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General => Off Topic => Topic started by: m654321 on January 25, 2019, 12:19:18 PM

Title: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: m654321 on January 25, 2019, 12:19:18 PM
The other day, I was downloading videos on a G750 Asus laptop, without any issues as usual. I've had it for only 4 years. When I went to use it the following day, it refused to switch on, and the LED status lights on the front of the chassis didn't light up at all. I did the usual thing like check the power supply (it was fine). I took it to our local and very excellent computer repair shop and they checked everything but couldn't get it to work.  They said they see this quite a lot with gaming laptops, often overheating and the motherboard then breaks down.

Wondered if you had a similar experience. Really disapointing as these laptops are really expensive - the 17" one I had was ~ £1200 - never again - I think I'll go for a Raspberry pi instead, LOL  ::)
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: justme2 on January 25, 2019, 04:08:11 PM

Quote
Really disapointing as these laptops are really expensive - the 17" one I had was ~ £1200 - never again - I think I'll go for a Raspberry pi instead, LOL  ::)
Sorry to hear that, maybe the manufacturer would not like to have adverse publicity - understand?

Raspberry Pi is very versatile! I've had one running unfailing as a personal server since the B+ became available. May play with the Pi 3 soon!
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: m654321 on January 26, 2019, 12:52:53 AM

Quote
Really disapointing as these laptops are really expensive - the 17" one I had was ~ £1200 - never again - I think I'll go for a Raspberry pi instead, LOL  ::)
Sorry to hear that, maybe the manufacturer would not like to have adverse publicity - understand?

Raspberry Pi is very versatile! I've had one running unfailing as a personal server since the B+ became available. May play with the Pi 3 soon!

Yeh sure, I certainly do understand - yesterday I changed my 4-star rated review on Amazon to the minimum 1-star rating, with reasons. It's ironic that the 12 year-old Dell Lattitude D630, which I bought used for £70 (see [4] in signature), is still going strong and shows no sign of giving up! So I certainly have mileage with the Dell though, unlike the Asus, it's not suited for gaming, but it's great for all the usual admin, internet browsing and watching youtube videos.

You're right the Raspberry pi is very versatile! What do you use your B+ for?

I actually do have a pi, the 3B model, which has the 4 x 1.2GHz CPU, and used it to upgrade our telly to be internet accessible and access a large archive of videos on an external HDD attached to the pi. We use the excellent LibreElec open-source operating system for this. The pi was a superb investment for upgrading our TV - only £35 - certainly cheaper than buying a brand new shiny internet-ready TV! The more recent 3B+ model is 4 x 1.4GHz CPU, but I might wait and see if they up the CPU power for one of the future pi releases, before considering another pi purchase ...

The only other reservation is that Linux Lite wont run on a pi  :( , though some other Linux OSes will.

Cheers
Mike
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: justme2 on January 26, 2019, 05:45:15 AM
Quote
You're right the Raspberry pi is very versatile! What do you use your B+ for?

My Pi runs 24/7 as a personal server for personal file storage, online monitoring of intruder alarm, webcam, online temp/humidity/air pressure monitoring via an ESP8266 (ESP12F) and remote switching of various devices. The latter is in conjunction with a UBW bitwacker device USB/serial  connected to the Pi, simply because I never got round to moving connections directly to the Pi. Oh, it also has an analog port to measure battery voltage. The UBW was originally connected to a netbook server but I changed to the Pi for power saving purposes!

Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: m654321 on January 26, 2019, 06:02:53 AM
Quote
You're right the Raspberry pi is very versatile! What do you use your B+ for?

My Pi runs 24/7 as a personal server for personal file storage, online monitoring of intruder alarm, webcam, online temp/humidity/air pressure monitoring via an ESP8266 (ESP12F) and remote switching of various devices. The latter is in conjunction with a UBW bitwacker device USB/serial  connected to the Pi, simply because I never got round to moving connections directly to the Pi. Oh, it also has an analog port to measure battery voltage. The UBW was originally connected to a netbook server but I changed to the Pi for power saving purposes!

Wow - you certainly put the B+ to good use!
Is the B+ the one with a single 700 MHz processor & 512MB RAM?
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: trinidad on January 26, 2019, 11:06:03 AM
@m654321 
Don't know exactly what model, CPU etc. you have, but if you can do the work yourself, new MOBO replacement for this era is around $150 US.

