Toshiba X205-SLI3 blank boot screen and beeps.

[Jabrawler33]

Hi, I am having a problem with my Toshiba X205-SLI3. Ive had it for about 1 1/2 years so far and upgraded the ram to 4g DDR2 667, 2x Scorpio black 320g 7200rpm HD's and thats it. I have researched the web for countless of hours and even sent it to a laptop repair shop. OK, the problem is when I turned it on one morning the screen went blank and gave me three equally long beeps but the first one was quiet and the next two were loud and obnoxious. After that I can hear it loading... and the Vista startup sound plays but yet still no visual. After the repair shop said they didnt know what was wrong with it I then took it COMPLETELY apart myself and looked at the graphics cards but couldnt find a single problem in the whole computer. All connections are properly connected I dusted every single part with over 2 cans of compressed air so its practically as clean as when I first bought it. I put it all back together and am still getting the same problem. The SLI3 has 2x graphics cards and I called toshiba and they want to send a box here for me to ship back to them with the computer and in 15 business days call me with the estimate (which the guy said it would range from 250-400 bucks.) I cant wait that long since this computer has all my business related files on it. I have even thought about either building myself another desktop or going barebone laptop but id rather just do a quick graphics card fix in this one before I jump to a conclusion. If anybody has any suggestions or information I would greatly appreciate it and I will be checking the forums about 2-3 times a day. Thank you.

Joseph

[Xlphos]

Try removing the graphics cards and see if the beeps persist.

let us know what happens.

[soledad82]

Hi, I am having a problem with my Toshiba X205-SLI3. Ive had it for about 1 1/2 years so far and upgraded the ram to 4g DDR2 667, 2x Scorpio black 320g 7200rpm HD's and thats it. I have researched the web for countless of hours and even sent it to a laptop repair shop. OK, the problem is when I turned it on one morning the screen went blank and gave me three equally long beeps but the first one was quiet and the next two were loud and obnoxious. After that I can hear it loading... and the Vista startup sound plays but yet still no visual. After the repair shop said they didnt know what was wrong with it I then took it COMPLETELY apart myself and looked at the graphics cards but couldnt find a single problem in the whole computer. All connections are properly connected I dusted every single part with over 2 cans of compressed air so its practically as clean as when I first bought it. I put it all back together and am still getting the same problem. The SLI3 has 2x graphics cards and I called toshiba and they want to send a box here for me to ship back to them with the computer and in 15 business days call me with the estimate (which the guy said it would range from 250-400 bucks.) I cant wait that long since this computer has all my business related files on it. I have even thought about either building myself another desktop or going barebone laptop but id rather just do a quick graphics card fix in this one before I jump to a conclusion. If anybody has any suggestions or information I would greatly appreciate it and I will be checking the forums about 2-3 times a day. Thank you.

Joseph

try to remove the graphics card

[erisalit]

buy a hard disk enclosure to salvage the data on your hard drives. the graphics card is probably fried. I have the same problem on my SLi2.

[Vault101Exile]

just had this happen to me too - worked fine at work 30 min ago but i get home and it's dead

i don't get any windows sounds though so i don't know if it gets to the log-in screen or not

[Vault101Exile]

luckily my laptop was still under warranty and there was a Toshiba Servicer in the area - when I get my laptop back I'll refer what they said the problem was

[Vault101Exile]

guy said it was the graphics cards - but there being two he has no way of determining which of the two doesn't work (i would think you could just take one out and see if it works or not then try the other one - but that's why he has that job and i don't - he also makes a load more money than me ^^; )

in any case he ordered the two cards to replace in my Toshiba x205-Sli3 - one came..... the other is on back order and he doesn't know when it'll be available
my lappy broke on the 10th, it is now the 28th - i am very sad.

no one has any answers as to whether or not this will happen again in 3 years or if nvidia fixed whatever problem it was that made these cards defective - Toshiba is no help and fixer has no idea

so if i ever get my laptop back i guess i'll just use it till the gpus die again then just yank the HDDs and buy a new laptop

[Vault101Exile]

according to my boss (he had an 8600m GS in his laptop that stopped working) nVidia use a non-lead sodder on that family of boards, and that sodder isn't the greatest - after the laptops heat up and cool down then heat up and cool down again over and over the sodder becomes "not good"

i don't know where he got his information so i don't have a link to info, sorry :/

but there's the reason for the no LCD boot on power up and the reason for it
i wonder if the replacement cards i'm getting are still using the non-lead sodder - and if so if i'll expect this to happen again after my laptop is out of warranty; or if nvidia replaced the sodder they are using (maybe that's why my second card is on back order?)

