Alienware M17X R4 NO LONGER BOOTS TO BIOS. Brightness on, no beeps

[SuperMG]

Hello guys.

 

I was about to sell this laptop and all of the sudden the PC won't work....

 

It was working very fine a few hours ago today. I just replaced my K3100M to a FirePro M6000 and test it but I got a new issue.

 

Brightness on but nothing.

 

I replaced RAM, cleared CMOS, replacing GPUs, changed CMOS battery. The CPU is working fine otherwise I'll get a 7 beeps error.

 

I even did the eSATA Bios flash technic. It did a lot of beeps for 3 minutes straight then rebooted and... Brightness on again, no bios, no boot options.

 

Please help asap

[SuperMG]

Yes. I even tried HDMI out on both IGFX and NVIDIA GPU.

 

Nothing.

 

The fact that when I click on F2, the brightness turns off then turns on.

 

I can also adjust the brightness level with FN keys, what is wrong with this laptop??

[SuperMG]

I even did a bios flash with CH314A with clean and working BIOS and EC binaries.

 

Still same issue

 

I even ran the D colour debug. It does infact display colours in order...

[Maxware79]

Have you tried booting with the HDD/SSD and dedicated GPU removed?

[SuperMG]

Hello and nope. I can't access to the Bios with F2 nor to the mSATA SSD with F12...

[SuperMG]

Is the motherboard fried? Is the chip that's controlling switchable graphics dead?

[IVHOTEP]

Sounds a lot like what happened to me.

thread

HELP an old Ranger

 

new mobo.

[SuperMG]

So I need a new motherboard?

 

Because it was working fine until I've seen on the BIOS page that the Nvidia discrete card wasn't detected.

 

So I pull it out and put it back again, still same issue.

 

Then I tried the FirePro M6000 MXM and that's when the PC died.

 

No more boot to bios, nothing. Even reflashing bios didn't work.

 

So you think that a MXM slot/card killed the motherboard? or the whole motherboard couldn't handle the hardware swaps?

[SuperMG]

The laptop didn't have any problems before. No freezes, no lags, no crashes.

 

It was running with the HP RTX 3000 and then with the Quadro K3100M for sale. 

 

I think either the motherboard couldn't handle the hardware swap so it died.

 

Or the FirePro MXM shorted the Switchable Graphics module/chip and that's why the IGPU and GPU won't display anything on the screen...

[SuperMG]

Forgot to mention something, the RGB wasn't working, it doesn't light when starting, not detected on the alienFX software. I think the RGB controller was toasted before.

 

So bad motherboard in conclusion? Dead SG chip and RGB chip.

[SuperMG]

Guys.

 

I did the FN + power button thing.

 

It did lots of tests from the screen displaying colours to some happy beeps sounds?? 

 

Still nothing, same results.

[SuperMG]

It does it for Infinite amount of time...

 

Listen to the audio aac file, what does it mean?

20241204-125047.aac

[SuperMG]

I tried the same diagnostic on my working Alienware 18 and it does infact display something like letters and the ePSA menu...

 

So the M17X's mobo is half-working uh but useless since no video on both IGPU and GPU...

[IVHOTEP]

Mine did have the aw lights go on, the fans worked but nothing else.

so when mobo dies perhaps its normal that some part of it has life

[SuperMG]

Hello for mine, the fans, keyboard, diagnostic, charging, brightness work haha. I can trigger the error beeps by removing CPU, CMOS and RAM... So BIOS works

 

I took apart the entire laptop and waiting for a new motherboard, got one at 120 USD.

[sliderfra]

looks like PCH failure

[SuperMG]

So the chipset? Well I don't have time to do some BGA works (no skills). Just ordered a motherboard for 110€ and I'll see how it goes.

[SuperMG]

Hello!

 

Got the motherboard and it works very well!

 

RGB finally works, status LED too

 

The Quadro K3100M doesn't work anymore:( the die gets hot but it's not detected...

I took my GTX 680M from the M18X R2 and put it in there. (GTX 680M SLI sucks anyways, even one GTX 680M is more efficient!)

 

In conclusion, if you have the same issue as me, you have to swap your motherboard.

[SuperMG]

On 12/14/2024 at 2:09 PM, sliderfra said:

looks like PCH failure

Hello. What does the PCH have in common with Switchable Graphics display? Is the PCH the chipset that's near the CPU socket?

[panda_zzz]

37 minutes ago, SuperMG3 said:

Is the PCH the chipset that's near the CPU socket?

Spoiler

The chipset chip is under this metal part. It can overheat by itself due to drying of thermal pads on it, or due to overheating of the processor cooling system, because it is connected to it

[SuperMG]

Oh that shield. I transferred it to the new motherboard. My CPU isn't overheating. The thermal pad for the chipset is not dry but had some dust around it.

8 hours ago, panda_zzz said:

  Reveal hidden contents

The chipset chip is under this metal part. It can overheat by itself due to drying of thermal pads on it, or due to overheating of the processor cooling system, because it is connected to it

 

[SuperMG]

23 hours ago, SuperMG3 said:

Hello!

 

Got the motherboard and it works very well!

 

RGB finally works, status LED too

 

The Quadro K3100M doesn't work anymore:( the die gets hot but it's not detected...

I took my GTX 680M from the M18X R2 and put it in there. (GTX 680M SLI sucks anyways, even one GTX 680M is more efficient!)

 

In conclusion, if you have the same issue as me, you have to swap your motherboard.

If anyone wants this laptop. I'm selling it still! My price is 399€ without shipping fees. 

 

I7 3630QM, 12GB RAM, GTX 680M, Refurbished keyboard, refurbished motherboard, 1080p screen with 0 dead pixels, 128GB mSATA with OS

[SuperMG]

On 12/17/2024 at 3:26 PM, SuperMG3 said:

If anyone wants this laptop. I'm selling it still! My price is 399€ without shipping fees. 

 

I7 3630QM, 12GB RAM, GTX 680M, Refurbished keyboard, refurbished motherboard, 1080p screen with 0 dead pixels, 128GB mSATA with OS

Hello. I sold it to a friend instead. He's happy with it!