One of the worst things that can happen to your laptop is motherboard failure often resulting in laptop motherboard repair. If the motherboard is damaged and is beyond repair, you would need to consider buying a new laptop. This is, of course, necessary as the motherboard of a laptop is very expensive and not covered by a warranty, so the better option would be to buy a new laptop.
Laptop Motherboard Repair
But before you conclude, thoroughly assess the motherboard damage, for you need to decide between two options laptop motherboard repair vs. a new laptop.
Signs of Motherboard failure
- You have switched on the computer being indicated by the light and the fan also starts to spin. But there is a complete blackout on the computer screen with the hard drive not working within 10- 15 sec.
- The initial start-up functions appear like indicative light, fan, and hard drive sound, but disappears after a while, i.e., 5 – 3 minutes.
- A high-pitched sound comes from the laptop when you press the “on” button.
- The last one can be that even when you have switched on the computer, nothing happens.
Read: How to check Warranty Status of Laptop
Causes of Motherboard failure
There are numerous reasons why a laptop’s motherboard would fail. But some common and often unlooked corners include:
- Electric and voltage fluctuations
- Dust particles, smoke, laptops age
- Fan failure often causing overheating issues
- Crash or physical damage
Even the signs of motherboard failure mentioned above need to be looked into; there are some exceptions to be looked at when checking for laptop motherboard damage and they include:
- The black screen could be an indication of a possible backlight problem. In-between the hinges there is a button that acts as an on/off switch for the laptop’s backlight. These buttons automatically get switched off when the lid is closed. However, sometimes it gets stuck. Therefore first pull the laptop’s lid back and forth, if it is still the same then take a pin, find the switch and gently tap it. If even this doesn’t work, possible you need a laptop motherboard repair.
- If your laptops get switched on for a few seconds and then die out, it could be due to the battery being exhausted. First connected to the power outlet and then switch it on. Also check for connection cables, if it still not works there could be two reasons. First, your adapter might have been damaged, get it checked. If that’s not the case, then the possible failure could indicate a laptop motherboard repair.
- Often resetting the RAM and CMOS or updating the BIOS could save you from motherboard laptop repair.
As for advice – if you’re no expert in laptop hardware, but you know your motherboard has failed- Always go for a professional Motherboard Laptop Repair.
Read: How to keep your motherboard clean and protected.
The author Anna Watson has experience in Motherboard Repair and likes computers, video games, gadgets, movies, television, blogs, and web design.
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Laptops are some of the handiest machines or devices we have today because of the very fact that you can basically carry them wherever you go and then work and play while you are on the go. However, because of how you can carry laptops anywhere, they can be susceptible to damages such as when you spill water or coffee over them or when you accidentally damage them while carrying them in backpacks. That said, the motherboard is often one of the first components that get damaged in a laptop. So, is it still worth repairing a laptop motherboard? It won’t be worth it repairing a laptop motherboard. Unlike desktops that have motherboards that are separate from other components, laptop motherboards will have other parts such as the CPU and the memory soldered onto it. That means that you have to buy all of the other components as well. While the major selling point of a laptop is that it is an all-in-one machine that comes with all of its components in one light package, this can also be a downside as damaging one component can mean damaging all of the other ones as well. That said, if you do get your laptop motherboard damaged, there are times that you might as well just buy a new laptop because of how expensive the repair job can be.
Can you still repair a laptop motherboard?
Owning a laptop means that you have a machine that is designed to be convenient to use and portable enough that you can practically carry it wherever you go. This is why the coffee shop culture of laptops is so big today as plenty of different people would rather take their laptops and then work inside a coffee shop rather than the usual office environment that can be mundane and boring. There are also people who are always traveling for business or work and may have to carry their laptops with them wherever they go so that they can stay productive while traveling.
However, the very fact that a laptop is so handy to carry and use anywhere is what makes it such a risky computer to have when it comes to damages. Unlike a desktop computer, which is usually not as prone to damage due to how it basically sits on a desk and far away from anything that can damage it, a laptop is prone to damage because of how you can easily spill water, tea, or coffee on it while you are working in a coffee shop. And because traveling can be tough, there is no guarantee that your laptop is always safe inside a bag while you are on the go.
Because of how laptops can be damaged quite easily, their internal components such as their motherboard are one of the most commonly damaged parts of any laptop. For example, spilling coffee on your laptop can easily short out its motherboard and make the laptop basically useless since you won’t be able to use it anymore. If that is the case, can you still repair a laptop motherboard?
Yes, motherboards can still be repaired as long as the damage on the motherboard is not extensive enough to the point that you can no longer have some of the parts on it replaced for new ones.
However, the problem with most laptop motherboards today is that they are not made to be modular in nature in the sense that you can’t easily swap out your motherboard with another one or replace some of its parts with new ones. So, while some motherboards can still be repaired, there are others that would require complete replacement as long as you can find another motherboard that is actually compatible or similar to the one your laptop uses. This can be rather difficult to do. Of course, there is also another problem we have to deal with in relation to your laptop and its motherboard.
As mentioned, laptop motherboards are not meant to be modular and are more likely to be manufactured with all of the important components soldered onto them. So, in most cases, laptop motherboards will have their CPU, GPU, and memory soldered onto them and cannot be removed. Essentially, if you do plan on repairing or replacing a laptop motherboard, you might also need to repair or replace those components as well.
Is it worth repairing a laptop motherboard?
All that said, while some laptop motherboards can be repaired or replaced, you might be wondering if it is actually worth the money to have your laptop motherboard repaired or replaced in case it got damaged due to an accident.
To that end, while some motherboards can still be repaired without forcing you to shell out a ton of money because the damage was not too extensive, we would still like to say that it isn’t worth it to have a laptop motherboard repaired.
The reason why we believe that it isn’t worth it to have a laptop motherboard repaired or replaced is due to the very fact that the different components and parts of your laptop are soldered onto it most likely.
Because of how your CPU, GPU, and memory are soldered onto your laptop’s motherboard, a damaged motherboard may require you to have your other parts and components repaired or replaced as well. This shouldn’t be a problem if the damage on your motherboard is repairable without having to replace the entire unit. However, it becomes a problem when the motherboard has become so damaged that it is already beyond repair.
So, if your motherboard can no longer be repaired and will require a replacement unit [if ever you are lucky enough to find a motherboard that is completely the same as the one on your laptop], you would have to buy all of the other components as well. That means that you would need to shell out money for the CPU, GPU, memory, and all of the other parts that are soldered onto the motherboard.
If you do the math and add all of your expenses up, it wouldn’t be wise to have your laptop motherboard repaired or replaced. In the end, you would probably end up spending more money on having your laptop’s motherboard repaired or replaced to the point that you might have been better buying a new one instead.
However, if the damage on your laptop’s motherboard can be repaired with minor repair jobs, then there is no reason why you shouldn’t have it repaired. Still, if the damages are already extensive enough, you might have to count your losses and buy a new laptop instead.