alienware m14x r2 almost dead . 3.3v 5v always problem

[dellxps15]

hi, i was using my m14x r2 (that is my second laptop) for internet navigation. after a bit of watching tv, i went back to pc and it was dead. tried power on but nothing. i noticed it try to power on, but nothing more then a blink led.

i disassembled it and after a while i discovered that if i touch with finger with some umidity the board near 3.3 and 5 volt regulator and press power botton, pc power on ok. so i bought the schematic on the internet (didnt find it anywhere) and noticed that on pu201 pin 8 is 5volt when off and if i press power botton it reach almost 8 volt, and pin 22 is 8volt and if i press power botton it goes to 11 volt.

i share the schematic with you

edit: chip is rt8205lzqw EM FB 60A any chip that is compatible with this one ?

[dellxps15]

Re: alienware m14x r2 almost dead . 3.3v 5v always problem

i did some test:

when i plug-in dc psu, i have 3.3 and 5 volt for about 3 seconds, then they go both to 0volt. when i press power botton, i have 3.3 and 5 volt for 2-3 seconds and again 0volt. sometimes pc start ok, and cant figure out why.
cant edit previous post, but the 2 pins i mentioned were 9 and 22 instead of 8 and 22.

all voltage seems ok.

i pass all pu201 solder joint again, but still same result.

[atsio]

Re: alienware m14x r2 almost dead . 3.3v 5v always problem

Probably problem with fets of PU201, replace all fets and to be on the safe side and PU201

[dellxps15]

Re: alienware m14x r2 almost dead . 3.3v 5v always problem

tnx for reply. while measuring pin 7 of pu201, psu went off. now everytime i connect psu it come off like short on vin rail, but if i measure pin 16 of pu201 that i have removed there is no short and seems no short in any coils...

edit: no short on any 3.3 and 5v fets.

[atsio]

Re: alienware m14x r2 almost dead . 3.3v 5v always problem

You mean the pad of pu201. You have removed pu201 and ALL FOUR FETS and you have short on the vin rail. If not, remove all and check again.

[dellxps15]

Re: alienware m14x r2 almost dead . 3.3v 5v always problem

i have no short on vin rail..... if i measure pr101 all is ok, no short. with multimeter in diode mode i have 100, while a short is 001 002.

edit: no short also on pq101
edit: ok strange thing:
i have removed pq101 and psu doesnt come off annymore. measured pu101 pin 24 and i have 19volt. no 19 volt on pin 16 of pu201 (strange).

also when i remove pq101 and i have light on psu, if i measure pin of pq101 i have no voltage....


edit 3:

ok i removed pq102 and pq101 was ok, so remove pr101 and psu was still ok. without pr101 i have no volt on pin 16 of pu201. i have also removed pu101 before removing pr101, but with pr101 psu went off.

withour pr101 i have 19volt one side 0.5volt the other.

[atsio]

Re: alienware m14x r2 almost dead . 3.3v 5v always problem

100 ohm on 19v rail is a short. Remove the fets of pu201.

[dellxps15]

Re: alienware m14x r2 almost dead . 3.3v 5v always problem

not omh, im in diode mode.in all other short i had, a short in diode mode was a 000 001 002, while here i have 100, but something is weird because psu shut down.

[atsio]

Re: alienware m14x r2 almost dead . 3.3v 5v always problem

Even in diode mode 100 is a short on 19v rail

[dellxps15]

Re: alienware m14x r2 almost dead . 3.3v 5v always problem

ok, removed 4 fet pq201,pq202,pq203,pq204 and put back pr101 and still short...

edit: forgot to say that yesterday without cpu, pc power on, while when i put cpu in socket it wont start. tryed also with another working cpu but was the same.

if it is short in cpu rail, i have to remove pl710-, pl711, pl712, pl713 to isolate short ?
edit: removed pl710-, pl711, pl712, pl713 still short on 19volt rail

[ala_borbe]

Re: alienware m14x r2 almost dead . 3.3v 5v always problem

edit: forgot to say that yesterday without cpu, pc power on, while when i put cpu in socket it wont start. tryed also with another working cpu but was the same.

when i encounter that its usually shorted cap or mosfet near cpu rail

[dellxps15]

