REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN

Peace-Work-Fatherland Paix-Travail-Patrie
MINISTRY OF HIGHER EDUCATION MINISTERE D’ENSIEGNEMENT SUPERIEUR

TRUSTECH HIGHER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOY AND

PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT – BUEA (T.H.I.T.P.M)
COMPUTER ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

A REPORT SUBMITTED TO TRUSTECH HIGHER INSTITUTE

OF TECHNOLOGY AND PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT IN PARTIAL
FULFILMENT FOR THE AWARD OF A HIGHER NATIONAL DIPLOMA
(HND) IN HARDWARE MAINTENANCE
PRESENTED BY
NAME: ETA NDIP ELTON EGBE
ACADEMIC SUPERVISOR
Mr. IVO CHU NKUM
FIELD SUPERVISOR
Mr. MARTIN FONJONG

APRIL 2018

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 DECLARATION

I Eta Ndip Elton Egbe declare that this report that is entitled

“MOTHERBOARD FAILURE IN COMPUTERS” is written solely by me as a

student of Trustech Higher Institute of Technology and Professional

Management (T.H.I.T.P.M).

Sign Date

ETA NDIP ELTON EGBE

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 CERTIFICATION

This is to certify that this report is the original work of Eta Ndip Elton Egbe

as a student of Trustech Higher Institute of Technology and Professional

Management (T.H.I.T.P.M). It is therefore approved for contribution to

knowledge and literary presentation.

Sign Date

Mr. Ivo Chu Nkum

(Academic Supervisor)

Sign Date

Mr Fai

(Assistant Director of Programs)

Sign Date

(President of Jury)

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 DEDICATION

This work is dedicated to my beloved mother Angwi Christina Manjoh.

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 AKNOWLEDGMENTS

First of all, I will like to thank the almighty God whose divine grace and mercy
guide me during this period of internship.

Secondly, this goes to my mother Mrs. Manjoh Christina who struggled hard
and endeavored that I went through my studies successfully.

Also, special thanks to my aunt Manjoh Elisabeth who always made sure my
educational finances are taken care of.

Next, lots of gratitude to my school (TRUSTECH) for it is through their

guidance and assistance in which I am in this level now.

Furthermore, I extend my gratitude to my field supervisor Mr. Martin Fonjong

who made it possible for me to successfully carry out my training.

And not forgetting my academic supervisor Mr. Chu Nkum who gave his time
and efforts, in addition to many good suggestions to ensure a quality text.

Lastly, I will like to thank Agbor Magdaline and also, those friends of mine
who contributed too. For without them, this project would not have been
successful or complete.

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 ABSTRACT
In this new world of technology, computers have made life easy and
comfortable with all sorts of entertainment. This has been driven up to an
extent of it being a necessity all around the world. Despite their functionalities
and capabilities, to carry out programed task, sometimes we often exceed the
capabilities of computers and when it is no longer capable of resisting, it fails
or gets bad. However, with that in mind, this book have identified most
common problems faced by many users, giving reasons why and also have
provided possible solutions to the problems.

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 Table of Contents
DECLARATION .............................................................................................. i
CERTIFICATION ............................................................................................ii
DEDICATION................................................................................................. iii
AKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................. iv
ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................... v
CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Background of study. .............................................................................. 2
1.2. Problem Statement ............................................................................... 5
1.3 Objective of the study........................................................................ 6
1.3.1. Main Objective ............................................................................ 6
1.3.2. Specific Objectives ......................................................................... 6
1.4. Significance of Studies ....................................................................... 6
1.5. Scope of Study ..................................................................................... 6
1.6. Research Question............................................................................... 7
1.7. Operational Definition ......................................................................... 7
CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction ..................................................................................................... 8
2.1. Maintenance ........................................................................................ 8
2.2 The Motherboard .................................................................................. 11
2.2.1. Different types of Motherboards .................................................... 12
2.2.2. Motherboard components ........................................................... 14

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 2.2.3. Causes of motherboard failure ....................................................... 17
2.3 . Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) .................................................... 20
2.3.1. Forms of Graphic Processing Unit (GPU) ................................... 22
CHAPTER THREE

INTERNSHIP ACTIVITIES

Introduction ................................................................................................... 24
3.1. Background of Study Area ................................................................... 24
3.1.1. ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE OF INTER-TECHNOLOGY
LTD ......................................................................................................... 26
3.2. Internship Activities ............................................................................. 27
3.2.1 Month One Activities ...................................................................... 27
3.2.2. Month Two Activities .................................................................... 31
CHAPTER FOUR

PRESENTATION ANALYSIS

Introduction ................................................................................................... 35
4.1. Comparing Between Practical and Theory ........................................... 35
4.2. Challenges faces by the institution as well as the intern ....................... 36
CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Introduction ................................................................................................... 38
5.1. Summary.............................................................................................. 38
5.2. Conclusion ........................................................................................... 38
5.3. Recommendations ................................................................................ 39
REFERENCE LIST ....................................................................................... 39

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 List of Figures

Figure 1.1 classifications of motherboards ..........................................................2

Figure 1.2. The ATX motherboard ......................................................................3
Figure 1.3 Micro ATX motherboard ...................................................................4
Figure 1.4 ITX motherboard ................................................................................5
Figure 2.1 The AT motherboard ........................................................................12
Figure 2.2 Motherboard for P1/P2 processors ...................................................13
Figure 2.3 A Pentium4 motherboards ................................................................13
Figure 2.4 Graphic Processor Unit ....................................................................21
Figure 2.5 Dedicated Graphic cards ..................................................................22
Figure 2.6 Integrated Graphic Card ...................................................................23
Figure 3.1 Organizational structure of Inter-technology ltd ..............................26

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 CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION

Introduction
Computers have touched every part of our lives, the way we work, the way we
learn, the way we live, even the way we play. It is almost impossible to go
through a single day without encountering a computer, a device dependent on a
computer, information produced by a computer, or a word that was introduced
or whose meaning has changed with the advent of computers. Because of the
significance of computers in today’s world, everybody is condemned to be part
of its innovations.

