IBM Thinkpad X31 - black screen, beeps when memory removed

[Zotaccian]

I'm pretty sure this is a GPU failure but I'll still ask:

I received this Thinkpad X31 laptop which powers on but does not display anything, not even on external screen. If I remove ram it will give error beeps. I tried to test the 512MB PC2100 stick it had on my working HP Compaq NX6110 but with that stick it does not boot. I also tried PC2700 stick from that NX6110 on Thinkpad, no change. It might be that NX6110 simply needs PC2700.

I have tried powering on and off the Thinkpad several times, the keyboard light (on display there is a lamp) keyboard shortcut works and once when I tried to enable external display the machine did shut down.

Sounds like GPU fault? This machine has Radeon 7000 I believe and unless this machine has been tinkered before me it has almost nonexistent cooling, however based on my Googling it seems like it was designed this way.

[Dekks]

The X31 takes PC2100 or PC2700 128MB/256MB/512MB/1GB DDR SDRAM SO-DIMM memory according to the HMM.

Have you read the HMM for the X31? it's available here on this forum in the header panel under search.

You could check the LCD connector isn't loose. Bad or incompatible RAM can leave a blank screen, have you tried all comb's of slot and RAM stick that you have.

[rkawakami]

Welcome to thinkpads.com!

When faced with a system that does not power/boot correctly, and you have a copy of the Hardware Maintenance Manual (HMM) for reference, try the following steps (you've done some of it already):

- Inspect the USB ports to see if there's any signs of breakage or pins shorting together. Sometimes this can cause the system not to power up or boot.
- Remove all easily removable hardware. For the X31, this means undocking from the Ultrabase (if you have one), remove the hard drive, all memory, the MiniPCI card (under the keyboard), the communication daughter card (Bluetooth/modem; also under the keyboard), any PCMCIA card. Since you can now easily get at it, re-seat the LCD connector on the motherboard.
- Power up the system. It should beep 1-3-3-1. This beep code indicates bad or missing memory. It also lets you know that the motherboard is mostly working. You've already removed the memory and should have received this specific beep code but if any of the other hardware pieces are defective, those should be removed before continuing with this system diagnosis. If you got a different beep code than this, you can check the HMM for guidance.
- Install ONE memory module that you know is good. This can be a problem if you don't have another system that takes the same memory. The X31 originally shipped with PC2100 but can use PC2700. Your HP NX6110 appears to need PC2700 which might explain why your PC2100 module did not work there. For your situation, I would leave the PC2700 module from your HP in the X31 since you know it works. The PC2100 module from the X31 might still have a problem that will allow the system to power up, without any error code, but still not fully boot. In other words, I would still suspect that module as possibly bad until it can be proven otherwise. It's probably a small chance as the PC2700 module in the X31 acts the same, but then again, you didn't remove all of the hardware outlined above.
- If your one, known good, module doesn't boot (you still get the 1-3-3-1 beep code), move the module to the other slot and try booting again. It sometimes happens that one of the memory slots will have a bad connection. If the system still does not boot after checking both memory slots, then the most likely cause is that there's something defective on the motherboard. Could be BOTH slots are bad, a GPU failure (as you suspect) or anything else.
- Assuming that the system does boot and you see the normal IBM "splash" screen, then whatever you have removed from the system is causing the problem. Re-install ONE item at a time, booting the system to see if the problem returns. If it does, then the last part you put back into the system is bad.

Also, please confirm that you attempted to enable the external display using the Fn+F7 key combination. And if you did that, and the system immediately shut off, then that could be an indication of a bad motherboard/GPU.

ref: http://h20564.www2.hp.com/hpsc/doc/publ ... -c01558406

[Zotaccian]

Removed WiFi card and that second card, bluetooth + modem apparently. Installed known good ram from that Compaq NX6110 but no difference. I attempted powering up and down several times, once it shut off with single beep (after pressing power button down, just before the machine shut off). Small difference, but that happened only once during those attempts. GPU, chipset and CPU all get warm. First I thought that the display/keyboard light (in the upper part of the display) works always when there is power but apparentöy not, it will not turn on if ram is not installed.

Both USB ports look fine and I can easily install devices to them. The machine does not give power to USB mouse when powering on.

[Dekks]

So just to confirm your getting no beeps on start up? Not even the 1-3-3-1 with no memory installed?

[Zotaccian]

Without RAM I do get beeps which as far as I know are correct for the situation, no ram installed:

Here is the machine, unfortunately the mic on my phone is not very sensitive:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vwx-so ... e=youtu.be

The machine came without hard disk so it's not installed.

