Dreaded m1530 no startup issue

Bought my comp in 2008, and I thought I was lucky with all the problems people have been having with mobos/GPUs frying. Well, bad luck struck me today. My comp was slow per usual and I decided to reset. However, it would not turn on. I am getting a total black screen after turning on with NO POST or harddrive whirls. Media keys & bluetooth light up briefly and power light is on. There was a DVD crank per usual on startup. I talked with Dell Tech support and did the turn on/off pressing F12 on power, FN with power with & without an external monitor. FN + ON resulted in a flashing numlock (first symbol) and steady others.

My comp is out of warranty as it's Feb 2012, but they are willing to ship it to the repair center and fix it if and only if it is a GPU issue. It would quality for the 1 yr warranty extension in that case. The first rep actually claimed it's obviously a mobo issue, and they will not repair that. The second rep said they are willing to look at it. If it was a mobo + GPU issue, they would just fix the GPU. So...

how can I figure out myself if it is a mobo issue or a GPU issue? Exactly before the reset, everything was working (LCD screen, GPU, etc). I played Team Fortress 2 yesterday. The rep asked if I've had BSOD or graphical artifacts, and I've had BSOD before that would be corrected with a reset.

If there is no POST or Dell logo wouldn't that suggest mobo? I don't suspect ram unseating as I use an external monitor, keyboard and mouse so I don't touch the laptop when on. *expletive"

 

So it doesn't POST externally? Sounds like a bad video circuit...aka your Nvidia GPU bit the dust. Dell only extended the warranty for 1 year for all affected models.

 

that happened to mine as well. I got it repaired by a guy on ebay called BrickFence.

 

Blank black screen with nothing on startup w/o beeps. No Dell logo. I am just afraid that if I don't know if it is mobo or GPU, then they will screw me and just say it is a mobo issue and not fix it when it actually is a GPU issue.

Found the guy on fleabay. For $100, he doesn't seem to replace faulty parts and charges shipping both ways. :S

 

The problem is, there is no "fix" because it is the actual GPU that is defective. Most people on eBay will either reflow the GPU in the oven, or use a heatgun to do so. The only proper way is to buy a BGA reflow station and use leaded solder as it is less prone to thermal heat stress.

 

that is hilarious

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/har...-kind-guide-how-bake-your-gpu-fun-profit.html

Commander Wolf has a whole write up on the GPU reflow experience aka oven baking. At the controlled temperatures, it will reflow the solder joints, "reconnecting" the GPU to the motherboard. Unfortunately this has wildly varying results, as short as 2 weeks, as long as 2+ years.

Hence unless you are still in warranty or fall under Dell's 1 year warranty extension program, you'd be better off selling your notebook and buying a new one. Even the old 8600M GT gets outclassed by integrated graphics these days, my X220 Tablet's Intel HD 3000 is more smooth in HL2 based games than my old Vostro 1500 with an 8600M GT.

 

Quite the contrary. That particular service is $100. at the $140 level, he replaces the GPU:

DELL XPS M1530 MOTHERBOARD NO VIDEO UPGRADE REPAIR | eBay

I cleaned off and took pictures of the chip before and after. different chip. This service is a bit more, but i'm using my m1530 because of it, and i put in a LOT of upgrade cash into it this past year, so i'm grateful.

Also, i have actually used his service, so i can tell you what to expect. Yes, it's a bit costly, so it really depends on how badly you want to keep this particular system.

I put a lot of upgrades into my m1530 last year, including a new proc (i either maxed it out or am 1 step away from maxing out the processor), all new case parts, new 1920x1200 screen, blu-ray burner, and new wireless n card, so i can't really just let a faulty GPU kill my system.

I really need the 16x10 screen size too much to ever give this system up, unless someone out there releases a newer system that has 16x10. I think the next step up for me is an Alienware system, and then that's it.

Anyway, if you put in any sort of investment into the system like i did, you'll see the $140 as a worthwhile cost. If not, and you can live without a 16x10 screen, go get a newer system. Overall, the bang for buck is worth it.

 

Well to each his own, I personally wouldn't spend 140 fixing an M1530, I would cut your losses and strip it for parts, and buy a new laptop. For starters, any Arrandale or Sandy Bridge system will outclass a M1530, even with X9000 and 8600M GT. HD 3000 + my i5-2520M in my X220 Tablet pwns my Vostro 1500 T7500 + 8600M GT. Yes you have to deal with 16:9, but at least I can sleep soundly that my machine won't fail due to Nvidia timebomb.

 

I will see what they will do for me. I've shipped it to Houston, which is awfully close Dell HQ near Austin. My completecare expired, but am still within the 1yr extension. Looking on Youtube, it looks the GPU is exact cause of my problem not the mobo. I really hope they don't just install another GPU timebomb. I wonder if they have updated GPUs like the ebay seller that they put into repaired m1530s.

 

Yes, i totally agree, newer is better at this point...unless you absolutely need 16:10, in which case, the only option is an alienware i5 based system. $2000? yeah, no thanks.

