Acer Aspire 5740G Owners Lounge

I just pieced a previously broken 5740G just today. Think it was the 333G32Mn model, as it had the 512MB HD5470, not the 1GB 5650.

Without further ado, here's what frankenstein parts were fitted to rise this 5740G from the dead:

- freshly flashed EC SPI ROM from a old LGA775 board - the issue I originally bought this 5740G with was, probably well known to some of you, a bad EC (KBC) chip, which would result in no power, charge or anything. I managed to get hold of the EC image through Google.
-15.6" AuO LCD from a dead ASUS X5DAF
- LCD assembly sans hinges from a Aspire 5735 (the LCD hinge assembly is the same one found on the 5536/5542/5738/5740 so they were of course compatible)
- i3-380M from a Compaq CQ57-460EA (which got a i3-350M in place)
- 2x2GB DDR3-8500 from an Aspire 5739
- nordic keyboard from an Aspire 7738G
- Centrino N-100 WLAN from a dead Aspire 5349
- Lite-On DS-8A5SH DVD-RW from the same unit the WLAN comes from
- and a 500GB HDD from a friend's ASUS X540NA (he upgraded his HDD to a 1TB SSD)

 

Hello.

I'm new here.

I've got this laptop (the non-G version) i3-330M, 4GB ram + ATI Radeon HD 5650 I believe.

i have done a couple of things to it... Added a 250GB SSD + a caddy so I could instal a 2.5 1TB harddrive.

It had lots of problems. I had to buy an old laptop that had compatible parts that fit on this one, and it's been working fine since (I can't update bios and USB Hub on the right side does not work).

However, I have a couple of problems:
1- the side USB Hub stopped working. I have no clue why, I've already opened it, unpuggled the cable and replugged it to make sure it was well placed, nothing. I changed the cable, nothing.
It's weird because before I installed all the replacement parts to get it to work, it was working just fine, really... I have no clue how to check 5v or anything like that, i'm really not knowledgeable at all when it comes to eletronics and soldering stuff.
Note: There's no beeps, nothing. I connect a keyboard and it doesn't show / do / make any sort of sound or beep or anything.

2- I cannot update the bios. It has currently the 1.16 version. I was trying to update it to the latest 1.28, but i cannot, i get an error. And after some google searching, it seems that i need a battery plugged in? Mine is dead, and buying a new one is 30€ lol. Is there a way around this to instal the new bios without getting a new battery? I was honestly hoping this would've fixed the USB Hub not working problem. It probably won't, so if anyone knows how to fix these 2 things, I'd be very appreciated, as I still like this laptop alot and I'd like to keep using it!

Is it possible that the plug from my motherboard that the right USB hub connects to may be broken?

 

First of all - that actually is a G version - even if it isn't labeled so. Non-G versions only have the integrated HM55 IGP and no trace Radeon.

Now, onto your issues:

USB - to bluntly put it, both your cable and MB are fine. If you disassembled it, you'll notice the USB ports are on a separate PCB. Well, that PCB is dead.

BIOS - AFAIK you can't circumvent the battery check. Not even on a 6530G I couldn't circumvent it (that one had a semi-dead DC circuit - it would basically work on battery only) so you're SOL on that until you get (or borrow) an battery for it.

 

Quick question, will a i7-720QM work on a 5740G that came with HD5470? Or would I need to upgrade the mobo to the one with HD5650?

 

As far as I know it's gonna work fine. You might need to update BIOS but that's all.

 

Thanks for the reply. I see it's been updated to the latest BIOS, v1.28. Guess it's just a matter of getting some MX4 and just sticking that i7 in.