I got my HP Omen gaming laptop's thermal paste changed and deep cleaned here. The service was super good and quick, done within an hour! 🚀 They even gave me tips on laptop care. The price was reasonable at 1200Rs, and they use quality thermal paste too. Highly recommend! 👍😊💻 …
GPU missing · games on integrated graphics · artefacts · error 43
Laptop GPU not detected, or showing artefacts
Laptop graphics chips are soldered to the board, so "replace the graphics card" is not an option the way it is on a desktop. But the circuits that power and connect the GPU fail long before the chip does, and those are repairable.
Quick answer
GPU vanished after an update or shows "error 43": start with drivers. GPU vanishes when the laptop is hot, or shows coloured blocks and stripes: the GPU's power stage or the chip's solder joints, a board-level fault. The power-stage components are replaced at component level; the chip itself can be reworked on some boards, and we tell you honestly when that is not worth it.
Likely causes
- CommonDriver or software
- A bad update or a switchable-graphics setting hides the GPU. Free to fix, and always checked first.
- SometimesGPU power stage (voltage regulators)
- The regulators and capacitors feeding the GPU fail from heat. The GPU is fine; the components are replaced. Chip-level repair
- SometimesOverheating
- A GPU that drops out when hot needs the cooling fixed before anything else. Thermal service
- RareGPU solder joints or the chip itself
- Reballing or a donor chip is possible on some boards. Specialist work, quoted honestly with the odds.
Safe checks you can do first
- Device Manager → Display adapters. A GPU with a warning triangle or "error 43" is a driver or hardware fault; a GPU missing entirely can be either.
- Reinstall the graphics driver cleanly from the maker's site.
- Check whether the laptop is hot when the GPU drops out.
- On an external monitor, do artefacts appear too? If yes, it is the GPU, not the screen.
What not to do
- Do not try "baking" the board or heat-gun fixes from videos; they destroy boards and are never permanent.
- Do not keep gaming on a laptop with artefacts; heat accelerates the failure.
When it is a repair, and which one
We confirm the fault on the bench, fix the cooling if heat is involved, and repair the GPU power stage at component level where that is the cause. Chip-level rework of the GPU itself is quoted separately with realistic odds, and against the value of the laptop.
What it usually costs
What decides the price
- Driver fix costs nothing
- Power-stage component repair vs chip rework
- Cooling service if heat caused it
- Donor chip availability for reballing
We quote after a free diagnosis of your specific model, in writing, before any work starts. There is no charge if you decide not to go ahead.
Real Google reviews
Customers who came in with this
My laptop used to heat up uncontrollably within just 10 minutes of gaming, which severely affected its performance. I consulted Skylab regarding this issue, and they recommended a complete laptop service. Upon inspection, they found that …
Questions people ask
Before you decide
Can a laptop GPU be replaced?
Not as a card. The chip is soldered. It can be reworked or replaced with a donor chip on some boards; whether that is sensible depends on the board and the laptop's value.
Can a laptop graphics card be repaired?
The circuits around it, yes, and that is most cases. The chip itself, sometimes.
Does overheating cause FPS drops?
Yes. Both CPU and GPU throttle when hot. If FPS falls after ten minutes, the cooling needs a service.
Not sure which one you have?
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Next step
Describe the fault. We tell you what it is before you spend anything.
Free diagnosis at the Whitefield workshop, or free pickup nearby.