How to change a graphics card in vaio laptop

[tatabear]

I have a VAIO 'VGN E880 E/H' which has given me the blue screen of death for about 5 sec. long enough to see the words 'driver'. Then it came back to full display and then it went to white background screen with verticle colored lines from black to all hues. It also quit acknowledging my auxillary screen connected to the laptop. I can get it to DOS screen after the VAIO logo comes up, but if I try 'safe mode or normal' it stalls at a system 32 driver and will not load icons on DOS. I thought it was a software issue and/or a flex ribbon from base to lid screen issue. Did a chat with Sony (a tech some where in never-never land I am sure) and he wound up telling me it is a graphics card issue and I need to take it to a Sony repair location.

Now, I need to know, is this graphics card soddered to the motherboard on this model or is it something I can purchase (seems to be available) as a plug & play part? Also is Sony the only one that can do it as it is out of warranty (about 4 years old) and unfortunately the repair contract I bought was with Circuit City who went under right after that.

All the main repair chain stores I took it to prior to the blue screen death all wanted to replace the lid at about $300 because of the multi-colored lid screen and Best Buys told me to just hook the auxillary screen to it. This is a $1200 laptop that should never have given me a problem so soon.

Thanks for your help...Marti

 

[clutchc]

Have you ever cleaned your system of crap that accumulates? Before giving up on the card, run CCleaner. Do both the Clean and Registry portions. Defrag and reboot. See if that helps.
http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner

 

[tatabear]

Have you ever cleaned your system of crap that accumulates? Before giving up on the card, run CCleaner. Do both the Clean and Registry portions. Defrag and reboot. See if that helps.
http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner

Thank you I will try that, provided that my laptop will cooperate as I have no graphics past the VAIO logo and the DOS screen which brings up the start up choices. Then it sticks when it gets to the sys32 drivers. That is why I thought it could be a software problem and prior to this happening, I had even tried to do a restore system to two days prior, but it was of no help. It still went bonkers on the graphics. Sony says it is the card. We shall see.

If anyone out there has any other solutions that would replace the card, I would appreciate your help. I don't know if it is part of the mother board soddered in, or I can pull it out and plug a new one in. HELP!!!! Can anyone answere that question?

 

[Deemo13]

You really are not going to be able to upgrade your computers graphics unless you seriously know what you are doing.

In a regular graphics card for a desktop system, the chip lies on a PCB which can be plugged into the motherboard itself. On a laptop though you are not going to be able to do this. I am going to try to explain it.

Why do desktop graphics cards have huge fans on them? Its because they have more power. More power=more heat. Think about the problem. You are sitting in front of the TV watching a funny show on your laptop with it in your lap. Then, out of nowhere, the laptop starts to melt onto your leg, and then the laptop runs out of battery. Why? Discrete GPU's also use more power.

There is no possible way to fit a 500W power supply in a laptop without either the laptop burning up or being huge, or both.

Either way, most of the things that make a laptop run are on the motherboard, including the graphics. It is more or less, as you said "soldered in". To change it takes alot of work and is almost immpossible for normal humans.

Simply put, it is cheaper to get another laptop than to try to replace a graphics core (that is unless it is under warranty)

 

[clutchc]

Thank you I will try that, provided that my laptop will cooperate as I have no graphics past the VAIO logo and the DOS screen which brings up the start up choices. Then it sticks when it gets to the sys32 drivers. That is why I thought it could be a software problem and prior to this happening, I had even tried to do a restore system to two days prior, but it was of no help. It still went bonkers on the graphics. Sony says it is the card. We shall see.

If anyone out there has any other solutions that would replace the card, I would appreciate your help. I don't know if it is part of the mother board soddered in, or I can pull it out and plug a new one in. HELP!!!! Can anyone answere that question?

If you can't boot to Windows to download and run CCleaner, maybe you can boot to Safe Mode w/networking (tap F8 while starting). Then download and run it. I've never tried running CCleaner in Safe Mode, but unless someone else can offer a reason why not to do this, I see no reason it wouldn't work.

