London workshop.
The parts we replace are this small
Board-level repair means fitting and soldering components you can barely see. The smallest part we replace is a 0201 — six tenths of a millimetre long.
At the 45× magnification we work at, that 0201 looks about as wide as a £2 coin.
- Grain of rice ≈ 6 mm
- Sesame seed ≈ 3 mm
- 0402 resistor 1.0 × 0.5 mm
- 0201 resistor 0.6 × 0.3 mm
- BGA solder ball 0.3 mm
Why Repair the Motherboard?
When manufacturers quote a full board replacement, we fix the actual failed component instead.
Microsoldering Precision
Components smaller than rice grains, worked at up to 45x magnification with precision soldering tools and hands trained over years.
Data Preservation
Unlike a board swap, component repair keeps your data intact — no backups or transfers needed. We also offer professional data recovery when it’s needed.
A Fraction of the Cost
Fixing the failed component typically costs far less than the full board replacement manufacturers suggest.
Less Electronic Waste
One repaired board saves the materials and energy of manufacturing a new device — repair is the greener option.
Motherboard Components We Repair
Select a component to see what fails, how we repair it, and what to expect.
Power Management IC Repairs
The heart of your device’s power system. When these fail, nothing works — and microsoldering is often the only way to replace them.
Common power IC failures
- CD3217 (MacBook USB-C) — won’t charge after a wrong adapter
- Tristar / Hydra (iPhone) — bootloop, no charging detection
- ISL9239 (laptop charging) — battery not recognised
- TPS51980A (power delivery) — random shutdowns
- Board-level fix
- Data untouched
- 6-month warranty
CPU & Chipset BGA Reballing
Heat cycles crack solder joints under processors. We remove, reball, and reinstall with precision.
BGA chips we service
- Intel PCH — platform controller hub failures
- AMD chipsets — system instability issues
- Apple T2 — security chip repair and restoration
- Qualcomm / MediaTek — phone processor repairs
BGA reballing process
- Thermal profiling and preheating
- Chip removal under controlled heat
- Old solder cleaning and pad preparation
- Stencil alignment and solder paste application
- Ball formation and chip replacement
- Microscope inspection and functional testing
Memory & Storage — Repair and Upgrade
From soldered RAM to phone storage chips — we repair, replace, and upgrade components others call “unrepairable.”
Memory & storage services
- LPDDR4/5 RAM — MacBook and ultrabook memory repair
- eMMC / UFS — phone storage replacement
- SSD controller — data recovery and repair
- NAND flash — direct chip transplant
- RAM / storage upgrades — soldered memory and storage capacity upgrades
We also upgrade soldered RAM and storage on laptops and phones. We’ll quote you upfront so you can decide whether the upgrade makes sense for your device. Donor board library available for rare configurations.
GPU Reballing & Thermal Solutions
Graphics chips run hot. Solder joints fail. We restore full contact and upgrade the cooling.
GPU services
- Gaming laptop GPUs — dedicated NVIDIA and AMD chips
- MacBook dGPU — AMD Radeon Pro series
- Desktop cards — high-end GPU revival
- Thermal optimisation — liquid metal and full repaste
Typical thermal result
Liquid Damage Recovery
Water, coffee, wine — we’ve seen it all. Quick action saves devices. Learn more about our liquid damage repair service.
Our 5-step protocol
- Emergency teardown — complete disassembly to stop the damage spreading
- Ultrasonic cleaning — remove all contamination
- Microscopic inspection — identify corroded components
- Microsoldering repair — replace what corrosion destroyed
- Protective coating — guard against future damage
Timing matters. Brought in within the first couple of days, most liquid-damaged boards are recoverable. After a week, corrosion has usually spread and the odds drop sharply — so don’t wait, and don’t power it on.
Port & Connector Reconstruction
Ripped charging ports, damaged display connectors — we rebuild them from PCB level up.
Port repairs
- USB-C / Thunderbolt — full trace reconstruction
- HDMI / DisplayPort — pin-level repair
- Audio jacks — 3.5mm port replacement
- FPC connectors — display and keyboard ribbons
Beyond simple replacement. When ports are torn from boards, we rebuild PCB traces, recreate pad connections, and reinforce mounting points so the repair lasts.
