Clevo P770DM-G Randomly shutting down, for more than 100 days now.

Hello there beautiful people,

I made this account to address an issue in my Clevo P770DM-G Laptop that is "almost" driving me crazy...

at the 5th of November in 2020, I started Having this weird issue of my laptop suddenly Shutting down in the middle of anything am doing be it ( Gaming - watching a movie - attending a lecture - Microsoft office work - even at IDLE...etc.) basically any anytime it could occur.

Its worth noting that my Laptop was stable for more than 2 years, no Hardware added no overclocking...nothing.

Specs:

• Intel i7-6700
  
  
• GTX Nvidia 980M
  
  
• 16 GB DDR4 2600 Mhz
  
  
• 1 TB 7200 RPM HDD + 1 TB NVMe SSD (intel 660p)
  
  
• AC adapter 19.5v 11.8A 230W
  
  
• Generic monitor 60Hz
  
  
• Win 10 pro
  

What I did in hope of solving this issue: (but it still persists)

1. System restore to a stable point.
   
   
2. Un-did my Undervolt which was stable for more than 2 years.
   
   
3. Updated windows 10 to the latest version.
   
   
4. Updated all my outdated drivers.
   
   
5. Cleaned my already clean Fans and checked for overheating issues which doesn't exist because temps are at mid 70s for CPU and GPU under the heaviest load (stress testing - benchmarking - heavy tasks).
   
   
6. Disabled intel's (Speed step) technology that is responsible for turbo boost, after noticing Huge fluctuations in CPU core Frequency when the laptop switches the power source to battery (from 3.7 GHZ to 1.97 GHZ).
   
   
7. Removed all Viruses and malwares by using Bitdefender and Malwarebytes.
   
   
8. Removed the latest programs and games installed before the issue started.
   
   
9. Went to a local technician and tested my power brick and it is supplying steady voltage (19.55v), I am still a little bit skeptical because he tested it for 4~7 seconds only.
   
   
10. Tried operating the laptop on (Battery alone - AC adapter alone - both together) after disconnecting all the power sources and holding the power button for a minute to discharge (every time between iterations).
    
    
11. Disabled all the services when booting into windows.
    
    
12. Completely removed Nvidia Graphics driver using (DDU) and performed a clean installation of an old stable driver.
    
    
13. Completely unplugged all the USB peripherals.
    
    
14. Uninstalled all the USB drivers to check if its a problem of drawing more power into (headphones-mouse-keyboard).
    
    
15. Ran Intel's CPU diagnostic tool and it passed.
    
    
16. Tried to do normal operations (Idle- play a game - watch a movie - run benchmark) with these 3 settings (GPU on normal clocks - GPU underclocked - GPU overclocked) No differences at all between the 3 conditions.
    
    
17. Changed the (Travel adapter) that converts my power cord from UK plug to a European one.
    
    
18. Ran RAM diagnostic tests and passed them (windows built-in tests and memtest86).
    
    
19. Ran ("Error Checking" and "Optimization") on my HDD and SSD, and all is fine.
    
    
20. Tried normal operations under ("Optimal power" and "Prefer maximum performance") in Nvidia 3d settings.
    
    
21. Tried turning Off G-Sync
    
    
22. Tried normal operations in Safe mode
    
    
23. Reseated the CMOS Battery.
    
    
24. Repasted (thermal Grizzly) on both GPU and CPU
    
    
25. Finally, I did Format my laptop then went with a clean installation of Win 10
    

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everything I did above was in vain, this laptop is still young (since 2016 only) I don't want to give up on it.

I have a log file of HWinfo when the problem occur, but I cant find a way to attach it to this post.

I would absolutely appreciate any kind of help, because this makes my laptop almost unusable with the thought of "it may turn off any second now" all the time.

 

Of all the things, have you tried to reinstall windows and if ocours?
Edit: nevermind, it's point 25. Dunno what else to test

 

No worries mate, thanks for the suggestion.
lets wait and see, I hope someone have a good idea about solving this dilemma!

 

I had an issue with the same power issue. Turned out the new 180W charger I got and had been stable for 3 months decided to take a dump and start glitching out. I ran down the rabbit hole you've been through and reverted back to the OEM charger and everything went back to normal.

Swap the charger and it should go away.

 

I am thinking about that as the last resort, but my 230W AC Adapter was stable for 4 and half years, why now all of a sudden I dont know, also it is supplying a steady 19.55V ! I have another thread in another forum telling me its the Mobo..every piece cost heck of a lot to be playing trail and error, may as well just start building a desktop with "repair" money..

 

4.5 years is a long time for a brick. Typical warranties on them are 12 months and on the longer side 3 years. V being consistent is fine and all but, if you look in Event Viewer and it's a spontaneous power failure it's the Brick and not anything installed or the MOBO. I thought maybe it was the AC jack where it plugs into the laptop and glad I didn't go down that road when it was just the brick failing.

Buy a new brick and test it and if it doesn't resolve the issue then return it. No harm, no foul, no loss of funds.

