Ibook g4 repair?

My girlfriend has an iBook 12" G4. It looks like it's from around 2005? Anyway, it stopped working for her. Being the knight in shining armor (and interested in this kind of thing) I thought I would see if I could fix it for her.
SO. It stopped turning on for her. When she called apple support they had her reset the PRAM and PMU and then told her the logic board was fried and that she could send it in, but that it would probably be cheaper to just buy a new one. And the warranty had just run out. For awhile it boots sporadically, but when she moves it it crashes again. She also said that she could press on a spot next to the trackpad and it would work for awhile. She tossed it in a box and left it for awhile. When she came back to it a few months later it booted up for a short periods of time then died again and wouldn't boot anymore. I decide to get online to see if I can make it work somehow. I found the shim repair article and thought I'd give it a try. But when I opened it up the "problem chip" wasn't there. I tried turning the laptop on and pushing on different chips thinking it might just be in a different spot. At one point it booted, but the display was VERY dark. Then it would boot, with the bong and everything but with no display.
SO. Is it graphics card? And is it worth sending it in to be reballed? Or is it the GPU? If it is the GPU does that mean it is a lost cause?
I took it completely apart using ifixit.com. I'm not exactly sure what I was looking for. Maybe just something to jump up at me and say "fix me." For the most part ifixit was right on, but there were a few points that the laptop differed from what ifixit said. I assume this is just from different production years?
Any help would be nice. Thanks.
Barry

Hey bjobie,
Well all these guys are right but about different things. That Corey Arnold site is about U28 which is the spinning fan of death and if Superior does your reball he'll resolder that NC.
SO. Is it graphics card?
Yes most likely but in the iBook there is no graphics card it's integrated into the logic board.
And is it worth sending it in to be reballed?
Yes I've done 6 at this point.
Or is it the GPU? If it is the GPU does that mean it is a lost cause?
Same thing (GPU - Graphics Processor Unit) and it's not a lost cause. I reballed a 900 12" G3, ATI 7500 I think, anyway it died on the operating table (This happens and can happen ) so I found another one on eBay for $26 shipped. Superior swapped the chips and now that 900 is traveling all over the country with my client.
Oh as an addendum, make sure that chip is still working using the pressure test. I redid one that didn't come back with the pressure and I should have known that the chip was dead but went ahead anyway. I'm still looking for a replacement chip for that one.
Does the shim go underneath of the chip or directly on top of it, between it and the heat sink?
Well perhaps on the bottom under that chip which is the last in line from the CPU and has "ATI" on it. No one has worked out a comprehensive way to do this but since it's on top and under that huge heat spreader I figure from underneath. You could try it from on top but we're not sure about things under the heat sink being a good idea. That GPU doesn't need a lot of sinking but the danger would be messing up the sinking for the CPU and whatever that chip in the middle is.
I took it completely apart using ifixit.com. I'm not exactly sure what I was looking for.
I have better instructions. Email me, I'll need the exact size and CPU speed (on a label under the keyboard).
Richard
Message was edited by: spudnuty
Message was edited by: spudnuty

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    Michael,
    Mine has been back three times.
    If your iBook's logic board goes out again, I recommend that you call Apple and, instead of talking to Customer Support, immediately ask for Customer Relations. Be prepared with dates and details of your iBook's repair history, tell them you need a computer that is dependable, and your iBook just isn't. Then ask for a replacement. It has been known to happen.
    Good luck.

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