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    M17x Motherboard replacement and issues with screws

    Discussion in 'Alienware 17 and M17x' started by Cattibrie, Mar 30, 2012.

  1. Cattibrie

    Cattibrie Notebook Enthusiast

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    I need a new motherboard for my m17x..however, the 2 screws that are under the battery are completely stripped. I can get these out, but it'll ruin the screws. Of course, I will need those screws when I'm done putting the new motherboard in. So now my only problem is, what size/brand screw does Alienware use, so I can go ahead and buy some to replace the ruined ones? I'm not the smartest when it comes to tools and what not, so yeah.

    The screws were stripped by my mother before anything says anything. lol. Telling a woman not to do something is not very effective, appearently.

    Also, has anyone bought a M17x motherboard that was not sold directly from Dell? I have a 350$ budget and I've seen plenty for 100-250$ but I'm a bit cautious of them.

    EDIT: It's just a standard M17x, not a R-1 through 3.

    Don't mean to bump, but I kind of need this answered by tonight due to me not be able to go out and get screws till either tonight or in 2 weeks. Closest shop is an hour or so away, and I don't have any other ride besides my parents ( under 18 ). :/
     
    Cattibrie, Mar 30, 2012
    #1
  2. Brabostaan

    Brabostaan Notebook Deity

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    You can get the screws from every hobbyshop just take them with you so you know you have the right lenght and thickness.

    You can get the motherboard form ebay or maybe the Marketplace on this site.
     
    Brabostaan, Mar 30, 2012
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  3. Cattibrie

    Cattibrie Notebook Enthusiast

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    Cattibrie, Mar 30, 2012
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  4. Brabostaan

    Brabostaan Notebook Deity

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    Dont think thats the right board, you have a pre-Dell Alienware laptop right?
    How old is it and what are the specs?
     
    Brabostaan, Mar 30, 2012
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  5. Cattibrie

    Cattibrie Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hmm.. It's over a year, I'm out of warranty. I'm not sure when exactly I got it. Sometime in 2009, around Christmas I believe. And I noticed the board is blue while mine is green, but I can't seem to find a fully functional green one. I don't really know what exact specs you need, so I'll just post the ones that seem important.

    Mainboard : Alienware Unspecified
    Chipset : nVidia nForce 730i
    Processor : Intel Mobile Core 2 Duo P8700 @ 2533MHz
    Physical Memory : 4096MB (2 x 2048 DDR3-SDRAM )
    Video Card : NVIDIA GeForce 9400
    Hard Disk : Seagate ST950042 0ASG SCSI Disk Device (500GB)
    DVD-Rom Drive : HL-DT-ST DVDRWBD CA10N
    Monitor Type : R610K€170CT - 17 inches
    Network Card : Nvidia MCP79 Ethernet
    Network Card : Broadcom BCM4322 802.11a/b/g/n Wireless LAN Controller
    Operating System : Windows (TM) Vista Home Premium Home Edition Media Center 6.00.6001 Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
    DirectX : Version 10.00
    Windows Performance Index : 5.1 on 5.9
    Device Audio : Nvidia MCP79 High Definition Audio
    Network Card : Broadcom 802.11n Network Adapter
    Network Card : NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller
    Hardware Monitoring : Genesys Logic GL520SM
    Hard Disk Monitoring : S.M.A.R.T

    Sorry if there's unneeded info or not enough, just ask for more if needed and I'll find them.

    EDIT: I received it 10/21/2009
     
    Cattibrie, Mar 30, 2012
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  6. Brabostaan

    Brabostaan Notebook Deity

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    Looks like a M17x R1.

    You need to ask the seller if the board is for the core 2 duo CPU.

    I dont know much about the R1/R2 models but there are lots of members here that can help you with this.
     
    Brabostaan, Mar 30, 2012
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  7. Cattibrie

    Cattibrie Notebook Enthusiast

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    Alright, I'll make a different thread with more questions about motherboard then. When I go to Computer > System Props it only says m17x, not R-1. Also when I type in dxdiag in run, it only says Alienware m17x. So now I'm a bit confused...

    I'll make the new threat once this is cleared up

    Also I just noticed that that board is indeed green it just looked blue to me at first. -feels even more dumb-
     
    Cattibrie, Mar 30, 2012
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  8. Brabostaan

    Brabostaan Notebook Deity

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    Just checked the www a little bit and you have a M17x R1 100% sure of it.

    The part number for the motherboard is: F415N so the one in the ebay link is correct.
     
    Brabostaan, Mar 30, 2012
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  9. Cattibrie

    Cattibrie Notebook Enthusiast

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    Oh.. okay. Cool! Thanks. Looks like I won't need a new thread then. So now I should just contact them and make sure it's for core 2 duo CPU?
     
    Cattibrie, Mar 30, 2012
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  10. Brabostaan

    Brabostaan Notebook Deity

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    Brabostaan, Mar 30, 2012
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  11. katalin_2003

    katalin_2003 NBR Spectre Super Moderator

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    katalin_2003, Mar 30, 2012
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  12. Cattibrie

    Cattibrie Notebook Enthusiast

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    I didn't know that it was never officially called R1. Thanks for that info, and for the screw link.

    I appreciate it guys :D
     
    Cattibrie, Mar 31, 2012
    #12
  13. pinoy_92

    pinoy_92 Notebook Evangelist

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    this may be a noob question, but can i put a r2 or r3 mobo on a r1 chassis?
     
    pinoy_92, Apr 9, 2012
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  14. katalin_2003

    katalin_2003 NBR Spectre Super Moderator

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    You'll be able to put a R2 motherboard into a M17x. You'll need the middle plate though or you have to modify the current one.
    The R3 motherboard is very different and has only one MXM slot anyway.
     
    katalin_2003, Apr 9, 2012
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  15. pinoy_92

    pinoy_92 Notebook Evangelist

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    has anyone here done this yet?
     
    pinoy_92, Apr 9, 2012
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  16. katalin_2003

    katalin_2003 NBR Spectre Super Moderator

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    I had both the M17x and the M17x R2 and can tell you that the chassis is the same, except the middle plate.
     
    katalin_2003, Apr 9, 2012
    #16