g73jh problems with 5870m

I've torn apart, repasted, added heatsinks etc to my g73jh a dozen times since getting it in March 2010.

Current state: No video, no VGA/HDMI output. The computer posts and boots up after having done a 5+ second hold of the reset button. When remoting to the computer no video card is being detected in windows and msinfo32. I only have a display remotely from the logmein drivers. I don't have a display through other means; RDP, VNC, Kaseya K-VNC.

What I did before this happened: Tore apart my machine and added a few 6.5mm height copper heatsinks to my heatpipes.

I've torn back apart and reseated connections and the video card to no luck.

This is unusual that my machine is posting and booting up without detecting the 5870m in windows. I believe that'd indicate the system detected the GPU to past post and allow the system to boot. Due to no video out - it is impossible to verify in bios if the 5870m is being detected off version.

Do I try to reseat the card a third time? I'm out of ideas at this time

 

A bent pin on the GPU?

 

Hmm, that's certainly a unique and good idea to check - thanks. I will tear apart and check the pins on the vid card and also the mxm slot.

Update: No dice, still not working. Carefully checked pins in mxm slot and card for debris and anything out of the ordinary under a magnifying lens. Sucks but its to be expected playing with hardware sometimes.

Anyone else got some ideas? I would love a way to determine if its my motherboard or graphics card.

 

Got a friend with a G73JH? Pop in their 5870 and see if anything happens. Although at this point, I'd just RMA and tell them it just stopped working on its own.

 

I'm about to get mine back from RMA after experiencing the same problems. Will look at the ticket to see what they did but I"m guessing it's the vid card.

 

Thanks guys. Yah please let me know once you get yours back from RMA since you had the same symptoms.

No I don't know anyone else with one unfortunately.

I am sure I will be trying to RMA in a few days - won't the fact that I've broken my warranty sticky ages ago null it once they'd get it?

 

@Daverish: Probably a dead GPU...

Had the same symptoms on my 9 month old G73JH, did a RMA, got it back with a new GPU, and a typical bad respaste rrsulting in higher temps, did I need that?

NO ASUS, I did not!!

Why did this happen?

Well, maybe too much fiddling with overclock - 800/1100 - new bios that, new vbios this, etc. ad nauseam...

Who will buy

 

The copper heatsink pipes have not been bent or damaged at all when you have been doing all this work on it have they?

There is pressurised liquid inside the pipe that turns into vapour when it reaches boiling point if there is any split in the pipe or the connecting heatsink this can leak and then it is useless and will not draw heat away from the GPU, a small bend barely visible can cause this to happen.

Only other thing I can think of is do you have all of the heatpads over the memory and the memory controllers? This is a classic problem because of the couple of small memory controller pads I noticed came off when I was reseating my heatsink.

There should be two strips and 2 very small rectangle pieces of heatpad on a fork shaped part of the heatsink and a square pad just above these.

 

@Dallers - The heatsinks and pipes are in pristine connection. Never been torqued in my escapades. I replaced the pads last summer along with a repaste when my idle temps were hovering around 60c and load 90c. Everything had been fantastic with even the other day under my usual 45c idle/78c load.

I am leaning towards GPU failure. I did have a unusual symptom a few weeks ago where my gpu wasn't detected in linux and windows but I still had display on the lcd AND external hookups. At that time, the vbios version in my system bios wouldn't consistently load. This was gone once I turned off UEFI, removed my EFS partition, and changed back to MBR from GPT.

I'm going to try to warranty/RMA for the GPU. I am not counting on it and trying to see if anyone local has a msi or asus 5870m that'd help me test on my machine.

 

I got mine back and it was definitely the gpu. They replaced with a new one and now it works.

Hate that they sent the laptop back in bubble wrap and a box when I sent it to them in the original box it came in packed in another box with peanuts. They also replaced my original ASUS power supply with a generic one. At least it works....

 

Glad to know its not the motherboard. Can't you file any sort of complaint for not getting your original power supply or a authentic OEM powersupply brick?

Most generic ones have lousy fits. I'd only not complain if the generic was 180W or greater so one less item to get when using a 920/940xm

 

I made the mistake of sending my power supply in with the laptop. Might be seeing it on ebay sometime in the future. I doubt these generic ones are worth as much as the asus branded psus. This one fits fine though so i'll only complain if this explodes or shorts out in the near future.

 

They had power supply with ASUS logo on it? All my friends I've seen have some generic brand one. Strangely, mine is a different generic brand than my other friend's who bought the G73JH right after release.

 

Mine is asus branded and came with my g73jh-A2.

 

Same, Asus branded 150W PSU.

I never had problems with them changing the power supply when i RMA'ed my N50, but then again i'm in Canada and the RMA center there is known to be more good than bad.