BIOS & Firmware Recovery
Failed updates, corrupted firmware, forgotten passwords — we restore boot capability.
BIOS services
- BIOS recovery — failed update restoration
- ME region repair — Intel Management Engine
- Password removal — BIOS/UEFI unlock for verified owners
- Chip programming — direct SPI flash
Professional tools. Dedicated programmers, SOIC clips, and custom firmware extraction — read, repair, and rewrite at chip level.
Capacitor & VRM Repairs
Individual component failures cause system instability. We replace them at component level.
Component repairs
- Blown capacitors — polymer and ceramic replacement
- MOSFETs — power stage failures
- Voltage regulators — multi-phase VRM
- Inductors — coil whine solutions
Miniature work. Down to 0201-size parts (0.6mm × 0.3mm) — smaller than a sesame seed.
12 Years at the Microscope
What board-level repair takes — and what we have built to do it properly.
Professional equipment
- AmScope 7x–45x trinocular microscope
- Jovy RE-8500 BGA rework station
- FLIR thermal imaging camera
- Rigol DS1054Z oscilloscope
- JBC NASE-2C soldering station
Trained for board work
- Technicians with years of board-level experience
- Continuous upskilling in new repair techniques
- Board schematic analysis
- Thermal and current-based fault tracing
Component inventory
- Common ICs and passives in stock
- Donor board library
- Genuine IC suppliers
- Same-day parts sourcing when possible
Board-Level Repairs We See Most
Typical board-level jobs, written up the way we record them. Outcomes and timelines are representative.
Phones
-
Went in a drink, then stopped charging
Checked before any power went near it — powering a wet board is what turns a repair into a write-off. Stripped, ultrasonically cleaned, then the parts corrosion had reached were replaced at component level. Charging restored · storage untouched
-
Boot loop, with everything still on it
The handset mattered less than what was on it, so the storage came first. Worked at board level to reach it rather than wiping and starting again. Contents recovered
-
Charging only worked if you held the cable
A worn charging port is soldered to the board, so this is microsoldering rather than a plug-in part. Replaced it on the board and renewed the battery while the phone was open. Charges normally · one visit
-
Nothing after a spill
Liquid had bridged the power section. Full clean first, then the power rails traced stage by stage to find what had actually failed. Back in use
Laptops & 2-in-1s
-
Soup went into the keyboard
Corrosion keeps spreading for as long as the board stays dirty, so the clean comes before anything else. Ultrasonic bath, then component-level repair everywhere the liquid had reached. Board saved · storage untouched
-
USB-C ports had stopped working
The ports had failed but the board around them was sound. Replaced them on the motherboard instead of fitting a new board, which is the usual quote for this fault. Original board kept
-
Random black screens that nothing explained
The owner had already ruled out RAM, battery, charger and thermal paste. Once swapping parts runs out, the only step left is diagnosing the board itself. Cause found
-
Posted in after a spill, from outside London
Assessed on arrival before any power was applied, then given a full liquid-damage clean. Sent in and returned by courier, so the whole job ran without a visit. Returned · no visit needed
Desktops & consoles
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Powers up, but nothing reaches the screen
Fans and lights ran, which rules out the power supply and points at the board. Traced the failing stage first so nothing was bought on a guess. Diagnosed before any parts were bought
-
Would not turn on
Small-form machines put everything on one board, so there is nothing to swap out and test. Diagnosed the board directly to find which stage had stopped. Fault located
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No power at all
Nothing was reaching the power rails. Traced the power section under the microscope rather than replacing the board, which is what a dead console usually gets quoted. Repaired, not replaced
-
Would not start after a knock
Handhelds take impact through the board, not just the shell. Inspected under magnification for cracked joints and parts knocked out of position. Fault located
Drones & drives
-
Camera gimbal stopped holding steady
Gimbal faults usually sit in the control board or its ribbon rather than the motors. Checked those first so the gimbal was not replaced on spec. Diagnosed without swapping the gimbal
-
Drive stopped spinning up
No power was reaching the drive, and the fault was on its own small board rather than the mechanism. Worked on the board and left the sealed part sealed. Powered up again
Recognise your device in any of these? Tell us what it is doing. Board faults have to be found before they can be priced, so we start with an assessment and quote the repair once we know what it actually needs. Get a Quote
Motherboard Repair Questions
Everything you need to know about board-level repairs.