 

[tatabear]

You really are not going to be able to upgrade your computers graphics unless you seriously know what you are doing.

In a regular graphics card for a desktop system, the chip lies on a PCB which can be plugged into the motherboard itself. On a laptop though you are not going to be able to do this. I am going to try to explain it.

Why do desktop graphics cards have huge fans on them? Its because they have more power. More power=more heat. Think about the problem. You are sitting in front of the TV watching a funny show on your laptop with it in your lap. Then, out of nowhere, the laptop starts to melt onto your leg, and then the laptop runs out of battery. Why? Discrete GPU's also use more power.

There is no possible way to fit a 500W power supply in a laptop without either the laptop burning up or being huge, or both.

Either way, most of the things that make a laptop run are on the motherboard, including the graphics. It is more or less, as you said "soldered in". To change it takes alot of work and is almost immpossible for normal humans.

Simply put, it is cheaper to get another laptop than to try to replace a graphics core (that is unless it is under warranty)

Thank you and I am aware of all that you have explained. I have put together desktops starting with the case, power supply, mother board, play & plugs, added ram, etc., etc. The VAIO is a $1200 laptop, not easy to replace. My son builds and repairs desk tops and resurects laptops from the dead also. I had figured the MB on this one as in most is also an 'all inclusive, tightly crafted MB, which I believe is done more on purpose than because of space so when a part dies, you have to replace the whole thing.

Yes it gets hot, but I use it on a tray table with it lifted so the heat it generates can escape. I also use it with AC power and rarely with the battery of which I have 3 for that VAIO. But I thought I would put it out there for some brilliant cerebal techie that could possibly give me an 'out' in doing the home repair rather than junk it or replace it. I have the ability & knowledge available to me but time is the enemy and was trying to get some imput that I could take to my son to make him want to tackle the job. LOL No body wants to fix anymore, it is just 'get a new one'. Thanks again and maybe I'll come across that brainy techie who has a solution. I can dream, can't I?

 

[amuffin]

God everyone always asks this question the answer is NO, though you can change them on high end laptops

 

[tatabear]

1. I think you vastly overestimated your son's and your own abilities and know-how
2.Like I said before, I believe you have overpaid for that VAIO
3. Get Lenovo next time, they're more bang/buck and more reliable than Sony's Shinnies....
4. The motherboard is indeed all inclusive and tightly packed to save space, if u have taken a laptop motherboard out before, you'll notice they usually have no PCI-E, apart from that small one that they attach Wi-Fi cards to, and their form factor is even smaller than a Micro-ITX at times.





1. If you know how to do it, do it yourself.
2. It's an integrated graphics chip located on that freaking motherboard, unless you think you have the precision to remove the whole chip and put it back together, go ahead, but you're gonna need quite a good eye and a very steady head and also very small soldering kits as the manufacturers do it with machines
3. It's not that no body wants to fix it anymore, it's just it cant be done or it's just too impractical. id the CPu is damaged, yes we can swap the CPU, if the RAM is damaged, we can swap the RAM, but if the IGP or southbridge or northbridge on the motherboard is damaged, swapping it out would just be swapping the whole motherboard, which is impractical .

Greghome, thank you again for your answers, but I do believe you vastly under-estimated my son's abilities and knowledge when it comes to computer repairs and resurecting laptops from the dead.

Now me, I don't have a diddly crap of knowledge compared to him and maybe even yourself or some others, and that is why I came to this forum to see if someone with a "CAN DO" positive attitude had a work around. I certainly have a "can do attitude" as anything is possible that you set your mind to. It may take time and patience, but that is the least of the problem. What I paid for the VAIO has nothing to do with the problem at hand.

But if some sharp techie, woman or man, with a positive attitude is out there and can give a glimpse of knowledge on a resolve or an idea and not just a "negative shootem down answer" or a "best buy a new one", that is just their opinion, it is appreciated, but it is not in necessary as I already know I can buy a new one.

So up to now the best answer came from either Deemo13 or
clutchc.

 

[tatabear]

Best answer selected by tatabear.