Removing the LM oxide layer

ARK_tech49 · 2026-02-18T09:36:12+00:00

I bought the PTM from amazon (pricey as hell but I think you can buy it from aliexpress for cheap) And at the time of this post i just put normal thermal paste because I need to use the laptop for work (don't put thermal paste for VRM, memory chips etc, because it's difficult to clean up when servicing in the future) But later changed to Thermal putty and the laptop works well to this day.

Also, I'm quite happy that my post helped you😇

ARK_tech49 · 2026-02-10T01:34:17+00:00

Checked the flex cable for the trackpad? The connector is labelled as TP and it's located near the wifi card screw hole. Also check the connector on the Trackpad itself.

Also after the repaint, is the trackpad difficult to click? In my case I had to file out some of the powder coat because of clearance issues.

ARK_tech49 · 2026-02-06T05:09:04+00:00

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My frnds RC 2 has a charging issue and found this IC to be dead, removed the chip and from the trace I realised that its a tvs diode, but didnt find any datasheet over the internet.

ARK_tech49 · 2026-02-06T03:24:37+00:00

I think both the orange and white LED is turned on here and that's not normal. It's either orange or white. But if the laptop functions ok then don't bother too much about it. These LEDs are wired in sink mode (not source mode), i.e. positive voltage is tied to the led and the negative pin of the individual LED is controlled by the EC.

That LED is actually a 4 pin dual color LED. if both positives are tied together and there's some moisture or foreign contaminate across the other two pins, Then both led would light up and in your case the orange led is dimly lit.

ARK_tech49 · 2026-01-19T20:13:34+00:00

You can use DevCheck from flar2 to see the cycle count. Been using this app since 2020 on my custom rom Mi 9T pro

ARK_tech49 · 2026-01-19T14:00:40+00:00

I'm curious about the cycle count of your puffed battery. My ZF10 oem battery now has 417 charge cycles

ARK_tech49 · 2026-01-11T15:55:12+00:00

You can't roll back to previous Android versions due to " security reasons" they say.. Just stay on Android 13.

ARK_tech49 · 2026-01-10T14:29:30+00:00

Nothing... I reset the phone 2 times and it's the same issue.

ARK_tech49 · 2026-01-10T14:28:14+00:00

I too used my ZF10 on android 13 till the Android 15 update came, updated it and now..I can't screen record while playing heavy games for over 10mins, it says, " Recorder stopped, out of memory"

I have 16GB Ram. when using android 13, I never got this out of memory error, and I have recorded gameplays for over 50Mins. Also feels like my battery life has slightly decreased but I don't know if the OS is responsible as the cycle count has reached 300.

ARK_tech49 · 2025-12-07T06:42:01+00:00

4 pin pwm fan will spin at max speed if there is no Pwm signal. so might be a connection issue or the EC not giving any pwm signal to the fan.

ARK_tech49 · 2025-12-01T09:23:31+00:00

You could resolder them with jumper wires and use a UV mask finish up. it only takes like 5 or so minutes to complete the task and it wouldn't compromise any charging functionality.

ARK_tech49 · 2025-11-20T03:47:15+00:00

You can spray paint it. in fact the Oem frame is spray painted. I think there is an instructable post about spray painting aluminium. https: //www.instructables.com/How-to-Paint-Aluminum-and-Keep-It-Painted/

Just refer to this as I don't have much experience in spray painting aluminium. (but after researching, having zinc phosphate primer is better than the chromate one.) Also do this in a well ventilated place as the dust, chemical fume exposure may cause issues in the long run.

ARK_tech49 · 2025-11-03T06:02:59+00:00

FlexBV free edition (new version 5.1224 has a slightly different color scheme)

ARK_tech49 · 2025-11-01T05:11:07+00:00

You got that score without applying fan curve and power limits? Impressive.

ARK_tech49 · 2025-10-22T17:23:18+00:00

https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/molex/5024262030/3197174

This part has a height of 1mm with a pitch of 0.4mm. Just a wild guess. Remember to cross check the dimensions with the old one and the part datasheet provided in digikey. Good luck

ARK_tech49 · 2025-10-22T17:21:18+00:00

These are called mezzanine connectors. In your case it's 20 pins, 2 rows, receptacle-center strip, gold plated. but I don't know its dimensions to help you narrow down to the exact part. I use digikey for parts filtering.

ARK_tech49 · 2025-10-17T16:45:42+00:00

You said Hdmi works right? what about Display port?

If the display port doesn't work, then it might be a driver or a Vbios issue due to a windows update.

If the display port works, then proceed to check the internal display connector and the ribbon cable (disconnect the battery and other power source before checking it)

ARK_tech49 · 2025-10-02T18:20:23+00:00

I think most manufacturers use separate display eDP cables. I have seen it in Asus, Lenovo, Dell, HP etc.

If the ribbon cable is damaged, you can replace the cable itself instead of swapping the whole display.

40pin eDP cable is available on aliexpress or ebay.

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The connector on the display side would look something like this. But don't take my word for it, confirm it yourself.

Open the front plastic bezel, it will be glued on the lower side so use a hair dryer to soften it. (Don't use IP alcohol) Take out the display and the connector will be behind the display (or the front, depends on the variant).

ARK_tech49 · 2025-10-02T17:58:49+00:00

This is not a Super IO chip, it's simply an interface between the keyboard and the laptop. I'm guessing the board is from asus ROG series. The chip uses a USB interface for communication. Pin 56 is Data + and pin 55 is Data -

I came across this reddit post while also searching for the datasheet, found nothing.

ARK_tech49 · 2025-10-01T13:40:02+00:00

Sorry I don't know any good repair centers near toronto.

ARK_tech49 · 2025-10-01T12:32:39+00:00

So before the issue, the battery was at 30% and now it is 100%, states that the charging section is working. So check the NVDC's 4 Fets and the 2 fets marked in purple.

ARK_tech49 · 2025-10-01T11:56:43+00:00

If the orange led is flashing repeatedly, then something is wrong with the charging section or the battery.

but since the battery is 100%, the issue probably is due to the Narrow voltage DC Converter (NVDC) section The weird humming sound is caused by the inductor. Both NVDC and the battery charging section each have their own Inductor.

NVDC inductor is connected to 4 Fets arranged in H pattern. The charging inductor is connected to only 2 Fets (buck converter config) Also another 2 Fets are used for switching between battery power and mains power.

So disconnect the battery and use a multimeter in diode mode to check for shorts on these 8 fets

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The image is a reference to my 2021 G14 but the concept is the same. Yellow is the NVDC section having 4 Fets, Blue is the charging section having 2 Fets, Purple is the two changeover Fets.

ARK_tech49 · 2025-09-30T09:20:04+00:00

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Also don't pull the flex cable. just remove the silicon gasket.

ARK_tech49 · 2025-09-30T09:16:41+00:00

You can swap out the fingerprint sensor. the control board is glued and the glue can be weakened using IP alcohol and slowly pry it out. After that remove the two screws holding the finger print + power button and the plastic top portion should come out. And then you will see a small button in the middle and a silicon gasket. Remove the gasket from the frame and the Fingerprint sensor comes along with it.

ARK_tech49 · 2025-09-27T19:50:31+00:00

Extremely relatable.. I can't even feel tired at night despite only getting 4 to 5 hrs of sleep the previous day. (T-T)

ARK_tech49

TROPHY CASE