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My laptop motherboard failed but i think its repairable if i can identify the fault

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jpoopdog

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Ok, i have a qosmio x70, a high performance laptop simply put, and unlike the previous generation, is rather well built, short of this one instance the laptop breaking after 2 years. But i think i am to blame.

I have been using the laptop like you would a desktop, and, thats not good, or, i didnt think that at first, since i never really gamed on it, but i did constantly have it running in high performance mode, mostly out of neccesity to keep my browser and other apps running flawlessly, otherwise id get some lagging.

Anyway, one day it just turned off suddenly whilst working under insignificant load and it was a fairly cool day, wouldnt turn back on, doesnt charge, or respond in any way. The fact there is an apparent total loss of power indicates that the failure might have occured in the power management system, charging the battery and such. I can see how this is problematic, running potentially 90W (off battery a 45-50W battery can be drained in 30 minutes) all day every day through this system would cause significant stress, coupled with the recent very very cold weather could mean something could have given from thermal fluctuation.
Lately also ive been using my laptops battery more, as i take it to lectures and such at university, so the system would be under much more strain than usual charging the laptop and running it, and, it charges REALLY fast.
I rarely rely on battery and recently when i did a fresh install and moved to SSD, i found that it still had the same lifespan of 2 hours in power saver mode. A faulty/old battery straining the system more than usual is unlikely here.


Anyway, enough background.

What i want to know, is roughly, as i doubt a spec sheet for the motherboard exists and furthermore doubt anyone has experience in this, how do i identify the components/area of the board most likely to be handling the power that i might test for failure.
Also, what are the parts that might actually fail? What to immediately look for.

the computer is 2 years old, but, i havent punished it anywhere near what its designed for so while i can understand its caused by the way i used it, im open to the possibility of a faulty component with diminished lifespan being responsible also.

To reiterate, the system wont use power from either the charger nor battery. Both of which i have tested and are ok.


For any people who want to be smart, here are some constraints to consider:
Im not going to buy another motherboard for this as the laptop is now non-essential/ worth the $500 to throw away for convenience sake, of which i do not have now or in the foreseeable future anyway.
Assume i might die if i made any attempt to do anything besides trying to fix the motherboard. Maybe im being held hostage, maybe a magical curse, maybe OCD, who knows. What i know for certain is people love to tell others to give up attempting to repair computer parts.

To all people answering honestly and helpfully i thank you in advance.
 
Hy jpoopdog,

Welcome to ETO. Care to put your location in your user window at the left of your posts.

The first thing about any laptop is that it does not matter how it is used, provided you have not been inside and modified the hardware, like over clocking for example.

You are assuming a fault with the motherboard but that might not be the case. Here are a few things to try:

(1) Make sure that all the keys on the keyboard are clean and free of debris: try each key and make sure they operate smoothly and none are jammed.

(2) Make sure that all ports are also clean and free of debris and none of the contacts are shorting.

(3) Remove the external power supply. Remove the battery. Continuously press the start button for 30 seconds or more. Wait at least 5 minutes. Reconnect the external power supply but not the battery and try to start the laptop.

(4) Get inside the laptop and remove the Real Time Clock (RTC) battery (or unplug it). Wait at least 5 minutes. Reconnect the RTC battery. Try to start the laptop.

(5) Replace the keyboard.

I had exactly the same problem as you with my laptop and the fault was the keyboard- I had cleaned it and got a drop of water in it.:eek:

spec
 
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magical curses piss me off...!
ya,... a faulty usb device was able to do that to my system once

I think you are right , if its not charging is a good place to start, got a friend with similar laptop, maybe you can use it to test & charge battery, that would confirm those suspicions, could be the power brick it self!?
 
If removing the battery and running off the charger does not work, then we can rule out excess load or charger latch up. If the charger reads correct voltage, then ok. Moisture damage can be pervasive.... and obtuse to locate.

A 30 min. run time and even faster charge time, indicates a weak battery cell.

If you are lucky, you might locate an SMD 10A fuse near the power jack.
 
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If you are in the UK, check out the consumer rights act (which seems to be a modified sale of goods act modifier more in favour of the seller!). https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/consumer-rights-act , https://www.whitegoodshelp.co.uk/faulty-appliances-sale-of-goods-act/

I returned an Alienware laptop approximately 1 year after it was delivered and got a full refund. It had the sandy bridge chipset and was corrupting hard drive data all the time, whilst I was writing up my PhD! With the sale of goods act, you could return at any point to SELLER (not the manufacturer) given that the product was not fit for purpose (i.e. it is expected that an expensive laptop should last a couple of years).
 
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