GPU or motherboard: which one died?

I've got this Dell Latitude running an Intel Core i5 and Intel HD Graphics. From what I understand, the GPU is actually integrated right into the CPU chip itself. A few days ago, the laptop just stopped showing anything on the display. I can't even see the BIOS splash screen. I tried hooking up an external monitor, but it’s the exact same issue—total darkness. The only weird thing is that on the external monitor, I caught a glimpse of a scrambled blue screen for a split second before it died. You could barely make out the error message: "VIDEO_TDR_FAILURE." Since the BIOS doesn't show up, I'm pretty sure it isn't a driver issue. So, here's my big question: am I looking at a motherboard replacement or a new processor? Based on the power and hard drive lights, it seems like it's booting up and then just hangs (probably right when it hits that blue screen), but the screen stays black the entire time.

I wouldn't mess around with that if I were you—mostly because laptops aren't like desktops where you can just swap a motherboard, boot it up, and call it a day. You’d have to hunt down a specific replacement board for that exact model, which is a massive headache these days since, looking at that processor, this machine is getting pretty old. Maybe you could try your luck on eBay if you're really feeling like tinkering, but honestly? From what I know about older laptops, the CPU is usually soldered right onto the board anyway. So, no matter how you slice it, you'd likely be replacing the entire motherboard, even if the current one is actually functioning fine.

Larry Ortiz5 said:I wouldn't mess around with that if I were you. It’s not like a desktop where you just swap out a component, boot it up, and you're good to go. You'd actually have to hunt down a specific motherboard for that exact laptop model, which is incredibly tough these days since, looking at that processor, this machine is getting pretty old. Maybe you could try your luck on eBay if you really want to dive into a project. From what I know about older laptops, though, the CPU is often soldered directly to the board, so regardless of how you slice it, you'd likely need a whole new motherboard even if the current one is technically functional.

The CPU isn't soldered! A few people are selling boards on Craigslist and some on eBay, but the price is a total rip-off—around $150. Honestly, I wouldn't even feel bad spending that kind of money if I was 100% certain I could tear it down, put it back together perfectly, and know that the board would actually last. But if I drop all that cash on a used part, sweat through the repair, and then the thing dies a month later? I'd absolutely kick myself.

I think I'll just sell it for parts on Craigslist instead...

...I just wanted to mention, this laptop actually performed beautifully for everyday stuff—running Windows 10, Microsoft 365, watching HD videos... everything was smooth until the graphics started acting up. It’s got 8GB of RAM, a 250GB SSD, a webcam, and a DVD burner that I could easily swap out for a caddy to add another hard drive. Plus, there's a ton of ports: 3x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0, eSATA, DisplayPort, FireWire, VGA, plus all the standard audio jacks, etc... I even have a docking station for it with its own power supply and a whole extra set of ports.