Direct2Dell

Lionel made a series of four posts regarding the NVIDIA GPU issue and our response.  You can find the fourth one here.  To make sure that everyone is getting the most accurate info we're turning off comments to these older posts but you're welcome to post comments or concerns to Lionel's fourth post. 

Can you please provide another link to the list of details surrounding this problem. I have a Latitude D620 and would like to know more about the specifics. The listed links do not work

The table is chopped off on the right so I can't determine if there's anything past the 3rd column. I have a Vostro 1000 and can't see what the models are in the 3rd col let alone anything past that. A little help here?

Also, anybody w/a Vostro 1000 that's had any probs? Ours is working fine (knock on wood).

So, let me see if I am getting this straight. Myself and my girlfriend both bought new Dell XPS M1530 laptops in October 2008, and they have the NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT video chip, is this one of the chips that are having the problems?

Hello!

(Sorry this is a repeat of the other message... I clicked on 'Reply' in error)

I bought my XPS 1530 a year ago, in fact, last week I had a call from Dell offering to sell me an insurance or warranty which I declined.  However, since then I've read, this morning about this issue and wonder now what I should do!?

I haven't had any problems, so far, with the machine and it has run well - although sometimes the fan sounds like it's working hard.

What advice would you give to me?  Do I download the temporary fix?  Do I make myself known to Dell? Certainly I shall back up everything on a regular basis now as a just in case measure... but do I just wait until the problem happens before doing anything?

Your advice would be much appreciated, please.

Gill

Hello

Like others here, I have the same problem. I purchased my m1330 in August of 07 on a 4 year lease (through my business). We buy many laptops from dell, as well as PowerEdge systems, and we just did a Equallogic deployment (with vmware!) All the other laptops I have bought in the last three years (over 15) with the exception of my m1330 have been great.

However back my depressing m1330. I am just over a year and a half through my lease, in that time this problem has happened three times! the most recent of which I am dealing with currently. Since my warranty expired after a year, I spent several hours on the phone convincing the support reps that there is a 12 month extension for nvidia GPU related issues. Eventually this was confirmed and I am now waiting on the box to send it back to the depot. I think its very nice that Dell has extended the warranty in this regard, however there are still several problems:

1) The BIOS update is simply not a fix. period. I was running the newest BIOS since the day it came out, and I now have this problem again for the third time. Even if the BIOS update did fix the problem (which it does not) the fact it just kicks the fan in more is not a solution. I bought the m1330 expecting to get the battery life I paid for, NOT decreased battery life due to a BIOS update due to a known issue due to a flawed solution.

2) Now that its being sent off to the repair depot for the third time, I am told they will replace the motherboard/GPU combo. While as I mentioned this is nice, it does not fix the issue either! So far as I can tell I am getting the same video card I have gotten the last two times, and with the same defect, and the same BOIS "fix". Considering I am not even half way through my lease, and I have had this problem happen three times, I think its fair for me to assume I will need to go through this entire process at least another three times before its out of the lease and I can throw it away (happily).

3) After the 12 month warranty extension I am going to have to purchase another 2 years of warranty simply because I know I will be sending the unit in over and over again to fix the exact same problem. I do not like the fact I need to pay for a warranty on a item to be replaced by another faulty item, its also a big waste of  Dells time I imagine.

I did not buy this laptop with the intent of servicing it every 6 months, I don't think anyone would, I also did not buy one with reduced battery life due to a band aid "fix". I cannot justify just throwing it out now and paying another two+ years on a lease for a laptop that does not suit my needs and does not function as advertised in a acceptable manor. Are there any other options open to me? I tried asking the support tech to put me through to manager and I got a promise one would call me back which never happened. Ideally I need this laptop to work as advertised, I understand that sometime things break, and sometimes the cause is me, but in this case its a factory defect, I am not doing anything to cause it other than normal use, and its not being repaired with a fixed part, only the same part that will break again. Has anyone managed to get a refund? I have seen some ppl who got shipped a refubished unit, would that not have the same issue? Do the m1330's currently for sale on the Dell site have same defect? if not has anyone been able to get a swap for a new m1330?

This is brutal. I like Dell, and I understand this is technically not Dells fault, but this "fix" and hardware replacement as it currently is, is not acceptable to me or I think, anyone else.

FYI, I am also in Canada, so not sure if you in the states have had a better experience.

-Colin

I bought my Dell XPS M1330 on 01/08 with a NVIDIA 8400M GS graphics card in USA. A summary of what happened was:

1) Computer screen turned black for a few seconds then recovered. The message given was something like "display driver stopped working and has recovered"

2) A day later, my laptop would change color (green/pink) and then freeze. I could still reboot and it'll work fine

3) Now, when I turn on my computer, I get a black background and green horizontal and vertical lines across my screen. I have to try rebooting several times before windows would actually start. Even when it started, it crashes frequently.

Given the above symptoms, It is most likely the nvidia GPU problem. However, I have two main problems:

a) I understand that DELL plans to add 12 months of warranty for this issue but my original warranty ran out 3 months ago and I am now having trouble contacting dell technical support either by phone/email for a non fee-based support.

b) I am currently studying abroad in China until August 2009 before I return to the states. The DELL website and DELL phone support are all in Chinese! My Chinese is not good enough to understand anything!

I appreaciate and help/support or advice any of you could offer as I really need my laptop up and running for my engineering classes! It feels as though this laptop is dying. First the battery and that's only after a year! Now the graphics card. Who knows what's next? I'm really disappointed with this laptop. My previous laptop DELL insprion 6000 was so much more reliable before I upgraded to this. I just hope things would change for the better now...

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I purchased  my laptop (dell xps 1330) in December, 2006. I have a same problem as yours. When I was working  the screen went green and then horizontal colored lines started filling up and I had to reboot it. I replaced motherboard and used external fan to prevent t over heat. But this problem happened again a few months later and ….

Finally I had  to replaced  motherboard for 3 time!!!!

Now my one year warranty went out and I haven’t any money to purchase another laptop or motherboard!!!!  What should I do?! 

Do dell support me?!

do u have any idea?? Thanks a lot :(

I have an XPS M1330 that was purchased 08/07 and video failed in 11/08.  After contacting Tech Support and sending the laptop back for servicing, I was charged $393.  Apparently they determined the problem was the display and not the adapter.  Now it looks like the failure was actually related to a defective video adapter and I have it again, only WORSE.  I felt like I got run around the first time; I'm certainly not looking forward to a second round.  When contact Tech Support this time, I'll be trying to get my money back too.

I have an XPS M1330 that was purchased 08/07 and video failed in 11/08.  After contacting Tech Support and sending the laptop back for servicing, I was charged $393.  Apparently they determined the problem was the display and not the adapter.  Now it looks like the failure was actually related to a defective video adapter and I have it again, only WORSE.  I felt like I got run around the first time; I'm certainly not looking forward to a second round.  When contact Tech Support this time, I'll be trying to get my money back too.

I too feel very slighted to have the M1210 left off of this list.  My Go7400 went bad just a few months out of warranty.  Usually I'd have considered it my fault for not purchasing a longer warranty, but the computer was in climate controlled storage for upwards of 6 months of the warranty period, and unused for another 3 or so months of that same warranty period.  That is just unacceptable.

Essentially, my M1210 died after just over three months of actual usage.  I was sorely disappointed in my first -- and likely, last -- Dell computer, and left with no recourse.

I was ecstatic when nvidia announced all of their GPU problems, because I knew that mine had to be included in that list.  It was a blow to find that Dell said it wasn't -- though, by the look of all the M1210 problems on these boards, it should be. :(

swilliams2

@Dell - Thank-you very much for performing an out-of-warranty repair on my XPS M1210. The GPU was indeed blown, and the motherboard replacement sorted everything.

Interesting to note that there's no nVidia GPU on this motherboard - rather a reliance on an Intel GMA 950. Guess the same problem won't be occuring again!

Thanks, and hopefully the M1210 will now be added to the list of those models affected.

My E1705 had an nVidia Go 7900GS and it (naturally) died with the infamous green vertical dotted lines running across my screen.  In order to type this, I have had to take the liberty of buying a used ATI x1400 Mobility card just to have a working laptop.  Since there are so many instances of the E1705/9400/X1710 video card failures of the same ilk, why isn't this model considered part of the replacement cache?  Can I call Dell and have them replace my card even though I'm not on the list yet?  Any help would certainly be appreciated, since I have spent $$$ for a laptop that ultimately had a limited lifespan hardwired in.

* Excuse me, I meant @ Todd S

Hi,

I have a XPS M1210 (nVidia Go 7400) that is now an expensive paperweight ~20 months after purchase - POST LED testing confirms GPU failure (it won't boot). A small bit of googling reveals that there are a load of people in the same boat. With the cost of repair, it makes sense to buy an entirely new laptop.

@Scott S - why will Dell not include my model in its extended warranty program? It was top-of-the-line when I purchased it, and given the large number of GPU failures experience by M1210 owners, I expected better than this.

Thank you for that as my point is that the GPU is the same as the recalled boards (6150).  Thank you looking into this for me.

@ madliz   If I remember correctly the C521 was a low profile but wasn't a true "slimline" model that uses notebook equivalent video cards.   I believe we looked into these once before but I've sent out an email to try to get more information on the issue.

Hello Todd.  It is a C521.

Sorry for the mess in the other post.

Just getting someone on the phone at technical support that knows about this issue has been an exercise in futility.  I have talked to 3 different techs there who claim there is no such issue and they would know if there was.  I have emailed the gentleman I spoke to and sent him several links to articles (including this one) about the GPU issues.

Now I have a desktop, but it is the same model GPU (6150) that HP is extending their warranty on due to the defect.  I just want some honest answers.  If the part is defective, please replace it.  If you refuse, at least admit there is an issue.

@ madliz    What model of system are you calling support about?

