M1330: Mobo Replacement Checklist

Hi2all,

seeing as I'm getting ready for my 1330's second Mobo replacement, I've made a list of what to check after a mobo replacement. The first part of the checklist is what you really should test while the RegGuy's still on location and the second & third parts are what you need to verify (in most part) that the replacement mobo is indeed ok.

What the rep will check on your behalf is that the Notebook fires up and loads your OS. This of course implies that the power-on switch, monitor, hard drive, keyboard and trackpad are connected and that the main chips (cpu, graphics, chipset, audio, etc) are indeed functioning.

But that's about it so the rest is up to you...

Part 1: Items that are "connected" to the Mobo (by the Rep)

• Keyboard - keys (c/o snork) and check that it lays flat*!!!
• Touch-sensitive Media & Drive Eject switches (control panel)
• Track Pad's two "mouse" buttons
• Finger-Print Reader (optional HW)
• WLAN (which is a miniPCI card)
• Bluetooth (which is a separate module - optional HW)
• Wireless Switch (turn off radios / wireless protocols**)
• Wi-Fi Catcher (searches for access points when 1330 is powered down)
• Optical Drive
• WebCam
• Flash Cache Module (aka Intel Turbo Memory Card - optional HW)
• Broadand + SIM cards (optional HW)
• CMOS Settings***

* If the various cables are not run correctly, there will be a "hump" in your keyboard... .
** One can select which radios will be switched off: WLAN, Bluetooth and WWAN (cellular).
***i.e. correct time after 2nd powerup to verify that the coin-cell battery is connected.

Part 2: I/O ports (not only insures mobo is good, but that it is properly seated in the case!)

• USB x 2
• IEEE 1394a
• HDMI
• Audio x3*
• RJ-45 (Ethernet)
• Media Slot (SD, MS, ...)
• Express-card slot (note the cage usually comes connected with the new mobo)
• IR receiver (using supplied Remote Control)
• Media Direct Button: accessibility to the Media Direct partition / OS

*Check at least the two Headphone jacks and if you have an external mic, check that too. For extremists, plug in a 5.1 surround system


Part 3: Temperatures & Stress-Testing

Along with the above items, the Rep needs to reseat the HSF (Heat Sink & Fan assembly) and needs to reconnect the fan (power). Running the usual temperature and fan-speed check tools such as 18kfangui will insure that the fan is connected and that the HSF is doing a decent job of cooling your CPU (35-50C), GPU (50-65C) and Northbridge (35-45C) chips.

Optimally, this should be done while the Rep is still around so that the HSF can be reseated, fan connected or the thermal paste *cough* properly *cough* applied (assuming it was applied in the first place... )

Running CPU & 3D benchmarks such as 3DMark06, Sandra, etc. will guarantee you that the HSF is indeed functioning optimally. Since it is generally recommended that new HW be allowed to "warm up" / break in before doing any heavy stress-testing, you should probably wait 24hrs or so before running said tests.

Also note that the thermal paste needs to be heated and allowed to completely cool down (over a period of at least several hours, if not overnight...) once before doing any stress-testing!

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I put the list together for my own use but I hope it will be of use to others in our community as well! I also have pics of a "raw" 1330 mobo along with other 1330 components so that you can preview what it looks like (see link in my signature).

Finally, I've added my own little "cheat-sheet" (PDF) of different post codes, indicator definitions, Wifi catcher, etc. that may be of use to you as well (of course, it's more useful before your mobo goes belly-up )

 

Nice list...when my mobo was replaced I didn't notice until the evening that the touch media controls weren't connected. No big deal to fix, but Dell should have made the connecting ribbon cable a bit bigger and stronger (it's tiny!)

Also, test out all the keys on your keyboard. I discovered my "U" key was a bit sticky after the work. So I pulled it all apart and reassembled it which seems to have resolved the problem.

 

Thanks
None the less, I still managed to miss something...

They win... :twitcy:

 

Mine doesn't seem like it has 5.1 surround sound. Did I miss something? How do I turn it on?

 

If you physically plug something in to the mic jack, a popup screen c/o Sigmatel should pop up asking you to select from either external mic, 5.1, etc. Look here for more specifics.

 

Hmm, but mine uses a single digital cable to connect to the dvd player/amplifier which is connected to the 5.1 surround system.

 

Updated (added Media Direct "functionality" check).

I'm not sure how a mobo swap could affect the functionality, but according to this post, it can...

 

I think it can affect the functonality, on my first m1330 I managed to set up a dual boot wit ubuntu booting when the meda direct button was pressed but when the mobo was changed it mucked everything up.

 

I thought this list was a bit excessive but I should have followed it.
After this machines second motherboard swap it seemed very slow and to run hot. Finally realized fan was not connected. That can't have helped the longevity of this replacement GPU.