[powernose]

I have the same problem on a X205-SLi1. 3 beeps.... I opened and the graphic card is very weird. It seems you have to buy the 2 of them on one set. I don't know if I can connect just one. Also I don't know the part number to try to find it. Anyone ?

[Vault101Exile]

I finally got my laptop back the other weeks (at least 3 months after I dropped it off at the Toshiba certified repair depot)
really bad customer service from Toshiba (no one had any answers and never got back to me when they would have finally gotten them) "I'll call you back on monday." <- never got the call

the problem with mine was that the SLI can't be determined if card A or B is bad, so they replace both of them - but they aren't shipped as a pair but 2 separate cards (one was shipped the other was back order, thus the 3 month wait)
and evidentally there is an "extensive tear down" of the laptop to get to the cards - so i don't think the repair guy would rip it apart just to see if it would boot with one card or the other (you'd think they have something that they could plug the card into, outboard 3rd party, that would check it to see if it was ok or not)

don't know if it's two cards in one group (2 GPU, 1 connection), or two cards stacked (as described by the repair man)

seeing as how I got the same cards in as what were defective to begin with I'm planning on selling my laptop to someone - and then the problem with be thiers in 2-3 years

[Vault101Exile]

from the Toshiba x205-SLi3 pdf:
Graphics12
• PCI-Express™ x16 graphics subsystem, featuring:
-NVIDIA® SLI™ Dual GeForce® 8600M GT, 512MB GDDR3
discrete graphics memory, plus up to 255MB dynamically
allocated shared graphics memory using NVIDIA®
TurboCache™ technology.
• Total Available Graphics memory 767MB
http://cdgenp01.csd.toshiba.com/content/product/pdf_files/datasheet/satellite_X205-SLi3.pdf

see also:
http://cdgenp01.csd.toshiba.com/content/product/pdf_files/detailed_specs/satellite_X205-SLi3.pdf

[jemsbowen]

This same problem in my laptops. I open the graphics card. I wonder if the replacement card I always use unleaded Soddi - and if so, if I expect that to happen again on my laptop is no longer under warranty. Than I changed my graphic card.

[powernose]

This same problem in my laptops. I open the graphics card. I wonder if the replacement card I always use unleaded Soddi - and if so, if I expect that to happen again on my laptop is no longer under warranty. Than I changed my graphic card.

Hello jemsbowen, did you change the graphic card ? For what model ? My X205-Sli1 uses the LS-3449P, I don't know if I can replace it for the LS-3442P or the LS-3443P. Any ideas ? Thank you.

[SLI user]

X205 SLi Graphics Card Dead, 3 Beeps on Power-up No Screen problems:

I had exactly the same problem, here’s how I fixed it:
You will need:
a) A Hoover / Vacuum
b) Small Brush
c) Thermal Cream / Paste
d) Jewelers Screwdrivers or similar small Philips
e) An Oven! + Tray

1) Dismantle laptop to access graphics card, use this very well made guide here: http://www.irisvista.com/tech/laptops/Toshiba-Satellite-X205/take-apart-laptop-1.htm

2) Remove Graphics cards, heatsinks also strip downfans and clean, ensure free of dust.

3) Take both graphics cards and place on a oven tray

4) Cook Cards for 15-20 mins at 200c

5) Turn off oven , DO NOT MOVE, allow to cool.

6) Reassemble, applying Thermal cream/ paste to heatsinks on the graphics cars (beware there are a lot of these)

7) Turn on and enjoy you X205 SLi once again.

8) I had to cook my cards twice as the first time the screen was slightly red.

TWO TIPS FOR KEEPING YOU X205 Alive!

1) NEVER PICK UP OR MOVE YOUR LAPTOP WHEN IT IS HOT (been on for more than 5 mins)
2) PLACE LAPTOP ON A FLAT SURFACE ( I used to prop mine up to improve ventilation)

P.s. I downloaded a Nvida CPU temp gadit, before I cleaned it, it used to hover around 75c-80c, after cleaning its sits a stable 59c

Hope this get your lappys working again!