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Just getting someone on the phone at technical support that knows about this issue has been an exercise in futility.  I have talked to 3 different techs there who claim there is no such issue and they would know if there was.  I have emailed the gentleman I spoke to and sent him several links to articles (including this one) about the GPU issues.

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Now I have a desktop, but it is the same model GPU (6150) that HP is extending their warranty on due to the defect.  I just want some honest answers.  If the part is defective, please replace it.  If you refuse, at least admit there is an issue.

@boah51   If you are having the same symptoms with a different motherboard then chances are it was not the motherboard or video card causing the problems.  I would recommend that you contact Technical Support and see if they can help you troubleshoot the problem further to find out what is actually causing the issues.   If it is deemed to be a bad motherboard the replacement you just had put in carries a minimum 90-day parts warranty.

Hi, so did Dell finally fixed the gpu problem? cause I got 2 days ago a new motherboard for my vostro 1310 and I still have the same problems. Of course, it was a refurbished one...my system is even 10°C hotter and now the fan does not turn off at all time!!! what is the newest revision of the 8400m gs? i have the A2.

Hi.  I recently started having problems with my (I know it's an older computer) C521.  My video just stopped working.  After checking the system and trying several tests, found that I had a Nvidia 6150 gpu.  This is not on the list above but is still the family of GPU's that is an issue.  I called tech support and they would not even talk to me as my warrenty is over.  This is very frustrating as there is nothing wrong with the usual hardware parts (video card, power supply, etc.).  There will be more of the desktops to have issues as time goes on A little help for those of use that recieved these laptop motherboards in out "slim" systems?

Hi,

I'm in New Zealand so maybe things are different down here but here is my experience of the dreaded nVidia problem.

I've got an 18 month old Vostro 1400 which is 6 months out of warranty that started playing up on March 3, I have been following the nVidia situation for a few months and so wasn't surprised.

I immediately called Dell support expecting to spend the rest of the day on the phone trying to get the problem solved. Within about 3 minutes they were arranging to have a tech come by and replace the motherboard at my home office (at their expense of course) They also told me over the phone that the warranty on affected parts for the affected systems is now 5 years. So on Friday 6 March the tech arrives and installs a refurbished motherboard, it ran for about 5 mins and freaked out. The tech shook his head knowingly and muttered something uncomplimentary about about refurbished boards and said he'd be back. Today, March 11 he was back with what appeared to be a brand new board which he installed. Apart from a bit of hassle with the RAM modules which was sorted by taking out and reseating, everything appears to be OK - so far.

So I'm impressed, DELL has handled it far better than I was expecting.

Oh my.. My warranty expired last FEB 08.  what should I do?  Will dell still support this issue?

Hi, here's another problem I have.  I need to contact the Dell Tech Support but I'm in the Philippines and I bought my XPS M1330 from Singapore.  How will they honor the warranty of this one, It's already expired but I guess they will still help me out here because I'm havign this GPU issues.  What do you think?

hi...i bought a dell vostro 1710 at the end og december 2008 with a nvidia 8600m GS ....does this announcment affect me??i mean my machine havs the same problematic card??if yes,why dell after this announcmen on august continued to sell laptops with this nvidia chipset??is this graphic problem related with bad cpu performance????the problem i have is that sometimes the operating system cannot see the drivers of the nvidia and i have to restart...what's the solution for me that i bought a new dell vostro 2 and half months before ,4 months after their verification about this problem??what do i have to do??

Hi Todd, I have a XPS M1330 (with a NVIDIA 8400m GS GPU). I have a great experience with XPS in last 15 months but now I have following graphic problem.

When the notebook starts, most times the screen shows vertical colored lines although windows boots normally. But I can only see a vertical colored lines slowly turn into white screen. Nothing I can do now; after some time the computer restarts.

The problem is that my warranty expired a few months ago, and I want know that is DELL can help me out to repair my laptop? Can DELL consider this repair in warranty period as mentioned in this post? 

http://en.community.dell.com/blogs/direct2dell/archive/2008/08/18/nvidia-gpu-update-dell-to-offer-warranty-enhancement-to-all-affected-customers-worldwide.aspx#comments

I didn't fine any tall free number where I can contact to technical support of dell. It would be helpful if anyone could answer me.
Thanks.

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Hi Todd, I have a XPS M1330 (with a NVIDIA 8400m GS GPU). I have a great experience with XPS in last 15 months but now I have following graphic problem.

When the notebook starts, most times the screen shows vertical colored lines although windows boots normally. But I can only see a vertical colored lines slowly turn into white screen. Nothing I can do now; after some time the computer restarts.

The problem is that my warranty expired a few months ago, and I want know that is can DELL help me out to repair my laptop? Can DELL consider this repair in warranty period as mentioned in this post? 

http://en.community.dell.com/blogs/direct2dell/archive/2008/08/18/nvidia-gpu-update-dell-to-offer-warranty-enhancement-to-all-affected-customers-worldwide.aspx#comments

It would be helpful if anyone could answer me.

Thanks.

Hero-ly   I would recommend that you contact Technical Support.  They can help you go through some troubleshooting steps to confirm the cause of the issue.   While it does sound like something that would be covered I can't promise that since I'm not in a position to do the troubleshooting to confirm it.  Tech Support will be able to give you a more definitive answer once they review the details of the case.

Hi Todd, I have a XPS M1330 (with a NVIDIA 8400m GS GPU) that has the following graphic problem.

When the notebook starts, most times the screen shows vertical coloured lines although windows boots normally. But if the notebook starts normally the GPU gets hot (showed by some programs like gpu-z, or a NVIDIA gpu temperature gadget), it shows a temperature between 65 and 80 degree without doing any complex graphic work, then the screen stuck and gets black; after some time the computer restarts and windows tells that the system was restarted because of a graphic problem. (Note that I have had installed the latest BIOS and NVIDIA driver versions).

The problem is that my warranty expired a few months ago, and I want to ask if DELL will take the reparation in charge.

It would be helpful if anyone could answer me.

Thanks.

@ dpwo I'm sorry to hear you're having such problems with your m1330 but from what I understand of the NVIDIA issue it doesn't stop your system from actually booting.  It would still go into VGA mode I believe.    What kind of errors, exactly, are you getting when it won't reboot?    Feel free to PM me with more details if you like and I'll see if I can get someone from Tech Support to help you.

My M1330 just goes from bad to worse, ant their tech support can't help. Takes 20 boots now for one to be successful.

My suggestion to you all is do as I have - upgrade to a Sony Vaio, and tell all your friends and business contacts about how you percieve Dell quality and support...

Bet this post doesn't last  long either.

I had D630 with nvidia and after few months of using it I had the same symptoms.

Dell replaced the motherboard 3 times and the lcd 1 time.

Of course it didn't solve the problem, and they offered me they will re-install windows...

At the end Dell refunded me and I bought a new E6400 with nvidia.

Guess what? after 3 weeks of using it, yesterday it happened again.

I have no idea what to do. Everybody knows about this problem but nothing help.

I guess I will ask for refund now and buy another laptop without nvidia card.

@ magimat

The limited warranty enhancement is for the NVIDIA GPU only and is not a full warranty extension, so it is not displayed on our http://support.Dell.com website.  It is available via our phone support for one year after your normal service contract expires.

Lionel posted an updated blog about this issue here that you may want to review.  It has a bit more information than this post.

I have a XPS M1710 with GEFORCE Go 7950 and suffered a meltdown three times, in november 2008, december 2008 and january 2009.  Latest BIOS for my machine is from may 2007 hence it probably does not include a "thermal fix" for this issue. Please, Dell:

1. Add XPS M1710 in the list of affected machines.

2. Update bios on XPS M1710 to alleviate this problem

3. Demand from NVIDIA clear  info about which chips have this problem and make it public.

Thanks

I have been monitoring my GPU temps on my XPS1330 (A14) and am getting max temps around 90c avg 70-80c and the fan is working it's socks off trying to keep the thing cool! so much so,  that charging the battery is stuck at 58%, and all I am doing is running a virus scan and surfing the net!, marvelous.  Come on Dell recall/replace these not fit for purpose laptops......

Nick40000, That is great, congratulations, you found somebody that messed up in their corporate rules, admitted that  m1210 are defective, and replaced your motherboard... with another defective.

Hey dell people: you should be calling me and apologizing for me not having a computer anymore, I dont have time to deal with you and spend hours on the phone with your "not knowing anything about the problem" tech guys.

The word is out as I promised, and I am not buying from you next year.

And stop deleting my comments.

I have an E1705/9400 laptop with GeForce Go 7900 GS. The video card failed two weeks ago with corrupted characters appearing on the screen from boot up. Also i could only boot up in VGA mode, it would only allow me into higher resolution modes on rare occassions and would freeze soon after doing it. I contacted NVIDIA and they fobbed me off saying it was DELL's faulty board design that caused the issue.

Dell said they were waiting on spare cards due to the high demand for this card. The tech that swapped it over said that he spent most of his time replacing faulty Nvidia cards. I am worried now because warranty has just expired, and the new card has already had 1 incident of distorted random characters on my wallpaper.

The problem appears to be failure of the video RAM area. Does anyone know if it is possible to switch off the video RAM area of the card, and use the system RAM instead? I am not concerned with any performance reduction, just want to get  a stable system back.

Also am concerned that the video card fan is not powerful enough in cooling the card down.

Hi Frixos, I had mine replaced on an XPS1330 back in November, the disc was not formatted and no data was lost. It all came back as before, including the very annoying other generic fault with the sound jumping , skipping when playing back any kind of music!. There appears to be a bug fix for other models any chance of one for mine Dell?. As my warranty was due  to run out I have reluctantly "invested" in a 3 year extension as I have no confidence in the GPU failure not recurring

Hey there! Any one got his/her motherboard replaced successfully?

If it is possible I would like to know if the hard drive is reformatted or stays as it is on motherboard replacement.