TC
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: m654321 on January 26, 2019, 12:54:36 PM
@m654321 
Don't know exactly what model, CPU etc. you have, but if you can do the work yourself, new MOBO replacement for this era is around $150 US.

TC

Thanks TC, I'll check it out: it's an Asus G750JS laptop - are you familiar with this one?
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: justme2 on January 26, 2019, 02:47:38 PM
Quote
Wow - you certainly put the B+ to good use!
Is the B+ the one with a single 700 MHz processor & 512MB RAM?

Had to ssh login to find out as I had forgotten! Yes its 700MHz/512MB. You have now prompted me to look at upgrading to Pi3, for interest sake but the B+ is actually capable of fullfilling all its tasks and more. :)
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: Moltke on January 26, 2019, 04:51:50 PM
I don't like laptops that much so I don't know if this might sound a little biased but I think desktops are better suited for gaming; better cooling system, more room for improvement like a bigger screen, add more RAM, upgrade CPU, improve cooling system. And I think they're even a cheaper solution too. Like this one https://www.bestbuy.com/site/cyberpowerpc-gamer-ultra-desktop-amd-fx-series-8gb-memory-amd-radeon-rx-560-1tb-hard-drive-black/6225212.p?skuId=6225212  :)
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: kissbaby3 on January 26, 2019, 11:41:36 PM
I don't like laptops that much so I don't know if this might sound a little biased but I think desktops are better suited for gaming; better cooling system, more room for improvement like a bigger screen, add more RAM, upgrade CPU, improve cooling system. And I think they're even a cheaper solution too. Like this one https://www.bestbuy.com/site/cyberpowerpc-gamer-ultra-desktop-amd-fx-series-8gb-memory-amd-radeon-rx-560-1tb-hard-drive-black/6225212.p?skuId=6225212  :)

nice price tag
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: m654321 on January 27, 2019, 05:56:23 AM
I don't like laptops that much so I don't know if this might sound a little biased but I think desktops are better suited for gaming; better cooling system, more room for improvement like a bigger screen, add more RAM, upgrade CPU, improve cooling system. And I think they're even a cheaper solution too.

Totally agree: for the same bang for your buck, the rule of thumb seems to be you pay around double for a gaming laptop compared to the PC Tower - it would seem to be a no-brainer ...

The only reason we have laptops, is that free space in our house is limited and, with young children around, sometimes you need to take your machine to a quiet room, which of course is impractical with a Desktop PC setup
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: Moltke on January 27, 2019, 09:43:20 AM
I don't like laptops that much so I don't know if this might sound a little biased but I think desktops are better suited for gaming; better cooling system, more room for improvement like a bigger screen, add more RAM, upgrade CPU, improve cooling system. And I think they're even a cheaper solution too.

Totally agree: for the same bang for your buck, the rule of thumb seems to be you pay around double for a gaming laptop compared to the PC Tower, as well as flexibility to upgrade - it would seem to be a no-brainer ...

The only reason we have laptops, is that free space in our house is limited and, with young children around, sometimes you need to take your machine to a quiet room, which of course is impractical with a Desktop PC setup

Oh yes, space can be an issue. However, I don't know how space limited you are but I think that in the long run a desktop pc could be a saving money solution since there's no way to tell when a new laptop can go dead. Of course, desktops are not inmune and this can as well happen with them, but then with a good cooling system and a good PSU odds are against laptops. I used to had this space issue too in the past but I lived alone back then so I guess it wasn't that much of an issue like in your case. I remember I wanted to buy a TV but always found myself wondering where to place it cause there was really no room for it, so I bought a pci TV tunner card, plugged it in my pc and voila! I had a TV, well sort of lol It was cheaper and I could even record whatever I wanted. I still have that card around but the pci slot died or so I think cause it doesn't work anymore, such a shame cause I really enjoyed recording TV shows, football matches - premier league matches, specially man united ones, I'm a fan :) -, and anything I wanted to. My point is, I don't know...I mean, I think with today's technology anything is possible, check this out https://www.amazon.com/slp/mini-gaming-pc/nsab9trujj458wp
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: m654321 on January 28, 2019, 09:57:15 PM
@trinidad
A new MOBO for the G750JS seems to come in at around $495, from what I can see online. How much would you charge to fit a motherboard?

