Troubleshooting Alienware M17x R3

[nickolaughagus]

Hello All,

I have had my M17x for 2 years, and the other night I had just started up Watch Dogs and my computer shut off.It would not turn on again and it showed no signs of life. The only other clue I had was that my Power supply light would go out when I plugged it in. That means short circuit. This leads me to believe that it's a GPU problem. I took it apart and looked for damage and smelled for it. I found nothing. Then I removed the GPU (580M) and the computer would actually turn on. It would turn on the LCD backlight, but stay black, then emit 8 beeps. Thats because the intel processor cant power on the 120HZ LCD.

My question is, is there any way that this could still be a MOBO issue? Also, if it's my GPU, is there any way to fix it other than trying to bake it in the oven for a reflow?


Thanks guys.

-Nick

 

[aldan]

i take it that you dont have onboard graphics then?its doubtful that a reflow is going to fix your gpu.have another gpu or can you borrow one to try?if your card is indeed pooched then nothing you try,even a reflow, is going to hurt it any more than it already is.

 

[nickolaughagus]

i take it that you dont have onboard graphics then?its doubtful that a reflow is going to fix your gpu.have another gpu or can you borrow one to try?if your card is indeed pooched then nothing you try,even a reflow, is going to hurt it any more than it already is.

The intel integrated gpu doesnt have enough power to run the 120 Hz display, so thats the reason for the 8 beeps.

Also, I have read that a reflow would connect any loose connections in the circuit. It appears that the GPU may still be in good condition since I cant see or smell any damage. Is there a way to verify that there is or isn't damage? Or are there any common weakpoints amongst my version of gpu?

 

[aldan]

you could take a magnifying glass and trace all the printed circuits on the board.you might see a broken connection.is the hz on your monitor adjustable?ie can you turn it down to power on the pc,just to eliminate the mb,although i do think its a graphics card problem.

 

[nickolaughagus]

Just to update everyone, both the mobo and graphics card failed. cost me 160 thru dell to get repair. Not a bad deal. Had to report them to the BBB first to get that deal though.

 

[aldan]

good that you got it sorted out.