Computers are quite expensive and with all major purchases you probably want
to protect your investment. But if some acts are being neglected then, it could
result to the motherboard failure. Luckily, it is not difficult to keep your
computer healthy and in a good working order. As we know not all laptops and
desktops computers are made with the same properties and functionalities, so
not all can resist heat or handle heavy and multiple processes and because of
this the computer over heats and due to this overheating some components of
the motherboard fries up (gets bad). Sometimes, we the users of these
electronic machines exceed their limits without knowing. For this reason it is
very important to know the limits of the computers we use. That is why
Companies manufacturing computers make different types of computers and
according to the domain they are best in.

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Moreover, one thing we always forget is that, just like a car which needs
servicing once in a while, same as computers especially the laptop computers.
This process of servicing computers is known as preventive maintenance.

Preventive maintenance in computers means analyzing of the computer

hardware components and software too so as to check if the happen to be some
components which needs replacement and also to ensure that, the system keeps
functioning correctly. For the purpose of this project, my limitations have been
on some of the main reasons why most motherboards fail.

1.1 Background of study.

A motherboard or a system board is a printed circuit board which permits all
components to interconnect and also allowing them to communicate with each
other.
System boards are being classified or characterized by their form factors as
shown in figure 1.1.

Figure 1.1 classifications of motherboards

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There are so many types of motherboard form factors but here are examples of
the most commonly used nowadays.

A. Advanced Technology Extended (ATX)

The ATX motherboard has the processor and memory slots at right angles to
the expansion cards. This arrangement puts the processor and memory in line
with the fan output of the power supply, allowing the processor to run cooler.
And because those components are not in line with the expansion cards, you
can install full-length expansion cards in an ATX motherboard machine. ATX
are the primary motherboards in use today. An example is shown in figure 1.2.

Figure 1.2. The ATX motherboard

B. Micro Advanced Technology Extended (Micro ATX)

One form factor that is designed to work in standard ATX cases, as well as its
own smaller cases, is known as micro ATX. Micro ATX follows the same
principle of component placement for enhanced cooling over pre-ATX designs
but with a smaller footprint. For the compact use of space, you must give up

3
quantity: quantity of memory modules, quantity if motherboard headers,
quantity of expansion slots, quantity of integrated components, but even
through the same small-scale motherboard can fit into much larger cases, if
your original peripherals are still a requirement. However, that micro ATX
systems tent to be designed with power supplies of lower wattage, in order to
help keep down power consumption and heat production, which is generally
acceptable with the standard micro ATX suit of components. As more off-
board USB ports are added and larger cases are used with additional in-case
peripherals, larger power supplies might be required. An example is shown
below in figure 1.3.

Figure 1.3 Micro ATX motherboard

C. ITX (Information Technology Extended)

The ITX form factor is a series of low power consumption motherboards.

These mother board form factor were very small in size and consumed less
current. Due to this minimal consumption, it lead to less heat. These system

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boards were developed by VIA technologies in 2001. ITX motherboards are
shown below in figure 1.4

Figure 1.4 ITX motherboard

1.2. Problem Statement

With the way the world is driving closer and closer to technology,
computers which used to be used or meant only for specific purposes like
means of communication or other official activities have now become a
necessity. For this reason, people have begun using most functions of
computers. All these result to the growth of technology and modernization.

Moreover, despite all the multiple functionalities of a computer, so many

individuals do suffer or face problems with their computers either because of
ignorance or negligence which may lead to system problems or failure of the
motherboard. Having all this in mind this book identified most of the common
problems faced by many users , given the reasons why and have provided
possible solutions to the problems.

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1.3 Objective of the study

1.3.1. Main Objective

 Defining most common reasons and causes for motherboard failure in
computers (Desktops or laptops)

1.3.2. Specific Objectives

 To know how to prevent failure of the motherboard
 To be able to define problems on the motherboard
 To understand the various ways in performing a corrective repair on the
mother board

1.4. Significance of Studies

Just like a vehicle that we need to perform a routine of servicing on it to make
it keep working correctly, or if not then when it gets bad the expenses of
repairing could be very painful, expensive and strenuous.

Therefore the same concept goes to a computer too. If a computer is not being
taken for proper servicing from time to time then when problem arises and it
needs repairs the expenses could be more costly and strenuous than the process
of servicing the computer. For that reason this book will serve as a guide for
proper servicing and repairs to computers if and only the necessary tools
demanded are available, so as to avoid a failure in the motherboard.

1.5. Scope of Study

This work is organized in five chapters. The first chapter is the introduction to
this work. It covers problem statement, research questions, objective and
significance of the study.

The second chapter is the literature review. This part of the work presents the
theoretical aspect of Maintenance as well as repairs.

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The third chapter is on internship activities. This chapter focuses on the
background of the study area and the internship activities.

The fourth chapter is on presentation analysis. This is where comparison

between theory and practical in made. It also discusses on the challenges faces
by the institution as well as the intern.

