G62 Laptop Possible Motherboard Fault (Blank Screen)

[ric619]

Ok so ive had my HP G62 laptop for 2 to 3 years now, everything had been working ok until 2 weeks ago when i tried turning on the laptop. The cooling fan started up, the power light came on, the wireless light came on but the screen remained blank with no activity. After a few attempts i prompty took it to the local computer shop to ask them to look at it and give their advice. After a couple of days they contacted me to say that they think it is a motherboard issue and is therefore not repairable. They tested the hard drive and said it was fine, i have since used the hard drive so i can confirm this. The shop owners told me that after looking round on the internet the most common and likely fault is a faulty motherboard, the motherboards for this model, or in fact most HP devices have been known to simply "work one day and then stop the next".

I would like to hear some other peoples opinions on this matter, hopefully a representative of HP and what a possible course of action could be. I am test engineer at a PCB company so if needed i will take the laptop apart and fault find the motherboard myself. If the motherboard does prove to be the fault then is there a warranty in place for this? I feel that a 2 year lifespan for a motherboard is unacceptable, especially considering i could be looking at the possibilty of buying a new laptop after 2 years use all because of a manufactoring problem or a poor selection in components.

[UniProg]

Hello ric619,

What is your product number and operating system?

Thanks,

[ric619]

Serial: {Personal Information Removed}

Product: XC734EA#ABU

Model: G62-a26SA

And its Windows 7

[UniProg]

Thanks for the quick reply!

Take a look at this document and follow the troubleshooting steps, and let me know your results.  For future reference, your Maintenance and Service Guide manual has the compatible parts, part numbers, etc. if you ever need to replace anything.

If I have been helpful or if you’d like to say thanks you can click the white star under my name to give me Kudos.  I really appreciate it!

Good luck!

[ric619]

I have tried the troubleshooting options and still no success. I have taken the laptop to 2 computer repair stores so i assume they have tried these tests too. I spoke to PC World whilst buying my new laptop and they said that motherboard faults are an extremely common occurance in HP laptops, especially if they have an AMD processor because the processor overheats a lot due to there not being competent voltage control. I thought about this as i was being told and remembered how much my laptop would over heat and shut down for no reason, yet i never had this problem with past laptops. When i arrived home after buying my new laptop (making sure it wasnt HP nor AMD this time) i discovered that my HP laptop has an AMD processor. So i am still stuck with a laptop that wont doing anything when it boots up, and have been told by 3 independent sources that its most likely the motherboard or the processor, or the motherboard being damaged due to overheating of the processor. This simply isnt good enough from what i considered to be a highly respectable electronics company. I made sure to by HP because i assumed it would garuntee quality, but i see now that i could have taken my chances with any brand and my laptop probably would have lasted longer.

[Huffer]

First understand that this is a user to user forum, and I do not speak for HP. I am interested in a couple things you write. You have had the laptop for 2-3 years. If it is closer to 3 you are actually within the range of normal laptop lifespan. The median point I am going to say is more like 4 years. The warranty is one year on almost all consumer grade laptops from any manufacturer. Secondly you say the laptop was prone to overheating and random shutdowns. Did you do anything to troubleshoot that issue when it was happening? Likely a cleaning of the heatsink would have extended the life of the laptop. It is kind of like continuing to drive a car when the check engine light comes on and then blame the manufacturer when the engine burns out. Since you are an electronics technician, replacement of the motherboard is a doable thing and I would think you could find a compatible motherboard online for around $100 give or take. If you need more help with that, let us know. You probably are not interested since you have already replaced the laptop. I work on laptops a fair amount and HPs are no more prone to just working one day and not working the next than any other brand but I do agree that AMD models are more prone to troubles, but they are cheaper going in. You get what you pay for. Keep an eye on that new laptop and if it starts to act up, contact the Help Desk for that manufacturer to get some help before it burns up on you. 

