The motherboard is damaged with burnt components.
The motherboard is damaged with burnt components.
I own an Alienware 17 R5. I swapped out my motherboard in February 2022 since my Nvidia card stopped working. The 970 Evo Plus was located in the horizontal NVMe SSD slot and failed in January 2023. The NVMe drive turned out unallocated space and couldn't be formatted, so I upgraded to a 980 Pro, which also went into the same slot. That model suddenly lost all data on October 2023, but after formatting I kept using it. I took my laptop to a Dell service center in my area. They discovered four burnt chips on the motherboard near the horizontal NVMe slot. You can view the image here: https://imgur.com/a/Tvi5WE5. It seems those chips are causing power regulation issues, likely damaging both the 970 Evo Plus and the 980 Pro. The 980 Pro is now in the vertical NVMe slot, while the affected chips are near the horizontal one. The service center mentioned that Dell no longer supports my laptop and simply installed the 980 Pro in the vertical slot. Should I look for a repair shop to replace those burnt chips with new ones from another motherboard, or is there a way to fix it without replacing the whole drive?
These components are MOSFETs commonly found in DC-DC converter designs, acting as rapid on/off elements. The design likely transforms battery or direct current levels to outputs like 3.3V. The manufacturer branding on the chips comes from Alpha&Omega, and the AON6962 model is identified as a dual MOSFET with no longer production: https://www.digikey.com/en/products/deta...2/21378855. The technical sheet is available (note the limitations of the AON69 92 version): https://www.aosmd.com/res/datasheets/AON6992.pdf. You can still obtain used units from sources like eBay, often for a modest service charge or repair cost—around $20–$50 depending on the seller. Alternatively, you might find comparable parts such as AON6992 or AON6971, which have slightly different ratings but similar functionality. Keep in mind that real-world performance can vary; higher numbers often indicate better heat tolerance, though they may be slightly hotter. If you need a replacement, consider checking local repair shops for a swap or purchasing alternatives with matching specifications.
The vertical NVMe SSD slot is not affected by the 4 burnt chips. Each slot uses its own set of chips.
I don't understand if these chips are connected to the 3.3V DC-DC converter used by all M.2 slots or just a few. It's possible they're not directly linked to that converter. The chips might be powering the chipset that manages PCIe lanes, or they could be damaged due to overheating from shorted MOSFETs. Those large packages handle high currents—SSDs can draw up to 3A during heavy writes, and each MOSFET is rated for 30-50A. That means a single package likely powers many slots. They might also be near the graphics card, possibly supplying its RAM indirectly through heat or instability, which could affect data integrity via PCIe.
The product details on Aliexpress list different part numbers depending on the source. The listed codes suggest variations in the specifications, so it's important to verify compatibility with your requirements.
The bottom section holds details such as production date, batch ID, plant code—information that updates regularly, which is why variations are typical. Generally, I avoid responding to private messages; feel free to ask anything and I’ll help if possible.
Review the schematic diagram for your laptop. There are three PDF files and two BRD files present. The BRD files can be accessed using BoardView software. After installing, open the BRD files to determine whether the vertical NVMe SSD slot utilizes the four burnt MOSFET chips adjacent to the horizontal slot or if it operates independently with its own MOSFETs.