I just wanted to post an update.  I mailed my m1210 into the repair facility 1 week ago.  I got it back today.  They replaced the motherboard and it's working great.  I'm happy.  Grahf, I'll email you later tonight or tomorrow.  Krisci, it took me a long time and a lot of arguing.  The initial tech support guy I talked to had no idea what I was talking about.  Eventually he connected me to a customer service rep who agreed to connect me to an XPS tech, and then he spent about 30 minutes talking to his supervisor about whether I was entitled to the extended warranty.  You might try starting with customer service, but whatever you do, I would suggest just not giving up.

Hi Todd, I have the problem as well, and I need help. I have a dell inspiron 1420 with a 8400m GS and Just yesterday the problem appears, I am kind of desperate because this omputer cost 1250$ and my warraty just expire in september last year, my computer present these symptoms "multiple images, random characters on the screen, lines on the screen, no video" I just call to technical support and they told me that my computer is not listed in the recall.

It is the same problem and I don't know what else to do, They said that because is not listed is not affected, thing that is not logical for me because is the same model the same video card.

I ran the diagnostic and it give me this error: Video error code of 5300-0119

detected a failture while writing and reading video memory. Video mode Dh! (320x200x16) address A0008h expected to read 0h but read 10101010h instead.

This kind of error happened when there are tempeture issues, I realize that is the same problem, I need your help to be covered with for this issue, I can provide you my tag and service express number. so please give me a hand because so far I was thinking that Dell was a great company and they made a great computers, but my appreciation is changing because I haven't the support that I suppose to have even if my warranty expire, and  it is an known issue.

Please tell me what to do.

Regards,

Gustavo Pineda

How do you contact tech support without paying when your original warranty has run out?  I still should have an extra 12 months for the  GPU issue but whenever I contact tech support I'm expected to pay before they'll answer my question.  If this is covered under an extended warranty I should not have to pay $45 just to tell someone about it.  Thanks for any suggestions!

Dear all,
5 month before, i bought a 2nd dell D630 from some people. After 2 month, my laptop having Problem with the VGA ( NVIDIA 135 M) . I lived in Viet nam, so there are no agency (or authorized dealer ) in Viet nam can help me to fix this problem. I already talk with Dell Support and they suggestion that send it to the Malaysia or Australia to fix VGA problem. But i can not.
After that, i go to the shop in Ha noi, and fix this problem(fixing only - not replace main board). But after 2 months, VGA problem occur again.
Now, i decide to replace the main board. But i am a little worried about : Did they absolutely fix NVIDIA problem in the new main or not?
Did you know about this problem? Please help me because the price of the new main board are very expensive for me.

I own a Precision M90 notebook and my Nvidia Quadro 2500 GPU failed on 12/29/2008. I have "next business day" warranty and I called Dell Italy technical support the same day it happened, but as today (01/15/2009) they didn't yet substitute my graphic card, saying they have problems resupplying new GPUs from Nvidia. When I bought my M90 I came from a bad support experience and I preferred Dell over other vendors exactly because they had "next business day" support: now you can imagine how upset I am after 15 days waiting and with no certain date for problem solution. I have two questions:

1) How long should I wait for for my notebook to be repaired? Can I hope to have it fixed within January?

2) Why Precision M90 is not eligible for the "limited warranty enhancement"? It has the same kind of Nvidia GPU as the others, with exactly the same kind of problems but I don't see it in the table.

@Todd Smart, Community Liaison

Given the scale of this problem I would have thought that the least Dell could have done would be to set up a dedicated email address to handle all customers suffering NVIDIA GPU failures on these laptops.

However, in hte absence of an email address, I shall just have to rely on a good old fashioned letter to Dell UK customer service.

I am a student who bought a xps 1530 just before this information came out. As a result of this I cannot multitask on my computer. Just having multiple windows open causes my computer to completely shut down. I want dell or Nvidia to give me a graphcs card that works. I really would like a recall or a replacement so that I can acutally use my computer! It's not fair to the customers that put their faith in these two companies only to get stabbed in the back. Come on Dell/Nvidia your reputation as companies are on the line here. Do the right thing!!!!!!

Ken the college kid! 

As I don't want to use Dell's expensive 0844 support telephone number, what is an email address I can use to advise Dell that my XPS M1330 is exhibiting all the symptoms of having a NVIDIA GPU problem.

I fail to see why having a PC outside of the 12 month warranty period should prevent me from contacting Dell product support by email.  Regardless of the warranty position, in the UK Dell has a statutory obligation under the Sale of Goods Act to repair a product not of merchantable quality.

DELL is nothing but a RIP-OFF! I have the XPS1530 and have had nothing but problems with it. The thing doesn't even turn on anymore and I HAVE THEIR FULL WARRANTY and they have yet to replace or fix it for me. Everytime I call and talk to somebody I feel like the representatives don't even know that they work for a computer warranty. OH and forget if you want to talk to a supervisor. Not only do they not have one there but you have to be put on a waiting list to talk to them and THEY NEVER GIVE YOU THE CALL BACK! Save you money and headaches and go buy HP laptops. I bought 2 for my sisters and 1 had a small problem and the next day she received a box and shipped it back to them and the following day she received and it was working perfectly. AND GUESS WHAT? She had a cheaper and worse warranty than me! Anyway just stay out of buying DELL their just gonna rip you off.

Chris, do you have a source or anything where we can read what you said about " I know that within the last two months, Nvidia has stated that they are beginning to work with the OEMs to consider a recall".

Allow me to make a suggestion... This post may never even make it to pulic post, but hopefully, if it does, you will take a moment to consider these thoughts.

There are multiple OEMs that are being affected by the Nvidia GPU defect. The major players are Dell, HP and even old Mac over on the other side of the fence. This ultimately has the potential to touch multiple thousands of homes and businesses. Ultimately, the OEMs are in the same trouble we are in as consumers. For them to create a completely new system that would use a totally different video GPU would cost multiple millions of dollars. This would force a new case design, new motherboard, new graphics card, etc... In the long run of things, it could hamper the ability of companies like Dell and HP to even render support on the level they have at this time over this issue.

However, I am sure that if Nvidia would take responsibility for this matter, as they should since they have known about this issue for over a year now, this repair and replacement process would be taken care of by the OEMs such as Dell and HP. Both HP and Dell have temprary fixes in place such as the BIOS updates to help prevent an issue until a real solution is in place. Dell has even publicly agreed that this is not a fix, but it may help prevent customers from being without a system until a resolution is in place.

I believe that all of our comments on this blog are being heard. As a matter of fact, some comments have been used in the class action paperwork filed recently by the shareholders of Nvidia against Nvidia.

How many on here have considered sending emails, letters and making phone calls to Nvidia to get them on the ball. I know that within the last two months, Nvidia has stated that they are beginning to work with the OEMs to consider a recall. Let your thoughts be heard by the company that caused this problem. NVIDIA! Take the time to compose a thoughtful email or even send a certified letter requesting that they take action to restore the consumer confidence of Nvidia products.

I am sure that over time, this issue will be fully resolved, but not until Nvidia offers a full recall and can fully compensate the OEM manufacturers of their losses to replace the defective items. A final word... I have been affected by this same issue. I have an Nvidia GPU in my system. I trusted Dell, as I have for hundreds of system purchases. You trusted Dell on your purchase or you would not be on this blog now. Others trusted HP and other OEMs. The trust is warranted. All the major OEMs have been very public about the problem and have not tried to hide it. Report your concern to Dell, but don't be as ugly as I might have been to them before I realized what company was really at fault here.

The fault lies with Nvidia and that is who we need to put pressure on. We always ask a company to stand behind us, but now and for once, how about we stand behind the OEMs for a change. They have hundreds of employees as well that could be affected by loss of revenues over this issue.

I did want to clarify that I am not associated with Dell or any other company involved in this issue. I am no different than you. I am a working citizen that is concerned about my technology investments.

Has anyone else had a serious problem with dell over this. Its been over a week and a half after I've contacted them and they still have yet to even send me the box to send my laptop away in. I've been calling every other day and all i get is "it'll be there tomorrow"

got my xps1330 in March this year, the GPU failed this Saturday, it started showing the white lines and defected colours on Thursday. I've sent an e-mail describing the problem to the dell support in europe, but I still didnt get any answer. Finally today I called the support, they told me a technican will contact me tomorrow and replace the GPU. The technician is supposed to come here tomorrow and the tech on the phone wasnt even sure if the tech can make it here tomorrow! But I have the Next Business day on site service! Also I asked the support on the phone if the issue will be solved then when I get my laptops GPU replaced and he said "yes, this solves the problem".I live in Austria and it was german speaking support, I think they have they call centre in Germany.

Could someone official please confirm his words?

It is an outrage, I've read all of the posts here and dell's people just seem not read neither posts, nor questions. We want an official rection to all this!

Thanks a lot in advance,

Anton Ishmurzin

I am a m1210 owner with Nvidia 7400 since January 2007. It died 2 months ago with blue screens and vertical stripes on screen, now black screen only. Out of warranty.

I am waiting for an e-mail and/or a phone call that says: "We, DELL, apologize for the inconvenience, but we have to recall all the products with defective Nvidia GPUs including yours, and reimburse you or offer a free upgrade. Etc."

This is the only way to have people buy from you and Nvidia again, don't you understand?

We, the customers are making sure this problem is popular enough.

I have many mixed opinions about this issue at hand. We received a new Vostro 1500 in June to handle live A/V. It had the 8600 card with it. After a few weeks of usage, strange things began to happen. Random video lockups sort of like small bumps in the road. Next, we began to experience audio delays when the video was playing. Next, colors and streaks on the projections. Finally, we ended up with a strange hum in our recordings.

Dells solution to date: Replaced the AC Adapter twice. Once with a 2 prong and once with a 3 prong adapter saying it was possibly a grounding issue.

No luck with this fix. I did have an electrical engineer double check our grounding and ensure we had no ground loops in our system wiring.

