3 beeps and a black screen

I have a Vaio VGN FZ-323 and think it may be dead. Switch it on and just get three "beeps" in total. The first lasted about a second. This was quickly followed by two short beeps. Then that was it. Three "beeps" in total "Beeeeeeeep..beep..beep". Screen totally black the whole time.

I though I would replace the HDD but have been told it may be RAM or the video card, probably the video card (which means new MB I think). Do you agree that it is not the HD and that I should abandon repair options? Maybe is is just as easy to slot new RAM into the laptop as it is to slot a new HD in? But I have to know it is RAM causing the trouble. Many are saying video card is the problem.

Tried to find a disassembly manual without luck. Here http://home.comcast.net/~nw_systems/vgnFS.pdf is what I am after for my model (FZ series). FZ series seems to be the only Sony series missing at this Website, DOH! Not easy to find. These disassembly manuals are great but hard to find.

The laptop is about 3 years old (Vaio FZ-323). Problem is I need the Firewire for my video camera and Firewire ports are dissapearing fast. Trying to find an i5 laptop with Firewire around $1200 if the Vaio is history.

To be honest if this notebook is dead part of me will breathe a sigh of relief. It was full of bugs that nobody could solve. Just weird little things like user profiles having a 50% chance of loading upon login. I managed to function with this PC, but had to know its weirdness well. The "power off -> remove and replace battery -> power on" routine was one I became very fast at and was the only thing that made it operate properly on many occassions.

 

Beep codes are usually a POST error meaning the bios is unable to boot the computer. You can probably google some vaio beep codes and see if there is an answer. I would probably start by re-seating the ram modules to make sure they are firmly in place. If that does not help you can try booting 1 ram module at a time to check if you have a bad ram stick.

 

Thanks. It looks like the video controller is dead
http://www.biosbeeps.com/sony-vaio-bios-beep-codes.html

That means a toasted Vaio I believe as a new MB would be needed, which is not cost effective. Am I correct?

 

you could always check ebay price for a new mobo

 

The FZ has the nVidia 8k series no?
The usual symptom with those is that the video card SHOWS issues before it goes totally belly-up. So, that would be a nasty looking screen / display and the OS throwing fits in regards to video drivers. But then, the situation mentioned is not impossible.

That said, that site mentions a add-on card as well for the beeps in question.
Checking the RAM first is a good idea; might simply need re-seating as mentioned or your current ones could have died.

And when all that's done... Motherboards ain't cheap, period. eBay is your friend there, but considering the GPU failures that the FZ is potentially plagued with... You'd have to consider into your budget how long you want the new motherboard to last you for the price you're paying for it. If you do graphics intensive stuff (including video playback), I wouldn't expect more than 2 years, even with the 'fixed' GPU dies.

 

If the GPU had failed, Sony will replace the motherboard/ with new GPU for free. Sony had extended the warranty for the GPU by 3 years from the original 1 year warranty.

Your issue doesn't like a GPU failure. But this is just speculation.

 

Fun tidbit: Most POST beep codes are based on good old Morse code.
Long-short-short is a D, which typically means a Device.
Long-long is an M, and almost always means Memory.
Long-short-long-short is a C, and almost always means CPU.

 

I disassembled the laptop and could see nothing obvious on the motherboard that looked like a plug in video card. It says it has Nvidia a GeForce 8400 GT GPU, but the word Nvidia does not apper on any component on the motherboard that I could see.

There are two large copper cooling arms which are clamped onto what I guess are microprocessors. I am guessing that one is the CPU and the other the Nvidia graphics chip. Does this sound like a reasonable guess? I believe would confirm advice that once the video goes on this laptop, that's the end of it.

I reseated both RAM modules. I also left one out then the other while booting. Same POST codes and result during all experiments.

Maybe Sony would replace the GPU under warranty as mentioned?

I can accept the fact that the laptop may be toast and it is time to go shopping. However if it is a simple fix, why not? I'm not paying a shop $100s of $ to have a go at it though. Good money after bad.
Do some laptops have a plug in video card that you could replace or upgrade?

 

The copper piping branches off onto the CPU and GPU. So you would be right to assume the GPU is under one of those ends.

I recall the CPU being removable, but the GPU is not (ie, the GPU is soldered on). To replace the GPU is to replace the motherboard. The graphics on laptops are not in the form of removable cards (though I recall a Compaq a few years back that was...?)

Check the sticky on the main Sony page on this forum.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/407410-sony-comes-clean-faulty-8xxx-series-nvidia-chips.html

It is in regards to the nvidia 8k series failures, and since Sony is doing extended warranty repairs / replacements, I don't really see what you have to lose. Phone Sony Service up (not some random computer repair store), tell them what you are experiencing, and at the end of your explanation say you are aware of short-life GPUs on the FZ series, namely the nvidia 8k cards.