The fifth chapter gives the summary, conclusion, and recommendations

1.6. Research Question

In accordance with the objective of the study, the following research questions
were posed to guide this research.

1. Why do so many computer users experience a failure in their computer

systems within a short period of time after purchase?
2. How can preventive maintenance and repair helps in reducing the
number of computer system failures or motherboard failures?

1.7. Operational Definition

 Diagnosis: For most PC repairs jobs, diagnosis is the first step. After all,
if you do not know what the problem is, you cannot fix it! Therefore in
other words diagnosis is the process of defining problems to be solved.
 Troubleshooting; This is a form of problem solving after diagnosis
often applied to repair failed devices, machines or products.

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 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction
This chapter defines as well as discusses the concept and importance of
maintenance in computer environment. It highlights the basic reasons and
principles of motherboard failure, the techniques and skills of avoiding
problems and maintenance on the motherboard, clearly defining and stating the
different types of motherboards and its components. Furthermore, in addition,
this chapter also defines the graphic chip known as the Graphic processor unit
(GPU) and how it can affect the motherboard if neglected or overheated.

2.1. Maintenance
Maintenance is a routine and reoccurring activity of keeping a particular
machine or facility at its normal operating condition so that it can deliver its
expected performance or service without causing any loose of time on account
of accidental damage or breakdown.

Once a computer is designed, fabricated and installed, the operational

availability of the same is looked after by the maintenance requirement. The
idea of maintenance is very old and was introduced along with inception of the
machine. In the early days, a machine (computer) was used as long as it
worked. When it stopped working, it was either repaired, services or discarded.

Computers needed to be properly maintained or serviced during their entire life

cycle for maximizing their availability and performance. The development of
mechanization and automation of computer systems and associated devices,

8
with the accompanying development of safety requirements, has made it
necessary for engineers to think about proper maintenance of equipment’s.

Maintenance is a function to keep the device condition by replacing or

repairing some of the components if the device. The maintenance concept is an
outline plan of how the maintenance function will be performed. Based on the
feedback obtained from the users and the history of the device, detailed
procedures are drawn to concretize the maintenance concept. Maintenance
function also involves looking after the safety aspect of certain equipment
where the failure if component may cause a major accident. For example, a
poorly maintained power supply may cause a serious accident.

A. Preventive maintenance or servicing on the motherboard

The best way to deal with problems is to preventing them from occurring

Good preventive maintenance program incorporates a comprehensive backup

plan, measures to secure the system against malicious exploits, periodic
hardware and software maintenance, and steps to maintain general system
tidiness. The goals of preventive maintenance are to reduce the likelihood of
hardware failures, extend the useful life of the system, minimize system
crashes caused by outdated drivers and other software problems, secure the
system against viruses and other malware, and prevent data loss.

The following section outlines the various preventive methods carried out to
avoid problems in the motherboard or prevent the motherboard from failing in
laptops or desktop.

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a) Always turn off and unplug the system before you clean any of its
components. Never apply any liquid directly to a component. Spray or
pour the liquid on a lint-free cloth, and wipe the PC with cloth.
b) Clean the case: wipe the case and clear its ventilation ports of any
obstructions. Compressed air is great for this, but do not blow dust into
the PC or its optical and floppy drives. Keep all cables firmly attached to
their connectors on the case.
c) Keep a neat keyboard: turn the keyboard upside down and shake it to
clear the crumbs from between the keys, or if an air compressor is
available, then it should be rather used. All this is to prevent tiny
particles of metals or liquid from short circuiting the motherboard. And
lastly avoid eating or drinking on the keyboard.
d) Check your power protection: reseat the cables plugged into your surge
protector. Check the unit’s warning indicator, if it has one. Surge
protectors may power your PC even after being compromised by a
voltage spike. So if your power protector doesn’t have a warning
indicator and your area suffers frequent power outages, replace it with
one that has such an indicator and is UL 1449 certified.
e) Cleaning the air outlet and fan of your pc: Most outlets of computers and
fans are always filled with dust, this is because dust circulates in the air
and the fan has to aspire cool air which will cool the heat sink and later
on send out hot air through the air outlet, so while the computer carries
out this cooling process, it aspire dust and dirt particles along with the
air it aspires to cool the computer. Because of all this factors , the fan
and air outlet have to be frequently leaned to avoid overheating

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 B. Corrective maintenance

The practice if preventive maintenance brings out the nature of repetitive

failures of a certain part of the devices. When such repetitive types of failures
are observed, corrective maintenance can be applied so that reoccurrence of
such failures can be avoided.

Corrective maintenance commonly referred to as “Repair”, can be defined as

the practice carried out to restore the full performance of components that have
stopped working to acceptable standards.

The goal of this form of maintenance is to restore operability to the system by

either correcting the problem or replacing the damaged components.

Common corrective measures involve removing viruses and malware,

uninstalling harmful programs, reformatting, and running a system restore. But
amongst all it is always advisable to replace components in the motherboard
rather than repairing them.

C. Predictive Maintenance

Predictive maintenance, are techniques that help determine the condition of in-
service equipment in order to predict when corrective maintenance should be
performed. Its primary goal is to minimize disruption of normal system
operations, while allowing for budgeted, scheduled repairs.

2.2 The Motherboard

The motherboard is the main component of any branded or assembled PC,
laptop, tablet or a mobile phone. Now you must be curious, why it is called the
motherboard? The motherboard is a Printed Circuit Board which acts as the
main platform for communication between all other components of a system.
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All the other computer parts are either directly installed or connected to
various motherboard components and all the data is transferred between them
through the motherboard.