A call back to Dell and we received a new motherboard the next morning. I finally thught I was on to something here. I swapped the board out and retested. No fix. Same exact issues.

A call back to Dell sent us to what the agent called "Tier 2 engineering support". The original agent was my verbal relay between myself and the Tier 2 folks. Their initial bright idea was to try a third motherboard in hopes that the 2nd replacement would be a newer board. They finally decided that would not be wise. Finally, they "suggested" that there "MIGHT" be an engineering issue in the design of the electronics on the 1500 vostro/8600 combo we had.

They have now issued an order for a Vostro 1510 since, as Tier 2 so well put it, "may not be affected by the same engineering design: Here is my dilemma now... Our laptop has to meet very stringent specs which I explained to the technicians. The 8600 ws the minimum video card we could use and the T7250 was the lowest processor we could use. Our replacement has been downgraded to an 8400 video card and also the processor has been downgraded to a 5870 proc. While most people may not be aware of the complications this might cause, we use this laptop for very intensive video application that are critical.

We invested more for our original Vostro 1500 and now have been downgraded since to a lower spec laptop because of this issue.

Someone please tell me how Dell has the right to actually downgrade my components? Based on warranty paperwork, I understand that Dell has the right to replace parts with substitutes, but they must be equal or greater parts. The laptop that is on it's way to us now has less than equal parts because Dell refuses to address the thermal issues other than a software patch that only patches the hardware issue at hand and in the long run, will destroy the batterly life cycle earlier than expected.

Hi, I suspect this problem exists on the older XPS M1210, I've had 2 motherboard replacements this year because of video issues and I'm now waiting for my 3rd.

I wish I could say Dell Support had been good, but I've struggling with this for nearly 3 months.

My gpu temperatures range from 59oC min to 84oC max on a vostro 1310.

Are these within the normal temperature ranges??

I'm not experiencing any graphics problems yet.

@ Lionel,

I am getting my thrid motherboard replaced even after the A12 update. This last one did not last more then a week and a half only playing the Sims 2 and using it for school work....

My question to you is after you have replaced my motherboard due to this issue, do you warrenty it for another 12 months from the date of repair?

I have a similar problem with XPS M1330 NVIDIA GPU Card, two weeks ago. After having motherboard replacement by Dell Support in The Netherlands, my problem has been solved. Thank you Dell, I hope the new motherboard come with improved NVIDIA GPU.

I can say Dell has provided good support, despite the problem with the NVIDIA GPU card. Excellent support!

Cheers,

Suprapto

@ Khoa

I would recommend, if time is your main worry, that you go to our support site, http://support.Dell.com.  There is a drop down on that window where you can select the country / region you need help in.   Use that to select the country where you either purchased the system in or are currently located.  There will be contact information on how to reach our Technical Support groups and they can advise you on the best way to get support quickly for your system.

I'm from Vietnam, Now, my XPS 1330 laptop have a problem (i bought it for 7 months ago), the monitor does not operate, i think the cause is error of NVIDIA card. Please help me to solve it as soon as possible. Because I very need it in this time for my work. Thanks

Good to see some national recognition. So when can I expect my new GPU?

hi lionel,

hello, i'm from malaysia and using dell inspiron 1420. Last week, i was happily that dell are willing to repair/change motherboard due to this issue. But sadly, they have replaced with more faulty motherboard that i'm using now. Before replacing the motherboard, there were just only gpu problem, but after that, my inspiron have 3 critical problem where the internal speaker, board's fan and battery charger were not function as well. I don't know whether the 3 problems are related to the main board. I have called the customer service, tell them all the problem occurs, but they said that i must extend the warranty first. I feel that i'm being cheated. Right now, i don't know what to do next. I'm a student and i don't know if i have any choices other than extending the warranty with the empty pocket.

Sadly. :-( :-( :-(

ayie~

ton rob:

same here - but the problem was in stub(cable connection), which is right on the back panel of the screen. Sometimes it is not connected well enough. They say it is a quite common problem. First i`ve been in the service and the problem was fixed. But 2 month later it happend again - and i`ve fixed it by myself - you need 5 min and a screwdriver :).

My m1210 is not displaying colors properly. The image looks dithered and messy. However, it works fine on an external monitor. Is there a way to fix this?

I just got a Dell XPS 1530 and had it die after a day.  I had been playing a game but hadn't really used it for much else.  The keyboard froze, I tried to reboot, and now the machine won't turn on at all.  Not even the charging light comes on when it's plugged into the wall.  They are sending a tech guy but I'm still not sure if I should just send the thing back.  I mean it did run beautifully the first day but this is crazy.  Not sure if it's even the same issue?  I'm hoping they would have fixed that problem by now.  I just really want to know what went wrong and I'm too impatient to wait.  I was so excited, upgraded everything while ordering and was ready to sit back and enjoy.  It is my first Dell and what a slap in the face to have it just sitting here next to me completely dead!

   Also not to be petty buuuut while researching these issues I saw picture of other XPS systems that came with a case, headphones, and had all of the backup disks in a little binder...not a big deal but I could always use spare headphones...am I the only one missing out or have the stopped doing this?

I just ordered a new XPS M1530 yesterday . Will it be affected by this problem ?

I'm XPS M1330 user. I bought this XPS in June 2008. Now, this error issue have happened to me. My XPS now won't display normally even during the bios start-up and I can't use it anymore..My problem got complicated, because now I lived in The Netherlands, but I bought it from Dell's distributor in Jakarta (Indonesia), still in warranty period though. How is Dell's technical support policy? Do I need to bring the laptop to the country I purchased it, or am I eligible for technical support (for GPU or mainboard replacement) in The Netherlands?

So I am urgently need help from Dell !! I am student, I can't afford another new notebook or travel back to Indonesia (will cost me the same amount buying new notebook) to get this XPS fixed.

Greetings Fellow Travellers

I have made significant progress in getting my Latitude D620 to operate properly with the assistance of my sons Jeremy in Singapore (Agilent techhelp) and Desmond in Dalian (Dell server manager).

Hardware: Latitude D620, 2 gig RAM, NVIDIA Quadro NVS 110M, 7200 RPM 100 G Drive, T7200 Core 2, perhaps 50 programmes installed and 90% full HDD. It is a heavily used machine with many large installs: WP11, Qpro11, Office 2003+2007 etc.

OS: Vista Business 6.0.6001 with SP1

My symptoms were:

- major problems with black screen lock-up when waking from Sleep Mode, appeared to be related to running TurboCAD Professional, it did it less often when T'CAD was not open, persistent problem when suspended and connected to a wireless network;

- refusal to suspend when pressing the Power Button or closing the lid though that is a more recent issue after trying to update the driver;

- significant slowing of the system loading things, like the Control Panel list of icons to the aforesaid TurboCAD Profesional 14/15 compared with a year ago; general deterioration of performance;

- failure to auto suspend or shut down if left unattended;

- failure to wake from Sleep (lock-up) if there was an open internet LAN connection when put to sleep;

- failure to wake from Hibernate (lock-up) if there was an open internet connection when Hibernated, ditto the LAN, wireless and TurboCAD Professional problems;

- failure to wake from Sleep (lock-up) if any internet connection was recently disconnected;

- failure to wake from Sleep (lock-up) if any wireless internet connection was not manually disconnected and a 'settling time' allowed for;

THINGS TRIED

Tried the standard Dell drivers. Same problems of course.

Tried manually loading 100.65_winvista_32bit_international.exe

Tried 162.50_quadro_winvista_32bit_english_whql.exe

Tried R160485.EXE

Tried the 17913 Version of driver with the 'cheat' .inf file (136k nvar.inf) from the Alienware site (which pretends it is a G8000), That caused mouse delay problems and a B&W screen loading Windows Media player viewing photos. It could be corrected by rotating the picture but it prevented all Sleep commands.

Tried to load the 179525 Version of Driver which is dated Jan 2008 but in that case it refused because what I had was newer.

SUFFESSFUL METHOD

Make sure SP1 is installed

Start/ Settings/ Control Panel/ Device Manager/ Display Adaptor/ Driver/ Uninstall

Delete all driver files? Yes

Screen went to a 640 x 480 or some such coarse display, tehn recovered.

Check the Device manager, the Display Adaptor entry must be MISSING. It took me two attempts: uninstalling and deleting the drivers, and rebooting , after which the OS automatically installed the Nvidia driver the first time but not the second. Doing it again removed the files and the Display Adaptor in the Device Manger list disappeared and the screen was DOS default mode.

No 'device', no driver, no Display Adaptor, system working.

Then run: Device Manager/ Action/ Scan for hardware changes

The scan located the following piece of hardware:

NVIDIA Quadro NVS 100M (Microsoft Corporation - WDDM)

This is a change from previously when it was recognized as an NVIDIA product, i.e. the MS reference was never there before.

The OS then automatically installed a MICROSOFT !! driver that apparently came with SP1. Cheking the Driver Details:

Driver Provider:  Nvidia 

Date: 22/08/2006

Ver. 7.15.10.9746

Huh.

CHANGES WROUGHT

All programmes are loading correctly.

TubroCAD Professional 15.1 exhibits no effect on the system

It suspends and wakes using the power button

It suspends and wakes correctly when connected to a active LAN

The loading speed of things like the Control panel icons has approx quintupled. Loading TurboCAD (which is a large file) ditto - 4 to 5 x faster loading. Ditto for Outlook with 8000 messages in the Inbox, especially the loading time between showing the inbox and the Reminders has dropped dramatically.

These speed improvements indicate that the various updated Dell and Nvidia drivers I have tried over the past 18 months were preventing the system using the GPU properly in the first place.

No more screen delay on the Bronze mouse pointer with trails.

No more JPG viewer B&W and width issue.

No more issues I can find.

