Member Avatar for Member 785180

Well this laptop is having a problem. When you turn it on it won't boot (black screen) and then shuts down then boots up, then shuts down, then boots up and so forth. It has a Pentium 4. I took out a intel centrino chip from another laptop and the Acer turned on and stayed on the screen backlight also turned on but still no image on screen. Now the laptop did not turn on and off but instead you can't turn it off unless disconnect power. Thinking it was a busted CPU I bought a new Pentium 4 but lo and behold I put it in and it went back to shutting off and turning on etc. Is the Mobo dead?

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Rik_

Dani AI

Generated

Quick, practical diagnostic note for and others following this thread.

A structured isolation approach will find the fault faster than swapping parts at random. Start with a minimal-hardware POST flow to rule out RAM, display, or BIOS-level issues, then move to power and board checks. The different behaviour seen with two CPUs suggests an intermittent hardware or compatibility factor rather than a single obvious component fault.

Minimal-hardware POST checklist (low-cost, non-invasive):

  • Remove HDD, optical drive, wireless card and any USB/peripherals; disconnect main battery but leave AC connected.
  • Boot with a single known-good SODIMM, test each stick in each slot and note results.
  • Test external video via VGA to rule out the LCD/inverter (backlight on + no picture is a classic way to separate panel vs. GPU/BIOS issues).
  • Reset CMOS (remove coin cell several minutes or, with battery/AC removed, hold the power button ~10–30 seconds to discharge).
    Record fan activity, backlight, any beep codes and whether the cycle behavior changes at each step.

Power, socket and board inspection:

  • Verify adapter output by reading the adapter label and checking with a multimeter; inspect the DC jack for looseness or burn marks.
  • Visually inspect the motherboard for bulging/leaking capacitors, scorch marks, cracked solder or corrosion—focus around power circuitry and the chipset/GPU area.
  • Check CPU socket and pins for damage, reseat CPU/heatsink and apply fresh thermal paste. Confirm the exact CPU model is supported by the laptop/BIOS.

If the minimal tests are inconclusive, motherboard/chipset or power-delivery faults become more likely. ’s RAM suggestion is a sensible first step; ’s Nvidia/chipset pointer is worth investigating with an external monitor. Professional repair options (board swap, BGA reflow/reball) carry cost and reliability trade-offs; documented results from the checklist (CPU model numbers, adapter reading, and per-step observations) will make follow-up diagnostics or repair quotes much more accurate.

Recommended Answers

All 9 Replies

Member Avatar for BlackFetus

..hi there!..try to swap or replace a new memory to your current memory..i hope it helps!..^_^..

Member Avatar for Member 785180

..hi there!..try to swap or replace a new memory to your current memory..i hope it helps!..^_^..

At first I thought it was the RAM and after taking it out switching it around and stuff it still was in the same cycle but ok. I have some other laptop Ram modules I will put those in and see what's up. I just don't think that both Dimm modules could have gone bad.

Member Avatar for Member 785180

The thing is when I put in a centrino processor there is a change in how the computer works. The backlight goes on and the computer stays on but nothing shows up on the screen. Now If U put a Pentium 4 processor it will turn on and off on and off with the screen backlight not even turning on.

Member Avatar for Member 785180

The thing is when I put in a centrino processor there is a change in how the computer works. The backlight goes on and the computer stays on but nothing shows up on the screen. Now If U put a Pentium 4 processor it will turn on and off on and off with the screen backlight not even turning on.

sorry I meant a Pentium dual core

Member Avatar for BlackFetus

..is your laptop compatible for pentium dual core?..give me the specs of your processor..some laptops are not meant for upgradability..double check if you install properly your processor maybe there is a pin that has been mislocated..give me info about the issue still continues when you replace or swap a new memory dimm to your old memory..tnx..^_^..

Member Avatar for Member 785180

..is your laptop compatible for pentium dual core?..give me the specs of your processor..some laptops are not meant for upgradability..double check if you install properly your processor maybe there is a pin that has been mislocated..give me info about the issue still continues when you replace or swap a new memory dimm to your old memory..tnx..^_^..

The Laptop originally came with a Pentium dual core 2.16ghz processor. I thought it was a problem with the processor so I bought the exact same processor brand new, and it doesn't work. It seems to work better with a processor that it is not compatible with it.

Member Avatar for BlackFetus

..ahhh...did you try to replace or swap a new memory to your old one?..

Edited by BlackFetus because: n/a
Member Avatar for ufloff

Hi all! My laptop is doing the same thing. Can anyone tell me if replacing or swapping the memory actually fixed the problem? Took it to a tech guy and they said they thought it was the motherboard but I just want to find out if swapping the memory works before trying to buy a new one. Cheers!

Member Avatar for Rik_

I bet it has Nvidia graphics and/or chipset! Am I correct?

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