I can just say from experience and running through most of the same steps it's the power brick that's causing the issue.... if you look back and everything was stable for years and this just pops up....

 

I do take your solution as the highest trustworthy one, because its from the same issue and you experienced the same symptoms, also while surfing Microsoft IT experts section I saw something that just make your solution more trustable, I attached a picture.

well do you know of any legit Clevo spare parts seller ? all the ones I find are scammers claiming they are part of Clevo affiliates

 

Yep it's the power brick. That's why Clevo only gives it warranty for one year. They usually go down faster than any other component

 

It's a bit rough getting genuine parts w/o paying too much for them. When I was doing my research on options for more power I went to the basics with the tip size 5.5*2.5mm and then hunted by V*A trying to match up things as much as possible for the V and A being a variable to go up in W.

My OEM brand is Chicony and the brand that failed within a few months was HKY.

It looks like there might be a few different tip options coming up when looking up the laptop model.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/230W-AC-Ad...230P1A-19-5V-11-8A-Power-Supply-/272079353149

This listing has several options and is reasonably priced for the part. They're offering a 30 day return and you'll know within a couple of days whether it solves the issue or not. If you end up returning it you're only out ~$10 for shipping it back to them.

Delta is the key chip / OEM that you want to find though as to the MFG it doesn't matter as much as long as it's a solid non faked brick. The key to it is it won't be "cheap" but it shouldn't be overpriced either. On mine the OEM is typically about $70 and going for HKY was ~$40 and while it worked fine for a few months and might have been a 1 off defective it's hard to recommend them.

It's a bit of a minefield though when it comes to sourcing parts on these no name laptops compared to the big boys but, the performance for the price makes it worthwhile. Sometimes you can reverse engineer parts from the sager site as well it just depends on what you're looking for. For instance when looking for a heat sink / fans for my laptop the only place I can find anything is aliexpress and I'm turned off by their site after trying to order a couple of things and them asking for an upload of ID / CC to process the order.

 

Ty for the list mate! much appreciated.

I am thinking about going for a 330W instead of 230W, maybe I start overclocking my GPU and the 230W may fail on me again. to be honest I don't know if I will need 100W more but its just a thought that crossed my mind, I will definitely update this thread with the latest results when I get one, but I have to wait maybe a month until I travel back to UAE, because shipping in the country I am in right now is like playing Russian roulette, you never know if the shipment will arrive or not, and despite the customs being 75~100% of the value of the product.

Thanks again guys, your comments are much appreciated =]

Edit: oh well, the majority if not all of Ebay listings do not ship to my country..

 

INTL shipping is a PITA for sure. Even to the US it's a gamble from certain places. Even domestic shipping gets complicated sometimes.

330W would be a good idea if you're thinking about potentially trying to run an RTX card as they consume 150W alone. 220W was working before so, unless you know OC'ing will exceed that it's a waste of money unless you can find a more plentiful supply of 330's vs 220's.

A month of russian roulette on reboots though is gong to be frustrating until you get it replaced. I found a replacement option that's a bit cheaper by going USB-PD / adapter cable but, I don't think that would work so well with your setup since USB-PD is capped at 100W for now.

Just put in some time looking through the options on the new brick and it should pay off with a stable system. What I can find and what you can find are going to be different due to geo-ip rules depending on the site you're looking on or searching from.

 

well, I am known for my patience haha, Jokes aside, what brands should I look for ? my current adapter that served me 4.5 years is from (Delta electronics), I also read good things about (UpBright) and (Chicony).

Edit: you are right, 330W is a waste of money, with the CPU under max load it consume 75-80W and the max GPU power draw is 120W so 230W should be enough.

 

Like I said before I have a Chicony but the guts of it being Delta is ideal.

I would find a couple of them as options and then dig for reviews to see how they hold up.

 

Having the headroom longterm will have the brick cooler if you want to smash the machine with a heavy load.

 

Agreed.
Advantages of 330W:
- Better stability (not running on peak wattage means that the curent filtration system is not overloaded).
- Runs cooler.
- Longer lifespan (hope you will get a good one).
- Headroom for OC (if you ever want/need).

Cons of 330W:
- More expensive.

 

It's also heavier and bigger.

 

- Better stability (not running on peak wattage means that the curent filtration system is not overloaded). 90% of the time you're running @ under 50% when not gaming
- Runs cooler. See above
- Longer lifespan (hope you will get a good one). Original charger lasted 4.5 years which is pretty good
- Headroom for OC (if you ever want/need). OC'ing isn't going to make a huge difference in the current draw

 

Also I saw no mention of thermal paste or more importantly thermal pad checks (on the VRM chips)

 

Point 24. He did repaste on OP

 

ٍSorry I didn't mean to ignore, but when I opened up the machine to re-paste everything was perfectly fine and nothing out of place or touching anything that it is not supposed to.

at this point am just starting to build my desktop on pc building sites and see if there is any compatibility issues because I am thinking of salvaging what I can from this sad laptop

I am thinking about taking out the i7-6700 and SSDs and HDD and 2 sticks of ram (with the help of the DDR4 RAM adapter I found on Ebay)
then I should buy (Motherboard that supports the 6th gen- GPU - PSU - PC case)

that solution look more pleasing to me especially that this laptop is underdelivering in the latest games, I always have to lower everything in the settings to be able to maintain 60 fps

Edit: I don't know what I will be going with to be honest, But I will wait like a month before buying anything, +80~100% of the price just for (Customs and duties) in this country is preposterous! So I will wait until I travel...in the near future.

