Clevo X170KM-G – Powers on but no display, even after full stripdown. Is motherboard replacement the next step?

[BorislavSE]

Hi all, I am troubleshooting an issue with my Clevo X170KM-G laptop (Intel i9-10900K, RTX 3080), which I have had for 4 years. It was working perfectly yesterday, but today it suddenly refuses to boot properly.

 

When I press the power button:

• The laptop turns on

• Fans spin up

• Keyboard lights come on

• …but the screen stays completely black and nothing shows up on an external monitor either (HDMI or DP).

 

There are no POST beeps, no BIOS splash screen, and no backlight flicker. It just sits there and occasionally changes fan speeds.

 

Here is everything I have tried so far to no avail:

• EC reset (held power button for 1 minute with battery and charger disconnected)

• CMOS battery removed for 15+ minutes

• Removed and tested RAM individually in Slot 1 (tried different sticks)

• Removed SSDs and Wi-Fi card

• Removed dedicated GPU to force fallback to iGPU

• Powered on with only: motherboard, CPU, 1 RAM stick.

• Repeated CMOS reset in this minimal config

 

I am now leaning toward the motherboard being the fault. It could also be a CPU failure, but that would be less likely.

 

Any second opinions would be hugely appreciated. I am no expert, and I want to confirm I am not missing something.

[Kastner]

5 hours ago, BorislavSE said:

• Removed dedicated GPU to force fallback to iGPU

•  

Hi,

I think x170 does not have iGPU just like P870.

It is more likely based on the sympthons that the GPU is faulty.

Because the fan speed change and keyboard lit, it seems the EC should work. 
For the BIOS/EC work the CPU should be working.

I am no expert either but I would test the GPU first.

[BorislavSE]

12 hours ago, Kalman said:

Hi,

I think x170 does not have iGPU just like P870.

It is more likely based on the sympthons that the GPU is faulty.

Because the fan speed change and keyboard lit, it seems the EC should work. 
For the BIOS/EC work the CPU should be working.

I am no expert either but I would test the GPU first.

Thanks for the response, but the Intel i9-10900K definitely comes with an iGPU. I have seen both GPUs in the device settings when it was working.

[Kastner]

This is what I found, If you have the latest BIOS you have iGPU setting. 
I have P870 it does not have iGPU.

Also you could try flashing a BIOS If you have CH341A programmer.

[Kastner]

12 hours ago, BorislavSE said:

Thanks for the response, but the Intel i9-10900K definitely comes with an iGPU. I have seen both GPUs in the device settings when it was working.

If you sure that you have the latest BIOS for the iGPU even that I think rewriting the latest BIOS with the programmer is a good step. If you have an older BIOS then I assume the iGPU will not work.

 

The programmer itself cheap comparing to any hardware and it is pretty easy to use.

You already suspecting the motherboard faulty there is nothing to lose to try.

If the default setting for iGPU is auto and you remove the GPU then the system should post with iGPU. ( I think)

 

Need someone to confirm the teory since I do not have x170.

 

What is the latest BIOS?

Is iGPU setting is AUTO on default?

 

[Kastner]

On second thought AUTO setting does not matter it just adjust which one test first.

[Bidelloman]

Both x170 models have display directly connected to the mxm gpu, bypassing the igpu of the processor which is shut down. 

 

So running a k or kf matters little.

 

Failing to post like that seems more a memory training issue, unless you can test your gpu with nvidia tools.

 

Bricked bios without any setting being touched is unlikely, despite how horrible windows can be, but yeah, ch341a and reflash can remove that variable.

[kela-slk]

On 8/24/2025 at 11:49 AM, Bidelloman said:

Both x170 models have display directly connected to the mxm gpu, bypassing the igpu of the processor which is shut down

You are wrong.x170km can working without discreet GPU with unlocked bios, activated igpu even if dGpu isn't put on laptop. 

First part what TS needs its test GPU discreet (because he reset bios settings and doesn't matter unlocked bios or on - setting cames to default and iGpu is factory locked! ) and if not tested dGpu - there is no point in continuing, because the probability not working ram or cpu - in fact its minimal. the most vulnerable place for displaying an image is a GPU or  LCD. Test GPU!

[kela-slk]

On 6/24/2025 at 9:40 PM, BorislavSE said:

Thanks for the response, but the Intel i9-10900K definitely comes with an iGPU. I have seen both GPUs in the device settings when it was working.

Test GPU and read upper my message 

[Bidelloman]

On 9/2/2025 at 9:41 PM, kela-slk said:

You are wrong.x170km can working without discreet GPU with unlocked bios, activated igpu even if dGpu isn't put on laptop. 

First part what TS needs its test GPU discreet (because he reset bios settings and doesn't matter unlocked bios or on - setting cames to default and iGpu is factory locked! ) and if not tested dGpu - there is no point in continuing, because the probability not working ram or cpu - in fact its minimal. the most vulnerable place for displaying an image is a GPU or  LCD. Test GPU!

Wow, km is very different then.