[ric619]

I had the laptop for 2 years. I have also got a desktop pc that ive had for 8 years and a acer laptop for 5 years, all still working fine. I also had a macbook for 3 years, no problems, so i disagree with 3 years being the normal lifespan of a laptop or motherboard. I accept that hard drives go down, fans break, but ive never experienced nor heard of a motherboard problem.

Secondly, and i find this VERY interesting.

A colleague came into work last week asking to plug a monitor into his HP laptop, he said he thinks the screen may not be working because his laptop boots up but the screen doesnt do anything. So i had a look for myself and what do you know, the exact same problem i was experiencing. You couldnt make this up. I told him to have  it checked by a few different experts first and see what they say but its likely that its the same issue as what i had considering both are HP G62 laptops and both show the same problem. So is it purely coincidence that i and another person i know experience the same fault in similar laptops, among many other people on the internet? Or is it more likely that there is a manufacturing issue here?

[dust_ED]

I had the same problem with my HP G-62 laptop. Here is the FIX for it:

1. Temporary: Re-boiling (A silver strip and balls at the bottom of ATI chip is replaced). Cost you around 1800 Rs. After this you can use your laptop smoothly for 6months to 1 year, after that again you have to go for same process.

2. Permanent: Replacement of motherboard. Cost you around 7-8k, laptop will work smoothly for next 2-3 years on average or above average usage.

Reason:  ATI and Nvidia chips are prone to this problem as far as laptops are concerned. Go for a laptop with intel HD (u can play high graphic games in them) or go for a non graphic laptop (laptops with graphic cards are not a sucess at the moment).

Suggesion: Dont go to HP service center for this, because they have only one solution for every problem -- Replace the parts, without understanding the real problem and the parts will cost around 2-3 times of the original price.

A word to HP:  At present u are the worst brand available in the market, motherboard of AMD, processor of intel, hardisk of WD, RAM of samsung/AdData, screen of Samsung, even the fan of some other brand and u call yourself OEM's

Overheating: The rest 1% parts that HP really manufacture are cheap and of low quality, what can u expect with a manufacturing unit in china, where there is an alternate cheap and low quality alternative for every technology. And so called No.1 company HP implementing it shamelessly.

OTHER POSSIBILITIES: 1. Could be RAM issue (Try to use laptop on one RAM, removing each one alternatively).

2. Problem with Screen inverter (Use an external monitor -- If it gives display, there is no motherboard issue then).

3. Problem with screen backlight (Use an external monitor -- If it gives display, there is no motherboard issue then).

[Huffer]

dust_ED you raise some interesting points and are correct about some things, but are off the mark on many others. All laptops are made in China. The same assembly lines that makes HPs one day makes another brand the next day. There is no laptop manufacturer that makes all the parts, or even a significant percent of the parts. All have AMD or Intel processors, WD or other hard drives, etc. The components are sourced from all over and assembled to order based on designs from the manufacturer. HP is not the worst brand in the market by any objective measure of customer satisfaction, repairs, etc. I would be interested in seeing some statistics or where you come to this conclusion.  Everything you say about HP is true of all the other brands. In fact, there is enormous convergence in laptops and when you get inside it is almost impossible to tell a Dell from an HP. Ultrabooks in particular are all virtually the same inside.

[dust_ED]

@huffer To clear out few things:

1. Exactly every laptop company has its manufacturing unit in China and I don't have an issue with that but ya I have issues with the way HP laptops launched in last 2-3 years overheats abnormally (Proof: u can google it). Overheating reduces the life of motherboard and battery.

2. Yes all laptop manufacturer assemble parts but when you go to a HP service center for servicing or replacement of parts they cost you just double of cost available in market for the same part, the reason they give is that "We are providing u the ORIGINAL HP parts" (how the hell in this world can they provide original parts when they are not even manufacturing one.).

This is called cheating the customers.

3. I agree they have more service centres all over India than any other brand but the people sitting over there just know one way to solve a problem and that is to replace the part, without observing the minuteness of a particular problem.

4. I agree HP is not the worst brand but if you analyse the laptops they launched in last 2-3 years and the reviews of the customers, Yes they are definietly on a course of becoming the worst brand some day.