This isn’t just for Alex, I’m learning and would like multiple inputs, and I’ll be asking about this on Reddit r/ElectronicsRepair also.

Recently bought an Asus ROG Zepherus (or however you spell it) GX701GX rev 1.6 as broken, no power. Removed motherboard, and found a small burn mark on the back of the board under the screen connector (image attached, pre clean up) Cleaned it up and no major damage but I can’t identify the burnt component… I assume it was a cap but size and values would be a guess.

I don’t have a cap to try yet but decided to plug it in and see if it would turn on. It did not, and I found a voltage step down controller getting very very hot… even though I saw no short, so I removed the controller, also imaged. Before I removed the controller, I was getting power on the 20V rail but after removing it, I plugged it in again… all the lights flashed for a split second and then nothing. Now I’m getting a short at the source of the 20V MOSFET next to the power supply plug and in several other places…. tried injecting voltage to find the short but the Short Killer I recently got, is refusing to inject… maybe because the short is still at 4 ohms… so no it’s not a dead short. I’m still figuring out this equipment.

Any advice? Should I have not plugged it back in without the step down controller installed? Just trying to learn.