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Comment by zero_iq | Hacker News Reader

Maybe cold solder on a component on the mobo. Heat expands the joint slightly making a connection, cold temperature makes the contact points contract away from each other, breaking the connection. I had a similar issue with an LCD dashboard display in my car, resoldering fixed it.

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The temp threshold reported (60F) seems too high for this to be a mechanical issue. I'd put my money on some marginal circuitry, probably in the PSU or on-board DC/DC converters, or perhaps a crystal -- they're wily things. I suppose it could also be "bad silicon".

Anyhow, time to break out a can of freezer spray. For those without a Fry's handy you can substitute compressed air cans (available at Staples and Costco), if inverted so as to spray the propellant. Except I didn't tell you to do that if you end up giving yourself a frostbite.

A lot of people don't realize how fragile semiconductors are with regards to reliability. It takes a TON of work to get a virgin part ready for "production." There's huge pressure to get it out the door and it goes out working "just enough." Semiconductors parts are held together by tons of "bubble gum and bailing wire" hacks to keep them operational over wide temperature swings.

I'd just add that you get what you pay for. There's no bubble gum hacks keeping your ISPs networking gear forwarding packets when their air con fails and the inlet temperature hits 50C. Or when it goes the other way (to a lesser degree).That's the higher spec they are engineered to meet.

I had a loose SMD chip in an old phone which I fixed by jamming cardboard from a pack of Fig Newtons between the case and the logic board. I recommend choosing a bit without the filling on.

Thats exactly what Apple does to their refurbs! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaGHcBZjmWA

Yep, came here to suggest cold solder too. Would be entirely unsurprising.

Could also be a cracked trace of some sort. Either way a good smack can really help. All those movies where they hit the console and it comes back to life aren't too far off.

Oh yeah. Also misseated RAM or PCI/graphics card (in desktops) can do the same. A couple of times after car trips I 'fixed' my old desktop with a judicious slap on the side of the case.

I once used a CRT monitor at school where the picture would spontaneously lose color. A good smack always fixed it... for about 30 seconds. It became a reflex - work work work work SMACK work work work work SMACK work work work...

I've heard a similar story. Old colleague had been introduced to a computer with same problem and fix. He looked at it for a while then reached behind it and seated the cable properly and the problem went away. Turns out there's an actual reason vga-cables had those screws.

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