Can laptop work on VGA external monitor with not-working nVidia graphic chip?

[noctornus]

Hello everyone!!!
I have Dell XPS m1530. It's display is not working, not even a bulb. It is working normally on external monitor on VGA output. One friend told me that it can work normally on external monitor with having problematic-not working nVidia graphic chip on it's motherboard?! So he is guessing that nVidia graphic chip is not working. I am confused, I cannot believe that laptop can work on VGA external monitor with not working nVidia graphic chip. Can somebody clarify that for me please. And what could be the problem?
Thanks folks!

 

[boosted1g]

If it works with external monitor then the nvidia chip is not completley broken.
Often it is then just that your screen or inverter board is bad, but it is possible for chips output to the laptop lcd to just be broken.

 

[faalin]

The only gpu it has is the 8600m gt in it, there is no onboard intel secondary gpu. if you want to try, you can open the laptop and see if the screen came unplugged or source a used one off ebay and replace the screen.

 

[noctornus]

The only gpu it has is the 8600m gt in it, there is no onboard intel secondary gpu. if you want to try, you can open the laptop and see if the screen came unplugged or source a used one off ebay and replace the screen.

So you want to say if that external monitor on VGA is working normally then GPU (nVidia chip) of laptop is working for sure?
And that probably it's problem in LCD or inverter?

 

[boosted1g]

It is possible there is something wrong with nvidia chip (so think 20% broken), but it is much more likley it is an issue with the screen or inverter.