Asus G73SW motherboard LED blinking

[PorterComp]

History: Customer brought in Asus G73SW gamer laptop. Said the power adapter would not charge the laptop as the power plug would not stay. Common issue right? Find out the customer attempted to dismantle the laptop and resolder the connection himself but couldn't. (I know this guy and he was once a electronics tech in the Navy, so he "should" have known how to solder).
Anyway, I recommended replacing the motherboard.

So tested the laptop, no power couldn't get it to boot to get a baseline on symptoms. So decided the motherboard might just do it. Ordered the motherboard, replaced it. Immediately the led lights start blinking in unison (obviously as they are coming from the one led on the motherboard). So I check to make sure I didn't forget to plug something back up. Sure, everything is plugged up. Same thing. LED blinking, fans twitching.

So, contacted the vendor to thinking they could help diagnose, they really didn't and just gave me an RMA. So got new motherboard, same issue. As I was putting laptop back together, I would attache the motherboard to power to see what that led was doing. On the old original it would do nothing. On the first replacement would blink.
Today got the new replacement and tried to give it power. Got a solid light. Ok, got a baseline, start putting parts on one at a time and as soon as I get to the CPU, I get the blinking LED again. Hmm, could be the CPU right?

So, what's your opinion? And when do you think the damage was caused to the CPU?

I have to decide how to handle this with the client. Tell them they have to buy a new CPU and then go from there? Or just tell them to trash it and get another. Thoughts on how you would handle it. These folks are (scout troop) aquaintances outside of work.

Thanks

 

[smashedbotatos]

Have you tested the adapter?

Get a test CPU, try it and see if it works. If it does work go from there.

If he did solder the original board you should be able to tell. Solder wouldn't be as uniform as a machine, and you may be able to see where it has been cleaned with alcohol.

 

[Romaniac]

What was so bad with the first MOBO? Did he totally ruin it? A new jack and a solder would have been my first go.

As suggested, make sure to try another charger.


I've worked on 3 of these Asus series. Had 2 with solder issues. One of the clients had the issue for a long time - killed his battery and charger was on the fritz.

 

[PorterComp]

He buggered up the original mobo pretty bad.

Don't have a test CPU.

Tried another adapter and same symptom.

 

[smashedbotatos]

I think I would price a new cpu.

That laptop is still worth a bit. Get series is only 2 years old. That laptop is at most two years old, and probably speed rather well.

Although on a side note. Since there is a dedicated video card in this model. That could fried as well. So I could be a gamble.

 

[PorterComp]

Yeah, I thought about that too. Not sure what to do with it. I know this system was between 2-2500 new. I'll talk to the client and see what they want to do. The CPU is in the $300+range.

 

[NYJimbo]

"start putting parts on one at a time and as soon as I get to the CPU"

Shouldn't the CPU be the first part you put back on a motherboard ? Can you detail what you put on before the CPU before you got the blinking light ?

 

[PorterComp]

Initially I put everything back together and found the error...so when i took it apart again, that's when I started trying individual parts. I started taking them off one at a time until the blinking led went away, which was the cpu, the last part I took off. Then I put the video card and the RAM on one at a time and didn't get the blinking LED. so tried the cpu again and got the blinking led.