Has my laptop completely died..?

2008-12-01 13:53:44

#1

FFLink: There is.; +1,380|6957|Devon, England

Well... It's finally happened. Bought this baby back in October 2006 and even though I've had my problems, she's led me through good times. Of course, I'd never buy an Alienware again (Don't get me wrong, great laptop, but I was far from impressed with the customer support and the general Alienware company).

Anyway, I was at College finishing off an assignment that needed to be handed in in about an hours time, and suddenly I get BSOD out of nowhere. All I read off it was ATI something (Uses an ATI graphics card). Anyway, it booted back fine, but then I put it into hibernate as I went to my next class. When I opened it up again... Oh my... The things I saw...

I'm no computer retard (Taking PC Engineering), but my description of what happened is gonna sound retarded. Basically, an amorphous blob seems to devour my screen. Then, there's red lines everywhere and I can't see shit (Captain). I can see enough know that it gets to the Windows Loading screen, but then just stops and doesn't get any further, or the blob will come back again.

My thinking is that the video card has fucked up. I know (most) laptop GPUs are inbuilt into the motherboards, so I can't replace it. Also, the warranty went ages ago.

It's an Alienware M5550, and here are some pictures of me trying to get what happens:

https://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c398/FFLink13/Picture039.jpg

https://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c398/FFLink13/Picture040.jpg

https://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c398/FFLink13/Picture041.jpg

https://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c398/FFLink13/Picture042.jpg

https://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c398/FFLink13/Picture043.jpg

https://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c398/FFLink13/Picture044.jpg

https://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c398/FFLink13/Picture045.jpg

https://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c398/FFLink13/Picture046.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c398/ … ure047.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c398/ … ure048.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c398/ … ure049.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c398/ … ure050.jpg

https://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c398/FFLink13/Picture051.jpg

Ideas..?

RIP Emilia

2008-12-01 13:58:28

#2

phishman420: Banned; +821|5947

You named your laptop?

2008-12-01 14:00:58

#3

Morpheus: This shit still going?; +508|6265|The Mitten

did you try re-installing drivers? Boot into Safe Mode? Reformat, reinstall?

EE (hats

2008-12-01 14:01:19

#4

Roc18: `; +655|6056|PROLLLY PROLLLY PROLLLY

R.I.P

You name your laptop?

https://g.bf3stats.com/pc/gcv8Vckg/roc18.png

BF3s.com Public Leaderboard

2008-12-01 14:01:55

#5

FFLink: There is.; +1,380|6957|Devon, England

phishman420 wrote:
You named your laptop?

I name all my computers.

We got Emilia, my laptop (Well, had...). Vera, my desktop (who's now Vera IV: A New Hope after Vera II and Vera 3: Mutilation) and Cassy my lil Netbook.

Last edited by FFLink13 (2008-12-01 14:03:21)

2008-12-01 14:04:13

#6

FFLink: There is.; +1,380|6957|Devon, England

Morpheus wrote:
did you try re-installing drivers? Boot into Safe Mode? Reformat, reinstall?

Safe mode doesn't load. MY friend even suggested booting into Command Line Safe Mode and copy documents to a flash disk that way, but it doesn't get far enough.

2008-12-01 14:12:26

#7

FatherTed: xD; +3,936|6766|so randum

screen cable?

get in touch with berster

Small hourglass island
Always raining and foggy
Use an umbrella

2008-12-01 14:14:12

#8

FFLink: There is.; +1,380|6957|Devon, England

FatherTed wrote:
screen cable?

get in touch with berster

You just reminded me! I was gonna try plugging my monitor into it, cheers.

2008-12-01 14:18:32

#9

FatherTed: xD; +3,936|6766|so randum

FFLink13 wrote:
FatherTed wrote:
screen cable?

get in touch with berster
You just reminded me! I was gonna try plugging my monitor into it, cheers.

im awsm, i know!

failing that, could be one fried gpu

Small hourglass island
Always raining and foggy
Use an umbrella

2008-12-01 15:35:22

#10

DUnlimited: got any popo lolo intersting?; +1,160|6729|cuntshitlake

Looks like burnt vram to me.

main battle tank karthus medikopter 117 megamegapowershot gg

2008-12-01 15:42:47

#11

.Sup: be nice; +2,646|6719|The Twilight Zone

When I read the title I thought you were talking about Aspire One. Huuuh I'm relieved. Sry to hear about her.

https://www.shrani.si/f/3H/7h/45GTw71U/untitled-1.png

2008-12-01 16:04:50

#12

JoshP: Banned; +176|5955|Notts, UK

Well you can certainly rescue your documents, get a caddy for the hard drive (ebuyer) and plug it in there.

Also if it works with the monitor, your screen's fucked, if it does the same with the monitor, your GPU/related piece of hardware is fucked.

If the problem only appears AFTER post etc, then try installing vista or linux and see if they work, or reinstall xp

That's all i can think of atm

2008-12-01 16:47:04

#13

elite.mafia: Banned; +122|6719|USA

Your camera died... Not sure about your laptop.

Seriously no clue what's going on in those pics... so blurry

2008-12-01 20:59:17

#14

Freezer7Pro: I don't come here a lot anymore.; +1,447|6463|Winland

elite.mafia wrote:
Your camera died... Not sure about your laptop.

Seriously no clue what's going on in those pics... so blurry

If he'd move the camera back 10cm you'd see the edges of the screen.

On topic, my vote is VRAM and/or screen. Probably both, as the squares often are signs of the first, and the blob of the latter.

The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP

2008-12-01 21:23:48

#15

SgtHeihn: Should have ducked; +394|6753|Ham Lake, MN (Fucking Cold)

They just replaced my laptop screen under warranty. If I didn't have the service plan it would have been over $1300US. I.E. cheaper to buy a new laptop.

2008-12-02 02:38:25

#16

FFLink: There is.; +1,380|6957|Devon, England

elite.mafia wrote:
Your camera died... Not sure about your laptop.

Seriously no clue what's going on in those pics... so blurry

Ain't got my card for my camera, so I just used the one on my other laptop.

So, after I save my documents and stuff, how much do you all reckon I should sell this on eBay for? Of course, I will say it's fucked... But there's gotta be some profit in this

2008-12-02 09:19:31

#17

JoshP: Banned; +176|5955|Notts, UK

FFLink13 wrote:
elite.mafia wrote:
Your camera died... Not sure about your laptop.

Seriously no clue what's going on in those pics... so blurry
Ain't got my card for my camera, so I just used the one on my other laptop.

So, after I save my documents and stuff, how much do you all reckon I should sell this on eBay for? Of course, I will say it's fucked... But there's gotta be some profit in this

£10 to me?

2008-12-02 11:12:23

#18

Sisco: grandmaster league revivalist; +493|6609

It´s the gpu. My asus had damn similar optical fuck ups, only in green instead of read. After one year.
Warranty repaired it but I´m afraid after the next year it dies again without warranty. Expensive notebooks are just expensive.