2.2.1. Different types of Motherboards

AT Motherboards

The oldest of the main boards, these motherboards were used in earlier 286/386
or 486 computers. The AT means the board consists of advanced technology
(AT) power connectors. There are two power connectors of 6 pin each
mounted on the AT motherboards. The AT motherboards were available in the
early 80’s. An example is shown in figure 2.1

Figure 2.1 The AT motherboard

ATX Motherboards
The ATX motherboards started in 90’s and are still available. The ATX
connector on the motherboard consists of a single connector. These boards are
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used for P2/P3 or P/4 processors.

Motherboard for P1/P2 processors shown in figure 2.2

Figure 2.2 Motherboard for P1/P2 processors

Pentium4 motherboards as shown in figure 2.3

Figure 2.3 A Pentium4 motherboards

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2.2.2. Motherboard components
The motherboard consists of various components which have their own role to
play in the functioning of a computer. Let us discuss various motherboard
components and know their definition and role.

1. Expansion Slots
a) ISA slots: These were the oldest expansion slots in the history of
motherboards. They were found in AT boards and are identified by black
color. Conventional display cards or sound cards were installed in these
slots. The full form of ISA is Industry Standard Architecture and is a 16-
bit bus.
b) PCI Slots: The full form of PCI is Peripheral Component Interconnect.
The PCI slot is one of the important motherboard components today and
is vastly used to install add-on cards on the motherboard. The PCI
supports 64-bit high-speed bus.
c) PCI express: Also known as PCIe, these are the latest and the fastest
component of the motherboard to support add-on cards. It supports full
duplex serial bus.
d) AGP slot: Accelerated graphics port(AGP) is specifically used to install
a latest graphics card. AGP runs on a 32-bit bus and both PCIe and AGP
can be used to install high-end gaming display cards.
2. RAM(memory) slots
a) SIMM slots: The full form is a single in-line memory module. These
slots were found in older motherboards, up to 486-boards. The SIMM
supports 32-bit bus.

14
b) DIMM slots: The full form of DIMM is a Double inline memory
module. These are the latest RAM slots which run on a faster 64-bit bus.
The DIMM used on Laptop boards are called SO-DIMM.
3. CPU Socket
Another vital motherboard component is the CPU socket which is used
to install the processor on the motherboard. Some important sockets are
explained below.
a) Socket7: It is a 321 pin socket that supported older processors like Intel
Pentium 1/2/MMX, AMD k5/K6, and Cyrix M2.
b) Socket370: It is a 370 pin socket that supports Celeron processors and
Pentium3 processors.
c) Socket 775: It is a 775-pin socket that supports Inter dual core, and
Pentium4 processors.
d) Socket 1156: Found on latest types of motherboards, it is a 1156-pin
socket that supports latest Intel i-3, i-5 and i-7 processors.
e) Socket 1366: The socket is of 1366 pins and supports latest i-7 900
processors.
4. BIOS
The full form of BIOS is Basic Input Output System. It is a motherboard
component in the form of a Integrated chip. This chip contains all the
information and settings of the motherboard which you can modify by
entering the BIOS mode from your computer.
a) CMOS Battery
The battery or a cell is a 3.0 Volts lithium type cell. The cell is
responsible for storing the information in BIOS and the full form is
Complementary Metal Oxide Semi-Conductor.
5. Power Connectors
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 In order to receive power from SMPS, there are connectors mounted on
the motherboards.
a) AT connector: It consists of 2 numbers of 6 pin male connectors and is
found on old types of motherboards.
b) ATX connector: The latest in the series of power connectors, they are
either 20 or 24 pin female connectors. Found in all the latest types of
motherboards.

5. IDE connector

The Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) connectors are used to interface

disk drives. The 40-pin male connector is used to connect IDE hard disk
drives and the 34-pin male connector connects to Floppy Disk Drive.
6. SATA connector
Latest in the series, the connectors, Serial Advance Technology
Attachment (SATA) are 7-pin connectors to interface latest SATA hard
disks or optical drives. They are much faster than IDE interface.
7. Co-Processor
The co-processor is one of the important motherboard components and
helps the main processor in mathematical calculations and computer
graphics.
8. Cabinet connections
The cabinet in which the motherboard is installed has many buttons that
connect to the motherboard. Some of the common connectors are Power
Switch, Reset Switch, Front USB, Front Audio, Power indicator (LED)
and HDD LED.

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2.2.3. Causes of motherboard failure
When a motherboard fails, it means it is unable to carry out or perform its
normal operations. A motherboard could fail to power on or malfunction due to
some reasons which are being stated below;

1) Electrical Spikes and Surges

An electrical spike or surge is a short-lived burst of energy in an electric

circuit. This can be the result of power hungry appliances, problems with
wiring, problems with the power service outside the house, or the result of a
lightning strike. Lightning is the most reason of spike/surge motherboard
failure it will often go in through the Ethernet port and bypass a surge
protector. This sudden change of voltage can cause damage to the delicate
circuits in a motherboard. Connecting your computer to a power outlet that has
frequent fluctuations in electrical output may also cause damage to your
motherboard. Though at times immediate damage may not be visible, it may
harm the motherboard over time. To protect your motherboard from electrical
spikes, use a high quality surge protector that can neutralize the effects.
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to protect from lightning strikes.

