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W520 Motherboard Replacement Advice Required

W500/W510/W520 and W700/W701 Series
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Renz
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W520 Motherboard Replacement Advice Required

#1 Post by Renz » Fri Nov 10, 2017 8:02 pm

Hi there

I apparently have to change my motherboard on my W520 following to a flickering issue on the Intel graphic circuit.

I have found those on Aliexpress https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?ca ... otherboard

Would any of those be suitable?

Cheers

Thinkpad4by3
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Re: W520 Motherboard Replacement Advice Required

#2 Post by Thinkpad4by3 » Fri Nov 10, 2017 9:51 pm

1) replacement mobos should be conducted on this forum or eBay ONLY.

2) check the FRU or PN on your mobo. Then get that exact mobo on eBay.
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The efficiency of two screens equally sized with equal numbers if pixels are equal. The time spent by a 4:3 user complaining about 16:9 is proportional to the inefficiency working with a 16:9 display, therefore the amount of useful work extracted is equal.

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Re: W520 Motherboard Replacement Advice Required

#3 Post by RealBlackStuff » Sat Nov 11, 2017 5:57 am

It may not be a motherboard fault.
Intel graphics are part of the CPU, have you tried another one?
Lovely day for a Guinness! (The Real Black Stuff)
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Renz
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Re: W520 Motherboard Replacement Advice Required

#4 Post by Renz » Sat Nov 11, 2017 7:54 pm

Part of the CPU??

So, do I have to just replace the CPU?

Thinkpad4by3
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Re: W520 Motherboard Replacement Advice Required

#5 Post by Thinkpad4by3 » Sat Nov 11, 2017 8:04 pm

Yes.
Thinkpad4by3's Law of the Universe.

The efficiency of two screens equally sized with equal numbers if pixels are equal. The time spent by a 4:3 user complaining about 16:9 is proportional to the inefficiency working with a 16:9 display, therefore the amount of useful work extracted is equal.

Renz
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Re: W520 Motherboard Replacement Advice Required

#6 Post by Renz » Tue Nov 14, 2017 1:06 am

Thanks for this information.

So could you give point us in a direction where we could find some technical information from manufacturer we can refer to please?

Also if you have some extended info on the part you think we should be replacing that would be cool

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Re: W520 Motherboard Replacement Advice Required

#7 Post by RealBlackStuff » Tue Nov 14, 2017 5:58 am

Google your CPU (e.g. i7-2720QM) and read specs from Intel.
Get the T520/W520 HMM to find the CPU's FRU.
Also give us the W520 TYPE xxxx-yyy from the sticker on the bottom (without the S/N).

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Re: W520 Motherboard Replacement Advice Required

#8 Post by Thinkpad4by3 » Tue Nov 14, 2017 6:51 am

Except if your model number reads xxxx-CTO. Then we can't help you using the model number.
Thinkpad4by3's Law of the Universe.

The efficiency of two screens equally sized with equal numbers if pixels are equal. The time spent by a 4:3 user complaining about 16:9 is proportional to the inefficiency working with a 16:9 display, therefore the amount of useful work extracted is equal.

Renz
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Re: W520 Motherboard Replacement Advice Required

#9 Post by Renz » Tue May 01, 2018 7:57 pm

Hi there,

I know it took a while but I have handed the machine for repair at a local shop to address the issue (scroll up for info).

They have fixed the flickering on the Intel card by replacing some parts and kept the original MB in there, was invoiced $200 AUD.

When I picked it up, I was informed that there was an issue with the drivers of the Nivida graphic card and I was not going to be able to benefits from it's full computing capacity and they recommended that I would change the whole motherboard, involving an extra $500 AUD on top.

I said not to worry about the MB and that I was happy to keep working regardless the driver issue on the Nividia chipset until it would be required.

Once the machine was tested at my workshop, I realised that in fact, the Nvidia card would no send any signal to the external monitor, no matter what.

I told them that I did not understand why I give them a machine to fix and they give it back with something else broken in it.

