Toshiba Qosmio F15-AV201 has a video problem where it only runs in 4 bit mode with vertical lines on the screen

My 18 months old (out of warranty) Toshiba Qosmio F15-AV201 has a video problem where it only runs in 4 bit mode with vertical lines on the screen, and the NVIDIA graphics processor doesn’t seem to be recognized by the system. It had worked fine until it perhaps got overheated during a PC game. I tried letting the machine cool off, starting in safe mode, reinstalled the Toshiba video drivers, but it didn’t help. My local computer repair shop disassembled and tested the unit. They said the GeForce GPU has failed, and since it is soldered on, a replacement motherboard is needed ($1200 for the part)! So I decided to buy a new laptop and not repair the Qosmio (it would have been $1300). The computer was used very little during its life, and its working components are in fine shape. Do you have any ideas on what to do? Can I use the components to build a barebones mini PC, or barebook? Can the 15.4 LCD be modded for use as an external VGA monitor? Are the Toshiba’s Pentium M CPU, RAM, 80G hard drive, Bluetooth, wireless card, and DVD super multi drive useable in a barebones mini or other desktop system? How about a barebones notebook (whitebook)? I would be able to build a small entertainment PC relatively cheaply this way. Am I able to upgrade a used or refurbished notebook using the parts? Alternatively, I could sell the whole notebook for parts on eBay. Advice?

Here’s Toshiba Qosmio F15 disassembly guide, just in case you want to tear it apart some day. The video chip in this model is integrated into the system board and if it fails, the entire system board must be replaced. But wait, do not take it apart (yet) and do not sell it (yet). I believe, at this time Toshiba replaces system boards in Qosmio G15 and Qosmio F15 laptops because of some kind of defect on the system board. It looks like they will replace it even if your laptop is not under warranty anymore. Check out this thread for more information. Just call Toshiba and mention that your Qosmio F15 will not boot and most likely the system board is bad.