Re: alienware m14x r2 almost dead . 3.3v 5v always problem

ok after remove some pj and pl i isolated short after pl504, so must be or one of these 4 caps or bad gpu..... but bad gpu is strange....

edit after try with cpu, i had to remove also pjp503. now pc power on that's at least a good thing :p

tryed with ram rtc battery and display and it display the alienware logo

[dellxps15]

Re: alienware m14x r2 almost dead . 3.3v 5v always problem

isolated short. both fets of gpu were bad. pq505 pq506 si4634 and si4172. now i need to order them and hope all will work fine like normal

tnx for help

[ala_borbe]

Re: alienware m14x r2 almost dead . 3.3v 5v always problem

glad to hear that

[dellxps15]

Re: alienware m14x r2 almost dead . 3.3v 5v always problem

hi all and happy new year. i got the 2 mosfet some days ago and also board reballed. now pc power on, but sometimes it didnt show dedicate vga in bios a,d when it see dedicated nvidia card it start load windows ( i have 1.5volt on gpu rail) but after a bit that volt drop to 0 and i have black screen.

if i power pc with battery only ( that disable dedicated nvidia ) pc power on just fine with only intel and im able to log into windows.

also if i connect hdmi or vga to pc, they never show picture even if i disconnect lvds cable. bad bga or what sould i check ?

edit: if i plug battery only, pc is able to log into windows and also hdmi and vga works perfectly.

most of the time the discrete is not shown in bios and pc power on ok with only intel vga. when pc see the discrete it wont log into windows... giving me a black screen. now big problem is make discrete shown every time i have battery + psu.

[dellxps15]

Re: alienware m14x r2 almost dead . 3.3v 5v always problem

i have reprogrammed bios from windows with official dell latest bios. pc power on but sometimes doesnt show dedicated vga.

where i have to look ? 1.5volt gpu are present.

[dellxps15]

Re: alienware m14x r2 almost dead . 3.3v 5v always problem

update: i have ordered a new bga for nvidia gfx ( 50$ ) and soldered it. now gfx is always detected from bios. windows 10 load fine with integrated vga, but if i try to install nvidia driver, pc freeze. i noticed that pq505 voltage goes from 1.5 volt to 0 volt when image freeze ( i can still move the mouse). also 1.05 volt gpu goes to 0.

if i look at pq505 pin 4 that goes to 0, i see that it is related to vram power. so first short was in vram ?

ps: if i dont install nvidia driver ( i have nvidia generic vga with error code 31 in device manager) i have stable 1.5vsdgpup and 1.05 volt too. anso 3vsdgpu are ok. but if i try install nvidia driver, 1.5 and 1.05 volt goes to 0.

edit: measured vga_core and when pc is without nvidia driver it has 1.1volt on pl602 pl603 pl604. if i install nvidia driver voltage drop to 0.84volt.

if i remove vram jumper pjp503 that supply 1.5 volt for discrete nvidia vram , pc works fine and detect only intel graphics.

when i open gpu-z with all pc and component installed, i have 384 shaders detected and 3gb of vram detected too. just pl602-604 are very hot. i wouldnt think of bad bga, since i have bought a new one....

[dellxps15]

Re: alienware m14x r2 almost dead . 3.3v 5v always problem

anyone with boardview for that laptop - mainboard ?

[dellxps15]

Re: alienware m14x r2 almost dead . 3.3v 5v always problem

ok, i decided to get another m14x r2 faulty mainboard to give it a look. after some work on it now, on this one, i have green light if power on with battery only and red light if i put power supply. in both case it power on and stay with black screen for 70 seconds. then display come on and is fully working. both vga works on windows 10. what can be that 70 seconds before display comes on? bad intel h77 chipset ?


on the other dell, why it wont install nvidia card ? if i boot on dos, nvflasher can see nvidia 650m, but as soon as i install drivers it stop working.


on both pcs i have tried with unlocked bios:

on that second working when i upgraded bios , it stop working and power off just after the 70 seconds.

on the other one it start only if i put integrated graphics only.


any help would be appreciated, but tomorrom in finally going some days on holidays , but still read tht forum these days in the ope of some clue and reply.


edit: attached unlocked bios dump and ec bios dump.

[highpulse]

Re: alienware m14x r2 almost dead . 3.3v 5v always problem

Here it is