I think this laptop could end up burning an even deeper hole in my pocket, if it's only going to last another 3 years 10 months with the MOBO replacement - for me personally it's not worth it. The Dell Latitude D630 that I'm typing on (almost 12 years old), will have to be my new daily driver now, until it breaks down - it's a fine little machine for my daily admin needs and it only cost me $90 secondhand a few years back. I wish gaming laptops were as robust and reasonably priced ..!
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: bitsnpcs on January 29, 2019, 06:12:59 AM
The other day, I was downloading videos on a G750 Asus laptop, without any issues as usual. I've had it for only 4 years. When I went to use it the following day, it refused to switch on, and the LED status lights on the front of the chassis didn't light up at all. I did the usual thing like check the power supply (it was fine). I took it to our local and very excellent computer repair shop and they checked everything but couldn't get it to work.  They said they see this quite a lot with gaming laptops, often overheating and the motherboard then breaks down.

Wondered if you had a similar experience. Really disapointing as these laptops are really expensive - the 17" one I had was ~ £1200 - never again - I think I'll go for a Raspberry pi instead, LOL  ::)

Try this - https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001127.htm
 (https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001127.htm)

If no change then with no battery fitted or power supply plugged in to -

if your laptop works with power supply and battery not fitted remove battery and try this.

remove RAM , clean its connector with paper, clean its connection on board with air duster.

Add in battery and power supply and try to power on, if not -

remove both power sources , remove hard drive/s clean connections with air dusters, re add power try again, if not -
 
remove both power sources , open laptop remove keyboard connecter, clean both sides with air duster, re connect power both and retry it.

If not and all internal dust is removed and it is retried then next -
board not working , it can be likely a capacitor, (9 out of 10 times) get it tested using an esr meter, or use signal generator on square wave and oscilloscope, replace faulty capacitor/capacitors, or other components not replace motherboard.

But if you notice the cpu gpu is melted ... it probably didn't shut down when it was designed to.
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: TheDead on January 29, 2019, 08:21:23 AM
Heya!

You seem to know your way around @bitsnpcs ! ;)

I'll add my two cents from experience with these issues.
Indeed trying without the battery was what I was going to type...
But also, even if the power supply turns on, I have seen that some break down and don't give the needed Amperage anymore. (sometime even voltage).
So, if you can get another, maybe universal, AC Adapter with the correct Voltage and Amperage to try, I would suggest to try this.
** Important : If the new AC Adapter has MORE Amperage, its fine, but not less. Voltage has to be the same or really close, like 19V versus 19.5V for example should be fine.
** Important 2 : Be carefull that positive and negative poles fit original AC Adapter. It's pretty standard but just to be sure.

Good luck!
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: trinidad on January 29, 2019, 09:04:00 AM
@m654321  You're right. I misspoke, but I did find one refurb board for $153. Not too many of those around that aren't cooked. Figure two hours for the work and go from there. One to disassemble/reassemble, one allowed to configure, both MS service minimums here ($80 p/hr) If you go refurb board only and nothing else is wrong, probably about $350 total. You can probably find a whole i7 refurb laptop online for $500 or so.

Were you running Linux on it when it quit? I've heard of some over-clocked Asus laps bricking with Linux.

TC
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: m654321 on January 29, 2019, 12:58:59 PM
@m654321
Were you running Linux on it when it quit? I've heard of some over-clocked Asus laps bricking with Linux.
TC

Thanks TC - in a nutshell, yes.  However, it was not overclocked.


The last time it was working was when I left it running overnight (downloading TV programmes) on Manjaro.  The downloads were finished by morning and everything looked fine (which is what I don't understand as there was no sign of anything wrong at that point), before shutting it down.  Later that day, my daughter tried to turn it on (for her usual gaming on Win8.1). It was then it wouldn't turn on at all, no LED status lights - completely dead. 
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: m654321 on January 29, 2019, 01:07:01 PM
@bitsnpcs
@TheDead
Many thanks for your replies, much appreciated.
bitsnpcs: yes, everything in that link you gave was tried, but to no avail: 
- with battery/without battery, and using an alternative mains supply pack

The PC repair shop did:
- stripped laptop & tested - no voltage
- reflowed motherboard - tested, still no power
- said uneconomic to repair
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: bitsnpcs on January 29, 2019, 03:43:59 PM
@m654321 the things the PC repair shop done did not test the components.


Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: TheDead on January 30, 2019, 07:54:41 AM
Well, unfortunately if cost is high and still no sign of life...
Only thing left is getting the shovel...

Our thoughts are with you :(

(https://doodleaday.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/doodle-520.jpg)
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: DeepThought on January 30, 2019, 09:21:05 AM
Quote
The last time it was working was when I left it running overnight (downloading TV programmes) on Manjaro.  The downloads were finished by morning and everything looked fine (which is what I don't understand as there was no sign of anything wrong at that point), before shutting it down.  Later that day, my daughter tried to turn it on (for her usual gaming on Win8.1). It was then it wouldn't turn on at all, no LED status lights - completely dead.

And there you go, the final proof, once you go Linux you never go back to Windows :)

All joking aside though, you could try finding parts on EBAY. I have built about a dozen laptops from parts bought cheaply on ebay.
Look for broken laptops of the same make and model as you have, Asus G750, specifically look for those that have broken screens. Quite often these are been sold cheaply as replacing the screen can be expensive but quite often the motherboard is still in working order. Usually the hdd and memory has been removed by the seller but as long as yours still work that is not a problem.
I've used this idea in the past and also if you have a broken screen on a laptop, look for a laptop been sold with a fried motherboard, quite often the screen will be ok.

This way I've mixed and matched about a dozen working laptops, all for well under £100, some under £50. In fact it's probably cost me more to buy a replacement battery and power supply lol.

Anyway, worth a thought even if only as a laptop repair learning curve :)

Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: m654321 on January 30, 2019, 09:49:38 AM
@TheDead
Thankyou  ;D
I think you're aptly named to be the undertaker  :P
Would you organize the funeral?

Love the humour - helps bear the pain ...
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: m654321 on January 30, 2019, 09:57:58 AM
Look for broken laptops of the same make and model as you have, Asus G750, specifically look for those that have broken screens. Quite often these are been sold cheaply as replacing the screen can be expensive but quite often the motherboard is still in working order .... 
...Anyway, worth a thought even if only as a laptop repair learning curve :)

What a great idea - I hadn't thought of that - thanks!
I had put the TheDead (the laptop, not our LL friend!) in a local paper for £40. Maybe I'll put it on hold and keep my eyes peeled for another broken Asus G750 ...

Liked the joke about going back to Windows ... ;D


PS. After your post I had a look at eBay & found loads of G750 series stuff. I even found motherboards for sale for £138. They're from China - should I go for it ..? Or is it a bit risky?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/For-ASUS-G750J-G750JS-Laptop-Mainboard-I7-4710HQ-2D-60NB04M0-MB1400-Motherboard/323408581241?_trkparms=aid%3D555017%26algo%3DPL.CASSINI%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20180221162023%26meid%3D77ef51384cbc44ab8219357e743c0c0f%26pid%3D100642%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26%26itm%3D323408581241&_trksid=p2045573.c100642.m3226
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: DeepThought on January 30, 2019, 11:02:14 AM
There is always some risk when buying on ebay whether the seller is in the UK, EU or further afield.

I've personally had no problems buying from sellers in China or Hong Kong, but the most expensive item was just over £40, and my first question is "can I afford to lose it if things go wrong ?"

Sometimes there is no alternative available from a UK or EU seller, so the option to proceed has to be a personal choice.
I would look at the sellers reputation.
Check postage details, will there be extra customs costs etc
Take into account how long for delivery, while postage from china can take over 30 days you should check with ebay as to procedure if the item hasn't arrived within that time. Offering a 30-day money back is useless if the damn thing is still in the post after that time limit (and delays can happen even with decent traders)

In the end only you can decide to buy or not to buy.
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: TheDead on January 30, 2019, 04:37:38 PM
Heya!

I avoid buying 'unofficial' replacement batteries, AC Adapter or other knock-offs from China. Most if not all are not recognised by the motherboard, don't last, etc.
Also, for a motherboard, even you you have the same general model it could be impossible to fit in, you would need the exact part manafacturer number matching yours or you could be in need of drilling a hole for a differently placed USB connector, a different shape video/keyboard connector inside and so on.

