G3 17 Gaming Laptop

Question

Hello, I'm sorry if this is the wrong board, Dell doesn't have a selection for the G-Series of laptops. If this is in the wrong area, can a mod please move it to the right one.

I got my G3 17 Gaming laptop 5 or 6 years ago. About 2 and a half years ago, I received a warring on the desktop stating that it no longer recognized the battery. My laptop quickly shut off after this warning. I tried to turn on, to a point where I damaged Windows.

I had thought the issue was the battery so, I got a brand-new battery. I was able to turn it on because the battery had some charge to it. I repaired Windows and was able to get on to the desktop. However, I noticed that the battery was not charging. So, I got another battery and power cord. Only this time it not only did not charge, it didn't even turn on the laptop. That was the beginning of last year. Fast forward to this year. I got a new ac plugin. And it still will won't turn on or charge.

I love my laptop, and I cannot buy another one. So, my question is what could be wrong with it? I've asked my friends, and they told me, it could be the motherboard (I don't think that's possible since I was able to get on to the desktop) to it could be a burnt-out cable. I can't send it to Dell since, I cannot read the service tag, it was rubbed off after all of those years. I'm at a complete loss as what to do next, outside of taking it to Best Buy and see what they can do. Is there any hope I can get my laptop to work again?

crimsom · Answer

Hi @AngelPhoenix77 welcome to this free user-to-user Alienware laptop discussion forum.

Laptop without battery is designed to function as desktop powered by ac adapter (charger). Please remove all external connections, disconnect battery and perform Hard Reset. How to Perform a Hard Reset on a Dell Computer | Dell US

When ac adapter (charger) is plugged into mains supply the power cord laptop plug's diagnostic light should work. With battery disconnected, what happens when ac adapter (charger) is plugged into laptop, does the diagnostic light remain on?

If power cord diagnostic LED remains on (battery disconnected), press power-on button. Does the laptop work?

ejn63 · Answer

If the system does not power up at all on AC power (test with the battery disconnected), it needs a system board. You'll be looking at at least a few hundred dollars for a board -- more with labor if you have a shop replace it.

Given that under the best of circumstances, you'll only get a 1-year warranty on a replacement board (which will be used), you may want to carefully evaluate the cost of repair against that time period and the remaining lifespan of the system.

AngelPhoenix77 · Answer

I am abit confused, I'm sorry about this. What does remaining lifetime mean? If it means the graphics, I don't mind being behind, in terms of optimal graphics. I do want to say thank to those who posted.

AngelPhoenix77 · Answer

Sorry, for clicking the accept solution, I was trying to click on reply. It doesn't turn on with your suggestion.

AngelPhoenix77 · Answer

I agree, I've been looking at the price for the motherboard. And it's not looking good. I've also been looking at ebay, and that is looking like my best bet. If I get the same make and model, I can my hard drive and ram into it. Sad part is, I'll need to wait until next year to get one.

ejn63 · Answer

If the system is already 5-6 years old, it has exceeded its design life by a factor of two -- and as systems age, parts fail. A mainboard replacement on a system that's more than three years old is questionable from an economic standpoint.

Before you take that route, also price the cost of complete, used systems. You may well find the parts+labor to replace a mainboard is more expensive than purchasing a complete used system.

AngelPhoenix77 · Answer

I had a thought since my power board is most likely the cause of my issue. The powerboard is an I5. Can I upgrade the powerboard to the I7 variant nd still be able to use my hdd and m.2?

Inspiron

G3 17 Gaming Laptop

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