 

That sounds feasible, no second hand market (since we are talking 6th gen) in your country?

 

My suggestion would be a bad connection either in the barrel connector of the brick power supply (easily the weakest part of the Clevo build) or a short on the same connector internally.

I have the same problem with the same laptop,. but my issue is known. Despite changing both the power brick and the internal barrel connector (at a crazy price), Clevo's friction design on this barrel connector is terrible.

I've heard they finally fixed this in the current gen notebook.

 

Hi. I have a problem with my P650RE.
Windows 7, GTX 970 /6Gb.
Unpredictable
During the windows loading distortion in a bottom screen side ( purple and gray) and after the loading desktop - also sometime doubling and trilling imadge.
This can happen any boot.(i was reboot 2-20 times)..
I am torning off and reboot a laptop untill its boot correct. After correct boot i am able to play games in windowed mode. In full screen mode laptop screen go black.
So , i was use a laptop a mounthly without torn off.
In December i send it to RMA. Its take a 2 month and company say:we replase a VGA and VRAM.

But problem spears again (less then before- 3 time in a mounth).
So, i send it back to RMA. And now the company say:this is because the windows 7. You need to upgrade to windows 10...
My question is:
Is there in a web description of this issue?
I think there was wrong diagnostic.
(For mee its looks like micro krack or not good contact..)
Thanks.

 

Does it happen on an external display or between dedicated and Optimus mode?

 

Before RMA i was try to connect by HDMI to see if this a cable problem. Unlikely- zero. No signal.
But i mast explain- i never use a HDMI . so, its may be because of my video settings.
And before of this, i look in internet, and was try to check a VGA-display cable. Its all fine.
Update: the company just promise me "money back". They can not fix the issue.

 

Sounds like it could be a bad graphics card in which case money back is the best solution for you.

 

No. The VGA was replased first.
But then-no results, so, the company replace a VRAM......
But issue happened again (less then before).
And now i am waiting promised "money back ASAP".

 

And - yes, this is good for me, but laptop is same unpredictable boot condition.
So, if anybody know tha same case- welkom with info.
(Also interesting, what can i buy insted of this laptop...).

 

Need to know more info. Otherwise it's anything you can afford with the refund.

Personally I start with looking at the CPU / GPU as I can change everything else myself typically.

 

I am soory, this may be offtop, but the company say now: the issue - because the windows 7, i must upgrade to windows 10. Then the problem resolve.
Please, only the qualified specialists can you confirm it is possible the reason of issues?
Laptop was maden for windows 7 seven years ago and used original Clevo drivers.

 

Have you ever formatted your laptop and installed windows from ground up? To see if it solves the issue?

 

And it has been working as configured for how long? Switching the OS won't really do much unless you have HW that isn't supported by W7 at all.

Now from a standpoint of security and running smoother I would say W10 is the better option over W7. It's more of a personal preference from experience and being in "IT" for many years. The video issue you're experiencing though sounds like the card is failing from the provided info so far. If it's not the card then it's something else systemic to the MOBO itself whether it's a loose connection or a cracked solder point / zapped chip is a little more in depth of a discovery process.

Resolution depends on how much you want to sink into the system vs upgrading to something newer and selling the existing system for parts on eBay to recoup some of the upgrade costs.

 

Am back again with this ugly issue haha

Narrowed it down to either the GPU or GPU connector on the Mobo, please take a look at these pictures taken for (Under the GPU, the GPU itself and the MXM 3b socket) and tell me if you spot anything wrong with my gpu so i can be sure before buying a new gpu just to find that the problem wasn't there. @Meaker@Sager maybe you want to take a look that will be appreciated. =)
(All pics were taken with my galaxy S4, so idk how the orientation of the pics will be)

Under the GPU + GPU MXM Socket :

https://ibb.co/6v99wqC
https://ibb.co/F7MF8Tk
https://ibb.co/sqC2WLs

The GPU Itself (different angles and close up shots):

https://ibb.co/djfFn9k (well lit)
https://ibb.co/PND35rj
https://ibb.co/80cP8vk
https://ibb.co/5L32M27
https://ibb.co/Hh9nz6g
https://ibb.co/94q8S11
https://ibb.co/bK5M0GG

- The Back of the GPU

https://ibb.co/SR3Zdpm
https://ibb.co/Gs6Gcps
https://ibb.co/k541H1s
https://ibb.co/5Yk4N4n
https://ibb.co/mXJ5TPQ
https://ibb.co/VwTgztN

The Heatsink :

https://ibb.co/JtNsPmZ
https://ibb.co/1m01Rjv

 

Of course!, nothing changed sadly.

Edit: my bad, you were talking to benderr.