[Dekks]

I heard 3-3-1 which according to the HMM is RAM then system board. Sadly doesn't clarify anything for us. Looking at the HMM the 512MB stick could be PC2100 or PC2700 depending on model. Whats the FRU [IBM Part Number] of the RAM stick? Also what;s the model number? Its a code format XXXX-YYY next to S/N.

[Zotaccian]

My phone mic doesn't catch the first beep quite well, so it's the ram / mb error beep. I'll check the info later, but the PC2700 stick I tried is known to be working since it works ok in my NX6110 while the PC2100 from this Thinkpad doesn't so I have no info if it it's ok, however as stated it might simply be because NX6110 needs PC2700 that it doesn't post with that PC2100.

I might just go and try applying some heat to the Radeon, I do own temperature adjustable heatgun. At first I will not try to actually resolder, just to see if heating gets it to post atleast once. In this model the CPU is also soldered in, I don't know how hot Radeon 7000 runs but could the possible solder failure be with the CPU in this case?

http://s1.postimg.org/6mrmg7jvz/IMG_20150407_122342.jpg <-- 455KB 1280x720

Admin edit: Changed huge inline image to link. Please note that the forum rules state that images should be ~50KB.

[Dekks]

I'm not aware of any reported issues with the Radeon chipset, but the T30 primarily and x30.31.32 can have issues with bad soldering on the RAM sockets hence why i'm focusing on the RAM firstly.

http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Problem_w ... emory_slot

[Zotaccian]

OKay, thanks for the info. I do have sharp soldering iron and microscope as well, never even tried to fix memory slot before thoughh. Then again this machine was free and doesn't work so worst that could happen is that the machine still doesn't work after repair attempt.

[Dekks]

Try the temp fix packing the RAM access to test if its the trouble.

[Zotaccian]

I have tried clamping the memory slots but no change. Only things are that the light on the upper side of the display reacts to key combination and sometimes there is on beep just as the machine powers off when I press the power button for couple seconds, that beep is not heard always.

EDIT: Okay I removed one card in the front of the computer which contained firewire and apparently something critical since the computer now made 4 beeps even when ram is installed. I am suspecting that this card contains security chip?

[rkawakami]

Security chip should be on the motherboard, not on the Firewire card (Sub card assembly in the HMM).

Your description of the beep code is "4 beeps". The Security chip error code is 4 cycles of 4 short beeps (i.e, 16 total). I had an X60 with this beep code several years ago: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=90116 Basically I had to plug in a totally different memory module then what was installed in it already. That got the X60 booting again. Putting the original memory back in worked again. I chalked it up to a scrambled BIOS (I re-loaded it with defaults once the system booted). You might try taking all memory out and disconnecting the CMOS battery for a couple of minutes.

[Zotaccian]

Well it does repeat that 4 beep cycle 4 times. The chip also reads Atmel which I googled to be the manufacturer of atleast some security chips in Thinkpads.
I currently don't have the cmos batter installed at all. I have tried both the original RAM and the known working one (PC2700).

EDIT: Pic of that card:

http://s14.postimg.org/3tcak6d2p/IMG_20 ... 231141.jpg

Admin edit: Please keep images to ~50KB and maximum 800x600 pixels.

[rkawakami]

Well that does seem to be the TPM chip (Atmel AT97SC3201). I thought it was mounted on the motherboard .

4 cycles of 4 beeps does refer to the security chip. It must be installed for the system to boot. Don't know what else you could try other than installing a known good CMOS battery and using a totally different, known good memory module than what's been tried already. It's looking like there's a major problem with the motherboard. It could be BIOS-related or some other problem. I'm out of suggestions for the time being.

[dr_st]

Unfortunately, it seems that these bizarre motherboard failures, with strange/inconsistent beep symptoms, and no obvious point of failure, are not uncommon on X31/X32 units. Had one such "patient" myself. Run a search on the forum and you will find quite a few documented cases.

Short of replacing the board the only solution that was confirmed to work in some cases is replacing some of the power circuitry capacitors, as was mentioned here:
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=94160

But it doesn't necessarily mean this is the only possible cause/solution.

[Zotaccian]

Update to this:

I kinda forgot this whole laptop for a while but then decided that whatever the problem is it's not worth trying to fix it. I put it for sale as parts and apparently someone was confident that he could fix it and paid good price for it. I searched for previous ads for this spesific machine and found out that one perfectly functioning was sold at very cheap price so I don't think it is worth putting money to this, since it is missing it's own hard drive and charger in addition of not functioning.