RTO2000 RAM Artifacts

[jjoonathan]

Biggest technical lessons to fall out of this:

* RTO club is 0/2 on reflows but 8/9 on reballs. I would have expected reflows to be less risky than reballs, especially when done by someone without prior experience, but the numbers argue heavily (as heavily as they can with small N) for the opposite.

* Check the resistances of your main power rails before you apply power. Write them down before your reflow/reball and check them afterwards. Save yourself some trouble 

[nctnico]

Biggest technical lessons to fall out of this:

* RTO club is 0/2 on reflows but 8/9 on reballs. I would have expected reflows to be less risky than reballs, especially when done by someone without prior experience, but the numbers argue heavily (as heavily as they can with small N) for the opposite.

To be honest I wouldn't have gone for reballing but just apply liquid flux and do the reflow. After all, there is enough solder present already. I have had some successes with reflowing BGAs this way. I do the heating in stages where I let the solvent evaporate from the flux first and then crank up the heat (hot air) quickly to bring the board and component over the melting temperature of the solder.

However, it is nice you managed to get a new mainboard without flattening your wallet any further.