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Laptop released in 2019 by Acer, Acer Nitro 5 includes 8 GB RAM (expandable up to 32 GB with the proper hardware) and red backlit keyboard.

Laptop stopped turning on

After the laptop fell from a small height (it bounced about 1–2 cm before landing), the screen froze and the audio became stuck/looped. After shutting it down, I tried turning it back on, but the keyboard/display backlight comes on and the fans spin, while there is no image. After a few seconds, the fans stop and the laptop restarts, repeating this cycle endlessly. Resetting the BIOS, reseating/replacing the SSD, and reseating the RAM did not help.

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@ivan74677 the sudden freeze and looping audio after the impact indicates the communication between the CPU and the system memory, or to the PCH, was disrupted. The boot-looping, where fans spin up and shut down repeatedly, confirm that your computer is failing its hardware Power-On Self-Test (POST) before the BIOS can initialize.

Because you have already ruled out standard RAM and SSD seating issues, the impact likely caused a physical disconnection, a pinched cable, or a cracked solder joint.

First, try to reseat the eDP Display Cable. It is possible that the impact likely yanked it slightly crooked inside the motherboard connector. If the backlight power pins touch the low-voltage data pins due to a skewed connection, the board's short-circuit protection will trigger a boot loop. Remove the cable and check for bent pins; if okay, reseat it perfectly straight. You can also try to disconnect the display and start your laptop with only an external display connected, just in case that your display cable is torn and will shorten out your motherboard.

If that did not work, then you do want to go ahead and perform a Barebones test. Any shorted peripheral can drag down the primary voltage rails and force a restart. Disconnect the motherboard from any secondary USB/Audio daughterboard. Also, remove the Wi-Fi card and disconnect the touchpad/keyboard ribbons. Attempt to boot the bare motherboard. If the boot loop stops and the system stays powered on (even with no display), the daughterboard, its ribbon cable, or the Wi-Fi card was physically shorted by the drop.

Next, test for a fractured RAM slot. Move your RAM module to the secondary DDR4 slot. If the system POSTs successfully, the primary slot's solder joints are broken.

Anything after that would most likely be an issue with some damaged BGA solder joint or fracture of a trace on the motherboard. It is possible that this is on the CPU due to the heatsink acting as a lever on it during impact. Try this: With the laptop powered off, press down firmly but carefully with your thumb directly on the center of the CPU/GPU heatsink block. While maintaining that pressure, push the power button. If the laptop suddenly stays on and POSTs, you have confirmed a cracked solder ball under the chip. Now, to repair that, you will need to do a reball. Let us know what you find out.

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@oldturkey03

I reseated the RAM and SSD, checked the slots but didn’t notice anything unusual. I unplugged and reconnected the ribbon cables, disconnected everything, including the laptop charger, and even pressed down on the CPU with my finger, but the laptop still keeps restarting.

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