Samsung NP300E5C-S01PT (BA41-01979A) Turn Off after some minutes [Motherboard]

[sn4k3]

Hello,

I have a Samsung NP300E5C-S01PT with a board problem.
After some minutes (10-20m not always the same timming) PC turn off itself.

Things i have tested and discard:

- Power adaptor is good, tested with 2 same happen
- Battery is in good condition capable of 4h and get charge without problem
- With or without battery plugged same happen
- Battery only operated same happen
- Power adaptor only operated same happen
- Power adaptor and Battery operated same happen
- CPU&GPU cold 40ºc-60ºc - Not a thermal issue
- Same happen if pc is inside BIOS menu (Not a SO Problem)
- I tried to remove HDD, DVD, Wireless, battery, monitor [Only board and ram was connected] - Same happen

After this checks i'm sure it's something related to board.
The problem is strange since PC perform well, fast but after sometime it suddenly shutdown like a power cut.
Battery is inside and work with it so it can't be a power adapter problem.
When PC cut off power we can immediately click on power button and it will boot again with no problem. When turn ON again the time to power off will be almost the same, so can't be a heat related component since we can use it about same time as a cold start.

Anyone experienced same problems in other models?
I have attach the schemantics, it have a power management block, but what to search for if everything is normal while working?

[mcplslg123]

Re: Samsung NP300E5C-S01PT (BA41-01979A) Turn Off after some minutes [Motherboard]

clean me region first bro

[caspian]

Re: Samsung NP300E5C-S01PT (BA41-01979A) Turn Off after some minutes [Motherboard]

it may be due to a faulty RAM.
try with another RAM.

[sn4k3]

Re: Samsung NP300E5C-S01PT (BA41-01979A) Turn Off after some minutes [Motherboard]

clean me region first bro

What do you mean?

it may be due to a faulty RAM.
try with another RAM.

I tried, same happen, not a ram problem

[mcplslg123]

Re: Samsung NP300E5C-S01PT (BA41-01979A) Turn Off after some minutes [Motherboard]

You need to clear "me region" of your bios . If you dont know how to do that,you can upload your bios dump here so that others can fix it.

First, you post your bios dump here.

[sn4k3]

Re: Samsung NP300E5C-S01PT (BA41-01979A) Turn Off after some minutes [Motherboard]

You need to clear "me region" of your bios . If you dont know how to do that,you can upload your bios dump here so that others can fix it.

First, you post your bios dump here.

Ok i will save bios and try that.
Since PC works is not possible to reflash ME region? I can't find any anyway.

I also tried with 2x1GB Ram that i have here (Spare RAM) it work a bit longer but still shutdown after some minues

[sn4k3]

Re: Samsung NP300E5C-S01PT (BA41-01979A) Turn Off after some minutes [Motherboard]

One thing i notice is the PCH is burning hot, after some time beeing power on i can't support my fingers for more than 5 seconds there. Stange fact is fan fire up at max, PCH does not have a heatshink to fan and it gets cold, no burn, but fan keep at max at that stage. Motherboard dissambled so no airflow...
I check near caps and no short near by
50-60ºc

Bios dump attached

File:   BA41-01979A.bin

Family:  ME
Version: 8.0.10.1464
Release: Production
Type:   Region, Extracted
FD:    Locked
SKU:   1.5MB
SVN:   1
VCN:   2
PV:    Yes
Date:   2012-03-28
FITC Ver: 8.0.10.1464
Size:   0x17D000
Platform: PPT
Latest:  No

I have upgraded the ME region to:

-------[ ME Analyzer v1.16.1 ]-------
      Database r94

File:   outimage.bin

Family:  ME
Version: 8.1.70.1590
Release: Production
Type:   Region, Extracted
FD:    Locked
SKU:   1.5MB
SVN:   1
VCN:   2
PV:    Yes
Date:   2015-11-24
FITC Ver: 8.1.70.1590
Size:   0x17D000
Platform: PPT
Latest:  Yes

Now i will flash and test, will post results latter

[sn4k3]

Re: Samsung NP300E5C-S01PT (BA41-01979A) Turn Off after some minutes [Motherboard]

Update the ME didn't solve the problem. Samething keep happening.
More thoughts on that?

[caspian]

Re: Samsung NP300E5C-S01PT (BA41-01979A) Turn Off after some minutes [Motherboard]

now you have to discover the list of ICs which are are hot when the laptop shut down.

[sn4k3]

Re: Samsung NP300E5C-S01PT (BA41-01979A) Turn Off after some minutes [Motherboard]

now you have to discover the list of ICs which are are hot when the laptop shut down.

Thats the hardest part, board is almost cold, except for PCH and shutdown time is not always the same.
Using IPA some ICs evaporate faster than others, still it take some time to do so (+/- a minute), but none is near of hot to the touch.
When shutdown occur and if i turn on again the working time will not be affected to less, so i'm not sure if is a heat problem due no time to cooldown.
I will try use a fan directly to board to cool it all down and see if working time is affected. Thank you for your support

[caspian]

Re: Samsung NP300E5C-S01PT (BA41-01979A) Turn Off after some minutes [Motherboard]

ICs cool down very fast on the board after shutdown.
Also, it may be due to a voltage spike.

