Laptop i7 on desktop motherboard?

[William Miller]

I am helping a family friend do what they can to salvage an Alienware laptop. The motherboard is shot, and I am wondering if it would be possible to rebuild it as a desktop, while still using the i7 processor currently in the laptop.

Upon booting it breifly spins the fans and turns keybord lighting on. Hdds do not spin, and screen does not so much as flicker (even when using external monitor).
Myself and others have concluded that the motherboard is fried. Dell no longer manafactures that motherboard, and the owner tracked down a 3rd party replacement that was over $1k.
I figure that I can rebuild it as a desktop for much cheaper provided that a motherboard exists that has the proper socket. However, the only information on the processor I have is that it is in the i7 family (even dell's 'detailed product specs' says "i5 or i7"). I started to disassemble the laptop to see if the cpu was conveiniently labled, but I ran into some star and deeply recessed screws that i do not have the right tools for atm.

My questions are as follows: Could a high-end gaming laptop be using a desktop socket? (the case is rather large; 19")
Are there any itx/atx/other desktop motherboards that use 'mobile' i7 sockets? (g1, g2, g3,BGA-1288, BGA-1023, BGA-1224, BGA-1168, BGA-1364, from what i can tell)

And I guess the big question is am I wasting my time? Should I just reccomend that they buy a new desktop cpu and then build around that?

 

[T3PShooter]

No, you cannot use a laptop CPU on a desktop unless you get a laptop motherboard and install it into a desktop.

 

[James Mason]

Not all i7s are the same, and it sounds like you have a much older i7 anways.

Also laptop i7s run at about half the speed of the desktop versions.

You CAN buy refurbished/used laptop motherboards though, get the model number of the motherboard and you might be able to replace it. Assuming the CPU isn't soldered to it, you have to take the thing apart first to find out.