Motherboard Repair

Just like heart breathes life into the body, so does a motherboard into a computer or a laptop. The underlying circuit board of a computer, which contains the CPU, RAM, hard disk drives and optical drives is known as the motherboard (as the name suggests). A computer motherboard may also have a sound card or a video interface as a built in feature. Most important of all, it contains a BIOS chip to control the entire setup. Any loose connection in the internal circuit of the motherboard can lead to a system crash.

Computer Motherboard Repair

It is necessary to first identify and troubleshoot problems in the motherboard (in the desktop as well as laptop) before going in for repair. Identifying the root cause of the problem will make the task easier.

Warning Signs

• System fails to boot on start up.
• System hangs for no reason.
• The fans and the power light is on, but the system fails to boot.
• System shuts down abruptly while working.

There can be many reasons factoring the above signs and most of them often attribute to hardware failures. One of the common causes responsible for this condition is a capacitor leak, which can cause the motherboard to go faulty. Another reason is high temperature setting around the system, which could affect the life expectancy of capacitors in the motherboard.

Troubleshooting

• Check whether the fans and the lights on the motherboard are working or not. And do check if the system light is on or not. If there is no light, then you must first check the power supply connection to the motherboard.
• If the system light is on, but the screen is blank, it indicates that there is a problem with the video sector of the motherboard.
• While you check for the video, also check if the RAM (one of the important computer motherboard parts) has been positioned correctly or not. And if there is no problem with the RAM, check for the CPU, whether it has been inserted properly into its socket. At times, the CPU leads if not properly inserted can cause a faulty CPU, eventually leading to a faulty motherboard.
• If the CPU and RAM, both are fine, and still there is a dead screen staring back, check whether the fan and heat sink are working fine. The fan rotates when it gets appropriate power from the power point on motherboard and connects BIOS (Basic Input Output System) to the computer monitor. So if the BIOS is on, the heat sink and fan, both should be on. If the BIOS does not turn on, something ought to be wrong with the heat sink or the fan.
• In case, there is a string of beeps being heard when you switch on the desktop, it is an indication that RAM is not working and needs to be replaced.
• If the above symptoms are not found, and still the motherboard fails to function, replace the CPU.
• But there is another possibility. If you don't get a dead screen, and once your system is switched on, the BIOS screen pops up and freezes, a hardware check must be made. Disassemble the power supply, motherboard, video adapter and CPU and reassemble them back. If the computer still freezes, check for RAM connection.
• Another reason for a motherboard failure may be a heated up system due to overclocking. In such cases, the heat sink has to be replaced and default CMOS (Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) settings must be configured.

In case of a laptop motherboard repair, following are some speculations to be considered.

• If your screen gets dimmer and shuts down while in use, and if this happens a repeated number of times, check the machine with an external screen. If the external screen is working, the problem may be in the inverter board of your laptop.
• In case, the external video too does not work, then there is a problem with the video card, which is an integral part of the motherboard.
• If none of the cases are the causes, then do check for faulty external ports (like USB ports or headphone jacks). This can be checked for by plugging in different devices to see if the port is faulty or not.

In either laptop or desktop computer, if the motherboard turns out to be faulty for the above reasons, it immediately needs to be replaced. The cost depends on the make of the computer/laptop and the kind of problem faced. On an average, a cost of USD 150 - 300 could be incurred with an additional USD 200 for labor costs. Check for the above signs of a bad motherboard and remember, repair must be done by an authentic dealer only. The same applies for laptop motherboard repair too. Many a time, when any deviant behavior is observed, we mostly tend to doubt the working of the motherboard, which may not be always true. But a timely check on functioning of the motherboard is recommended, to keep the system sturdy and going.