Laptop of sudden death

[mrbombermillzy]

Not quite a random post, but instead of threadjacking a reply here: viewtopic.php?p=104080#p104080 Ive explained it fully below:

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The GPU fan has failed on this laptop, so all the blowing out/repasting in the world wont make a significant enough difference, until I get time to pull it apart and find the Dell part no. for that fan. Even then, it's falling apart anyway (I will bring it to Cyberlegends 2, so people can have a good laugh), so Ive decided to move on.

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It's now just a case of transferring the data to my current laptop. (Think Exxos' post about installing Linux and you will get a similar picture of how that went on the current laptop; As my new current machine is quite an old laptop too, even lower spec than the overheating one, I was looking at a really 'low system requirement' distro, so went for Q4OS, which is fast enough, but does have some quirks that I need to iron out).

On top of that, this particular Dell laptop model was what I believe to be pushed past a safe working thermal limit (due to the fairly good GPU at that time). Most of the laptops we purchased from Dell; high/mid/low end Inspirons, lattitudes, XPS and even Alienware (I would estimate around 90% of the incoming laptops) with thermal problems could just have the board, fan and airways blown out and a die clean and reapplication of a good thermal paste...job done. (Another 5% maybe would need Coca Cola/pet hair/smoke tar/etc cleaning off the keyboard and wherever it had progressed to on the mainboard, or air inlets and ventilation/cooling system accordingly).

However, this particular model was always a pain and even with the above procedure, required several careful attempts to get it 'good enough' so as not to overheat and have thermal cutouts.

Even units out of the factory would fail at a fairly high rate, if the weather was too hot and/or lack of ventilation room.

Probably not the best 'daily driver' laptop really, but it was a very well specced one when I carefully serviced the thermal system, got it working well and took it home.

If you are wondering, it's an Inspiron 7720. (I'm already missing the FHD screen! Ive downgraded to an i3 3rd gen Acer with a 1366x768 screen :( )



*Not financially viable.

[mrbombermillzy]

I suppose I could explain the photos in the previous post.

Picture 2: Shows my high tech security feature on the laptop; i.e. high difficulty level of powering it on. The power button disintegrated a good while back and I have had to resort to crossing contacts on the actual power board itself. I now need the right size conductor 'bridge' device to turn it on. (Handily, a gold plated headphone size adapter does the trick after a few attempts).

Picture 3: This photo doesnt really go to any lengths to explain how sloppy the power cord is. The internal PSU interface connector mounting bracket has been destroyed and the power lead can just slink out at the drop of a hat. Wonderful news if you are in the middle of some unsaved work, I'm sure you'll agree.

Picture 4: This could actually be a YT video, as the resultant image is the same; basically, the GPU fan doesn't work.

Picture 5: Did I forget to mention, the keyboard snap in locators have...well...snapped, so the keyboard is free to flop around and if moving the laptop to a different location, fall out, snapping the key backlight ribbon (pictured).

If I can remember any other reasons for finally calling it a day with this machine, I will let you know. :)

[rubber_jonnie]

What sort of HDD does it have?

Even if it's an M.2 rather than a SATA, there are plenty of very cheap options for external enclosures that would likely do the trick for getting your data onto the replacement.

What about a dead one from eBay and a mainboard swap? I'd do the work for you for free if you can get the parts. EDIT - Wow, they are a bit expensive on eBay!!!

I have to say it looks done for :(

[mrbombermillzy]

I have to say it looks done for :(

As much as I love saving stuff and still prefer the features of this machine (if not the weight), I think its, like you say, time to move on now.

It has the luxury of 2 HDD spaces in the unit (both occupied with SATA drives).

I do have a couple of SATA to USB devices. I just need to find them. I think you are probably about the only person on this forum who has seen first hand how inaccessible most of my 'rarely used' items are to get to. :lol:

Give me a few more days and things will slowly revert from chaos to a relative 'order'. :)

[mrbombermillzy]

What about a dead one from eBay and a mainboard swap? I'd do the work for you for free if you can get the parts. EDIT - Wow, they are a bit expensive on eBay!!!

Another nail in the coffin, as you have just realised. BTW, you should try getting parts for the 3D screen 'Special Edition' one!! :o

EDIT: Thanks for the helpful offer though. :)

[rubber_jonnie]

As much as I love saving stuff and still prefer the features of this machine (if not the weight), I think its, like you say, time to move on now.

I think you're right.

It has the luxury of 2 HDD spaces in the unit (both occupied with SATA drives).

I have a Vostro 1700 laptop by my desk that has 2 SATA bays and is really handy for trying alternative OSes. You build an OS on disk A, then use Clonezilla to image it as a file to drive B. Any time you want to flip around the images are there and there is space on drive B for other data too. It's a feature that many machines overlooked as technology progressed and is very useful.

I do have a couple of SATA to USB devices. I just need to find them. I think you are probably about the only person on this forum who has seen first hand how inaccessible most of my 'rarely used' items are to get to. :lol:

Give me a few more days and things will slowly revert from chaos to a relative 'order'. :)

I have indeed and hope you can get things sorted soon. No laptop can be very frustrating, most stuff I do revolves around mine, be frustrating to have it die.

[mrbombermillzy]

I have indeed and hope you can get things sorted soon. No laptop can be very frustrating, most stuff I do revolves around mine, be frustrating to have it die.

Thanks Jon. :)

Annoyingly, I remember coming across an external 2.5" SATA caddy when I was sniffing around the house looking for bits for Cyberlegends, literally a few weeks before it packed in. Im sure its probably in the loft, so will have a look again.

[rubber_jonnie]

I have indeed and hope you can get things sorted soon. No laptop can be very frustrating, most stuff I do revolves around mine, be frustrating to have it die.

Thanks Jon. :)

Annoyingly, I remember coming across an external 2.5" SATA caddy when I was sniffing around the house looking for bits for Cyberlegends, literally a few weeks before it packed in. Im sure its probably in the loft, so will have a look again.

I'm sure you'll find it and I wish you luck.