Fried Laptop video card (suspected) -- fixable/replaceable? useful/fun ideas for stripped components?

[Fraggle]

Background: So an older Compaq Presario notebook started having display problems a long time back. It got sent in and Compaq techies told us that they'd replace the whole mobo for $600. I suspect the problem was something got scrambled (by heat build up?) in the video card and everything else should be ok. I realize the laptop's stuff is all gonna be integrated on the motherboard and that's why they wanted to just replace that whole thing.

The Question: Can I, without any particular computer/electrical engineering skills, have a chance of fixing or replacing the integrated video card of a laptop? I'll prolly give it a shot cause there's little to lose, but I doubt it is feasible. This is a 600 MHz P3 system with a DVD drive so I could at least use it as a travel DVD player, etc.

So is there anything useful or cool that can I do with the working components? The most obvious thing is to use the hard drive in a 2.5" external enclosure but it's only a 6 GB drive. I can also transplant the RAM but it's older SODIMM and I don't have anything else that takes it.

Coolest would be if I could use the 15" LCD screen for another purpose, but I haven't cracked the lappy open to see what kind of connectors there are. Any thoughts or suggestions on that? I'd use the thing as a second monitor but the VGA input (not sure if it has one at all) goes through the video card and prolly won't work.

Thanks for any help! Don't hold back any suggestions even if they seem frivolous, cause this thing is just a hunk of junk in my garage right now.

 

[Looney]

You would need a controller if you wanted to use the LCD screen.. and the controller itself costs $3-400. I would just buy a new LCD screen.

As for replacing the VGA card... even if you had vast knowledge with electrical skills, you still probably wouldn't be able to do it.

 

[LiLithTecH]

Did you try searching eBay for a Used replacement motherboard?
They can be had for $20-$50 depending the model.

 

[Fraggle]

Thanks for the Responses, guys.

LiLithTech: I think I did look around for matching components, but it was over year ago and I can't remember how hard I looked, where I looked, whether I checked Ebay for a used part, etc. I will try your suggestion after looking up the model # and parts. Thanks much.

 

[jagilbertvt]

ebay is definately the place to look for fairly cheap laptop component parts. I wouldnt bother trying to replace/repair the video adapter, it's' far easier to replace the entire motherboard.

 

[boshuter]

You didn't say what kind of display problem it had. It may not be the video "card". I'd try plugging in an external monitor, if it works then it isn't the video. If the display just went black it could be something as simple as a video inverter.

 

[Fraggle]

boshuter-

Good point. There were artifacts in the form of jagged & blocky distortions, sometimes in large chunks, others places in "tetris-like" pieces. Sometimes it will boot up normally but immediately these problems occur as I open the first program or the video card (I assume) tries to draw anything over the background. Sometimes the artifacts are black/blank and sometimes they're just the remnants of the window I had open before minimizing or closing the program.

Honestly, it's been about a year since I last messed with this machine (and I'm out of town so I can't recheck anything right away) so my memory of the symptoms may be a little off. I cannot remember if I tried hooking it up to an external display, though I'd be surprised if I didn't at least give that a shot. I'll try that out once I'm back "in Kansas anymore." Thanks for the ideas (& keep em coming)!

Frag

 

[slyedog]

dont know about the compaq. but DEll makes a docking station that you can add a video card or any pci
card to.might check that out