MSI P65 Creator 9SE not booting after repair attempt

[G33RT]

I'm working on a laptop that has spilt coffee on it and stopped working.
There was limited liquid damage only on the PMIC 95855C which was very very corroded by the liquid.

The only damage I could find beside the PMIC was the SiC631 Power Stage near the CPU that was shorted.

After replacing the PMIC and the Mosfet the board powers on again and the fan-1 starting to blow even fan-2 and fan-3 starts after a while.

I even can measure voltages on each coil accept the CPU and GPU coils they do not provide any voltages.

So it still wont provide power everywhere on the board and I don't know why.

Also if I plug-in the charger the charging light does not lit up.

I already tried to flash the latest bios I got from MSI website but that dit not helped.

I noticed a second flash chip (bios?) on the board that is smaler in size and I guess it's the EC bios.

What els can I try ?

Any suggestions are welcome !!

Brand: MSI
Model: MS-16Q4 P65 Creator 9SE
Mainboard: MS-16Q41 ver: 1.0

[mcplslg123]

Re: MSI P65 Creator 9SE not booting after repair attempt

Shorted SIC631 may kill the cpu itself.

[G33RT]

Re: MSI P65 Creator 9SE not booting after repair attempt

Shorted SIC631 may kill the cpu itself.

Yes I know and you are probably right.
Before I give up on this repair attempt I just have to try everything.

Although after I had change the 95855 the board seemed to start and voltages where available on the the CPU and GPU.
Then after I build it back to the case with nvme and memory it dit not work anymore, so there is some life in it afterall.
I will test tomorrow without nvme and ram and see what happens.

[G33RT]

Re: MSI P65 Creator 9SE not booting after repair attempt

When I desolder the coil from the SIC631 the board powers on and that's it.

So it is certain that the CPU is damaged, would it be expensive to replace the CPU ?

The CPU is a: I7-9750H SRF6U

[Sephir0th]

Re: MSI P65 Creator 9SE not booting after repair attempt

That's the supply for +VCC_GT(or GFX). However, If even +VCC_CORE doesn't gets power, then there is either something wrong with the VRM controller (check at least the Enable) or it is indeed a dead CPU. The controller dies often along with the Mosfets/DrMOS/PowerStages, so maybe worth to check. Replacement of the BGA is most often not economical. Not sure how it is here.

[G33RT]

Re: MSI P65 Creator 9SE not booting after repair attempt

That's the supply for +VCC_GT(or GFX). However, If even +VCC_CORE doesn't gets power, then there is either something wrong with the VRM controller (check at least the Enable) or it is indeed a dead CPU. The controller dies often along with the Mosfets/DrMOS/PowerStages, so maybe worth to check. Replacement of the BGA is most often not economical. Not sure how it is here.

That VRM controller you mention could that be the ISL95855CHRTZ ?

On the picture I have market the SiC631 that was shorted, is this +VCC_GT

What are the 4 main voltages that goes to the CPU ?

[Sephir0th]

Re: MSI P65 Creator 9SE not booting after repair attempt

The other three are all phases of +VCC_CORE. Also not to forget the first coil to the right, +VCC_SA (so called (System agent). From Resistance measurements of these rails we might get the clue too.

[G33RT]

Re: MSI P65 Creator 9SE not booting after repair attempt

The other three are all phases of +VCC_CORE. Also not to forget the first coil to the right, +VCC_SA (so called (System agent). From Resistance measurements of these rails we might get the clue too.

Tomorow I will measure the resistance of the CPU VCC imputs and report back.


what do you mean with check at least the Enable

then there is either something wrong with the VRM controller (check at least the Enable)

[mcplslg123]

Re: MSI P65 Creator 9SE not booting after repair attempt

usually enable for VRM controller is VR_ON.

[G33RT]

Re: MSI P65 Creator 9SE not booting after repair attempt

I have measure the resistance of the CPU VCC inputs.
I also upload a picture with the Ohms on each coil.

From the left to the right: 8.3 3.7 3.7 3.7 23 58 Ohms

Just for information, do you know what voltages has to be on wicht VCC input ?

[G33RT]

Re: MSI P65 Creator 9SE not booting after repair attempt

usually enable for VRM controller is VR_ON.

Do someone knows if the ISL95855C HRTZ Datasheet is available somewhere on the net, I can't find it nowhere.
If not available the chip pinout will do just fine.

