Will the Alienware 18 r3 run on just the onboard videocard?

[Spock]

I recently bought an Alienware18 r3 without the Video cards, HDD, Memory Blueray and Powerbar. and a fried motherboard. I have diagnosed the board and think i can fix it. My question is can I use it with just the onboard Videocard? I don`t need the extra GPU`s right now if not needed. I`m planning on going to school for electronics so money is tight but I love the laptop and just need it for general use. Also I see alot of complaints about Alienware laptops in general. Is it worth the time and money to fix? Thanks for any replies.

 

[MattyB]

Yes you sure can. With the dedicated GPU's removed the machine will automatically switch to iGFX mode, which is the integrated graphics.

I rebuild/repair older Alienware laptops as a hobby and they are definitely worth repairing, just as long as you buy it for the right price. The GPU's are an expensive part of the laptop. The 18 has driver support for the 900 series Nvidia cards (single or SLI) and it can also take a single GTX 1060 or 1070 with a modded driver.

 

[Spock]

Yes you sure can. With the dedicated GPU's removed the machine will automatically switch to iGFX mode, which is the integrated graphics.

I rebuild/repair older Alienware laptops as a hobby and they are definitely worth repairing, just as long as you buy it for the right price. The GPU's are an expensive part of the laptop. The 18 has driver support for the 900 series Nvidia cards (single or SLI) and it can also take a single GTX 1060 or 1070 with a modded driver.

Cool Thank you for the reply. I got the unit for a good price and can get the parts i need for about 300$ so its worth it. This was always my dream computer and I lucked out on Kijiji and got a good deal. I just wanted to make sure the cost would be reasonable or if I should sell it and let someone else make it theirs.

 

[Spock]

Yes you sure can. With the dedicated GPU's removed the machine will automatically switch to iGFX mode, which is the integrated graphics.

I rebuild/repair older Alienware laptops as a hobby and they are definitely worth repairing, just as long as you buy it for the right price. The GPU's are an expensive part of the laptop. The 18 has driver support for the 900 series Nvidia cards (single or SLI) and it can also take a single GTX 1060 or 1070 with a modded driver.

As you rebuild them is there a good site to buy parts from that you have had good luck with? I have had problems with boards from both Ebay and Amazon. I`m mainly after a power adapter, memory, 2 ribbons. I`m laid off due to covid moneys tight and I`m looking for good but cheap prices.
Thanks John.

 

[MattyB]

I usually go to eBay for my parts as I'm in Australia and there isn't a big market for old parts down here.
parts-people.com can also be very helpful. Expect to pay a little more from them than eBay but you know you're getting OEM parts and some backup support.
330W OEM power supplies can be expensive. There are third party available from Chinese sellers. OEM ones are also made in China so there probably isn't much difference really.
You can go straight to Crucial for memory. Probably the best memory will be DDR3L 2133Mhz SODIMM memory but 1600Mhz or 1866Mhz will do fine.

 

[Spock]

Perfect Thanks again.