T400 motherboard replacement advice needed?

[venkat]

i have a T400 2764cto model thinkpad bought 2 years back with following config

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor P8700 (2.53GHz)
Windows 7 Professional
14.1 WXGA TFT, w/ LED Backlight, Camera
ATI Mobility Radeon 3470 with 256MB
4GB DDR3
UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad) with Fingerprint Reader
Express Card Slot & 7-1 Media Card Reader
250 GB Hard Disk Drive 5400rpm
DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer, Ultrabay Slim (Serial ATA)
Integrated Bluetooth PAN
Intel Wifi Link 5300
9 cell Battery (replaced it in aug 2011)

Suddenly i lost the display (but works with external monitor) when sent to service center they say that motherboard got damaged and need to be replaced and also bluetooth.

NOTE: dont have any other problem other than above ones

SO

is it better to get the motherboard replaced? which they say costs about 500 USD (and 50 USD for bluetooth)

or

get a external monitor and use as a desktop

thanks for your thoughts
 

[richk]

That is too much money for a MB. The decision as to whether you can use as a desktop depends on what you need. I replaced an Intel board for somebody last week and charged him less than half of what they are asking. ATI boards are not much more. I don't know where you are, but you can buy a replacement machine with that configuration for about $425 in U.S. and you can get something for your sick one. I don't know if I hand an ATI board but I can check if you wish. Send me a pm.

[venkat]

thanks richk, i am from india and the SC ppl say that something got shorted in motherboard so need to replace it. As the charges were high i am in dual thoughts. If shell out a little more bucks i will get a new one with warranty, so unable to decide how to proceed

also can we use integrated in place of damaged one and what is the price difference?

[richk]

You can use integrated graphics. Only the fan is different. I know on T61, you can use the discrete graphics fan on Intel, but not the other way around. I can only talk about used parts, and I have found that the ATi boards tend to go for about $30 - $40 more. If something got shorted, that might be the fuse, which can be replaced, but not by the service center. The problem with it being a fuse is that unless something happened to short it, like disconnecting and re-connecting the LCD while it was running or a cracked cable, there was something wrong in the LCD that caused the short

[venkat]

Service center ppl say that bluetooth went bad and it shorted motherboard. but i can see external display working

[richk]

That might be a fuse, but I cannot imagine what would short out in the module. I would need to see. Sorry.