If you're successful and depending on where you live, they'll give you instructions to send your machine in for repair. It'll be free under the extended warranty. Though if they find that the issue is anything BUT the GPU, you'll be charged for the inspection.

As for fixing yourself... I remember reading a user here who put his motherboard into an oven to get the solder to settle in the GPU socket (as that's what the issue is, cracks in the solder due to constant heating / cooling, resulting in bad connections between the GPU and motherboard). Though for that you'll have to be uber confident in disassembly and cooking skills. Don't wanna stick anything electrical in an oven for too long...

 

Awesome information 5ushiMonster. I will be straight onto Sony.

 

Happy to help.
Though be advised that is what the issue sounds like (as coolguy previously stated)...

Usually with a bad GPU you'd usually be able to boot into the OS, albeit in a horrible looking state (screen looks 'rather' garbled, graphics drivers throwing up messages etc etc etc). Though that said, yours might have simply just died on the spot, instead of the usual, slow death... Hence why the device error beeps.

Phone Sony up with what you're experiencing anyways, quoting at the end of your explanation that you're aware of graphics failures on the FZ.

Worst case scenario is the issue is NOT GPU related. If that was the case I would have next suggested you take it to Sony and get them to give you a DIAGNOSIS as to what's wrong / causing the issue. Sure, there's a charge but it wouldn't cost an arm and a leg for just a check-up. And with that info you can decide whether you wanna spend what you may have to spend and go from there.

I think Sony will do a full diagnosis check when checking the GPU, incase the issue is NOT the GPU itself (because as a company, that's what they hope for considering the price of replacing VAIO mobos), but can't fully confirm.

 

Thanks again for such an informative and helpful response.

 

5ushiMonster, you saved me AUD$1100 at least. Thank you. Here's the sequence of events;

* I packed up the Vaio and included printouts containing details of the problems the FZ series has had and the associated legal procedings and extended warranties offered in other countries.
* Closest Sony service agent picked up the Vaio via courier
* I got a text a few days later saying repair would be AUD$1100 and asked if I wanted to go ahead.
* I called the service agent and asked the employee who answered the phone why the extended warranty was not applicable and also whether they actually read the printed material I had included.
* This person then said "hang on a minute, I'll just go and talk with the technician."
* She came back 2 minutes later and said they would do the repair for free. Great news but the whole thing was a bit odd. I won't be more cynical than that.
* They fixed the computer for free and couriered it back to me. It now works better than it ever has. As well as the screen actually working, other ghosts in the machine that I put up with in the past have gone. I suspect there was something wrong with it for a long time, if not from day one.

What I don't understand is that if Sony know they sold a bum product, why didn't they contact customers and let them know? They could do this via retailers or directly I would think. When Toyota find a fault, they recall cars and fix the problem. It seems that the computer world is in its own orbit in this regard. You can sell stuff that doesn't work that well, or worse still has major faults and there is no real comeback. Software is even worse for this type of approach.

Anyway 5ushiMonster, you are a LEGEND!

 

Happy to be of help. Hopefully you now have a chance of catching up with the true performance potential that is the FZ~ Granted it ain't stellar today but it's still more than enough for most individuals.

As for why Sony (or any corporate company for that matter) doesn't contact you in regards to faulty electronics gadgets and equipment. Your comparison with Toyota is slightly one-sided. Though I see where you are coming from. But with a vehicle fault you can put not only yourself at mortal risk, but other road users as well. Hence why authorities are quick to chase things up where the safety of people are potentially at risk. But with gadgets, it's either working or it ain't, and most gadgets when they die don't pose a significant risk. But if they do (I recall some earlier Apple iPods catching fire in pockets), the authorities are quick to react.

And if non-dangerous gadgets become common in large amounts (ie, the nvidia issue here), corporates only issue recalls / repairs after they analyse how it will affect their brand name. The issue with nvidia and Sony here was that it was one company who was selling the product of another. Both were in a precarious situation. If they determined it won't hurt them too much, they'd have just pushed the issue under the carpet. The best way of saving money in the end, which is what nvidia first thought and did; they were using different solder dies and material by the time the story broke out. But if it becomes household conversation (well, almost) and comes under HEAVY specialist scrutiny like this issue has, then that's another story, which I'm sure you now know...

Alas, issues like the nvidia 8k recall is why people MUST research their products, before and after purchase. Only those in the know will get justice and their true money's-worth in the end. I say this because I have witnessed (and still do today) many selling off freely fixable FZ and other laptops which are part of the recall / replacement program. People simply don't know nor cannot give a rat's backside because of the so-called effort (ie, research) involved. You took the first step of research and asked here, hence your extremely favourable outcome; the power of knowledge...

Anyways, again, enjoy your FZ. You most certainly derserve it after what you've been through.

 

The voice of reason ;-)