Broken Laptop - Options?

AmDaMan · 13 Jul 2006 at 19:50

Hey there, basically I've got this broken laptop but today smoke was coming from it and it seems to be something on the mobo.

I've never worked with these before so what options do it have, because it would be a shame to waste it's components (1.6 centrino, ati 9700, 512mb ram, 80 gb hdd etc..)

I've never worked on laptops before so don't know the options. It's an Acer Travel Mate 3202XMi

thanks.

AmDaMan · 14 Jul 2006 at 00:34

anyone?

cheers.

kevpuk · 14 Jul 2006 at 01:12

Never fiddled that much either, but hows about making a funky SFF PC......?

semi-pro waster · 14 Jul 2006 at 01:17

I think you can get motherboards for ordinary PCs that accept Centrino chips, the Ram will be best used in another laptop as it is a different size to most Ram, you can get 2.5"-3.5" adapters for the hard drive if you want to use it as a quiet/small drive for a PC and it depends on the graphics card but you may be able to sell it on as some are user upgradeable.

Other than that get someone who knows what they are doing to replace the motherboard

DizzyEgg · 14 Jul 2006 at 02:17

a mobility 9700 wont be removable, but hes right about the rest of it.

If i was you I would just carefulyl rip it open and make a sff pc.

AmDaMan · 14 Jul 2006 at 08:59

hi, sorry but what's an sff pc? Why won't the radeon be removeable? Is it part of the mobo? It's a shame aswell because it has intergrated bluetooth and wan although the wan module is removeable.

thanks

Colbaker · 14 Jul 2006 at 10:33

SFF is small form factor, The Graphics is either a built on GPU of a daughter board which will not be usable in a system unit, You could just buy a new mainboard for it, There are suppliers that do it.

DizzyEgg · 14 Jul 2006 at 11:02

sff, like a shuttle pc, but you would have to do a lot of customising, would be quite a big project really.

you could get a new motherboard but can be a bugger to fit it, and would prob need to get the shop to do.

tbh i dont know how much this would cost or whre to look for one.

Colbaker · 14 Jul 2006 at 15:33

the only problem you might get is that Acer have not actually released the repalcment boards for this notebook as it is pretty new spec, i get it all the time at work and actually have to write off the notebook just because i cannot source a replacement mainboard which is normally only from £125 - £250.

AmDaMan · 14 Jul 2006 at 18:37

aww what a shame, cheers for the help peeps.

DizzyEgg · 15 Jul 2006 at 04:58

you can always whack it on the members market, someone might have the time take up a custom project.

man its 4.58 i should go bed, nitey nite