The only problem that remains is that unless the Control Panel/ Power Options/ Choose what the power buttons do and /Choose what closing the Lid does have to be set to, say, 1 hr for SLEEP when the power cord is plugged in. If not, pressing the power button, closing the lid or using START/ Shut Down/ Sleep will all fail to put it to sleep unless the power cord is unplugged. The "Never" comand overrides manual commands to "Sleep".

It now wakes properly from Sleep even if it is connected to an active Wireless or LAN with TurboCAD Professional open at the time it was shut down.

I realise this does not assist people with physically defective cards, but it may be that the cards are running hot because they are not really doing anything anyway - just churning. Dunno. Just a thought.

That is my best shot. It may work for some of you.

Regards

Crispin, via www.newdawnengineering.com please, I don't have time to read this list and I am NOT an expert.

We are trying to contact dell regarding the M1330 GPU problem laptop, on the extension of warranty with no avail neither true there agents here in Malta an nor by emailing Dell -

(Dell is just ignoring us and there agents).

Can someone help please this is frustrating.

I bought a dell xps M1210 last july and its graphics card has gone kaput on me last week.  Why is the M1210 not on the warranty list?

Dell has lost my trust.  I will not buy from them again.

I find Dell to be very dishonest.  I called technical service regarding this issue and they totally ignored it.  Like they did not know what I was talking about.  I chat on the internet with a Dell technical service representative and he did the same.  The good think is that I have records of e-mail.  Finally I sent my computer for repair to a local store and they told me about the nvidia gpu problem.  I did a search and WHALA there it is. 

I really do not expect anything else but a new laptop with a diferent gpu. 

This is the type of poor customer service response that break companies.

Count me on if you decided to sue this company.

This was my son's first laptop.  I spent US1,000.  It lasted one year and 11/2 months.  The problem probably was going on for a long time, but because the young guy is only 15 probably did not know what was going on.

Someone needs to take accountability did you hear Dell and Nvidia?

Hi guys,

I got DELL INSPIRION 1520 last month end. first time i did not get any problem but when started using laptop 5th time i felt that some burning smell is coming from the laptop. i was scared. is this faulty of Nvidia chipset?  I wonder. Could any one help me out.

What does Dell consider the normal temp range for the ACPU, the cores, Nvidea, and hdd? 

I'm using CPUID to monitor these because my system gets very hot to the touch--much more so than either of the two previous Dells I have had. 

Also if I understand your comments correctly this failure can happen regardless of my tempuratures (though higher temps would make the problem worse), correct?

Thanks

It seems to me that all excessive heat generated by these faulty Nvidea chipsets well have shorten the laptops lifespan regardless of whether Dell replaces the faulty Nvidea with an ATI or generic video.  Please correct me if I am wrong, but heat is heat and it's bad.  If your video card has been generating excessive heat for 10 monthes and then blows up and Dell replaces it with another bad card your system is going to have the negative effects of excessive heat for 10+ monthes.  If Dell replaces your bad Nvidea with an good ATI your system still had the negative effects of 10 monthes of excessive heat--and that will shorten the lifespan either way. 

What is Dell gonna do? This is a huge problem either way.  They really need to replace all laptops with the faulty chipset.  If the problem was anything but excessive heat it wouldn't be so bad, but heat is the one problem that effects everything else.

I just wanted to make a note that I am an XPS 1210 owner and after one year of ownership I began to experience the same problem that lead to the above extended warranty.  I have spent hours on the phone with Dell and they will not honor the warranty for my model.  I find it hard to believe that it is not the same hardware issue that the other models are experiencing.  If you are an XPS 1210 owner and you are experiencing this issue please call Dell or post here.  At this point my computer won't even turn on or boot up.  If this isn't resolved I am done with Dell and plan on warning others about the poor quality that seems to be creeping into Dell computers.

I had my motherboard change last week by DELL Malaysia. However they could not confirm with me that the new motherboard GPU problem free. I just wander if DELL just replace with Intel X3100 where do not have this GPU problem. I am affraid after the extended the limited warranty period the GPU die and this time might cost my money to replace the motherboard. Sad to know that my old compaq with ATI still working like a champ after 5 yrs (the gpu run even  hotter that this m1330).

I'm having this problem few days ago and my warranty just expired. Anyway, i called to Dell Sinagpore today, they said they will change a free motherboard to me. Really thanks for your information!!!

I have two questions, which I hope some of you may help with:

1- GPU is dead on my XPS1330. I did not get the chance to take back up. Is there any possibility to recover data on the HDD ? How should I proceed. Warranty expired 

2- where are the official announcements as released by Dell ?

I bought my laptop inspiron 1420 on sep. 30th  i do wanna know whether there is something wrong with my laptop. Hope you can answer me .

I don't think anyone is listening...

We don't want our computers repaired, because "repaired" by your standards means having the parts replaced with more faulty parts. It is understandable that Dell is trying to keep costs to a minimum, but this is obviously a large problem that is bursting at the seams and needs to be resolved OFFICIALLY to at least save face. Will it cost Dell a lot of money? Yes, but I'm sure it's nothing they can't make up in a quarter's time with the extraordinary costs of some of their computers.

I am not sure what these random posts from the "Community Liaison" are supposed to do for us. This issue has been known for more than just a few months and no move toward refunds or NEW video cards that do not have this problem have been made.

I am very surprised that this has not hit media...I believe if it did, something might actually have to be done.

Hello Todd!

Well, I haven't heard back from you since sending my reply to your e-mail~ as I said, I've ALREADY had it in and had the video card replaced once...it was not only NOT repaired, but they did a sloppy job and got some goo on the outside of the laptop, packed it upside down and didn't bother to let me know what they found or what they did to it (had to write in and ask the tech support for info).

If you spoke to the Tech that said there isn't any video card problems, I'd like to know how that turned out...

At this time I have 4 hours to file a claim against the fellow that sold the laptop to me (although I don't really feel it was his fault, he didn't make it).  But, I have no other option since Dell isn't owning up to it enough to at least give me another one considering mine never worked from day one without crashing... it's not like I had it for 2 years and now am asking for a replacement.

It's sad that a customer that has bought Dell computers from you for at least 8 years (at least 6 systems), is treated this way. 

I too, saved up to buy this one (social security)... so, thanks and good job!

Soon to be X Dell Customer
D.Hughes

what about the inspiron 1520,  it gets so hot i could cook eggs on it and i'm not even running any programs and now the thing has so much trouble it cant run anything but internet explorer and only for about 1/2 a hour. oh and did i mention that it happened 1 month after the warranty ran out

I too am very frustrated after spending my hard earned $ on an XPS1530 so I could play Sims2 on it. From the very 1st game I played I had flashes like lightening. The game would crash after playing for awhile. Man oh man am I angry about this. All this money and no solution! I just want to play Sims2. I did the download above but did not help at all. I have chatted with Dell, called Dell, emailed Dell to no avail. So I am adding my 2 cents here too. I put a strip of foam 2" X 8" on each side on the bottom with velcro to get air to the underside. It has helped some (well maybe).

Well Dell?         Please make this right!

Well NVIDIA?    Please make this right!

hi, i have an xps m1330 with 4yrs extended warranty pack at moment of acquirement.

am i already covered from this issue???

So this is the 2nd time my machine has had this issue. First time resulted in a MB replace.  Now my machine is 1 mth out of warranty.  If you try to contact Dell Tech Support, it requires a Dell Service Tag. Put in the Dell Service Tag - and guess what - you cant talk to support becuase it is out of warranty.  How do I contact Dell Tech Support for a GPU issue?

I have dell xps m1330 which i bought it in US but now i am living in Kathmandu, Nepal and its unfortunate that my display is giving me all sorts of problems. will dell accept the warranty from the regional office which we have here in my country

or i have to ship it to US from where i bought it in first place

I posted back when this blog was first posted, about prior problems with my Inspiron 9300 and it's Nvidia card (that went bad).  At that time I had just purchased another DELL Inspiron 1720, and had problems with it the first time I booted it up.

Since then, I've been following the suggestions and contacted DELL support, have updated the Bios, (no good) used the DELL chat several times (no help).. wrote to TECH support too many times, and was told to do this and that.. and all would be well (NOT).  I even went ahead and sent it in to the repair depot, got it back and within 2 days the same problem reared it's ugly head. 

So, I wrote again to the Tech support, and explained this to them (along with some minor issues about the condition in which my laptop was returned, scratched and with some goo on it)~ explained to them that the problem wasn't fixed and asked just what they did when they "repaired" it?

Was told the card had been replaced.(?)  Tech says, send it back again and I promise it will really be fixed this time...and he needed to "check the series of batch of video cards we have to look in the video card that is present in the system".  So, I asked him if this was the case, WHY wouldn't they have checked this PRIOR to installing it?   The reply?

I would like to inform you that there is no such issues going on with any batch of video cards. It is just a rare chance that you have got the issue again in the system.

I am BEYOND frustrated, and so I checked back here to see if there was any NEW news on the subject, and find nothing really new, and MY system isn't even included in the list of ones that will at least get an extended warranty (so I can spend the next 2 years sending it back in every two weeks!).

I've taken photo's of the many different times since August that the card has tweeked and garbled my graphics or caused a spontaneous shutdown.

NOT a happy DELL customer!
D.Hughes

ps here's a link to someone who feels as I do and has the same problems:

http://techinhiding.com/shane/2008/09/dell-nvidia-gpu-issues/

I just payed 248 Euros for 3 years more warranty. For my XPS 1330.

My 1420 just started having problems eerily similar to this about a week ago (screen becomes useless w/vertical lines washing everything out), which of course is less than a month after my 1yr. warranty expired. After I leave it off for a day or so, it seems to come back up after it runs the necessary utilities, but with the same predictable crash no more than 2-3 days later.

These articles have given me a small bit of hope, so I will make sure to give Dell tech support a call later and verify. Thanks for the possible fix.