Common signs your device needs component-level repair:
- Won’t power on despite a charged battery
- Random shutdowns or restarts
- Charging issues after a port replacement
- Overheating without heavy use
- Other repair shops declared it “unrepairable”
Our diagnostics service (£39–49) reveals whether component-level repair can help. The assessment fee is credited towards your repair cost if you proceed.
Most repair shops only replace modular parts — screens, batteries, ports. We use microsoldering to repair the actual failed components on the circuit board itself.
We’ve invested in professional microsoldering equipment worth £50,000+, maintain an extensive component inventory, and continuously train our technicians to work under the microscope.
Yes — and the sooner you bring it in, the better the odds. Most boards brought in within the first couple of days are recoverable; corrosion spreads quickly after that.
Our process includes ultrasonic cleaning, replacing corroded components, and applying protective conformal coating. Even older liquid damage can sometimes be repaired.
Learn more about our liquid damage service.
Diagnostics take 1–3 working days. Once you approve the quote, the repair itself typically takes another 1–3 days depending on complexity, plus a day for testing and quality control.
Rush service is available for critical repairs. We provide an accurate timeline after the initial assessment.
Yes — 6 months warranty on all component-level repairs, covering the specific components we repaired. If the same fault returns, we fix it free.
The warranty excludes new issues, physical damage, or liquid damage occurring after the repair.
Our core service is motherboard repair — restoring devices to full working condition. We don’t offer modifications as a standard service, as each mod requires dedicated preparation, sourcing specific parts, and often learning a new method.
That said, we’re open to individual enquiries. If you understand that this type of work may require several hours of research and labour at our rate of ~£85/hour, we’re happy to discuss your project.
For bulk or ongoing collaboration, we’re confident we can find an arrangement that works for both sides.
Our labour rate is £85/hour, and most board repairs take 2–4 hours. Components are charged at cost +20%.
The initial assessment (£39–49) is credited towards your total if you proceed, and you get a fixed quote before any repair starts — typically far below the manufacturer’s replacement price. Get a quote for your device.
You only pay the assessment fee (£39–49). We’ll explain our findings and why repair isn’t viable.
We can often still recover data even if the device can’t be fully repaired. A small share of boards have damage beyond economic repair — and we’ll tell you honestly when that’s the case.
Yes. Component-level repair doesn’t require data erasure — your storage remains untouched throughout the process.
We can even prioritise data recovery if the device can’t be fully repaired. All work is done in a secure facility with CCTV monitoring.
Book a diagnostic appointment at one of our London locations, or use our mail-in service if you’re outside the area.
We’ll assess your device, explain the issue, and provide a fixed quote. No obligation to proceed — the diagnostic fee is credited if you approve the repair.
We serve customers across London — walk into our Wimbledon workshop at 136 Kingston Road, SW19 1LY, or use our nationwide mail-in service.
You can send your device securely via courier from anywhere in the UK. Same expert service regardless of how you reach us.
How Pricing Works
How the cost is built up, and when you get a firm price.
Cost Structure
Professional diagnostics: £39 standard, £49 if previously serviced elsewhere. Takes 1–3 working days. Non-refundable, but credited towards the total repair cost if you proceed.
Experienced microsoldering technicians. Most repairs take 2–4 hours. Rush service available.
Genuine parts from authorised suppliers, backed by our own stock and donor board library.
6 months on labour; parts carry 6–12 months depending on the supplier. Same fault returns — we fix it free.
What Affects the Price
- Fault complexity A blown capacitor is a quick job; a multi-rail short after liquid damage takes hours of tracing.
- Component availability Common ICs are in stock; rare chips may need sourcing or a donor board.
- Device access Some boards take minutes to reach, others need a full teardown before work can start.
- Turnaround Standard service is the best value; rush service for critical repairs costs more.
The assessment tells us what the board actually needs. Only then can we put a firm price on it — and no repair begins until you have that price and have agreed to it.
Need Motherboard Repair in London?
We find the fault first, then price the repair. Nothing starts until you have approved that price.
- Expert Analysis
- 6-Month Warranty
- Clear Timelines
- Priced After Diagnosis
- 1000+ reviews
- 220k+ devices repaired
- Data preserved