Alienware 17 motherboad replacement help.

Hello. I have a question about replacing a dead motherboard in the Alienware 17 (2014) with the following specs.
GTX 860m 2gb
I7 4710mq
24gb of ram
Now, i dont actually have the laptop. Somebody is selling it on Craigslist for $300 and i thought it would be cool for me to buy it an fix it up. The person who is selling the laptop said the motherboard died and it would cost about $200 to repair it. I asked for the model number for the laptop and he said the best thing he could find for it was P18E001. I tried looking for a motherboard with the same number and i couldn't find one. I have found motherboards that are from a very similar alienware 17's. Would it be possible to use a different motherboard than the one currently inside of the laptop like the 2013 or 2014 models as long as the processor is compatible and the motherboard fits into the laptop?

 

If you use a different motherboard, the ports may not fit the chassis. You just need to get if it's an R1/2/3. With that info, you may source the right motherboard on eBay, NewEgg or parts-people.com.

 

Since the CPU is an mq series, i'd say it's an AW17 R1 AKA (M17x R5). I don't think that R1 motherboards are different, maybe part numbers show different revisions but are all compatible function/install-wise.

 

Right. When i was looking at the alienware 17's with the 8xx and the 7xx series of gpu's, i saw no difference in the chassis. So, a motherboard replacement should work as long as the motherboard is compatible with the GPU/CPU.

 

Also with the system not being as old, you should still find new versions of the board.

Pulled this from Alienware Wikipedia article (if any of these help you better figure out which model you have)

• Alienware 17 (Discontinued) - 2013 refresh of the M17x, updated with Intel Haswell Processors and Nvidia GeForce 700 Series GPUs or the AMD R9 M290X with new facelift and body design. Marketed as "Alienware 17" but listed in some countries and order details as "M17XR5 Ranger". Updated with Nvidia GeForce 800 Series in 2014
• Alienware 17 R2 - 2015 revision of the Alienware 17, updated with Nvidia GeForce 900 Series. Features FHD matte display or FHD touch display. A port on the rear for Graphics Amplifier. This model introduced BGA mounted CPU and GPU, removing the ability to replace the CPU or GPU without changing the entire motherboard.

 

Ah. So i have the Alienware 17 r1. So a motherboard replacement from either a 2014 or 2013 motherboard should work.