I bouth an XPS 1330 laptop last Jan (08) with one year warranty. My system died mid september, and was diagnosed by the DELL technical support as a failed nVidia GPU. they offered to send out a technician to replace the mobo. however when I mentioned this website and the extended warranty, they told me that this website is not official and that i would not recieve a 1year extension to my warranty.

also they refused to give me a direct answer when I asked whether or not the replacement GPU would also be affected, saying simply, "i am sure this problem will not happen again, and if it does we will replace the hardware" .... except that is if it happens after my warranty has expired.

who do I believe? this website or the DELL technical support line? either way I will not be buying from DELL again.

I bought an XPS 1330 as refurbished from NDC in Manchester.  I took delivery in mid September and I have had my first total failure of the GPU.  I will be sending it back to NDC, who have promised to replace the main board, but I fear that this is only a temporary fix as there is a systematic problem here.  I have checked to see if there is any warranty outstanding, but the machine was originally supplied in Spain in November 2007.

Will there be any possibility of fixing it economically if/when it fails in a year or so?  Otherwise I feel I have been swindled.

Well, i have an M1330 XPS and the GPU started failing yesterday , witht the vertical lines and bluish net all over sypmtoms. The thing is that my standard 1 year warranty gets over tomorrow and i tried calling DELL technical center today but i was out of time. Ive checked with my service tag in the website and it says that my warranty expires on the 2nd of october. I suppose tomorrow is included?? I will call and see what happens? At least i have left this comment here to have proof that i wasnt out of date!!

13 months into ownership of my XPS M1330, it began displaying an array of colored vertical lines, typically about 10 minutes into using the unit, leading to a "blue screen" system crash.  The problem manifests itself faster if the unit is sitting on a soft surface, like a couch or bed, where the bottom is subject to heat.  On a marble coutertop, it has not yet happened, which is consistent with an overheating component failure.  Updating the NVIDIA driver did no good.  At this point, I am sure the problem is the GPU.  Let's see if Dell comes though.  Even if the GPU is replaced, I won't feel that the laptop will be reliable, unless Dell can tell us that the problem has been addressed in the replacement GPUs.  The problem with Dell is not so much that the NVIDIA GPUs have a defect - it can happen to any manufacturer - the issue lies in how Dell resolves the problem with its customers.  From what I'm reading so far, it doesn't sound so good, but we'll see, the problem is still somewhat new.  After being a loyal customer of Dell for many years, I may have to consider other brands. 

Hi!

I bought my XPS M1530 with a Geforce 8600GT about 2 weeks ago. I chose it with a 9 cell battery for better operating time. However the batteries lasts probably 2 hours and thats with low power aps like reading documents in office or browsing the web?!

It really should last twice the time i think not gaming or any.....however the fan doesnt seem to be running wild or any on the card so i really cant figure out what to do?!

Anyone have the same issue here could maybe help me out?

My vostro 1400 died last night. Im one of the unlucky ones ran out of warranty by 2 months. Will Dell cover out of warrty as well, since it is the same chip. Its been months now that this issue has been known and they have done almost nothing to deal with it. I really wish i went with HP instead. Atleast they offer their customers a switch to a different(ATI) card. I wont be making the mistake of buying from dell again...

So here we are, 6 weeks after this announcement, and still no "official" notice about a warranty extension and countless owners being told that there is no such extension.

Regardless if the issue is wholly nVidia, at some point Dell needs to stand up for it's customers, and stand behind it's products. Afterall, "nVidia" isn't the name that is stamped dead center of the lid of our laptops.

With an issue this big, affecting so many of us, simply throwing out a blog update every couple weeks while not actually doing anything substantial isn't going to cut it.

I purchased a Dell XPS Gen2 17" laptop in 10/05. In 11/06(2 weeks out of warranty) the nvidia 6800 ultra failed & went to a black screen. Dell refused to fix it for free,,2 weeks out of warranty. So I had local authorized repairman fix it. $420 for the card + $70 install. Two days ago screen went to black can reboot in safe mode with the vertical & horizonal lines all over the screen. Another failed card from nvidia. Is my machine covered ? Who do you contact? 

That's great, I would definatley avoid the Nvidia GPU. Unfortunately the X3100 is not available as an option in Australia.

Taken directly from nVidia's webpage after following links to support and selecting the option "My graphics card or motherboard came as part of a computer purchase":

Computer Manufacturers

Technical Support, RMA requests, replacements and warranty issues for the NVIDIA based product that came with your computer are handled by the computer manufacturer. Please use the list below to find your manufacturer's contact information.

In other words, although the known defect lies with nVidia's production of these cards, because they were sold as part of a whole unit through a computer company (like Dell) they are no longer responsible to take care of them. For those of you who believe this is nVidia's problem, it's not.

But that's ok...we have another 12 months of warranty (which no one within the company except the writer of this blog seems to know about) with which we can keep replacing our motherboards. Apparently, based upon SteveG's post on September 8th, they're now limiting the amount of replacements as well.

Keep up the "good work," Dell.

Well further to my previous post, Dell did do the deal. They downgraded the GPU to an X3100 at a discount of £19. Not much but I'm glad to have got any discount at all.

If Dell doesn´t replace my whole laptop, I will post this problem in my countries newspapers. Customers must show their rights! Dell HAVE TO give a us a solution. We are paying a lot of money for each laptop and their are selling us defectuos machines!

After two HDD and two motherboard replacements since March related to this issue, I have lost all confidence with this unit.

On Wednesday, the day prior to a major investor pitch, we had a

For me to trust you with my PowerEdge refresh (for our business), I will need more action.

I suggest you offer a downgrade/upgrade incentive to your customers:

- downgrade to Intel X3100.

- upgrade to more memory, better HDD or similar.

I already have a 3 year warranty.

Unfortunately, I suffered this problem. My XPS M1330 appeared white screen and  no reaction last month, after a week of the 1 year warranty. I bought it in China last year.

If you add 12 months warranty for this issue, how can I contact you? I'm living in Minneapolis, MN. Do you have support center in Minnesota? Need I send the laptop to you for repairing?

I'm looking forward to your early replay.

Thanks.

I call DELL, no body know this, and they all said they know nothing about this and the only way to fix my XPS M1330 GPU issue is to buy extending warranty, what's wrong with DELL?

I'm glad to read Dell plans to address the issue. Extending the warranty is nice, but the main thing is fixing the problem. I'll look forward to reading what their plan is soon - the post above from a month ago said there would be more details coming within a few weeks.

I've had video driver problems that have got to the point of making my XPS1530 un-useable for gaming.  Heck, it can't even run the Dell video diagnostic test without shutting down.  It started out with the problems on that "bullet list" and got worse.

I'm looking forward to reading how they're going to replace my video card with one that works properly.

 did the following production of nvidia135 also has the similar question? I used everest to examine the gpu bios refurbishing time was in 19/05/08, and when i playing games the gpu temperature to amount to 75 degrees!

Hello all, could I get some advice?

I'm almost definitely going to buy an M1330, but the question is:

• Should I definitely avoid the nvidia card?

My options are:

System #1 - £617

T5750

3GB

320GB

x3100

1yr warranty

System #2 - £620

T8100

4GB

400GB

nVidia card

1yr warranty

As you can see, System #2 is a far better system for only £3 more, but the downside is that I cannot downgrade the GPU to the integrated chip, which would be far preferable. It is a huge shame that I can't, or I would buy without any further hesitation.

Is it worth contacting Dell to try and arrange a special deal?

With only 1 yr warranty (I really can't afford another £100).

Or has the problem been fixed??

Download and run GPU-Z from TechPowerUp.  It will report the GPU  model and revision level.  The defective chips are alleged include nVidia GPU model G84 revision A02.  Question: Do newer revisions fix the problem?

What revision level are new M1350s getting?  Is it the same?

Well, I must say that from the beginning, I was the owner of Vostro 1400 system (since July 2007), and seemed like I was also who suffer the nVidia fault very firstly. However, I bought my laptop from a local retailer in Vietnamand they did exchange me a brand new one from Nov, 2007 and fortunately, it's still alive. The most thing I aware of is when would my system gone fainted again. By the way, the retailer said my system been down in the cause of North bridge, and it exactly looks like the main reason is nVidia burned it somehow. Now I'm at Singapore and hope those guys in here could know that Dell has released this policy.

In my opinion, I can't expect too much from Dell like gimme a brand new one as the retailer in Vietnam did or instead of 8400M GS to deserve something higher, but *at least* cure our curses, Dell. Or else, announce something like we are trying to fix the problem, developing a new solution, etc. I will not abandon my interest in Dell, especially Alienware system as well as nVidia, but frankly, this issue is obnoxious, it's almost like Dell and nVidia paying no respect to us, whom are so-called "valued customer". I believe some of us are willing to pay an added value to save ourselves, like trade-in for another system or buy another motherboard with a reasonable price. Now I bought my self a notepad from Cooler Master just to keep my laptop survive, but it's still unsecured. So, Mr. Dell, state something to win back our beliefs, otherwise, forfeit your opportunity to defeat HP in end-user market. 

My Dell GPU is out and can't be used and I still have my warranty. The problem is I bought my laptop in Malaysia and now I moved to US. I already request my tag service to be transferred to US but till now, nothing happen. Dell Service promised to call me yesterday and agree to change my GPU but till now I haven't received any phone calls or emails regarding my GPU and tag transfer. Dell just giving me false hope when they told me they agree to change my GPU but now, no one contacted me. I've been waiting for quite some time and it's really killing me not to be able to use my GPU. I've spent like more than 3 hours before this to get they agree to change my GPU. They agreed but till now no action had be taken. Please, I'm one of your customer and I have right to be treated well. I bought Dell since I thought the service is excellent but it really dissappoint me. Please do contact my email. Thank you.

I have a XPS M1330 that I bought 13 months ago - yes that's right it's a month out of warranty. Last week I started getting a rainbow of multicoloured lines running vertically down my screen and it completely locked up. This kept happening every time I turned it on within about 5mins (or a bit longer if I turned the screen brightness down to prevent overheating).

