Member Avatar for kapolski

Hi i've spent the best part of today trying to do some research and can't seem to find any specific answers, so here's the problem and i hope someone can lend a hand.

I'm running a dell xps m170 laptop with xp pro sp2. I was playing half-life 2 the other day, with i8kfangui with fans forced to run at max speed. After about 15minutes of gameplay a couple of artifacts popped up on the screen, which rapidly turned into an entire screen of artifacts followed by an unresponsive system. I forced a power off. Upon restarting:

bios load screen- fine
windows load - fine, then artifacts then i think bsod (can't tell very badly distorted)
tried again
bios load screen - distorted
safe mode screen - badly distorted
etc.
finally, cpu starts up, you can hear the fans initialise, you can hear hdd start boot then stops, all this whilst screen is black, if i leave it for a while the screen goes solid white
I've plugged the laptop into a monitor via analog and digital and nothing still

I am no expert but i gather the gpu is fried, now my dilemna is; how can i check this is the case, if i am 100% sure then i'll try and get a replacement card they're not that cheap : S, if not is there any other way out of this?

I took 2 pics i can post them if they help or clarify anything if you need me to.

Thank you in advance for any help!

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Dani AI

Generated

Given 's description of visible artifacts during BIOS/early boot, an external monitor that shows the same problem, and a GPU fan that does not spin, the fault chain to consider (in order of lowest effort/cost first) is: fan/mechanical failure, fan power/wiring or controller fault, then irreversible GPU damage (overheated BGA/solder or failed GPU die).

Basic, safe checks (least invasive):

  • Power down, remove battery and AC, open the service cover and do a careful visual inspection for burnt components, swollen capacitors, loose heatsink screws or heavy dust blocking the cooler.
  • With the system briefly powered (battery out, AC connected) measure DC voltage at the GPU-fan connector to see whether the board is supplying V+. Many laptop fans use 5V (some 12V); measure rather than assume. If the header provides correct voltage but the fan does not spin, the fan motor is bad and replacing the fan assembly is a cheap logical next step. If the header shows no voltage, the problem is upstream (wiring/motherboard/fan controller).
  • Reseat the removable GPU board and its connector after cleaning contacts with isopropyl alcohol and inspecting for burnt pins or discoloration.

If those checks do not restore clean video:

  • Persistent artifacts before OS load and on an external display strongly indicate a hardware-level GPU fault (solder joint failure or chip failure). Professional BGA reflow can sometimes revive these boards temporarily; reballing is the longer-term repair but costs more. Replacing the GPU board (confirm exact part number/compatibility) or the entire system may be the more practical option for an older laptop.

Practical notes: replace thermal paste/pads when reassembling, use ESD precautions, and avoid running a GPU that has no working fan. Replacing the fan first is cheap and worth trying, but be prepared that the GPU itself may already be damaged from the initial overheat.

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Member Avatar for jbennet

generally a new graphics card in a laptop = a new motherboard (as there usually integrated) = a new laptop

Member Avatar for kapolski

that's the thing, this system uses a discrete card rather than an integrated solution, i've had a look and the card can definitely be removed, that's why i'm asking if my gpu is definitely dead, if so i'll try and buy a replacement, i did see one on ebay.

Here's the link to removing the gpu:

http://support.euro.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/xpsm170/en/sm/video.htm

The system had the Geforece go 6800 ultra and the go 7800 GTX available so they both should fit.

So do you reckon the current card is a loss?

thank you for your quick reply

Member Avatar for jbennet

i would say so. Sounds like it overheated and fried. The same thing happened to me on a Desktop PC when i overclcoked a card too far

Member Avatar for kapolski

Sorry to hear about your OC'd card hope that wasn't too expensive...
I've just had another look at the machine, looks like the gpu fan is dead, when the machine powers on the fans normally spin at max rpm whilst the bios loads then revert to normal, the gpu fan doesn't start at all.
Would a fan failure prevent a boot and/or disable the gpu?
I'm hoping i might get lucky here and just replace the fan motor rather than the gpu : )

Member Avatar for jbennet

maybe. I know that on some desktop motherboards a non-functioning CPU fan will prevent a boot

Member Avatar for kapolski

i see, well i'll try and get hold of a fan motor and see what happens.
I'll post up when i do.
Thank you again for your help and speedy replies : )

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