What causes the PS4 BLOD, Tripping Power or APU fault?
There are many contributing factors to this fault. The first is the use of lead-free solder. Much has been documented online about how lead-free alloys are not as durable as leaded solder. The APU is bonded to the motherboard by a BGA (Ball Grid Array) method, which is a grid of tiny solder connections. Over time the solder connection deteriorates through heat stress. Also, the motherboard slightly warps with use through the heating up and cooling down process and this can cause the solder connections to break. When the connections break the Playstation 4 will show a red light.
You may also experience an overheating message or the PS4 may turn on and operate normally for a short period of time before it fails. This can be due to the fact that as the PS4 heats up the motherboard expands with the heat and then pulls the connections apart. The PS4 may also freeze when this happens or show distorted graphics.
Poor ventilation can be another cause. Keeping the PS4 in a TV cabinet can restrict the airflow and cause it to overheat. We have seen before that just moving the console out of a TV cabinet or away from a radiator can allow the console to run like normal.
The number one reason we hear of as a cause of the BLoD in the PS4 is when people have dropped the PS4 or something has landed on top of it. This is due to the case flexing and putting pressure on the heat sink inside which in turn puts pressure directly on the APU which can help break the connections. Some modifications have been made by Sony to try to prevent this fault but it does still happen.
How do we repair the PS4 BLOD?
The first thing we do before any repair is test the console to confirm the fault. We then strip the PS4 down, cleaning the dust out as we go. We then clean up the motherboard and remove all of the old thermal paste. We use a controlled machine that remelts the solder and straightens the motherboard so the connections are reformed.
We rebuild the console and the repair person carries out an initial test before the console is passed over to our saturation test bench. We test all functions and run the console through a number of heat cycles to ensure the problem doesn't return. All GPU/APU repairs are tested for a minimum of 8 hours.