After searching for a solution I found this blog so I called up Dell. They informed me straight away that although my laptop was out of warranty they would replace the motherboard but that they would only do this once. They didn't mention that there was an additional 12month extended warranty for this issue.

They have already replaced the motherboard (within 3 days) and so far it seems to be working fine. I have noticed that it is not getting as hot as the old one and the fan is not coming on so much. So I'm hopeful that this will have fixed the problem.

However I am really worried that it will happen again though. Given the silence from Dell it sounds like they are replacing failed parts with more faulty NVIDIA cards. And as Dell said they would only replace the motherboard once I'm in trouble if this happens again. So I am going to buy the extended warranty for as long as I can just so if this happens again I will be covered. But the cost of the warranty is not cheap and really I shouldn't have to buy it just because Dell appear to still be using faulty chip replacements.

After being buying 2 laptops with Dell I will not buy a Dell again because of their silence on this issue.

I bought D630 in South Korea and now I am living in Germany. Now my D630 has a serious problem. There are multi image and red line on the screen. I think NVDIA GPU is out of order. I already updated the BIOS after I read the news regarding the problem of NVIDIA GPU in Dell computer. But even if I did it, my GPU was defected!!!  I already contacted with Dell support team in Germany. But tech support team is refusing to help me until the transfer is complet. So, I attempted to transfer my warranty from Korea to Geramy 2 months ago!! But It' not completed yet!!!! It's really horrible. I am just waiting and waiting and annoying!! I swear that I will never buy Dell!! 

Does anyone know what the symptoms are of this issue.

I have an M1330 which occasionaly flickers in brightness, maybe for half a second, but it rarely happens.

the NVIDIA card must be callback and replaced. it has effectting too much consumer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Replacing a defective board with another defective one does not fix the problem

I have now heard word that the parts for my Inspiron 1420 (even though they are refurbs which will break again) are on back-order.

Not like I'm going to school or anything and need a computer...

Amazing...Just amazing.

I would say roughly a week ago (AFTER I installed the new BIOS for my 1420) my computer hiccupped and then went blank. Now, being a person who plays with computers often enough, I knew it might just be temporary. I waited a full minute before rebooting and was immediately greeted with a rainbow of lines as I heard my processor chew away at information and then eventually stop all together. I tried all of the tricks I knew of, to no avail. This warranted a little chat with Tech Support.

First they thought it was memory related and had me reseat it. Out of the blue my computer decides to boot up. They wrote it off and I continued on my way until later that night I get the lines again. The next day i got back on-line with Tech Support and finally got a knowledgeable person who kindly told me that they would replace my motherboard (with the integrated GPU) and memory...just to be safe. I asked if I was to be given new parts, and the answer was no, refurbs. She said that they are made to be like-new but aren't new, and that I shouldn't have this issue again. Later on in the discussion I asked if I could be assurred this would not happen again, and she said "No, no company can make a claim like that." So she changed her answer??? I asked if I could get new parts instead of these likely-to-die-again refurbs and she said no because my computer was outside of the first year of purchase (coincidentally, by 2 weeks). I then asked if I could speak with a supervisor and she set me up for a call-back within 24 hours but told me that the Technician with my parts would likely be dispatched by then. It has been well over 24 hours...no call.

So now I sit here and read all of the horror stories of motherboards replaced MULTIPLE times and still going on the fritz. In other words, yes, they will kindly replace my parts with more defective parts instead of the new 8400M GS that was built sturdier until my warranty expires and then I get to PAY for defective parts. My computer cost $2000 and I'm a college student still paying the last bit of it off.

Way to go on KNOWINGLY making and selling expensive paperweights. I certainly don't have the money to make another purchase (which I looked into HP and they have systems practically 2 times better than mine selling for $400 cheaper).

Replace the GPU with the newer version or equivalent from ATI or give me a refund, and I will happily take my business elsewhere.

Not like you guys care anyway, but you just lost a customer who used to do nothing but rave about how great you guys are. You have handled this the entirely wrong and are refusing to respond with any recalls or refunds.

Bye, Dell. I hope more customers realize who you really are.

Hey, just letting people know who are reading this list of computers that I had 2 XPS M1730s with GeFore Go 7900GTXs and they also failed on me. So the M1730s are affected as well, even though they aren't on the list. Dell took care of me though ^_^.

Well, my 1330 is constantly crashing from this for about 2 weeks.  I thought it was bad drivers but a great burn in test program found it right away.  If you have one of these systems, try running it.  http://www.passmark.com/products/bit.htm.

And on another note...Dell doesn't have any more 1330 motherboards now.  They are on backorder.

I just got a reply from Dell Malaysia, below is the reply:

"I believe that the notes from the website are invalid. The warranty for the system will expire on the following date:

14-AUG-2010 (NO ADDIOTIONAL 12 MONTHS WARRANTY!!!)

I believe that the warranty information post up in the Internet is having some misunderstanding for our customers.

For the graphics card issue, our quality engineer still working out on the issue and we will keep the latest post at the website area for more information for customers ."

I wonder why this page is linked to Inspiron 1420 technical support home page if it is not valid as claimed by Dell at the first place.

I am looking to purchase an xps m1530 with the newer 45nm processor but am worried as to whether this problematic graphics card is still included in the new systems? if so i will obviously not purhase the system and opt for the studio. Please let me know

My new booknote (2008.9.13)have a probom.I use it play DVD,but it display is bad!I can say that one green block at the screen.I have changed player yet.But it connot be repair.

The note book type is Inspiron 1420 (R510608R).And my GPU is 8400GS .

Think you!

I have a 2.5 year old Precision M70, which I absolutely have to have in order to work (Architecture).  It just melted down with this video card problem, and you are replacing it.

However, the replacement unit has unknown specifications, will supposedly ship with Vista, unspecified version - which will cost me about $4000 in unnecessary upgrades for new cad software, not to mention all the misery doing endless reinstalls and reconfigurations.  Plus, I will have to replace about another $2000 in software which I no longer have access to and hence can't do a reinstall.

In addition, the replacement unit is going to be a refurbished item, and what makes you think that it isn't going to promptly melt down for the same exact reasons.  Are you going to extend the warranty for this new machine to cover this.  The list above doesn't include my particular model, but it seems that this is actually affecting every machine with an NVidia card, no matter what model.

This is profoundly alarming to me.  I spent more than $3000 on this equipment and it needs to work reliably....I depend on it for my livelihood....not playing games or messing around on the internet.

This is a complete disaster.  I have projects with deadlines that I have to get out right now.  I stand to lose about $50,000 in contracts, and I may very well get sued for non performance.  The best I can gather is that this new machine ought to show up somewhere in the next month.  This really isn't good enough.  Please help.

@ disgusted >> I accept what you are saying and I am not saying people should hold my hands and start singing praises for Dell.. If you have seen my previous posts here and in the previous blog's, you would know that even I am not happy with the way this issue is being dealth with by Dell or nVidia or whoever is concerned, for that matter. Further, I have also sent many personally written letters as well as made phone calls to Dell authorities to let them know the customer feelings, thoughts. I did it on a personal basis as well as on behalf of a group of people. FOR YOU, I am sorry your system IS affected. And I seriously recommend you (I am sure you would have done already) to push further for a replacement, and AFAIK, Dell ARE replacing GPU/mobo' completely with an on-site service. So I dont know if you have already pursued this but I wish you good luck with this. Also you might want to send an email to Lionel, with your service tag (I know I am not the one to recommend this, but Lionel did provide his email for another user here). I am sure Lionel does acknowledge the seriousness of such issues, and he does proceed with whatever needs to be done. And again I would repeat, I know Dell is replacing systems / faulty parts for free of cost.. and I think you should try it rather than get yourself worked up on this issue, which invariably would end up affecting your health too probably. Good Luck. Write to Lionel and see what happens.

@ Chris >> nothing to say to you, other than the fact that I didn't mean people have to wait till they get "hurt"... I just meant the protocols behind a recall work in a different way than what we customers probably think or expect. Good Luck.

Could this post please be updated to advise of the "service plan" which was due for to be release a number of weeks ago? Thanks.

@fondue - You need to listen to what is said before you get your typing fingers in gear. I am affected. I do have a malfunctioning Dell 1530 that I bought in June 2008. Don't tell me to take my business elsewhere when Dell already has a couple grand of my hard earned cash in return for a system that has already failed. I can't afford to write this off as bad luck and go with another company and under U.S. Code, I am not required to accept less than what I was sold.

What I speak is fact for me, which is the only fact I can document - How is your suggestion I take my business elsewhere optimistic? I am only one of thousands that have documented troubles that are either being ingnored by Dell or band aid patched until our warranties expire.

While I am sincerely happy if you have a system that isn't affected, don't expect those of us who are affected and are receiving less than proper attention from Dell to hold hands with you and sing coom-bah-yah. Like many others here, I'm not here to make friends, I'm here to get what I paid for which is a crying shame for a company who has made their fortune out of the pockets of the little people they are now wanting to simply be quiet and go away.

@fonduekid

I'm not sure what you mean saying that people are "spreading panic round for something we know the real issue or the real fix."

If you actually took a moment and read some of the postings here, people aren't just worried about their GPU's, but have actually had them fail at least once already. What's even worse, is we were told we would be getting an extra 12 month limited warranty, but no one has recieved that yet.

Also, and I don't mean to sound rude, but the article you provided earlier doesn't help or explain anything. The writer states that since there hasn't been a major recall, there isn't a problem. Try applying that to anything else in life, and see if it works. If your car engine breaks down, and you can't find a mechanic in the area to fix it, does that really mean your engine isn't actually broken? If you need a heart transplant, but the doctor doesn't want to do it, does that mean your heart is fine? Because the day that my GPU fails again, I don't plan on sitting in front of a blank screen telling myself it's not broken because there was no recall.