Having a dispute with management at the moment, they are trying to explain something that I fail to understand.

Any thoughts welcome on that.

Now, moving forward, I'm going to the shop now and smash a brick in the window

.. I'm joking...!

Going to pickup the machine and will attempt to replace the motherboard myself.

I cannot find the S/N of the machine, the only information I have found is the following
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1qgE7L ... dmeSP13n8S
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1nTuNd ... QqqWvbAhzG

Product detection failed via service bridge.

Thank you for your time.

(BTW I have just donated via PayPal link $10 USD to support the forum)
Last edited by Renz on Tue May 01, 2018 10:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.

bit_twiddler
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Re: W520 Motherboard Replacement Advice Required

#10 Post by bit_twiddler » Tue May 01, 2018 9:40 pm

You might be better off just buying a used unit from someone on this forum or e-bay.
I'd go with one with a late-model motherboard, which you can determine from the CPU type.
A 2760QM or 2860QM are both indicators of late-model W520s.

You should be able to get a good unit for < $500(US) - I have three excellent ones that I got for less than
$300(US.) There are some other differentiating characteristics, such as Nvidia GPU type which
might raise the price. I'd recommend making sure that the seller is knowlegdeable about the unit,
has sold a lot of computers or has been on this forum for a while, has a decent return policy,
and can provide such information as:

machine type model
windows COA (if any)
screen resolution (in case any were not sold as 1080P)
GPU type
whether or not the BIOS is locked - you don't want one which is locked.

Be sure to get one of the quad cores, because if they were sold as dual-cores, they probably
would only take 2 dimm slots.

Other than that, I don't know what you have to do to get it shipped to down under, but you
wouldn't have moved or been born there if you couldn't deal with that.

P.S., make sure that the unit has not been infected with Computrace.
Daily Drivers: W520 i7-2760QM | W520 i7-2860QM | T420 FHD IPS i7-2640m | W701
Others: W510 | 701C (on its shrine)
Non-TP: Dell m7510
Currently Experimenting With: T420s

Renz
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Re: W520 Motherboard Replacement Advice Required

#11 Post by Renz » Wed May 02, 2018 12:05 am

I'm sorry, I do not like your option at all.

I do understand that our society has a big problem with e-waste. Please, kindly go and document yourself about this.

I am a good citizen and endeavour to keep my machines in a fully functional order, the longest time possible.

Plus, I know this machine, not taking the risk to have different issues with a different machine, do you understand.

Cost of a MB is $150 USD, one hour to do the job.

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Re: W520 Motherboard Replacement (Consolidated)

#12 Post by bit_twiddler » Wed May 02, 2018 5:55 am

There used to be a per machine parts lookup page on the Lenovo web site, but I think it's gone now.
Someone may have downloaded it somehow. If you look in the hardware maintenance manual,
which you should be able to find on their site, the FRU parts numbers for about a dozen or
so W520 motherboards are listed. I would get one without AMT or TPM if possible.

The maintenance manual is shared between the T520 and the W520, so motherboard
parts for both models are listed.

Replacing the motherboard sounds like a major deal if you haven't done it before.
I have not done it on one of these, so can offer no advice on that. But, if you go that way,
you should take the time to correct a minor flaw which can cause your
speaker output to fail.

A youtube video is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS5EBNhOgCc

You'll probably also want to clean off any heat sink compound and replace with
a good aftermarket one, like Arctic Cooling MX-2. I have used this paste and it performs well.
It is non-conductive, which makes it easy to work with. You might also need
to install new thermal pads. I don't know if the W520 has them. I have a W510 that
I took apart and the original thermal pads had deteriorated due to heat.

If you live in a dry or cold climate, you should be careful to ground yourself with
a grounded wrist strap or other arrangement to prevent a static electrical discharge.
You're most likely to run into this problem during winter time, because air can carry less moisture
than during the summer, although in some climates it can be a problem all year.

Another tip that I have to offer is to be careful how you handle the motherboard,
because it has an accelerometer on it which is very delicate and even dropping
it on a table can kill it.