[SMDFlea]

Re: MSI P65 Creator 9SE not booting after repair attempt

Do someone knows if the ISL95855C HRTZ Datasheet is available somewhere on the net, I can't find it nowhere.
If not available the chip pinout will do just fine.

Here, PU1 on page 53 - https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showpo...22&postcount=2

[G33RT]

Re: MSI P65 Creator 9SE not booting after repair attempt

Here, PU1 on page 53 - https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showpo...22&postcount=2

Thank you but I don't think it's the same as ISL95855C version.

I already had reverse engineer some tracks from mosfet to the Power chip and pin-6 was a PWM signal and according to the schematic it is RTN_B.
However I could be mistaken and can't guarantee 100% after all it's 4:00AM in the morning ;-)

Tomorrow I wil do some more measuring to see where the tracks goes.

[G33RT]

Re: MSI P65 Creator 9SE not booting after repair attempt

Still waiting for the parts to come.

[G33RT]

Re: MSI P65 Creator 9SE not booting after repair attempt

usually enable for VRM controller is VR_ON.

The voltage on VR_ON or VR_ENABLE is not measurable because it's power direct off again.
The VR_READY get about 1 volt but also powers off after a second or so.

What is next that I can try ?

[G33RT]

Re: MSI P65 Creator 9SE not booting after repair attempt

The other three are all phases of +VCC_CORE. Also not to forget the first coil to the right, +VCC_SA (so called (System agent). From Resistance measurements of these rails we might get the clue too.

The System Agent voltage is about 0.9 volt.

No shorts that I can find and all area's that needs 3.3 or 5 volts are present.

I just can't find what keeps turning the board off.

[Sephir0th]

Re: MSI P65 Creator 9SE not booting after repair attempt

Surprisingly the values for the various power rails seems healthy.

The Intersil Controller was already replaced, so for what part were you waiting for, till yesterday. The SiC631? Already replaced? Any change in behaviour since then?

[mcplslg123]

Re: MSI P65 Creator 9SE not booting after repair attempt

I'll still bet for a damaged SOC as SIC631 was blown and its part of VRM circuit. When SOC gets damaged due to these drmos, symptoms usually are full power on with all rail present and no display. There will be normal variation in dc supply consumption giving a false hope of reviving it.

[G33RT]

Re: MSI P65 Creator 9SE not booting after repair attempt

Surprisingly the values for the various power rails seems healthy.

The Intersil Controller was already replaced, so for what part were you waiting for, till yesterday. The SiC631? Already replaced? Any change in behaviour since then?

The intersil was indeed replaced but I had it replaced for the second time as I was measuring the VIN (19v) and VCC (5v) which are on pin 41 and 42 I shorted them both so I could not trusted the 95855A anymore.
There was indeed a SiC631 shorted and replaced already but yesterday I discovered another faulty SiC631 however it was not shorted but malfunction.

I was at a point that the board was powered on for about 20 to 30 seconds and I pulled the DC-Plug out to put the mainboard back in it's case to test further but now it did goes in protection mode as it powers on and of and keeps that doing on and on.

So 19v power rail is okay.
I measure one coil at 0.950v and I guess it's a kind of standby power and it keeps have that voltage also at power on stage.
I have serval coils that on power on keeps a stable voltages as 5.1v, 3.3v, 3.5v, 1v, 5.18v (I will post a picture with the voltages overlay tomorrow).

The System Agent does not stay on, it powers on and off and voltage can't be measured because it stays not on long enough.

The I have two coils at the corner of the board which I don't know what they are for but I guess for GPU, they are Dual N-Channel Mosfets and no voltage on the Gate.

At the moment I have de-soldered all the coils around the CPU and GPU with one leg loose so I can measure again to be certain and write down notes.

There i no signs anymore of the liquide damage and total clean with no corrosions left.

Picture of the board with measures voltages and resistance will follow tomorrow.

[G33RT]

Re: MSI P65 Creator 9SE not booting after repair attempt

I'll still bet for a damaged SOC as SIC631 was blown and its part of VRM circuit. When SOC gets damaged due to these drmos, symptoms usually are full power on with all rail present and no display. There will be normal variation in dc supply consumption giving a false hope of reviving it.

Yes I totally agree with you on the most cases when this happend but I have seen the board stayin on for about 20 to 30 seconds till I pulled the DC-Plug as I was euphoric and thought it was fixed.
Therefore I have to try as a last hope that the CPU could intact as the also PSU short protection does it's job very well and no power was on the main rail.

Also no voltage injection was done here in this case that could have damaged the CPU.