Is the GPU bad?

[Appletax]

ideapad 3-14IIL05 Laptop - Type 81WD

Client sometimes sees this:



I only saw it twice. It's an intermittent issue.

Figured the iGPU is bad. The Lenovo diagnostics says it's fine, but maybe that does not matter:



Tested the RAM. Tested the SSD. Gave it a tune up.

Edit:

I moved the screen and it activated the weird artifacts.



Restarted and it went away, but the backlight is slightly flickering.

Edit 2: flickering went away and the screen is back to normal.

Edit 3: restarted and now the display stays black. Plugged it into an external monitor and it's not working.

Edit 4: back to working normal.

 

[nlinecomputers]

If the gpu was bad you would likely also see the issue on an external monitor. I say it’s a bad screen not GPU.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Also did you run all diagnostics or just video?

 

[Appletax]

If the gpu was bad you would likely also see the issue on an external monitor. I say it’s a bad screen not GPU.

The issue isn't occurring except one brief instance, so connecting an external monitor won't help.

Also did you run all diagnostics or just video?

I ran almost all the diagnostics.

The keyboard also does not work.

I am thinking that she should just send it to Lenovo and have them fix it. She can reinstate her warranty for another 12 months for only $17.25, wait 30 days, then process a warranty claim.

They would fix the issues all for just $17.25.

It's like a sore peter, you can't beat it!!!!

 

[nlinecomputers]

The issue isn't occurring except one brief instance, so connecting an external monitor won't help.



I ran almost all the diagnostics.

The keyboard also does not work.

I am thinking that she should just send it to Lenovo and have them fix it. She can reinstate her warranty for another 12 months for only $17.25, wait 30 days, then process a warranty claim.

If she is willing to wait. Otherwise if the keyboard is also bad you are looking at a new motherboard. The third option is to not put good money after bad and get a new PC. Ideapads are total crap. Lenovo seems to be at both ends of the spectrum with great Thinkpads at the top and guaranteed to die Ideapads at the bottom. Find a nice refurbished business grade ThinkPad and offer it as an option. Bin that steaming pile of ….

 

[Appletax]

If she is willing to wait. Otherwise if the keyboard is also bad you are looking at a new motherboard. The third option is to not put good money after bad and get a new PC. Ideapads are total crap. Lenovo seems to be at both ends of the spectrum with great Thinkpads at the top and guaranteed to die Ideapads at the bottom. Find a nice refurbished business grade ThinkPad and offer it as an option. Bin that steaming pile of ….

Yea, I have seen a number of IdeaPads. Some with horrible hinge designs that are pretty much guaranteed to break. I have a Legion 7 and it's built so well and performs so good. Lenovo makes crap products and top-of-the-line products. Definitely would not catch me owning an IdeaPad. I always recommend people buy business-class laptops if they want something that will last. You can get ones for such a good price on eBay that are like-new.

 

[Philippe]

It seems like there is a good picture "underneath" -> bad display or bad internal video cable.

 

[nlinecomputers]

It seems like there is a good picture "underneath" -> bad display or bad internal video cable.

That’s what I thought too but with his reporting that the keyboard is also having issues I less convinced of that. Also repeated patterns on screens is often sign of a memory issue. Intermittent problems point to overheating but could also be a pinched cable.

 

[Appletax]

I moved the screen and it activated the weird artifacts.



Restarted and it went away, but the backlight is slightly flickering.

Edit: not flickering anymore. Back to normal.

Pinched cable?

Edit 2: restarted and now the display stays black. Plugged it into an external monitor and it's not working.

Edit 3: back to working normal.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Pinched cable?

Edit 2: restarted and now the display stays black. Plugged it into an external monitor and it's not working.

Not if the external is also not working. Replace the motherboard.

 

[Appletax]

Not if the external is also not working. Replace the motherboard.

Not something I wanna mess with. Don't wanna replace the board and the problem persists cos the problem is something else. Gonna let the client find an alternative repairman/center. Highly recommend the warranty claim if they can wait the 30 days.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Not something I wanna mess with. Don't wanna replace the board and the problem persists cos the problem is something else. Gonna let the client find an alternative repairman/center. Highly recommend the warranty claim if they can wait the 30 days.

That’s the nature of laptop repair. It’s why you charge a high diagnostic fee to work on them so that you can offset parts return. But replacing the motherboard is just removing screws and reapplying thermal paste.

 

[Larry Sabo]

I hate screen issues on laptops where removing the screen to connect a test screen seriously risks breaking the screen. It would be nice to have a known-good complete screen assembly with video cable from a donor laptop to use for a quick test. Who wants to swap the MB only to find that it doesn't solve the problem? Even if you get the customer to sign a waiver, nobody's happy when your choice of what to replace is wrong.

 

[timeshifter]

But replacing the motherboard is just removing screws and reapplying thermal paste.

The challenge I'd have in that situation is sourcing the replacement board. Where would you get one?

 

[nlinecomputers]

The challenge I'd have in that situation is sourcing the replacement board. Where would you get one?

Same here. Anywhere you can.

 

[britechguy]

I am thinking that she should just send it to Lenovo and have them fix it. She can reinstate her warranty for another 12 months for only $17.25, wait 30 days, then process a warranty claim.

They would fix the issues all for just $17.25.

This is absolutely, positively the best way to go, for all involved.

If the need for "something else" is immediate, then whether you spend days or weeks trying to chase this down, or she waits 30 days to make Lenovo take care of it, is not relevant. She'll have to source some replacement hardware, even if it's temporary, for an extended (as in more than a day or two) period of time.

I wouldn't touch this with a 10-foot pole based on what you already know and what's been offered here by others. This is not going to result in a satsified outcome for you, or the customer, were you to attempt a repair (and there's no guarantee it would work).

She might just get a new machine out of it from the manufacturer.

 

[timeshifter]

Same here. Anywhere you can.

Well for me that would mean scouring eBay for the correct match and a seller that looks legit and roll the dice, hoping the board is good.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Well for me that would mean scouring eBay for the correct match and a seller that looks legit and roll the dice, hoping the board is good.

Yep, which is why a fix is likely to cost $250 for labor and equal for the parts vs finding an exact used replacement on eBay. A new one on Amazon is $445.

 

[nlinecomputers]

This is absolutely, positively the best way to go, for all involved.

If the need for "something else" is immediate, then whether you spend days or weeks trying to chase this down, or she waits 30 days to make Lenovo take care of it, is not relevant. She'll have to source some replacement hardware, even if it's temporary, for an extended (as in more than a day or two) period of time.

I wouldn't touch this with a 10-foot pole based on what you already know and what's been offered here by others. This is not going to result in a satsified outcome for you, or the customer, were you to attempt a repair (and there's no guarantee it would work).

She might just get a new machine out of it from the manufacturer.

Again if they are willing to wait 2-3 months to get it back. (1-month delay and then slow depot repair speeds) At $450 for a new exact replacement IMO this isn't worth even the extended warranty repair. It's still a poorly built PC and likely to be replaced by a refurbished not new unit.

 

[britechguy]

At $450 for a new exact replacement IMO this isn't worth even the extended warranty repair. It's still a poorly built PC and likely to be replaced by a refurbished not new unit.

Well, that should be up to the client to decide, shouldn't it? They deserve to have the information at the very least.

One thing is for sure, I would never attempt to repair this in my shop.