Sony VAIO VPCEB36FG notebook failing graphic card

So finally it happened. After 4 long years the reliable Mobility Radeon 5650 is finally failing. The entire display is showing vertical lines and the laptop shuts down within 15 minutes.
This is my 3rd laptop failing due to heat after Toshiba Satellite A60 and HP Pavilion dv9312tx. With Sony now exiting the PC market what will be the expected costs for a motherboard replacement?

 

Happens all the time or after a few minutes of startup? What are the temperatures? Are you getting a good blast of hot air from the vents?

 

I ran the laptop for 2 hrs in the evening today. It was running perfectly. However the fans were running at full blast even though I was only browsing. The vertical lines were coming up for the last few days. I was playing skyrim when this problem first happened. But now it is happening on a regular basis. Now I have uninstalled amd radeon display driver

 

Install a temperature monitoring utility and keep an eye on the temperatures.

The fan is running full blast, but

1. is the air coming out of the vents full blast. You should be able to feel it at least 4 inches away from the side of the laptop. If not, then the air vents and passages inside are blocked with years of accumulated dust. You need to open it up and give it a good clean.

2. is the air coming out of the vents hot (or at least fairly warm)? If not, then the thermal grease between the CPU/GPU and the heatsink is not doing its job. It deteriorates with age, or sometimes a sharp knock will physically misalign the surfaces and impede heat transfer. So the chips are getting hot, but the heatsink itself is staying cool. Change the thermal paste.

For both the above tasks, take a look at the guide for your laptop - this site has tons of them. You need good hands and a decent screwdriver set. If you're not up to the task, take it to a repair shop.

If you have never cleaned the inside of the laptop before, the above steps will almost certainly cure the problems you are facing.

 

That's a superb reply . Even I was wondering the same. I will definitely open it up. Because max temps as per hwmomitor is only 75 degrees Celsius

Update: Last night ordered for a compressed air can and screwdrive set online on ebay.Hopefully once it arrives, I will be able to open up the laptop.

 

opened the laptop today on my own. On opening it up I see some sticky substance on the part on the right side of the fan
Has something melted?
Not much dust is there inside the laptop. Even the fan strangely looks clean after 4 years of operation

 

Looks like the sponge/foam strip that was used as packing between the fan assembly and the case just deteriorated with age and disintegrated. Clean up the gunk as much as you can and put a fresh strip of sponge.

The fan looks dirty. You'll be surprised how much dust can get sucked into that space. If the fan is rotating smoothly, then just clean the fan blades and the vents - the radiator like thingy under the gunk (use an old toothbrush and a blower)(be careful - the fan blades are brittle and break if you try to bend them). If the fan is not rotating smoothly, then you need to dismantle it completely, lift the blades straight up off the shaft, and clean and lubricate the shaft. Use a light coating of grease - oil doesn't work for very long.

 

I cleaned the external dust by paint brush and a cotton cloth . the laptop is still showing a dead screen. Next step will be to check the motherboard at the local laptop repair shop. If motherboard replacement costs are enormous I have to buy a new laptop

 

What happened? Previously you were getting something on the screen, albeit with vertical lines. Why is it totally blank now? Were you fiddling around while the battery was still in the laptop? If so, you might have blown a fuse. Check this thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/613996-no-backlight-led-screen.html

 

Initially for the first week there were vertical lines. Then only blank screen was displayed. Only the power button and the number lock keys were glowing. Just like my previous HP pavilion which ultimately resulted in four motherboard replacements. I fear that this time also the same problem might have happened. Last night the laptop was opened up the first time in four years