Chosen Solution
READ: I PURCHASED THIS LAPTOP FOR THE MOTHERBOARD. IT IS GOING INTO A BIOS LOCKED i7 UNIT DESPITE THE CPU DIFFERENCE (i5-8250U vs i7-8650U). I DO NOT INTENDED TO REPAIR IT. This is the machine the board is destined for if it passes:
While I will not have 100% repair completion on this laptop with just a replacement motherboard as I need a screen, I have a source for the matched panel the donor uses (IVO privacy 120Hz 40-pin), this motherboard is a huge step in the green once it’s validated as good. However, I am unsure if I should trust the battery from this machine as it is a softcell and the machine is pretty well destroyed. However, I am willing to use it as a spare if it looks okay and isn’t compromised. But based on how smashed it is, how likely is it will be able to recover the battery? Update (12/15/21) The laptop came in and it’s usable. No BIOS password :-). The screen also came in as well.
Battery is in ehh shape:
Update (12/16/21) Ports all work :-). The Type C/TB3 port even works, but the USB-A daughterboard feels loose. Meh, it’s a modular thing so I do not care. Update (12/17/21) Well, the locked machine is stripped. My god this procedure is a PITA, but I got it done in 25 minutes.
Time to part out the board from the other unit
Swapping the board into the good chassis
I think I have the rest of the story based on my post-surgery autopsy. The seller I bought this locked 840 from probably got it with a locked BIOS, tried to fix it and installed a new wireless card (it has a Lenovo FRU) and found out what I did - you’re hosed (without the right programmer - easily $50+, and you usually need to desolder the chip) … And never disclosed it on the listing hiding under “as-is”. I’m not calling the seller out by name, but if you see this, this should have been disclosed. Update (3/12/22) I’ve had this melting pot special for a while (I call it a “melting pot” because of the HP SureView LCD removal, a SureView keyboard w/o a SureView LCD, swapped motherboard and the bottom cover is engraved with the i7 board serial number BUT I have the matched cover – I never moved it as it would look off being from the destroyed chassis). The keyboard issue is cosmetic at best; the hotkey “dies” when you remove the panel, and it switches to normal PWM). Other than those snags, it behaves like it was never bodged together out of multiple parts several ways to Sunday. Do I stand behind my non-recommendation to buy a BIOS locked laptop (knowingly) and bothering with this? YEP. If you’re dealing with an established bum G5 with a BIOS password and do not have the right programmer (it needs to support the 256MiB Windbound EEPROM flash as you cannot flash the 128MiB as that is the “clean backup”, which will inherit the unlocked BIOS; $50+ and you’re probably waiting on China to ship it) look elsewhere. Same as before; I’m not deep diving the procedure.I am acknowledging the option, so anyone who sees this understands I know but I’m apprehensive to talk about it beyond an acknowledgement!
@nick if you buy it for the motherboard you might be okay. As for the battery your guess will be as good as anybody elses. As you know voltages are not a prime indicator about the condition of the battery. In order to determine the health of the battery you would at least have to do a discharge tests, full cycling testing as well as battery management system monitoring. Voltage tests and Ohmic test are not effective for this type of battery. So, if it works for whatever long, consider it a bonus. Do not bank on it being any good at all.