2) Dust, Pet Hair and Debris

Dust pet hair and debris can be a sure motherboard killer. I can’t tell how
many times I see fans and fan basins clogged with dirt, dust, and debris. When
these things collect in your machine, they start blocking the air circulation that
keeps the machine cool. It is like harmful fat that blocks your arteries that
cause a heart attack. A computer intake pulls all these things in when the fans
rotate. This leads to blocking the airflow, which causes overheating.

3) Cigarette smoke

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Tar from cigarette smoke (it’s not the nicotine, by the way) is not good for your
health and also for the health of your computer. Cigarette smoke, when
combined with dust produces a sticky gooey substance inside a computer. It
smells bad and is also very difficult to remove. This tar can cause overheating
which may damage the motherboard. It is recommended that you have a
periodic schedule of cleaning the interior of your computer (at a qualified shop)
and try and keep it away from cigarette smoke.

4) Heating Issues

Overheating of the motherboard can occur if multiple operations are performed

simultaneously and power supply is continuous (give your computer a periodic
rest if gaming, watching videos, etc). Also, clogging of fans can cause a
motherboard to overheat. In some cases, overheating may also occur due to
fluctuations in power supply or in one of the parts of the motherboard circuit.
Finally, using a laptop in your lap or on another soft surface can cover up
intakes and exhaust fans causing your machine to heat up. Overheating can be
prevented by keeping the fan basins clear, giving your computer a rest after
heavy use, using your laptop in the cooler rooms in the house, and using it on a
cold hard surface. Temperature monitoring software can be installed to monitor
the temperature of your computer internally. For example, (Core Temp, Real
Temp, SpeedFan).

5) Impact or Spill

An accidental impact to your motherboard can cause severe damage to the

circuits which may cause motherboard failure. I have seen motherboards fail
immediately due to impact from drops. Spill damage is also quite common. I
have seen every type of liquid kill a motherboard instantly but thicker liquids

18
(e.g., milk) seems to be the worst. Spills can cause your motherboard to short
out instantly. Water can also cause damage to the different chips on your
motherboard causing your motherboard to fail. If you do spill something into
your laptop do NOT turn it on again and take it to a qualified computer repair
shop, immediately.

6) Manufacturer Design Defects

Motherboards are mass produced and there are chances that manufacturing
defects occur. Cheap motherboards also tend to fail more quickly. The
capacitors installed may be faulty and may cause problems. The bus
architecture of the board may have been engineered incorrectly and there might
be cooling issues. Most motherboards come with a warranty so it should take
care of expenses if problems arise during the warranty period, but that is often
only a year and doesn’t cover user generated problems, of course. Sometimes
the manufacturers admit to the faulty designs but usually not. Usually computer
repair shops can tell if there is a “known issue” because we see the same
problems occurring over and over with the same make and model of computer.
I can see some trends related to certain generations of computers and it’s not
with only one manufacturer. Sometimes these manufacturer defeats aren’t
“known” for years (after enough of a make and model show up at the shops
and enough complaints are filed that it becomes obvious there is a known issue
with a particular make and model) and then it becomes more obvious based on
discussions on the internet.

7) Normal Aging and Wear

Your motherboard will eventually fail (if something else doesn’t fail first.) This
is a fact. It is an electric circuit board and has a finite life span. Some good

19
motherboards will give you around fifty thousand hours of work time or even
more if taken care of properly. Once they have reached their useful life span,
they do fail and you may have to replace it or replace your computer. The good
news is when you are aware of the reasons motherboards fail preventative and
preparatory actions can be taken to minimize the negative impact.

8) Failure of the Graphic processing unit (GPU)

Due to the fact that the GPU is a very power consuming device, it therefore
generates a lot of heat and sometimes if the cooling system is being hindered
by dust or dirt’s, the GPU will become too hot and probably fry up or, the leads
soldered under the GPU may turn liquid and contact with another. As a result
of this contact, other components may fry off or it may short circuit the whole
system thus resulting to a failed motherboard.

2.3 . Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)

A graphics processing unit (GPU) is a specialized electronic circuit designed to
rapidly manipulate and alter memory to accelerate the creation of images in a
frame buffer intended for output to a display device. GPUs are used in
embedded systems, mobile phones, personal computers, workstations, and
game consoles. Modern GPUs are very efficient at manipulating computer
graphics and image processing, and their highly parallel structure makes them
more efficient than general-purpose CPUs for algorithms where the processing
of large blocks of data is done in parallel. In a personal computer, a GPU can
be present on a video card, or it can be embedded on the motherboard or in
certain CPUs, on the CPU die.

The term GPU was popularized by NVidia in 1999, who marketed the GeForce
256 as "the world's first GPU", or Graphics Processing Unit, although the term

20
had been in use since at least the 1980s. It was presented as a "single-chip
processor with integrated transform, lighting, triangle setup/clipping, and
rendering engines". Rival ATI Technologies coined the term "visual processing
unit" or VPU with the release of the Radeon 9700 in 2002. Here is a GPU
shown in figure 2.4.

Figure 2.4 Graphic Processor Unit

A video card (also called a display card, graphics card, display adapter or
graphics adapter) is an expansion card which generates a feed of output images
to a display (such as a computer monitor). Frequently, these are advertised as
discrete or dedicated graphics cards, emphasizing the distinction between
these and integrated graphics. At the core of both is the processor unit graphics

21
processing unit (GPU), which is the main part that does the actual
computations, but should not be confused as the video card as a whole.

