Member Avatar for ArthurDent

Sony Vaio VGN B100B
Intel Centrino
1.6 GHz Pentium M 725
855GME chipset
1GB + 512MB RAM DDR333

Some days back, my Sony Vaio laptop (model VGN B100B) screen blanked out all of a sudden.

Now the laptop does not boot though it gets power. On power up, the DVD drive spins and the indicator lights for HDD, power and wireless go on; but nothing shows on screen. Nothing shows even when an external monitor is connected.

The hard drive is fine - I removed it and backed up the files.

I tried disconnecting the power cord, removing the battery and holding down the power switch for a minute as has been suggested on some other threads (eg: http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread41145.html ). But nothing showed up on the screen after restoring the power.

I suspect the video chip or the entire motherboard is fried.

Any suggestions on how to isolate the issue and if it is indeed the video, where to get a new chip?

Thanks!

Edited by ArthurDent because: Added Chipset number
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Short summary and practical follow-ups based on the thread: later confirmed the fault was a board‑level video/GPU failure, and ’s diagnostic distinction about “no POST vs. running disk activity” is useful — a true no‑POST (no beep, no drive activity, no POST lights) usually points at CPU/motherboard failure, while a system that powers up but shows no picture is often the graphics/display subsystem. Intel’s no‑boot guidance and basic laptop black‑screen troubleshooting from iFixit cover the same differentiation. (https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000021605/processors.html) https://www.ifixit.com/Wiki/Toshiba_Satellite_L655D-S5095_Troubleshooting

Quick, repeatable checks to isolate the fault

  • Power/reset: AC removed, battery out, hold power 20–30s, then try AC only (you already tried a drain reset).
  • External monitor and Fn display toggle — if the external shows the BIOS/POST you have a built‑in LCD/cable/backlight issue; if external is blank too, the video subsystem is suspect.
  • Minimal (bare‑bones) boot: remove HDD/optical, leave only one RAM stick, CPU and power; try different RAM sticks/slots to rule out memory-related no‑POSTs.
  • CMOS/EC reset and listen for beep codes (if speaker present). These are standard steps in manufacturer guides. Asus/brand reset and minimal‑boot guidance. (https://www.asus.com/me-en/support/faq/1014276/)

Repair choices and what to expect
If the GPU/chip is soldered to the board there are three common shop options: motherboard replacement, BGA reflow, or BGA reball/rework. Reflow (heating to re‑melt solder) is sometimes successful but often temporary; full reball/chip rework is more complex and more likely to last but costs more. DIY “oven” or heat‑gun methods are risky and can do permanent damage — professional board‑level service is recommended. See general BGA/rework background and cautions. Rework / reflow overview (Wikipedia) BGA reballing background [discussion of oven/heat risks]. ()) ()

Practical closing notes
Data backup was the right first move. If pursuing repair, get a written estimate, ask for a short warranty on the repair, and compare that to the cost of a known‑good replacement board or a used laptop. If reflow is offered, ask whether the shop offers a tested warranty (many shops charge less for reflow because it can be temporary).

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Member Avatar for Suspishio

If you get no boot data on the screen from the ROM BIOS and if you're sure there is no continued disk activity to indicate that it is booting through, then it seems to me that it can't execute the ROM BIOS. That's a CPU or motherboard failure.

If it boots through because there's obvious disk activity, then I suggest it's screen of VGA circuit failure.

Either way, it's knackered, I'd say.

Hope I'm wrong.

Member Avatar for ArthurDent

It was a video chip failure on the motherboard, cost $230 to repair.

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