Recent Project: ASUS X551M Rebuild

This laptop was given to me by a customer. It didn't turn on or charge. No sign of life. But, it was complete. No missing parts. No physical damage. It had the original charger. So, I opened it up. I see that it had been opened up before. So, there was an attempt to fix it. I tested the hard drive. It worked perfectly fine. Again, there was nothing missing.

My diagnosis is that the motherboard went bad. This is an older laptop, so finding new parts were near impossible. So, I went to eBay to see what I could find. Found a used motherboard from a reputable seller. 

The part came in and I started the rebuild.

Used the RAM from the original motherboard. Applied new thermal paste to the CPU. Installed a new CMOS battery. I put everything back together and the computer turned on. Booted into Windows. I ran hardware diagnostics and everything passed. Now, the only thing left was to replace the bad battery now that I knew everything worked fine. I buy only original parts, batteries and chargers. I stay from third party parts. Well, the battery came in and I installed it. The laptop keeps a charge and works like nothing ever happened.

The laptop has been sold since. This was a fun project. On to the next build and rebuild. 

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Weekend Project: Update Cable Enclosure and Connections

I don't cable professionally. However, this is something I've been needing to do for a while. The original enclosure was beaten up by the sun and weather. It had a big hole. The old splitters were getting old and corroded. So, I ordered a new cable enclosure, TV splitter, and a ground block.

This setup is for an Over-The-Air TV antenna and cable internet.

The cable internet goes directly through the grounding block to a surge protector to the modem in the house. The TV antenna goes through the ground block to the splitter which sends the signal to the different TVs. 

I felt this was going to take long. But, this part of the project went pretty smooth and everything was back up and running in short time. Next time I need to organize and staple down the cables going into the enclosure. 

The following affiliate links can help me earn a commission for purchases made with them.

              

Lenovo All-In-One Repair

This is a recent repair. Customer called me with a situation where his motherboard went bad and he went ahead and replaced it. Now, the computer didn't want to boot into Windows. I agreed to take a look at it and see what I can do. I'll admit, I don't like coming into someone else's work. Either it be another tech or a customer trying to do it themselves. 

But, I was surprised to see how everything looked when the computer was opened. The customer did a great job installing the motherboard. Everything was connected correctly. The only thing missing was thermal paste on the CPU. The customer admitted cleaning off some dry stuff from the CPU and heat sink. Yea, I'm pretty sure it was old. But, I told him I was glad he brought it in. Even if the computer booted into Windows, it wouldn't have lasted long. He would have dealt with random shutdowns from overheating. And, even worse, damage to his CPU and motherboard. So, it was a blessing that his computer didn't want to boot.

To start the repair, the first thing I did was apply thermal paste. The computer still didn't want to boot. So, I started to troubleshoot. I reseated everything. RAM, Hard drive, and Optical drive. I'm not sure which one did the trick, but as soon as everything was connected, it booted into Windows. I rebooted it a few times. Then, I ran hardware diagnostics and stress tests. All hardware passed. The customer was happy to have his computer back up and running.

When I followed up, he even sent me a photo of his computer at home. The PC is working great.

Sold: Asus X551M Notebook PC $150

This Laptop has sold. Check out https://www.therapidtech.com/forsale for more items

This is a used, adult owned laptop. Completely refurbished and reset. It's comes complete with original charger and everything works. Intel Celeron Dual Core CPU N2830 2.16GHz. 4GB RAM. 500 GB Hard Drive. Windows 10. Great for home, school and work. Ready for new owner. Only $150

Here's an affiliate link to the same model laptop on Amazon. I will earn a commission from purchases made through this link. 

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo CPU Cooler Install

UPDATE: I followed up with Carlos. Computer is running cool and working great. No more random shutdowns.

For the past few months, this has been a fun system to upgrade. 8 core CPU, Video card, Power supply. Now, a beefy CPU heatsink and fan to keep it cool and stable. It's so fast. Next will be RAM. If you need professional photography and video. Look up Carlos. His amazing work speaks for itself. https://ctm-photos.com/

This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

This is not your average heat sink install. It's not a simple place, hook, and lock. This does require some know how and being comfortable working around a motherboard. The packaging comes with all the parts and tools you need. You just need to have a phillips head screwdriver. Luckily, with the case on this build, I didn't have to remove the motherboard. This saved a lot of time and work. So, don't think you have to take everything apart. You may be able to work around your computer case.

For the price and the performance you get a lot of bang for the buck. It keeps the CPU cool and is super quiet. This is the heat sink/fan combo to go with. Order yours today. If you need any help with installation, give me a call. I'll be happy to help.

SOLD: HP Pavilion 15 Sleekbook. Windows 10 - $125

SOLD. Sorry this item has been sold. Please check out my other items on the For Sale page.

