How to replace video/graphics card?

Okay so my laptops screen won't turn on/is all black, but the actual laptop itself does turn on and I can hear it running, and the keyboard backlight turns on. It will run for a few minutes, then I will hear the fan come on, and then it'll shut off. I tried hooking it up to an external monitor and still nothing came up on that monitor, so I'm assuming the video card is fried. I also took it in to a place and they said it must be the video card, and it'd cost around $200 to fix, but I don't think that included the cost of any new parts.
My laptop is a Clevo w110er notebook gaming laptop, and it's known to run hot so it's very possible it overheated.
Can I just order a new video card, or would it need a whole new motherboard, or what?
I saw on a couple websites that the Clevo w110er (aka Sager np6110) has a replaceable/upgradeable CPU unlike most other laptops.
This is the thread I found that info on --> http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...10er-sager-np6110-owners-lounge.655833/page-3

 

The CPU is replaceable but the GPU is soldered. You would have to replace the entire motherboard. Might be more cost effective to just get a new notebook.

 

I found a brand new motherboard on eBay for $255, and I only paid $400 for this laptop (used) a couple years ago. It looks like Clevo and Sager has discontinued this model, and I can't find any for sale online so my question is, would it be worth it to fix and sell? I'm not sure how much these go for anymore. Otherwise I might fix and keep it for school and such. My last option would be to not fix it, and to just put it up for parts.
Which do you think is my best bet?

 

TBH I have no idea. You should ask this in the owner's lounge.

 

When the part cost more than half of the price you paid in 2013, that should be a hint for you.

Are you proficient in tearing down and rebuilding notebooks? Are you skilled in ensuring all connections are properly made and you do not end up damaging the MB or other components in the process? Are you sure that after all that work that another issue won't come up?

With a platform that is known to be designed poorly (with regards to cooling) I don't see the appeal of attempting to keep this one alive for a few short months (at best)?

My recommendations is to put it up for parts and buy something new. There is nothing like throwing good money away for no reason. At least you got two years worth out of it. Anything you make now from selling the parts will be gravy towards a current system.

Good luck.

 

Whether or not it's half the cost you bought it back then the choice is really up to the OP to decide. Sometimes if you look at the hardware cost buying a new laptop with specs that could match yours can cost more then the replacement board itself as well. So it not just it cost half what it cost then but the replacement could far exceed your board replacement itself beyond what you paid for the board now and when you bought it then. So there are other factors to take into account when replacing bad boards. To OP if that is a new keyboard that isn't such a bad deal now if it was new that be different. But make sure you reapply the thermal paste to the CPU and GPU to make sure they can cool and work efficient. I myself would replace a board if it doesn't cost to much why because all the other rest still work that isn't connected to the board itself.

 

In laptop service center they should be able to replace the GPU chip on the motherboard, and it should not cost much more than 100$, just don't forget to ask about warranty on their work.
255$ for the motherboard is way too much for this older model, if you won't be able to find it for less than 150$ and decide not to go with repairing - just sell it for parts and get another laptop of ebay - for 300-500$ you can get a decent laptop if pick wisely

 

There is no way they can replace GPU, if they can even find a chip. It's soldered on. Even if they did by the time you buy the chip and labor will easily cost over $250. Reballing a GPU takes specialized equipment with a template specific to that GPU.

 

Indeed I mean physically replacing (resoldering) the chip on the motherboard with the same model,
the GPU chip cost should be about 50-70$ so 50-100 in labor seems fair, unless the service center is greedy over the top
Reballing (sure should cost less than 100$) may not make sense if the internal chip balls are off, so it will be more like a lottery, that I wouldn't recommend.

 

The biggest issue is that there is no place to buy an embedded GPU. That is the consternation with all the switch to embedded CPU's and GPU's on future laptops. You basically have to replace the whole motherboard if the CPU or GPU goes bad. It is not financially reasonable to remove and replace these chips, it's just cheaper and easier to replace the whole motherboard or buy a new laptop altogether.

I've seen embedded chips removed, reballed, re-soldered. A pro will likely be able to do it fairly cleanly, but it's still messy work and there's a reasonable risk of failure. Maybe with embedded CPU's and GPU's becoming more commonplace that this might be a new service shops can offer, and maybe some places can actually source the embedded chips and sell them at reasonable costs.

 

Actually, they've been available for quite some time, even in single volume. The GT 650M (for the W110ER) goes for ~$40.

But yes, with the current integrate-everything trend it does make more sense for local shops to get a rework station (so compact nowadays!). Turn-around to the specific brand's repair location is usually several weeks and customers don't tend to appreciate that. Brick-and-mortar shop nearby has one, so he can offer 2-day service (provided a matching cpu/gpu is at hand). An hour's work seems fair, so don't think the $100 is far off (add $50 to take apart or $100 for consumer models). Of course, this not how they usually operate, that's simply: buy dead motherboard or system -> repair -> sell refurbished.

For fun, an oldie from Intel: Motherboard Repair: Ball Grid Array Socket Rework.

 

Even with a rework station, BGA GPU is difficult to come by outside of laptop manufacturers. And they won't sell you one. Good luck. New motherboard in this case, if you want new GPU. Good reliable SMD rework stations not cheap either. And not PC repair shop affordable. Even many broadcast engineering shops where that SMD afflicted board is thousands of $$$ don't have this equipment. Many such SMD boards are exchange only on $230,000 broadcast gear. So, why should PC repair shops have this equipment?