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Dell XPS M2010 with Black screen, looking to retrofit another video card.

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    Dell XPS M2010 with Black screen, looking to retrofit another video card.

    Hello again!

    Within my collection I own a Dell XPS M2010 it's been a computer I've Allways wanted in my collection and I was super happy to finally own one.

    However it doesn't seem to POST. The light all come on....semi normally. And the lights only Pulse when there's No RAM inserted.
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    Without the GPU both fans spin up and run. However with the GPU installed it acts pretty dead.

    Sombody had mentioned to me that the ATI Radeon X1800 was a known defective chip though I can't find any information on anything else with this chip going bad... nothing at all...not even the iMac's with them or the desktop cards.

    Which leads me to my question, is it possible to replace the GPU with one from an Inspiron 6400, it has the same connector and hasn't once let me down and I own two of the same model, but I only want one 6400 and I'll be cannibalising the other for parts.

    Somebody did mention that some Dell GPUs are part of a BIOS Whitelist, how easy is this whitelist to modify? And can the XPS M2010 work with another GPU from the radeon X series.

    Furthermore can I install the X1800 into the Inspiron 6400 for testing? As I'd like to confirm it's definitely Faulty before I go about trying to swap it out for something less "overheatey" and to prevent any heating issues from starting I plan to use a tool someone made to peg the fans at full tilt all the time.

    I don't care what performance I've lost, I just want this gorgeous 20.1inch behemoth to finally boot up.

    Apparently the motherboards in these sometimes have issues but I don't know what specifically on the board fails.

    For reference this poor M2010 was dropped by it's previous owner.. but I can obtain a replacement motherboard if need be.

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    #2
    Bad news

    I've taken apart the two and tried merging the cards together but there's just too much difference between both of them

    I can pray and hope the GPU isn't bad but I really don't know what to do next with this thing... while the card from the 6400 fits in the slot it doesn't look like it's in fully due to a screw mount being underneath which looks like it could be shorting some pads..

    I've decided not to test further but I'm struggling to test the board and GPU separately as I don't have another machine to swap parts with.

    I could change the GPU core itself for something that's pin compatible (but I highly doubt such options are available)

    I'm afraid this one may also be destined to never live again, which is even more painful than the Compaq.

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      #3
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        #4
        So today I decided to hit the GPU with my SMD rework station as a sort of "Last Ditch effort" set to 200°C I wafted it around the die for about 5 minutes... reassembled the machine aaaaaaaand

        Nada.....still no POST

        This is either brilliant news or really bad news, it could mean my motherboard is the fault (I mean the computer was dropped I'm not surprised) or the GPU is too far gone which isn't awful news since I've located a "new" Radeon X1800 chip.

        I'll look into the motherboard and see if that changes anything. One of the Dell Techs on the site told me it may have issues due to the display not being present, but that's no Biggie as I'm replacing the entire hinge assembly anyway.

        In the previous message (which Erazed all my words... thanks mobile editor) I posted a photo of the LVDS connectors on an X1300 and X1800 cards they seem to be the same but are rotated 180 degrees. Now I could technically use the X1300 by adding a Riser card (basically a female JAE WB3F200VD1 connector a single Layer PCB and a Male connector. To rise it above the screw mount.

        I'd also need to custom make a cooling system for it which isn't easy but with the right minds it's possible.

        I'd also need to extend the display cable somehow...but I have the old assembly with the old cable for that.

        Maybe some BIOS trickery will be needed but I'll cross that hurdle should I come to it.

        Hopefully this XPS Is salvageable and can live again either original or modded.

        I've tested the Core 2 Duo CPU from the XPS inside my Inspiron 6400 and it's good, the RAM I believe is also good as the PC behaviour changes if it' removed and most components I've tested as being working (with an exception to the Optical drive Ejector mechanism which I'm still getting a gear fabricated for)



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