2.3.1. Forms of Graphic Processing Unit (GPU)

A. Dedicated graphic cards

The GPUs of the most powerful class typically interface with the motherboard
is by means of an expansion slot such as PCI Express (PCIe) or Accelerated
Graphics Port (AGP) and can usually be replaced or upgraded with relative
ease, assuming the motherboard is capable of supporting the upgrade. A few
graphics cards still use Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) slots, but
their bandwidth is so limited that they are generally used only when a PCIe or
AGP slot is not available. A dedicated GPU is not necessarily removable, nor
does it necessarily interface with the motherboard in a standard fashion. The
term "dedicated" refers to the fact that dedicated graphics cards have RAM that
are dedicated to the card's use, not to the fact that most dedicated GPUs are
removable. Examples of dedicated graphic cards are shown in figure 2.5.

Figure 2.5 Dedicated Graphic cards

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 B Integrated Graphic Cards

Integrated graphics processors (IGP) or unified memory architecture (UMA)

utilize a portion of a computer's system RAM rather than dedicated graphics
memory. IGPs can be integrated onto the motherboard as part of the chipset, or
on the same die with the CPU (like AMD APU or Intel HD Graphics). On
certain motherboards AMD’s IGPs can use dedicated side port memory. This is
a separate fixed block of high performance memory that is dedicated for use by
the GPU. In early 2007, computers with integrated graphics account for about
90% of all PC shipments. They are less costly to implement than dedicated
graphics processing, but tend to be less capable. Historically, integrated
processing was often considered unfit to play 3D games or run graphically
intensive programs but could run less intensive programs such as Adobe Flash.
However, modern integrated graphics processors such as AMD Accelerated
Processing Unit and Intel HD Graphics are more than capable of handling 2D
graphics or low stress 3D graphics. A picture of an integrated graphic card is
shown in figure 2.6.

Figure 2.6 Integrated Graphic Card

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 CHAPTER THREE

INTERNSHIP ACTIVITIES

Introduction
Internship is a period of working experience required by certain academic
institutions and offered by companies as well as other services in other to
give the student a real life experience in relation to their various discipline.
This provides the student the opportunity to put in practice and blend
theoretical knowledge with real life situation.

In that regard, I was opportune and given a period of two month to carry out
internship in “INTER TECHNOLOGY LTD”. This chapter gives a brief
description of the site, the objectives for this exercise and the activities
carried out during this period.

3.1. Background of Study Area

Inter-technology Ltd is a Private Limited Company (PLC) registered in
Cameroon with its head office in Buea and has been in business since 2015.
The company is in the business of Information and Communication
Technology (ICT). The company is aimed at being at the fore front of
information and communication technology within and out of Cameroon.
The company has advanced and professional equipment to enhance quality
and effective services offered to the general public. It’s a registered office is
situated at the University of Buea junction – St. Therese Primary School
Street, Buea – Cameroon. The key promoter of Inter-technology Ltd is Mr.
Wilfried Ngassi. Inter-technology Ltd has fifteen employees in its technical

24
and administrative services. Mr. Wilfried Ngassi is the Managing director
of the company.

The Company’s marketing and sales strategy is based on market oriented

focus. The major clients comprise mainly corporate companies, schools,
organisations and homes.

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3.1.1. ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE OF INTER-TECHNOLOGY
LTD

Managing Director

Director

Human Resource Financial Manager

Manager

Marketing Administrative
Manager Assistant

Figure 3.1 Organizational structure of Inter-technology ltd

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3.2. Internship Activities
The internship activities were carried out for two months and are explained In
months which are therefore as follows bellow

3.2.1 Month One Activities

During the first month of internship, the objective drawn was to be able to
identify the various tools in performing either preventive or corrective
maintenance on a desktop or laptop computer. Aside from that, customers
brought their machines to be repaired which were taken care of. So during this
month, identification and functions of the following tools were made known.

Identification and functions of the following basic hardware tools

 A Digital Multi meter: this is a device that can take many types of
measurement. It tests the integrity of circuits and the quality of
electricity in computer components
 Chip Extractor: This tool is used to remove chips from regular
sockets, but modern PC’s do not use these sockets anymore.it is
useful for upgrading much older systems in some cases.
 Three Prong Parls Retriever: this tool is mainly used to retrieve
screws, although is also helpful in retrieving damaged components on
the motherboard.
 Assembly Tweezers: it is a tool meant for picking up and
manipulating objects too small to be easily handled with human hand.
 Torx Screwdrivers or Bits: these are the star-shaped screw driver’s
heads that are used to remove screws and disassemble equipment’s.
 Long Nose Plier: it is a tool which can help to cut wires and they can
get in and out of tight spots, unlike regular pliers.

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  Soldering Iron: it is an essential tool for repairing circuit boards
especially in melting leads on the motherboard.
 BGA(Ball Grid Array) Reworking Station: this is a machine that is
used for repairing or changing components soldered in the
motherboard.

Repairing an automatic force shutdown of a Lenovo B575e laptop

A customer laid a complain of her laptop shutting down automatically after

powering it on for a while. The machine was a LenovoB575e laptop. The
objective was to repair the automatic shutting down issue of the laptop.

Before that, it is known that when a computer shuts down automatically, its
either a short circuit problem or an overheating problem. A computer is
designed with heat a sensor which shuts down the machine if it realizes an
overheating.

Overheating is when a computer of its components has a massive increase in

their temperature which is more than their programed normal temperature. So,
in this case the cooling system which includes the fan had to be checked
because it’s responsible for cooling the computer hardware components and
preventing it from overheating.