[sn4k3]

Re: Samsung NP300E5C-S01PT (BA41-01979A) Turn Off after some minutes [Motherboard]

ICs cool down very fast on the board after shutdown.
Also, it may be due to a voltage spike.

Hate when everything works well and then this minor problems spoil everything... I rather have a dead board than a working board with this small problems

I tried big fan to cool it down, huge air flow and RPM, board cold every place even the PCH still shutdown at same times :=)
Pneumatic hammer shall solve my problems ahah

[caspian]

Re: Samsung NP300E5C-S01PT (BA41-01979A) Turn Off after some minutes [Motherboard]

do not worry, you will find the solution.
such unexpected shutdowns happen a lot on laptops.

[sn4k3]

Re: Samsung NP300E5C-S01PT (BA41-01979A) Turn Off after some minutes [Motherboard]

do not worry, you will find the solution.
such unexpected shutdowns happen a lot.

Problem is the time i'm spending on this board is delaying other repairs.
My best bet is replace power management IC or whatever is responsible for power.
Sometimes power LED go off and pc won't start, like a bad jack port. But this port is good voltage is there, have to dig this better, now i will try to drain USB power to check how it behavior

[caspian]

Re: Samsung NP300E5C-S01PT (BA41-01979A) Turn Off after some minutes [Motherboard]

if you have got an oscilloscope, monitor main voltage rails on the oscilloscope to see which one has a spike at the time of shutting down.

[caspian]

Re: Samsung NP300E5C-S01PT (BA41-01979A) Turn Off after some minutes [Motherboard]

this board takes time. so repair other boards first.
to optimize repair time, repair boards on the following base:
Easiest In , First Out.

[sn4k3]

Re: Samsung NP300E5C-S01PT (BA41-01979A) Turn Off after some minutes [Motherboard]

if you have got an oscilloscope, monitor main voltage rails on the oscilloscope to see which one has a spike at the time of shutting down.

i don't have one unfortunately.
If i discard PCH, the most hot IC is the AP4232BGM https://cdn.badcaps-static.com/pdfs/...ca93ed306a.pdf
And near by components, but looking at huge traces that should be normal, also they power PCH

Hot Zone



I also have tried with other DC supply same happen

[caspian]

Re: Samsung NP300E5C-S01PT (BA41-01979A) Turn Off after some minutes [Motherboard]

did anybody successfully observe voltage fluctuations on laptops using oscilloscope?

[Dan81]

Re: Samsung NP300E5C-S01PT (BA41-01979A) Turn Off after some minutes [Motherboard]

I know this thread is old but I have finally found the reason the NP300E will shut down:

"The Platform Controller Hub (PCH or chipset traditionally) is a chip which is soldered to the motherboard and has nothing to do with what BIOS/SPI chip you buy, reflash etc. The HM70 PCH supports only Pentium and Celeron processors and the restriction is hardware coded/enforced at the PCH itself. Nothing you do at the cpu, SPI chip or the latter's firmware will change that fact. So the SPI image regions and/or ME firmware in those have nothing to do with this restriction. The other laptop you mentioned uses HM76 chipset which can work with Core i-series cpus. Intel has a website with all their products and list the specifications, datasheets, what is compatible etc. Here is the page of the HM70 PCH cpu compatibility. To improve the performance of that particular system, pick the strongest of those Celeron or Pentium processors mentioned at the HM70 ark page."

https://winraid.level1techs.com/t/cp...shutdown/31790 - 10th post.

Basically what happens is if the ME region is corrupt, or if the CPU is anything higher than a Pentium or Celeron, it will enforce HPET and shut down at exactly 30 minutes. This is not a isolated case, so anything running the HM70 chipset will shut down at exactly 30 minutes if the ME is corrupt or if the CPU is higher than a Pentium 2030M.

[sn4k3]

Re: Samsung NP300E5C-S01PT (BA41-01979A) Turn Off after some minutes [Motherboard]

I know this thread is old but I have finally found the reason the NP300E will shut down:

"The Platform Controller Hub (PCH or chipset traditionally) is a chip which is soldered to the motherboard and has nothing to do with what BIOS/SPI chip you buy, reflash etc. The HM70 PCH supports only Pentium and Celeron processors and the restriction is hardware coded/enforced at the PCH itself. Nothing you do at the cpu, SPI chip or the latter's firmware will change that fact. So the SPI image regions and/or ME firmware in those have nothing to do with this restriction. The other laptop you mentioned uses HM76 chipset which can work with Core i-series cpus. Intel has a website with all their products and list the specifications, datasheets, what is compatible etc. Here is the page of the HM70 PCH cpu compatibility. To improve the performance of that particular system, pick the strongest of those Celeron or Pentium processors mentioned at the HM70 ark page."

https://winraid.level1techs.com/t/cp...shutdown/31790 - 10th post.

Basically what happens is if the ME region is corrupt, or if the CPU is anything higher than a Pentium or Celeron, it will enforce HPET and shut down at exactly 30 minutes. This is not a isolated case, so anything running the HM70 chipset will shut down at exactly 30 minutes if the ME is corrupt or if the CPU is higher than a Pentium 2030M.

Good to know, thanks for posting this.
In fact i "think" i upgraded the CPU, not sure now, but i renember i cleared the ME region. After all i replaced motherboard which worked