Xxodd xni860 / clevo w860cu / sager np 8690 problems. Maybe videocard related, how to test?

Hello,

I've been posting before about my problems with my xxodd laptop in the clevo 860cu / sager np 8690 topic, but somehow the topic seems broken. Can't get past page 433, while those pages are old.

But here my problem:

My laptop keeps giving me problems. It freezes up with a black screen, or it suddenly reboots or I get a blue screen with various readings, like memory_managment problems or IRQL_something not less or equal something something...
The laptop has had these problems since I bought it.
I've tried:
-several types of new ram memory dimms.
-New hdd
-Testing the ram with memtest all night long
-Testing the hdd all night long.
-Reading my temps, idle in windows and while playing a 720p mkv, GPU doesn't go higher then 45 degrees celsius, CPU I thought something 42-ish.
-After trying te reinstall windows 7 again this week just for the heck of it I noticed the screen going flashing black and back to windows setup while installing the standard drivers in the setup progress. So I guess the videocard was being detected. That was the moment it crashed again. I'm guessing it has something to do with the videocard.
Xxodd went bankrupt this week, so can't send it back. And I don't want to spend a lot of money on a new videocard, when I'm not sure thats the problem.

I have a I3 350m processor and I saw on the Intel website it has a built-in videocard. Would removing the gtx 285 automaticly activate the internal videocard, or is that impossible to do? I ask, because I noticed how sagers and clevos seem to have i7 processors, which don't have a videocard in it, so I don't know if the motherboard supports the internal videocard. If it's possible to activate the internal videocard I would be able to test my laptop for freezes and reboots and see if the videocard is the problem.

Okay, and if the problem is the videocard, does anybody know where to order the gtx 285 or maybe even gtx 460/480?

 

Okay, removing the videocard only gives a black screen when powering up, so it seems the motherboard doesn't utilize the onboard vga from the i3 processor.

Is there anybody in the Netherlands with a MXM 3.0b videocard for me to test, or is there anybody who wants to test my GTX 285m in his/her laptop to see if the videocard is the problem?

 

Have been trying to install Windows XP for a change instead of Windows 7. Everytime after loading all the drivers (at the very beginning of the setup, when it's just booting up from the setup cd) the screen goes blank with a blinking cursor and after that I guess the screens should come up where you push F8 to agree to the EULA and so on, but it goes to a blue screen with some error instead. It says if you just installed a new hdd or hdd controller, please remove it and try again. I don't know if that's a standard message, or if it really has something to do with the hdd or controller.
I removed the HDD and tried again.
I tried without the battery in it, only on AC power.
I tried only on battery without AC power.
I tried with only 1 memory module in it, in bank 1.
I tried with only 1 memory module in it, in bank 2.

Everytime the same error.

Windows XP can't install at all. Is this the case for all Sager NP8690/ClevoW860cu laptops? If it is, it won't make a difference trying to install XP and I'll go back to trying out Windows 7 again. Does anybody know?

 

To install xp you need to slipstream the ahci controller driver using nLite or using a usb floppy drive and the F6 method.