Well, unfortunately, it looks like they're right about having to replace the motherboard. I looked up what I could find on that laptop (too much free time; my job usually consists of 15 minutes a day helping people with the sort of tech support problems you usually find on computer humor sites and the rest of the day sitting at my own computer), and the problem is that they used poor quality ceramic capacitors on the motherboard, either to save money or perhaps they just unknowingly got a bad batch. Either way, cheap capacitors tend to develop microscopic cracks over time or under stress, and cracked capacitors can generate extreme heat. Hence, your problem.
In theory, it would be possible to replace the capacitors, but speaking as someone who's attempted circuit board repairs before, it's more practical to just replace the motherboard.
$800 is ridiculous, though, especially considering that this is definitely a manufacturing defect in the laptop, not normal wear. I see no reason why they shouldn't be taking full responsibility for fixing that.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2007-11-09 07:01 pm (UTC)In theory, it would be possible to replace the capacitors, but speaking as someone who's attempted circuit board repairs before, it's more practical to just replace the motherboard.
$800 is ridiculous, though, especially considering that this is definitely a manufacturing defect in the laptop, not normal wear. I see no reason why they shouldn't be taking full responsibility for fixing that.