Please Help! XPS M1530 Heatsink Issue

Hello,

While trying to clean the fan, a portion has come out of the motherboard. See attached picture. Laptop seems to be running fine but I wanted some expert advice if I messed something up here.

Thanks

 

The arm of the heatsink with the broken socket covers the Nvidia GPU. This can cause the heatsink to make poor contact with the GPU, which will ultimately lead to higher GPU temps and an increased risk of failure (especially in this model).

If your GPU load temps are ok, you're probably fine the time being, but this will most likely shorten your GPU lifespan...

 

So, what's the fix and how much will it cost? Any ideas/suggestions?

Will CPUID at least give me accurate GPU temp readings?

Thanks,

 

I'm not exactly sure how you're supposed to fix this... you might be able to do it yourself with some patience and a good soldering iron; I had this happen to an Inspiron 1525, and I didn't try to repair it.

Worst case scenario you'll have to buy a new motherboard (like $100+ for a 1530 still), in which case you may or may not want to wait until this one actually dies.

 

Since the sink is screwed tight, it is just not attaching to the motherboard. Will that still be an issue? Will it still affect GPU temp? I've been running CPUID constantly to check the temp.

Thanks for your assistance.

 

Like I said, if your temps are fine now, it may not be a problem in the short run, but since that heatsink isn't tied down properly, it may warp slightly over time, the pressure distribution may change, and it might be an issue in the long run. It's really hard to say with things like this... it might be a total non-issue or your GPU might be gone in three months.

 

Thank you for all the information you've provided so far. Please let me know if you remember any other details.

I hope that someone who has fixed the screw hole would see this post and provide some insights on how they did it, if at all they did it - maybe jb-weld etc.

Since I cannot swap the MBoard on my own, I might take it to my local MicroCenter and they can do it, in the worst case scenario. Do not know if they can fix this hole.

 

Hello,

It seems that I made a mistake in the title of this thread. It really should be Heatsink issue and not a fan issue.

Can you, being a moderator, please change the title of this post? Maybe that might help in getting some more response from people who've had heatsink issues.

 

Screw hole on the motherboard cannot be really fixed, unless you know how to perform board level repair (very few shops do actual repairs in home). It's as Commander Wolf stated, if it isn't an issue just leave it be, but it could turn into a bigger issue down the line. Considering your M1530 is OOW, I would just leave it be.

 

Hello,

Yes, Commander Wolf has been extremely helpful. I have not had any issues with over heating. Of course, I do not use this laptop for gaming etc. but regular personal work kind of stuff. I'd recently observed that the fan was making some noise. So I opened it and cleaned the fan. So I do not know if I accidentally broke it or if it was like that for some time. I've been running CPUID for quite some time now. Max GPU temp is coming at 70 deg celsius and max CPU temp around 60 deg celsius. fan speed is around 3080 most of the time and it is much quieter ever since I cleaned it a couple of days back.

I just wanted to make sure that I took care of this issue before it happens all of a sudden and catches me at the most inopportune time. Wouldn't mind going to a shop that does this kind of repair. (I'm in Northern Virginia). The way I look at it, if I have to spend some money a few months down the road, I might as well do it now and avoid having to do deal with the hassle when I might not be prepared for it or when my schedule might not allow me to devote as much time to get it fixed.

Another point is if you look at the picture, its the arm that attaches to motherboard that has come off. The actual joint on the GPU is still intact.

Another alternative that Commander Wolf suggested is to replace Motherboard (cost approx $100 + labor), since I cannot replace on my own. That I guess would be my last option. I was really hoping that there could be a repair for this - jb weld, anyone??