Tricky business but it can be done! Watchout for shipping charges also, sellers have 100$ motherboard 20$ shipping others 50$ motherboard 100$ shipping.
If possible get the exact part number from one of your country's seller.

Cheers!
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: bitsnpcs on January 30, 2019, 05:11:55 PM
eBay buyer protection is 60 days from the date of purchase, PayPal if used for a purchase on eBay is 120 days from the day of purchase.
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: m654321 on January 31, 2019, 03:09:05 AM
Also, for a motherboard, even you you have the same general model it could be impossible to fit in, you would need the exact part manafacturer number matching yours or you could be in need of drilling a hole for a differently placed USB connector, a different shape video/keyboard connector inside and so on.

If possible get the exact part number from one of your country's seller.

Cheers!
Sound advice - many thanks 8)
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: justme2 on January 31, 2019, 06:35:31 AM
@m654321 Having searched your model, the info I got indicated that there is a separate removeable power module mounted on the motherboard, which would not be supplied with a replacement motherboard. If that is the case then a failed power module would still not work with a new motherboard. Difficult to know what to say other than be very aware.
Also an ASUS machine of mine has a FUSE link on the motherboard but I can't determine if yours has. As others have said, motherboard replacement can in some circumstances be fraught with difficulties. Good luck!  ;)
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: m654321 on January 31, 2019, 10:03:17 AM
@m654321 Having searched your model, the info I got indicated that there is a separate removeable power module mounted on the motherboard, which would not be supplied with a replacement motherboard. If that is the case then a failed power module would still not work with a new motherboard. Difficult to know what to say other than be very aware.
Yes, thanks. I already saw these on e-bay and did wonder myself - they are about £30-40, could be an extra expense on top of the £138 for the motherboard. Maybe, I should check the power module first.  I still haven't reached a decision yet. For now, I'm going to use my trusty 12-year old Dell for my day-to-day tasks and just put off any gaming for the time-being ...
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: TheDead on February 01, 2019, 08:36:37 AM
If there is a power module I would definitely try that first. If there was a power surge on it it would prevent powering/charging the laptop... but :
Magic Hint : When it died, do you know if there was any battery power left or noticed if it was charging?  If the module went poof first, the laptop could have run on battery until it was drained.

The other way to revive your laptop is messy and involes strange words and a goat sacrifice. ;) ... Klaptu Verrata something something.

Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: m654321 on February 01, 2019, 09:58:01 AM
When it died, do you know if there was any battery power left or noticed if it was charging?  If the module went poof first, the laptop could have run on battery until it was drained.

At the time when the laptop died, it was running on mains power only (battery previously removed).
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: TheDead on February 01, 2019, 03:16:52 PM
At the time when the laptop died, it was running on mains power only (battery previously removed).

Doh! So it could be either the motherboard, power module, or the fuse thingy mentionned here.
Maybe trying to remove the HDD, RAM, WiFi, and video card, if not already tried, to see if it lives before buying anything.
Start with the least expensive in any case. :-S

Cheers!
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: arxontas on February 01, 2019, 04:57:59 PM
If there is no light ON when you try to start it with the power supply,  then see if the pin in the  power socket  is broken. I had that problem some time ago. Then you have to replace that power socket .If it the same thing with battery, then is something with motherboard maybe??
arxontas
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: m654321 on February 02, 2019, 03:54:01 AM
If there is no light ON when you try to start it with the power supply,  then see if the pin in the  power socket  is broken. I had that problem some time ago. Then you have to replace that power socket .If it the same thing with battery, then is something with motherboard maybe??
arxontas

Yes, thanks arxontas - already checked this - it's seems to be the MOBO, or possibly the power module, or both ...
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: arxontas on February 02, 2019, 12:02:55 PM
I know  some laptops are going crazy some times, but try everything and you never know maybe it will boot again .don't give up .
arxontas
Title: Re: My Asus G750 gaming laptop is now officially dead ...!
Post by: m654321 on February 03, 2019, 06:02:03 AM
I know  some laptops are going crazy some times, but try everything and you never know maybe it will boot again .don't give up .
arxontas

Thanks for your encouraging words - I'll post here if I have any success ...

Mike