Help - Acer Aspire 5742G - Does anyone know what this cover is on the GPU?

JackE

Any clues or idea to which new Acer models use those sealed tube ducts? So we can avoid them…

Some recent Predator & Nitro series seem to have them. Secondary heat sinks seem to be directly attached to fan housing exhausts like the top and bottom views of the module shown below. More effective than air-only. But seem more fragile, complex & expensive too.

Skybluesky

Yes, it really seems complex and fragile. Too many parts to break? I don´t know why, but I see many machines that the more functions and little parts they have, the more it seems like easy to break/fail and a nightmare to fix.

I really see some complaints on Nitro and Predator series, not sure it´s about that.

Just recently I was thinking which Acer would be best for what I need and which has more complaints/problems and somehow those two just came to my mind first, about recent bugs/fails. But so many people have them now, they are fairly recent, and they are pushed through so much (hours of continuous gaming) that maybe that´s normal.

It will be interesting to see which computers will survive better and longer. Though it depends a lot on how they are (mis)treated and used. 😁

AnhEZ28

@Skybluesky

Heatsinks are mostly made of copper and aluminum. There is no plastic since it might melt under high temperatures. The heatsink for nowadays laptop has copper contact instead of aluminum for higher efficiency of heat transferring. The fins are made of aluminum. The heat pipe must be made of copper because it is more durable than aluminum.

Inside the heat pipe has coolant liquid that can evaporate and condensate easily. This will do an excellent job of heat transferring from the hot to the cold area. The chance of the liquid leaking out is absolutely small if you don't poke or damage the pipe.

Skybluesky

Good explanation.

So those recent computers that have some trouble with heatsinks leaking, didn´t have any wear for other reasons than poke or damaged pipes? 🤨

JackE

Yeah, the heatsinks can't leak. But the pipes connected to the heatsinks can. 🙂

AnhEZ28

@Skybluesky

The pipes are very durable, so there is no way that the heat pipes leak out the coolant unless suffering from physical damage.

Skybluesky

Ok, thank you for the info. :)

You have a nice day too!

AnhEZ28

@Skybluesky

No problem.

Skybluesky

Hello again,

I finally got the power button and installed it. Checked all the thermal pads and paste before assembling all back again. I think I didn´t forget anything.

Now, it does turn on for a brief seconds and then shuts down suddenly, where you see the options of entering the BIOS, before windows. I could hear the fan working as usual, so I don´t think it´s that.

Anyone has any ideas as to what could be the reason it starts and then shuts down?

But at least now it connects… :(

Note: should I start a new thread? It´s the following of the subject we were actually discussing.

JackE

12/11 Anyone has any ideas as to what could be the reason it starts and then shuts down? But at least now it connects… :(

11/06 This time it didn´t even connect then shut down again.

The above comment you made last month —- "shut down again" —- suggested that you're now back to almost where you started this thread after experiencing many blue screen episodes. Accordingly, my best guess is that the GPU has finally failed with an internal short from repeatedly being overheated based on your very first opening comments in this thread.

New mainboards for this model seem to be available for less than $50usd from Aliexpress if you're willing to wait about 4 weeks for delivery should their stateside warehouses not have them in stock.

Skybluesky

… I think I´ll give up on this one. :(

Anyway, thank you very much for replying.

JackE

OK. Good luck with whatever you decide to replace it with.🙂

Skybluesky

Ok, thank you. Haven´t decided yet which one will be.

Just one thing (sorry to bother, I was thinking of this) : could it be the RAM giving the blue screens? They started when I tried to open photos with windows photo app and then bluescreens would appear by other random things I would do.

Also, I read somewhere that this laptop should have an Intel graphic chip. In case the radeon failed, shouldn´t it still run on the Intel chip?

My sister had this same problem with a Lenovo from 2017: the graphic card was dead but it would still run on the Intel one and she could turn it on.

And plugged directly to the wall it may go into windows repair but then shuts down again, before repairing.

Again thank you for your time. Good luck on the forum. 🙂

Skybluesky

Ok, sorry, I was wondering about this so I checked it just to be sure: maybe it´s the memory (RAM).

• I took out the hard disk and ram modules. Turn it on and it stayed on for minutes, I had to turn it off by pressing down the power button for long.
• Added the HDD, and turned on again - stayed on for long. I had to turn it off.
• Added one ram module, tried again - it tried to enter Windows but it went down again.
• Added the other ram, and it shut down again, without entering windows.
• Then, tried changing the order of the rams and also tried with the second ram alone - the pc always shuts down without entering windows or without repairing.

I think there´s a strong chance it´s something to do with the ram modules. Just not sure why both failed or if it´s common that both fail.

