Aspire 5750 motherboard ((gpu?) fails

This is a heads up in case anyone else experiences this problem. - system is 13 months old!!

Symptoms:

System doesn’t appear to boot (no beeps), random colour blocks on screen: Bios fine. (Others have reported blank screens)

Assessment:

Overall cosmetic condition: Excellent unmarked.

Hdd test: no errors: clean.

Ram test: no errors.

External monitor: No screen either showing windows or screen errors.

Static test: Battery + power cable removed and start button depressed 20 seconds – negative.

Personal files backed up onto flash drive.

Probable cause: Faulty motherboard (maybe graphics chip fault?) - Not of satisfactory merchantable standard to meet sale of goods act – these boards if properly looked after, should last 6 years.

 

I had same symptoms when my GPU malfunctioned. I had weird artifacts on every screen, including BIOS and it couldn't boot to home.

But i got the same system now fixed and it didn't cost me a single penny!!! ( new gpu card would have cost me over 300€ )

What did i do? I removed the GPU card and put it inside the oven for slightly higher temperature than the point where solder melts. I baked it for exactly 6 minutes until solder become shiny and i probably had it for too long as i was playing angry birds and there was smoke in the end... damn pigs

When i took it out the smell... mmm delicious... there was leftover pie

Anyway i put it back on the computer and it worked 100% on the first boot like brand new.
Note: the card had passive cooling and it most probably overheat cause it was pushed on limits on every other day for 3 years in a row - it burnt my hand when i once touched it after curiousity.

Baking microchips is actually something manufacturers don't want you to know, cause it's really easy and cheap fix. [ I also fixed my phone with this method ].

But since you have laptop which obviously has GPU soldered onto the motherboard. I'd suggest you cover up the other components which are sensitive to heat with protective material. I would bake it since imo there is 4 choices:

Buy new Mobo
Pay high price for fix
Buy new laptop
Bake the gpu to fix the microcracks that cause the problems and save $$$$$

Of course another option is to use heatgun but i haven't tried it so i can't comment will it work

 

Thank you - reflowing is not for those technically lacking in experience of dismantling laptops, and are brave enough to execute the reflow accurately.

To do so and fail may invalidate any claim (in the UK) you have agsinst the manufacturer. So should be only when you have nothing else to loose.

I would recommend claiming against the vendor (PCWorld) first

On the same issue the Dell forum has pages on this issue relating to the Inspiron M5030 - since we don't know who Acer/Dell subcontracts the motherboards to, it occurs to me that it could be the same plant which has failed to properly attach the northbridge chip? There are cases where the reflowing of the M5030 has failed again and again, as all you're actually doing is moving the solder around, if insuffient it may well re-occur.