The following steps below shows how the Lenovo laptop was repaired

o The laptop was disassembled or dismounted.

o The cooling system was checked.
o Its fan was taken out for verifying if functioning correctly.
o So the fan was later connected to a 5volt power outlet.
o But unfortunately the fan wasn’t functioning, proving it was bad.

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 o The fan was therefore replaced with a working Lenovo B575e
compatible fan and mounted on the motherboard.

After replacing the fan, the laptop was therefore powered on and left for a
period of about an hour to see if the laptop was still going to automatically shut
down, but the machine was working properly and didn’t shut down. So it was
therefore analyzed that, the inability of the cooling system to cool the Pc, it will
cause a massive overheating which will therefore trigger the heat sensors to
declare an automatic shutdown.

Finally the machine was therefore assembled and kept aside for the client to
collect.

Repairing a dell latitude d860 overheating issue

Another client brought his laptop for repair and after the questioning, he
explained that when the laptop was new, the fan wasn’t making a lot of noise
and the machine was not getting too hot but now it does. So, he wanted those
two issues to be repaired.

The following steps below shows how the laptop was repaired and these issue
was fixed

o The laptop was disassembled.

o While disassembling it was noticed that the cooling system was filled
with a lot of dust particles and dirt’s. This was found especially on the
fan and the air outlet.
o Knowing that if the fan can’t blow out the heat passed through the heat
sink, and then it will make the computer to overheat.

29
 o The fan increases in speed when the heat sensors realize an excess
increase in temperature which is known as overheating.
o The increase in speed of the fan is the root of the noise made by the
computer when turned on.
o So therefore the heat sink, the fan and the whole laptop was cleaned with
an airpomp machine and a brush. This was done focused around the fan
and the heat sink to eliminate the dust particles and dirt’s.
o The machine was then coupled or assembled and later powered on.
o It was therefore notices that the fan was not making a lot of noise as
before. Furthermore the machine regained its normal temperature.
o With this confirmation, the laptop was kept aside and marked fixed for
the client to collect.

So finally this was how the problem of overheating and noise produced by
the laptop was fixed

Diagnosing and replacement of a Dell desktop’s Power Supply Unit (PSU)

A dell desktop computer was presented to the lab owned by a client. The
customer’s complaint was that, the desktop was functioning correctly before a
dramatic power spike occurred which lead to a power failure in the computer
which the client referred to as “not coming on”.

The following steps below shows how the dell desktop was repaired.

o The computer was disassembled.

o Next the power supply unit which is suspected to be fried up by the
spike was disconnected from the motherboard and removed for
diagnosing.

30
 o The power supply unit was then connected externally to an electrical
distributor.
o A multi meter was used to test the respective voltages of the power
supply unit which unfortunately, no voltage was read.
o It was therefore analyzed that the power supply unit was bad and needed
to be replaced
o Since the motherboard of the dell desktop used just a 20pin power
connector, another new and working 20pin power connector was used to
replace the damaged one.
o The new power supply unit was mounted in the desktop casing and
connected to the motherboard.
o Later, the motherboard was powered on for testing which powered on
correctly
o Finally, the desktop was assembled and kept for the client to collect.

3.2.2. Month Two Activities

During the second month of internship, some similar activities coming from
customers were repeated but apart from that, some other hardware and software
issues were seen and taken care of.

Hp 2000 graphic problem solved

An hp 2000 laptop with a hardware problem was brought to the lab for repairs
with the complaint of not displaying anything on the screen when turned on.

Here are the following steps that were used to solve that problem.

31
 o First, the laptop was powered on and connected to a monitor via a VGA
(video graphics adapter) cable to verify if the laptop rather has a screen
problem.
o Next, when the laptop did not display anything on the monitor it was
therefore noticed it was a graphics problem.
o The graphics problem comes from the graphics chip which is
responsible for the display of everything we see on the screen.

The graphic chip usually gets too hot when it performs a lot of heavy task and
sometimes when this happens, that overheating melts the lead balls found
under the chip. These lead balls are what connect the graphic chip to the
motherboard. When these lead balls overheat they could separate causing a
disconnection of the graphic chip and the motherboard which will be the cause
of the motherboard not displaying any image.

o To fix this problem, the laptop was disassembled

o The motherboard was removed and placed on a metal surface.
o A heat pomp was used to heat the chip up to 200*c
o When the chip was heated to 200*c, it was pressed on the motherboard
so as to reconnect the graphic chip to the motherboard.
o Later the motherboard was allowed to cool.
o Then the laptop was assembled and powered on.

The hp 2000 laptop finally came on completely and successfully. So it was

kept for the client to collect.

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Reformatting an hp desktop with a crashed virus infected operating
system

An hp desktop was brought to the company with a virus infected system

software (operating system software). This desktop could power on very well
and boot to desktop but too slow. Furthermore it had viruses like the shut cut
virus and others. So after analyzing all these issues, a clean installation of a
new operating system was proposed.

The procedures used to perform the clean installation of the new operating
system are shown below.

o The client’s data were backed up to an external back up storage.

o Next, the BIOS (Basic Input Output System) boot priority was set to
boot first from the CD ROM.
o A genuine windows 7 cd was inserted into the CD ROM.
o The PC was powered on and immediately prompted for pressing any
key to boot from CD which was done.
o The windows files were loaded and later ‘Install Now’ was clicked.
o The terms and conditions where shown, read and accepted.
o Later, ‘Custom Install’ was selected.
o Further, the selected partition for the installation was formatted, selected
and ‘Next’ was clicked.
o And after, windows began installing files which caused the computer to
reboot several times and demanded some information’s to be filled.
o After all that was done, the desktop was installed with a new antivirus
and connected to the internet with an Ethernet cable through the RJ45

33
 port then later updated over the internet for its various drivers to be
downloaded and installed automatically.
o When all these where done, and the operating system was confirmed to
be fine and working correctly with all driver successfully installed, all
data which was backed up before formatting was therefore restored back
to the computer.