JackE

Very good. Anything's possible. The problem is that when Windows tries to start, it likely also tries to load the discrete GPU driver. That may be where things go haywire.

So if you haven't tried it already, you might try to boot from a Windows installation stick by tapping F12 key on startup. If it won't boot, try to enter the BIOS by tapping the F2 key so you can turn on the F12 USB boot option in the BIOS Main tab. If it doesn't detect the discrete GPU, it may load the troubleshooting tools from the stick on the integrated GPU. Then we can try to go from there.

Skybluesky

After testing the RAMs, one by one, and changing the order in which they where placed. I decided to test the old HDD and see if I could install windows thinking this would help me find if it´s corrupted software (drivers or similar) or hardware.

So I changed the hdd and nothing - the blue light indicating it recognized the hard drive lit up but this time, nothing came on screen, just all black. The laptop remained connected the whole time and I had to turn down by pressing power button for long.

I placed the RAM modules back again in the original order and checked if they were correctly placed - I think so. Changed to the new and actual HDD, still got a black screen but remained connected and no sudden shut down.

I´m no expert but maybe the RAM went definitely wrong somehow? And could that make the black screen? And it´s ram modules or some related circuit on the motherboard?

Now, the HDD blue light turns on with both hard drives, but no image on screen.

• BTW, when I tested removing memory and HDD, it recognized the keyboard (I used F2 key to enter). But when I tried to boot from a DVD with Windows ISO, it did not recognize the mouse (USB and wireless), nor the other identical mouse I tested. So I had keyboard but no wireless mouse. Now, I don´t know, since it´s all a black screen.

Just a few info I might have forgotten in the beginning (sorry, just in case it helps):

this started with several blue screens and restarts. It started appearing something about windows "stop code" and "video TDR failure" and "atikmpag.sys". Then later I got other blue screens about another .sys file, I think it was memory related, not sure. These blue screens can be too fast to catch all that´s written there before it restarts.

After this, it started having the problem that led me here: starting and shuting down, a few seconds later. Initially I had a black screen. I connected the Laptop to a TV and restarted it. It eventually made a successful repair of Windows (from so many shut downs). At least the screen started having an image, which I though was some progress.

After this, I opened it to try to see if it was some hardware problem and changing thermal paste and pads led me here asking about the "plastic" cover.

This blue screens made me think it could simply be corrupted start files. The reason why I tried to install Windows but it shut down after leaving BIOS and trying to read the DVD.

It´s many details. I never know what is important and what´s going to help someone have a clue of what could be.

Note: No machine lasts forever but I think this motherboard, if it´s the problem, was quite good because it held for long. Several things were replaced on this laptop but I think this motherboard could be the last hardware to fail.

JackE

But when I tried to boot from a DVD with Windows ISO, it did not
recognize the mouse (USB and wireless), nor the other identical mouse I
tested. So I had keyboard but no wireless mouse. Now, I don´t know,
since it´s all a black screen.

Hold on!!! How do you know the mice weren't recognized by the iso installation if as you claim "it's all a black screen"?

Skybluesky

I´m really sorry - it´s a long post and I should have placed it in chronological order. I should have explained better:

I tested the mice, sometime after testing the memory modules and they didn´t work.

Detailed: some time after, I tried to enter the Bios and check the boot order (I was wondering if I could reinstall Windows from that computer). Then tried to enter Windows after leaving the Bios and see if it would repair (I tried the DVD at this point it shut down as usual). I checked the mouse at this point and then tested another one after it shut down - they weren´t recognized, no pointer, nothing.

Only an hour later or so (after failing to reinstall Windows to another spare USB connected external HDD), I tried installing Windows ISO with a DVD on this spare drive installed on the laptop, thinking it could be the files on the current drive.

Detailed: First tried changing the drive with the spare one (they are identical) and got the black screen. Then put back again the current drive and it gave me a black screen. 🤬

Sometime today, I also tried several sockets. I also connected it to the wall socket directly - sometimes it tried to enter repair but they all gave me the same result: I got a shut down after a few seconds.

I have no other adapter to test but have no reason to think it´s that.

JackE

If you can enter and see the BIOS menu, at least the integrated GPU is still OK. Don't worry mouse pointer right now.

Please post a phone photo of the BIOS Main page if possible.

Skybluesky

I will try. This may take some time, today is a busy day. Maybe connect to another screen and see anything besides a black screen now. I may have to check the order of the ram modules - this may be a reason I could enter BIOS before? They are now at the original order.

Before shuting down (I hear a distinct shut down sound, no beep) I can sometimes see the page where you get the warning of the keys to enter BIOS (F2, F12).

By 16h-17h GMT time I will surely have that photo here, if I enter BIOS.

Thank you.