How We Started
LaptopChipLevel was set up in 2016 by James Whitfield after several years working within the broader electronics repair trade. The recurring frustration was straightforward: too many functional laptops were being written off because a single small component had failed on the motherboard, and replacing the entire board — or the entire device — felt like a waste.
The alternative, working directly on the faulty component, requires more time, more specialised tools, and a much deeper understanding of how the circuit actually functions. It doesn't suit a high-volume, quick-turnover model. But it does suit people whose devices matter to them and who would rather have the original machine repaired properly than handed a quote for a replacement board.
The workshop started in a small space in Oxford and has grown steadily through word of mouth. We haven't changed the core approach — systematic diagnostics, honest fault reporting, and component-level repair where it makes sense.
