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Sick 7700. Need advice for AW specific

post #1 of 4
8/28/08 at 11:49am
Thread Starter 
I've just inheritied a sick 7700:

1 | AREA51M
1 | AREA-51M 7700 D900T GREY 17" WSXGA+ W/ CAM
1 | 4 540 3.2GHZ 1MB 800FSB LGA775 EJ
2 |SAMSUNG 512MB DDR2 PC4200 SO-DIMM
1 | AREA-51M 7700 D900T ATI M28 WITH 256MB MODULE
1 | CASTLENET802.11BG WM1270 MINI PCI WIRELESS ADAPTER
1 | HITACHI NOTEBOOK 60GB 7200RPM HD
1 | AREA-51M 7700 8X DVD+/-RW NEC

What's so sick about it?

Dead battery
Wireless doesn't work
GFX Fan has stopped working.

---

I've a history of fixing Toshiba stuff, but I've never dived into a AW laptop before. I'm not too concerned about the battery as I'm using the machine as a file server. The wireless card can be swapped out with any Mini PCI.

Yet I am a little concerned about the fan. This machine got so hot at one stage it melted a little part of the case, but it appears to run for a few mins (then I turn it off).

I want to open the machine up and give it all a once over and a clean. Refresh the thermal paste, etc. But as I've never been in one, I'm curious to find out if there is any common "gotchas" when you open them. For example, hidden cables that are prone to snap if you are unaware of them, little tricks of bending the chassis to release components, etc.

I can't find any posts of how to disassemble these. So I'm just wondering if anyone has some pointers. Also, can the gfx card in this be swapped, or is it fixed on to the board?
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post #2 of 4
8/28/08 at 4:39pm
If it's a 7700, it's a Clevo d900.

You may be able to swap the vid card, but the power to the vid card slot depends on the motherboard revision number. You can find that on the memory slots.

Unfortunately, the d900t has inherent heat issues, and motherboard failures. First sign is usually heat related issues, and battery failure.

The info you'll need is all likely available in the knowledge base on AW's site. Here is their article on reseating the video card, so it shows how to disassemble it to get to the vid card. It's a searchable database, so you should be able to find lots of information there.

I'm sure you can find the wireless info there also.

Unfortunately, when it comes to parts it's a different story. Clevo no longer makes new motherboards for that model, so if you've got a problem you'll either have to have it repaired, or try your luck with used parts on eBay.

Good luck.
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post #3 of 4
8/29/08 at 3:28pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for that excellent response. It turns out the laptop is in a more dire state then initally thought. Today it won't even boot up....the screen stays blank and the CD drive clicks about 5 time. Nothing else occurs :/

I've reseated everything and reapplyed thermal paste.

Has the mobo failed? It's a D900t BTW.
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post #4 of 4
8/30/08 at 3:54pm
It may have... Typically, when the mobo has failed, when you try to power up you'll hear the fans, and the lights will blink, then nothing...

The d900t is the intel processor version, the one noted for it's mobo issues. You can contact ztronics.com to get some help with diagnosis, and an estimate for parts or repairs if you're interested. Just saw they're having a special on a d900k mobo for $169, you could install that, but you'd need an AMD processor also. They may also be able to source a d900t mobo for you (they have one on their front page for $209, rev 5.3), and give you better feedback on what vid cards will work depending on the mobo revision.

I think some people here have used ztronics and were happy with their repairs.
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