 

Nothing "requires" 16:10, sure it's nice to have 16:10 or 4:3, but like for low end resolutions, 1280x800 to 1368x768 isn't that big of a deal. My point was, even entry level i3/i5 Sandy Bridge laptops with integrated graphics pwns 3 generation old mid range stuff, as Commander Wolf keeps stating to me. I don't get where you pulled an i5 Alienware from..

 

If you really want 16:10 there are plenty of relatively cheap used laptops with relatively recent specs that don't have bad Nvidia GPUs.

 

My apologies, it's an i7.

Alienware m17x-r2 is the only mid-high end laptop i've seen that uses DDR3 and the iX series of procs that also has a 16:10 screen. It's still $2000.

 

Please, inform me of these systems! Here's what i need.

15.4" or bigger screen in 16:10 with 1920x1200 or higher ratio
keyboard with dedicated home and end keys
i5 or higher processor
preferable a synaptics touchpad
Solid video out options

 

Plenty of R2 for like 1000-1200 out of warranty, 1200+ in warranty. R2 only has HDMI + DisplayPort.

 

rather rich for my blood still. But as time goes on, i know i'll need to upgrade eventually. $1200 is a LOT of cash though....

 

I mean now you throw in the 15.4" and 1920 x 1200 with all that other stuff and it complicates things... a lot of mid-size and larger machines went 16:9 a generation earlier than their smaller counterparts.

I'm thinking of all the E6410, X201, T410, etc, which can generally be found around $500 or less. If you want it bigger, I admit, it's going to be harder.

 

Well unfortunately Arrandale/Clarksfield are the last generations to be 16:10 with 15". Almost everything has transitioned to 16:9 with Sandy Bridge and beyond. You could look at an M6500 but any M6x00 series notebooks are still expensive as it is Dell's flagship mobile workstation. Lenovo W70x and 8740W Elitebook are even more overpriced than used Precisions. You are pretty much limited to the R2 and big mobile workstation laptops from the big 3 of business. Also if you keep on investing in Santa Rosa platform, it is futile as it has been dated for awhile. Plus any upgrade is really hitting the point of diminishing returns. Flip your custom M1530 and save up for a good laptop that will last you awhile.

Yes 1080p from 1200p is a big loss, but look at the flipside, things are alot more efficient (in terms of speed/productivity, battery life, idle/load wattage). And you aren't going to have much choice if say your XX Arrandale/Clarksfield laptop dies and XX manufacturer doesn't have parts anymore. You'll get a new laptop replacement.

 

I can't give up my vertical space. I just can't. The only point where i will feel even remotely okay with moving to 16:9 is if i get a higher than 1080p resolution out of it. I've been fighting this transition kicking and screaming because it makes no sense from an end user standpoint.....why should i pay more to get 90% of my screen real estate, especially when my screen real estate is the most important aspect to my use of a laptop?

I've already made my investment, because for the last few years, i've not found a suitable replacement system in my budget. I looked for any system i could that had 16:10. only today have i found anything that makes 16:9 possibly viable, and that's 2048x1152 resolution screens on some lappys.

for my m1530, this past year i upgraded:

Screen (LG 1920x1200)
WiFi card (Intel Centrino Ultimate N 6300)
RAM (8GB DDR2-667)
Hard Drive (500GB WD Blue Scorpio)
Processor (Core 2 Duo T9500)
Blu-Ray Burner

And i replaced all the case parts. Essentially, everything was new except the MB, which i had to get repaired when the GPU went out. To add further value, i'm even working on a mod to use a backlit keyboard on this system, and since i found an issue with my screen, i'm probably going to need to swap it out for a new one (i'm okay with this as i bought the current one used, very cheap, just to see if it would work).

With the exception of Firefox and the NVidia drivers choking on Flash Video on occasion, the system is enough of a beast to keep me going around another year or 2 at least, after which i can re-delegate it to programming and basic school work.

I don't get the performance of a newer system, but a newer system can't provide me my screen resolution without costing me far more (double? The Alienware system i looked at was about $2200 and did not come with Blu Ray write capabilities) than what i ended up paying.

 

Dell replaced my motherboard with a (F125F - Board). Indian CS says that it is actually a new board without the GPU defect. Nvidia CS says that their 8600 series GPUs are fine after 2008. Nvidia guy said that it is made with different materials and that there are still computers sold today that use this chipset. Not sure if Dell used this new one or not. Not sure whether to trust either party.

The Dell guy said to stress test it out when I get it back. I really hope this repair isn't some sort of stall tactic to wait out my extended warranty so that when the next time the GPU fails, I am really SOL. They've already BSed me once telling me that the tech guy at the depot would contact me before they do any repairs. Didn't happen.

 

Another Nvidia guy says that the the fixed 8M series chips are available in current models. He have me links to Amazon third party sellers and ebay sellers selling used / back model Acers. lol. Then he and his supervisor said there is no way to tell between a chipset that is defective or fixed.

 

The NVS140M based Quadro chips were supposedly fixed, but are only found on D630 and T61p, business laptops. It needed to be sold after XX date which I don't remember exactly, I would still avoid all Nvidia laptops from 2005-2008, any Santa Rosa/Napa platform laptops.