- Oct 25, 2015
- 7
- 0
- 4,520
I have a Alienware 15r1 with a i7 4720 and a 4gb 980m graphics card. Dell shipped my system with a 180w power adapter and for the longest time the GPU always ran loud and a couple of months ago the battery died. I had it replaced but while the computer shop that did the work was diagnosing my laptop they told me the motherboard was burned.
I didn't have the extra $650 to replace it at the time and they said it could last 2 weeks or 5 years. In the meantime, I bought an OEM Dell 240w adapter on their website. I hooked it up and the laptop for the last month or so has run quieter than ever.
A day or so I ago in the middle of gaming I smelled an electrical smell and then noticed in couple of minutes the usb ports on the laptop stopped working, then I noticed the new power adapter led was off and the laptop wasn't charging.
I unplugged the power from the laptop and surge protector and replugged the adapter into the outlet a only and it started working again. I attempted to plug it back into the laptop and it quit over and over.
My belief is my motherboard is fried and the reason for this was the underpowered 180w adapter I originally received with the laptop. Is that feasible? Could a PSU that's not strong enough cause a laptop motherboard to fry over a few years due to excessive GPU heat buildup? I keep it ventilated and my desk with above an AC return so the area itself was cool.
Also, how do I determine the model # of the board in order to buy a replacement?
I didn't have the extra $650 to replace it at the time and they said it could last 2 weeks or 5 years. In the meantime, I bought an OEM Dell 240w adapter on their website. I hooked it up and the laptop for the last month or so has run quieter than ever.
A day or so I ago in the middle of gaming I smelled an electrical smell and then noticed in couple of minutes the usb ports on the laptop stopped working, then I noticed the new power adapter led was off and the laptop wasn't charging.
I unplugged the power from the laptop and surge protector and replugged the adapter into the outlet a only and it started working again. I attempted to plug it back into the laptop and it quit over and over.
My belief is my motherboard is fried and the reason for this was the underpowered 180w adapter I originally received with the laptop. Is that feasible? Could a PSU that's not strong enough cause a laptop motherboard to fry over a few years due to excessive GPU heat buildup? I keep it ventilated and my desk with above an AC return so the area itself was cool.
Also, how do I determine the model # of the board in order to buy a replacement?
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