So this was how the hp desktop was reformatted, fixed and prevented from
virus attack.

Some other activities were carried out too but for the purpose of this project
report, these were the most frequent activities that occurred and reoccurred at
the internship site

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 CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS

Introduction
This chapter compares the theory and practical. It also discuss on the
challenges faced by the institution as well as the intern.

4.1. Comparing Between Practical and Theory

The following aspects can be compared as far as theory and practical is
concern. These aspects differentiate the theoretical concept of maintenance in
failed motherboards and what was practiced in the site of internship.

o While is the process of carrying out maintenance, the theory has

identified two main constituent of maintenance and their procedures to
carry them out. These two main constituent include preventive and
corrective maintenance. However, slight difference was seen in the
procedures that is, the theoretical procedure and the practical application
for instance the theory states that, before working in any computer
system antistatic strips should be won or static should be discharged by
touching any metal material in other not to destroy any component in the
computer system. But this was not the case at the site of internship
because the concept was not practiced in the outside world.
o One of the most surprising discoveries was that, in the process of
corrective maintenance the theory part states that all damaged
component should be completely replaced with their respective spares in
other to avoid future failures. But on the contrary, some damaged parts
or components are rather adapted or fixed instead of replacing

35
 completely as theory states. So, it was seen that this theoretical concept
too was not respected in the outside world.

4.2. Challenges faces by the institution as well as the intern

1. These were the challenges faced by the institution during internship

o Due to the location of Inter-technology ltd, they face a lot of problems

when it rains. Where Inter-technology ltd is located, there happen to be
very little drainage for rain water so when it over rains, water begins to
enter the offices including the maintenance lab. Knowing water and
electronics are enemies, these incidents always cause employees to leave
their job descriptive activities and begin looking for ways to eliminate
the rain water or prevent it from entering the maintenance lab. Because
of these, little administrative works are done and the numbers of services
rendered to clients are limited. Furthermore these will also limit the
number of customers since the services are slow and they will be scared
too of their properties being damaged by rain water.
o Inter-technology ltd is an institution running different varieties of
services relating to information technology so therefore it needs a large
area and working space. But here the institution has a small and limited
space which cause places to be tight and makes work slower. There also
happens to be little or no space to park client’s electronic machines and
the institution’s own properties.

2. These were the challenges I faced during internship

o In the beginning of the internship season, time was a very difficult thing
to manage as far as dismantling and assembly of laptop parts were
concerned. This was because more precautions had to be laid so no other

36
 problems should be caused on clients properties. These were seen
especially when repairing graphics problems.
o During rainy days, very little or no services were done because most of
the time was taken to eliminate rain water out and prevent it from
entering the computer or maintenance lab.

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 CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Introduction
This chapter gives a complete summary of this project, a conclusion and
recommendations or possible solutions of problems faced.

5.1. Summary
Nowadays, in this technology driven world electric machines such as
computers is gradually involving in everything we do and everywhere we go.
This advancement of technology has made computers necessities such as
communication and even simple leisure such as entertainment and comfort.
These devices have made life a lot easier and more productive than before.
However, along with its numerous benefits are some risks such as motherboard
or system failure such as the graphics failure, cooling system, power supply
unit etc. with all this in mind this book have identified most of the common
problems faced by many users, given the reasons why and have provided
possible solutions to these problems.

5.2. Conclusion
The objective of this project was successfully established and achieved. The
various exercises at the site of internship gave me an opportunity to put into
practice the theoretical knowledge I have acquired in the classroom. The
problems I encountered during internship prepared me to be able to practice
and face the challenges that lie on the field.

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5.3. Recommendations
Based on the difficulties or some of the experiences gotten during this period, I
have come up with the following recommendations proposed with the intention
to ameliorate or improve practice standards.

o Damaged electrical components in computer systems should be replaced

with a newer compatible one rather than trying to fix it or adapt another
which might not function properly or last long
o Drainage should be dug in other to avoid standing water and also to
prevent flood which could damage both the institution and clients
properties.
o A wide sufficient space should be created or the building should be
extended so as to enable flexibility, more parking space for both the
institution and clients properties and also to save time.
o And lastly Static charges on fingers should be discharged before
touching vital components in the system, this can be done by tapping or
robbing your fingers and palm on the computer’s insulated part of its
metal case or an antistatic strip should be won.

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 REFERENCE LIST

1. http:www.wikihow.com/ repair a computer, last visited on 30/09/2017

2. N.J Nuvaga, Maintenance and Troubleshooting, first edition, April 2015
3. Maintenance and Service guide first edition, august 2006, second
edition, document part number: 417615-002
4. Maintenance and Service guide second edition, September 2006
document part number: 457616-005
5. www.it4nextgen.com, last visited on 02/10/2017
6. https:www.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Graphics processing unit, last visited on
05/10/2017
7. Quintin docter and Emmett Dulany, Comptia A+ Complete Study Guide,
2009
8. N.J Nuvaga, Computer System, first edition, October 2015

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