No display on laptop

[jaypaladitya]

Hey there. This actually has a backstory, I guess. My laptop, an HP probook 4520s had had a clogged air vent for a long time now. Chalk it down to laziness but I never got round to cleaning it. As a result it shut down when it overheated (I gamed on it). Also, there must have been some problem with internal wiring as the screen flickered and gave some crazy colours in certain positions, but it worked. But now, when I power it up, the screen stays black. I connected it to an external monitor to discover that it would reach the screen before the screen with the user accounts before rebooting, in a continuous loop. Even externally I found that the external monitor got these weird bars that covered the screen like jail gates.

Is there any way I myself can fix this or should I take it to a maintenance center?
Please don't tell me I have to retire it
🙁. It would kill me.

Thank you for helping me.

 

[mjmacka]

It sounds like you fried the GPU and/or motherboard. The strange colors on the monitor/external monitor are a dead giveaway. You could replace the motherboard, but it's not worth the cost/complexity for a low end laptop.

 

[Louise Porkolt]

hi there,

you certainly did NOT FRY the GPU as it can sustain higher temperatures than while gaming with a clogged airvent !
Replacing would be much more costly.

Today I repaired one (Asus), but that PC had an impact with earth and went black after 10 minutes.

Here is how I repaired a dozen of pc's with same issues.

http/www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-2410647/laptop-screen-black-backlight-system-running.html

Let me know if you're gonna try it or not. (it takes me around 50 screws and minimum 3 hours of work).
I charged 40€/h and my customer was very happy to pay it.

Cheers, Louise.

 

[mjmacka]

hi there,

you certainly did NOT FRY the GPU as it can sustain higher temperatures than while gaming with a clogged airvent !
Replacing would be much more costly.

Today I repaired one (Asus), but that PC had an impact with earth and went black after 10 minutes.

Here is how I repaired a dozen of pc's with same issues.

http/www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-2410647/laptop-screen-black-backlight-system-running.html

Let me know if you're gonna try it or not. (it takes me around 50 screws and minimum 3 hours of work).
I charged 40€/h and my customer was very happy to pay it.

Cheers, Louise.

In your post it says the chip separated from the motherboard. You want to charge at least 120€ and this repair is at the OP's risk. I am very familiar with this repair and it's short term effectiveness. The repair usually only lasts about 6 months before it has to be performed again.

Unless you are attempting the repair yourself, it's not worth paying someone else to do. Here is a video of someone doing a computer much more similar to yours (probook 4525s): https/www.youtube.com/watch?v=f443CsN8QB0

The reason re flowing the chip is a short-term solution is that it does not solve the original issue. Also at a minimum of 120€ you are better off investing in a new computer. Off of ebay, (in the USA) a Probook 4520s runs about 300-400 USD for the i5 models.

 

[Louise Porkolt]

I never wrote that I separate the gpu from the mobo, some people do, but those have professional equipment, which I don't have (yet).

But nevertheless I have repaired plenty of gpu's and all of them lasted more than 6 months. It all depends on how you do it !
One returned but I repaired it again (card from a desktop was easy and fast). Now again more than 6 months ago.

The issue with most GPU problems is that 1 or more of the "balls" just detach from either the mobo or the GPU itself, with heat all the balls grow (expand just enough) the one without contact get released from it's connection and gives strange effects, melting the balls slowly and cooling them down slowly fix the issue for longer period even for life.

And NO, I don't want to do it myself, as I only do this kind of job for people I know and living nearby, as I live in Belgium. (its not my main job)

It would be quite rare for someone to send me, a stranger, his laptop all the way from abroad for this kind of repair, I wouldn't !
(I would repair it anyway, but only if put enough money in the package to send it back and for the work ofcourse)

The laptop I repaired yesterday was quite expensive and recent (warranty expired due to impact with the ground).
Which I would never repair if that was still ok !

I just don't like people to give wrong advise if there are alternatives ! in another thread also some fatalist guy says as first "it's broken live with it and buy a new one". Better to keep it away from any thread !

In Europe the PC's are not that low as in the US, manufacturers think that Europe is so rich, but there are problems here too ! ;-)

chreers, Louise.

 

[jaypaladitya]

Ok, after a long hiatus I found out at a shop that my laptop has a structural defect (common for the specific model) wherein some soldered part gets separated easily on heating or something. In fact, the guy there figured it out the moment I entered 😛
Thanks though, you guys were really great!