REDUCED from $150. Only $125.

HP Pavilion 15 Sleekbook. This is a completely rebuilt/refurbished used laptop computer. Everything works great. New cmos battery. Has a brand new PNY 120 GB Hard Drive installed. The Hard Drive has a 3 year manufacturer warranty. Upgraded 6GB of RAM. It originally had 4GB. A fresh install of Windows 10. Battery holds charge. Comes with charger. It does have some wear and tear. Missing hinge covers. This doesn't affect the opening and closing of the laptop. Hinges work perfect. I'm happy to answer your questions. 

Call 361-334-9265

 

You Can Now Earn Stars By Watching RapidTech On Facebook

I've been streaming for a good while on Twitch. I love gaming. I've been playing video games since I was a kid. I love the tech and the community. Now, I'm bringing streaming to the RapidTech Facebook page: 

https://fb.gg/RapidTech

With your support through the years RapidTech is now a member of the Level Up Program. This gives me access to more features and now I can accept Stars during stream.

Stars are a form of currency that can be purchased and donated during a live stream. However, you don't have to purchase Stars unless you want to. You can also earn them by going to a live stream and watching. You may be given stars without having to purchase them while watching and supporting your favorite streamer. 

Any Stars that are donated will go towards expenses for Free Tune Up Saturday where I'll give free computer tune ups on the third Saturday of every month. Details still need to be ironed out. So, look out for a future post for more details about Free Tune Up Saturdays.

But, it's not all about Stars, gaming, and computer service when I stream. My main goal while streaming is to reach out and chat. Come by and say hi. Tell me how your day is going. That's what I love about streaming.

If you don't want to purchase Stars but still want to help, I got you. The RapidTech Patreon page is live and updated. Starting at only $2 a month you can support the Facebook Live Stream and RapidTech Podcast. You'll also find great pledge tiers where I offer unlimited computer service for a low monthly pledge. Go to the RapidTech Patreon page for more info: 

https://www.patreon.com/RapidTech

Thank You For Choosing RapidTech in 2018

I know you have a lot of choices when it comes to computer repair and service. I want to thank you for choosing RapidTech.

If you received and liked my service, please leave me a review at your favorite review website. I do recommend Searching for RapidTech on Google and my Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/RapidTech

Each verified review gets a $5 discount on service. All reviews and Facebook recommendations get a shout out in the podcast.

Going into the new year, big things will be happening.

First, the RapidTech Patreon page is live and updated. Support the Facebook Live stream, podcast, and Free Repair Saturdays. Any and all support is appreciated. 

https://www.patreon.com/RapidTech

I will be doing a daily gaming stream on weekdays during lunchtime. Come for the video games. Stay for the conversation. When I go live, come by and say hi. Follow the Facebook page:

https://www.fb.gg/RapidTech

I hope that your holidays are going great.

I look forward to helping you with your computer needs in 2019. Happy New Year!

For Sale - Dell Optiplex 380 - Windows 10 Pro (Tower Only) - $150

Just in time for the holidays. I have a Dell Optiplex 380 for sale. Tower only. Intel Core Duo E7500 2.93GHz CPU. 4GB of DDR3 RAM. 320 GB Hard Drive. A fresh install of Windows 10 Pro. Avast Free Antivirus and LibreOffice installed. All hardware passed diagnostics and works perfect. Adult owned and clean. Built for an office environment. But, it's great for home or small office. Priced to sale. Only $150. I'm happy to answer your questions. Call me: 361-334-9265

Selena Gets Her Own Google Doodle

by Vincent Esquivel

For the anniversary of her debut album, Selena gets a Google Doodle. Being from and living in Corpus Christi, this is so awesome. As long as I've seen doodles on Google. Recognizing so many people I admire. Now, Selena. I'm proud. I know the local community is proud.

Check it out at:

https://www.google.com/

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RapidTech Podcast Episode 2

It's a little over due, but here's the second episode of the RapidTech Podcast. Here I talk a little about the Corpus Christi water crisis that just passed. The Yahoo Hacks that didn't happen recently and how to protect yourself. My Christmas Computer Repair Special for local customers. And, a new service I'm experimenting with for local and not local customers.

Important Links:

How to turn on Yahoo 2 Step Verification: https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN5013.html

RapidTech's Christmas Computer Repair Special: http://www.therapidtech.com/2016/12/50-christmas-computer-repair-special.html

Use of Tap Water May Resume Citywide:http://news.cctexas.com/news/drinking-water-update-5446094

RapidTech is Rated #1 on Thumbtack.com [Picture]

Yes! We're rated #1 on Thumbtack.com in the Corpus Christi area. Thank you for your support. We truly appreciate it.

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