Good luck with your project!
Daily Drivers: W520 i7-2760QM | W520 i7-2860QM | T420 FHD IPS i7-2640m | W701
Others: W510 | 701C (on its shrine)
Non-TP: Dell m7510
Currently Experimenting With: T420s

RealBlackStuff
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Re: W520 Motherboard Replacement Advice Required

#13 Post by RealBlackStuff » Wed May 02, 2018 6:32 am

FYI: the MTM-info is usually on a sticker on the bottom of the laptop.
For many years now it has been 'hidden' under the battery, so it wouldn't come off easily.
Even with an LCD-flicker, you should also still be able to go into BIOS and check the MTM there.
Looks like: Machine Type and Model 4282A78

bit_twiddler
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Re: W520 Motherboard Replacement Advice Required

#14 Post by bit_twiddler » Wed May 02, 2018 12:57 pm

If I understand your situation correctly, your machine works properly with Intel graphics.
If you are running Windows, you might consider downloading Belarc Advisor and
printing out everything that it finds about your machine. It might be useful after
you replace the MB.
Daily Drivers: W520 i7-2760QM | W520 i7-2860QM | T420 FHD IPS i7-2640m | W701
Others: W510 | 701C (on its shrine)
Non-TP: Dell m7510
Currently Experimenting With: T420s

axur-delmeria
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Re: W520 Motherboard Replacement Advice Required

#15 Post by axur-delmeria » Thu May 03, 2018 2:12 am

IMO one good thing about buying a second machine is that you'll gain a source of spare parts close at hand. :D
Planned Purchase: T480s i5-8350 FHD Touch
Impulse Buy: Thinkpad not named for safety reasons :lol:
RIP: X220 4291-C91 X61 7676-A24 760XD-U9E :cry:

Renz
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Re: W520 Motherboard Replacement Advice Required

#16 Post by Renz » Mon May 07, 2018 7:48 pm

I have been pulling computers appart and building them since 1994. I know which way you hold a screw driver. You grab the handle and use the metal tip, they come in different shapes such as philips head, flat or sometimes torx or allen but that's rate. Usually, to unscrew it's counter clockwise, in a right hand thread situation, is that correct?

Here is a step by step sequence for MB replacement https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp8WhXW3YW0

I have posted some images of the labels further up the post, please look and tell me if they are the ones. To me it seems like it is not there anymore.

I can open it and look at the serial number of the MB today. It's got to be written somewhere.

I will keep this thread active.

Renz
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Re: W520 Motherboard Replacement Advice Required

#17 Post by Renz » Tue May 08, 2018 2:17 am

Gentlemen,

I had some time today to pull the machine appart and I have done a few interesting findings.

See pics: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ExQvHspcK5mswyWp1

Observations below

Pics 1 and 2: That white wire was not connected to anything
Pics 5 and 6: The connector to the speakers was found glued on. It snapped off pretty much once I looked at it.

Pic 9 : It seems like we have finally found the references we were looking for. They were just behind the little plate that you remove from the back. No need to trip the whole thing out. And that was my favourite finding of the day.

According to my calculations, this is therefore the model I need, please correct me if I'm wrong
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/LKN-3-W ... autifyAB=0

I left the last moves for once I receive the MB.

Parts were tucked away in one of my work tubs.

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Re: W520 Motherboard Replacement Advice Required

#18 Post by TankPad » Tue May 08, 2018 8:04 am

Wow, that was GLUED on? It looks like the solder traces have been torn from the board too.

Those wires that aren't connected are for a WWAN card. They really should be insulated if not in use though.
| 701c | X220 | T420 | X230 | T430s | W540

jcvjcvjcvjcv
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Re: W520 Motherboard Replacement Advice Required

#19 Post by jcvjcvjcvjcv » Wed May 09, 2018 8:31 pm

Lots of W520's have three WLAN antenna's but have card installed that only take two. The connector of the 3rd antenna is then stored in that round area, usually with some tape on top. But someone really messed things up there...
W520
T61

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