Acer 5920G, disable vga (bad vga) use it as a server

I have a 5920g with a bad vga. I removed the mxm II vga from the slot and i was wondering: Is there a mod to disable vga checking from the bios?

Since i will be using the laptop as a Linux server, vga is obsolete. I can install the Operating system on another machine and then boot it over the 5920G. But it will always stop since no vga card is availiable.

 

ok, here is the same question but more generally expresed. Is there any way to boot any laptop with no vga?

 

Can i short circuit any pins on the MXM interface in order ro bypass the check for the VGA card which is missing?

 

I believe there are some resistors and capacitors involved, than shorting something in the MXM socket, and you'll enable the built-in GPU. You have to find high-res photos of the non-MXM version and compare them. I know that it works for 5520G, though it's AMD based.

 

I guess that it should be a BIOS thing. Since in a desktop PC, when the pc boots the BIOS inspects the connected hardware. If f.e. you don't have a keyboard connected the pc will halt the boot process unless instructed from the BIOS to not stop at any errors.

In the same manner i guess that by reprogramming the BIOS i could bypass that check (i don't know how).

As far as the shortcircuit of the MXM interface pins, i haven't found anything so far on the net, providing info on that.

I have found only a thread that they tried to connect to the MXM interface a regular PCI-E card, using a cable ribon to extend the interface (with no luck so far)

 

I'm telling you how I know it was done. It is electrical to me. It's up to you which way you'll pick.

There is a hidden option in the BIOS menu for the graphics switching. It worth nothing to try it, since you are on the BIOS modding page. How to enable it, I don't know, I just know that it's there. As a side note, if it's forced to look for MXM only, it wont look/switch to the integrated graphics. After all the first switchable graphics are on PM45 chipset.

 

Thank you triturbo. i will research more. (for about a week more). If i don't come up with something i am thinking into to buying a new MXM card and try openbios, where i could possibly disable the MXM card check. (and then sell the MXM card, as it wont be needed any more - if it works).

As far as electrically shorting out MXM pins, iam trying that on another MXM laptop that i have with bad vga (MXM I). If that works without burning the board i will try with the ACER.

Iam thinking that there are way too many laptops on Ebay with bad vga cards, they are excellent solution for low powered servers (linux, virtualization). Iam hopping that there are other people out there willing to experiment in order to get them operational.