And by the way, the major sony laptop recall was based on an overheating issue that has actually hurt people using the computer. It BURNED them. And it's not until people get hurt that you see an actual recall. Everything else can be played off.

If anyone from Dell is reading this, please help!

I have an XPS 1330 and the display driver has failed on me.  I've just spent 2 hours on the phone and talked to a total of 11 Dell reps and still no one knows anything about this warranty being offered or says they can help me.  I started off with XPS technical support, XPS customer support, Dell warranty support, out-of-warranty support, hardware support, back to XPS technical support and then customer care AGAIN, who offered to transfer me to warranty support AGAIN (not to mention the numerous times I got disconnected or transferred to customer care or corporate support for different Dell models in the US - I am in Canada).

I must note that my computer is a system replacement for an old Inspiron 1550, and therefore was not able to put a warranty on this one, but I received it just last December (2007).  If anyone from Dell is reading this that can do ANYTHING to help me, I would greatly appreciate it.  Thank-you.

Kerri

And by the way @ disgusted >>> you could think trying to get in a better tone in your future posts :) this is a pubic forum, and there is an ethic in place for us in the way we put across our views. Good luck... and finally, I have an XPS M1530 with nVidia 8600m GT, bought in May/June 2008, and I have warranty till 2011 (and probably the 12 month free upgrade) plus the word from Dell that they deal with it on a case by case basis, and I *believe* in all this, and I am optimistic Dell wont just let go off their customer base as easily as you think or predict... And I would be just patient to see how things are turning out in the future. Patience is a virtue. There is no point in going gung-ho even before the fireworks go off....

@ disgusted >> Believing or not believing is up to you... And I have nothing to do with Dell.. I am just a normal customer like you and I believe this issue (irrespective of how serious it is) has been a bit blown out of proportion too.. in the same article they say a massive recall like what sony did has not happened with Dell or HP (and HP by the way, have known this issue from *long back*)... So your $200 fix will *be done* _only_ when your GPU fails.. and dell has already stated they will deal with it on a case by case basis... and Dell IS doing it.. they are replacing systems as and when there are failures (Which are not many by the way, as the other articles claimed it to be, as if all the Dell laptops with nVidia GPU in the whole world were blowing up in our face)... so I am just trying to instill from optimism in this sea of pessimistic Dell bashers.. and by the way, if people are so concerned and *dont believe* that the issue is not as big, they should simply stop buying systems with nVidia or for all the Dell bashers, you should simply go for a different manufacturer... As simple as that. I personally see no point in keeping up / spreading panic around for something we neither no the real issue or the real fix...

Result achieved. The lack of counteractions is seen as absence of the reason the counteractions should have been taken.

...There's a problem that requires a recall.

...Has a recall been issued?

...Yes

...No

...Therefore the problem does not exist.

Must be a nice article indeed, but I didn't even read it.

@fondue kid - Before you post a snipit from a site such as fudzilla which is no more credible than the Inquirer site, make sure you know what you're "documenting". From that SAME site:

"Nvidia made a deal with big OEMs, such as Dell and HP, that they will get $200 per affected notebook and we are hearing that OEMs are quite happy about it." 

and

"Nvidia cannot talk on behalf of its OEM partners so it’s up to HP, Dell and other big OEMs to tell their customers what is wrong or what might go wrong with their machines. It’s a real mess, as OEMs don’t really want to give much details and end users are the ones who are affected the most."

SOURCE: http://www.fudzilla.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9297&Itemid=34

With all due respect, your repeated efforts to minimize the issue and minimize or negate the legitimate concerns of users who post on these blogs makes you appear to be a shill for Dell (which is highly unlikely).

In the event the source you pointed us to is valid, I can only ask Dell then, where is my $200 dollar fix for my affected M1530 and WHY do you choose to try to keep the information you have on specifics such as known affected manufacture dates so secretive if this issue is as limited in scope as some of the fan boys would have us believe?

I have an XPS M1530

but

I , too, am having BIG  issues with it.

- the PRETTY high temperature GPU and CPU

- finger print reader  is a JOKE

Can someone, please,  ask me If I 'll buy another DELL?

Guess whatthe answer will be !

Some positively sensible article

nVidia mobile issue is not as bad

http://www.fudzilla.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9296&Itemid=1

Compared to Sony's recent recall of 440,000 VAIO notebooks, the Nvidia issue really doesn't seem to be a significant one, as it has not forced a single vendor to recall a single unit. >> from that article!!!

@Todd: We know Lionel will blog again when new information will be available, but:

a) when information will be available? It frankly seems there is no plan to give more information to customers because after almost a month from the original announcement we still don't know a lot of things:

• are all the system potentially affected?
  
• will serial numbers of the affected systems be disclosed to customers?
  
• is it possible to permanently solve this issue in some way, maybe with a downgrade of the video card?
  

b) when an official communication will be done? Or a message on a blog should be consider official? How do you plan to inform the customers not reading this blog of the problem?

Dell is leaving too much doubts to its customers, I think.

@ Todd Smart,

Hi, my XPS 1330 went out of warranty two days before this extended warranty deal was posted.

I'm having problems because A) Dell won't even talk to me because I'm out of warranty now and B) since I was not on warranty I was trying to fix this problem myself which including reformatting my harddrive with the Dell recovery DVD, will I still be covered for a new motherboard? And if by chance you think I will be, how can I go about getting ahold of someone to get the process started?

Thanks for your time.

i'm been using DELL laptops for more than 5 years. and i'm very dissappointed with it. my 1st laptop died within 3 years(mobo died) but i stuck to Dell due to the excellent customer service and customization options. i spent Rm 5000(around 1500 USD) on the XPS M1530 expecting it to be working fine.

but now i'm havin issues with it. the high temperature (both GPU and CPU) and my finger print reader kept malfunctioning.

ever since i know that the GPU in my laptop is like a time bomb, i don't feel secure. Kept wondering when will my GPU die.

i'm not pleased with the solutin DELL is offering. 1 year extra warranty? Thats all(HP offered 2 years)? i want a permanent solution.

cartman from Malaysia.

I had two questions:

1) I am in Texas, USA but my XPSM1330 was purchased in London about 6 months ago and is still under NBD warranty.Since all the machines have been affected, would i get the service in US or do i have to take it back to London? My XPS IS having vid problems.

2) If i wanted to downgrade to intel's gpu, is that possible? I would consider that a good option even if it means paying a bit. The Nvidia is going to crash again and again, so why bother replacing a defective part with another newer defective part.

Anyone?

Hi Todd,

If one was to purchase a (potentially) affected laptop from the Dell outlet store, would this extended warranty apply for the new owner?

many thanks

Tim

After two days of talking to tech suport and a manager I am getting my mother board replaced(GPU included).  Dell sent me a box,  which I'll be picking up after work tommorrow and sending my laptop in.  And as an FYI my warrenty expired on my 1420 about 20 days ago so I can confirm that at least one person has got what this post has promised.  It took at along time to get the people in tech sport to even look at this post so my advice for others is don't take no for an answer keep pointing this website out and ask for a manager if you have to.

I hope it's soon, I keep calling technical and customer support and they have no idea about the limited warranty enhancement. So as it stands, I still have a dead laptop.

Dear Todd Smart,

I have seen nothing official about the extended warranty than what we see here on this blog.

Will Dell be notifying all owners with affected graphics cards?

many thanks in advance

Paul

Jean-Luc Bédard said: "HI, I bought a inspiron 1520  a year ago with a GeForce 8600 GT, and my pc has theses problems. It is covered for this problem ?? I upgrade my BIos , but it has the same problem."

From what i've gathered, the bios fix won't stop the symptoms if the machine is already experiencing them.

HI, I bought a inspiron 1520  a year ago with a GeForce 8600 GT, and my pc has theses problems. It is covered for this problem ?? I upgrade my BIos , but it has the same problem.

I had my laptop's gpu fail while browsing the internet one morning. When I finally found that what happened to me was common among other owners, I felt a little akward about having my m1530.

Now I hear Nvidia come out that there's a problem with their 84's and 86's, and they're going to spend 200 million dollars resolving that. I'm really unclear as to how I'm going to see this money fix my computer now, but this 12 month warranty exention from dell is pointless. Now that we all know these gpu's are faulty, we can all be assured that the gpu is going to fail at some point, because the day I decide to stop paying 200 dollars a year for a warranty is the day I can expect to lose my computer at any second. Knowing this computer is a ticking time bomb makes me want to return the computer. I paid more than $1000 dollars for something I plan to have for a long time, and now I'm just constantly uneasy about having it. Dell won't take it back, even though I said I would accept store credit, or an exchange for a lesser system, refurbished even.

Nvidia is the one who really messed up, but why does dell have to pass it down and make its its customers pay for the mistake...? After all, dell did sell us the computers.Giving us a 12 month added warranty is like putting a clean bandage over an infected, uncleaned wound.

Dell, we're all loyal customers. Please don't make us pay for nvidia's mistake.

Dear Dell Co,

I just want to ask when  exactly date of the extending warranty ?

My laptop have 3 times changed its mobo, and i still got only 195 days of warranty. I am really worry about these problem.

Thank you,

I have called Dell about these warranty extensions but all have denied this extension and we have not seen any new information yet even though it has already been 3 weeks later. And also with the BIOS with the updated fan controls for the laptops with the Nvidia chipsets, I have seen that the fan runs more frequently now and it does cause a noticeable drop in battery life. I have measured that the fanning running uses up an extra 2 watts or more causing the battery life to decrease an extra 30 minutes.

12 month additional warranty wow! Is that from when it was bought or from when it was replaced the last time?

I am having my 3rd motherboard replacement! 10 days left of my warranty (1 year).

I am sure getting a 2 year warranty renewal.

XPS M1330 8400M GS I bought it june 2007 got the first one august 2007 without the fingerprintreader that was ordered. Then got a replacement mid september 2007.

The GPU has broken 3 times now. Am I just unlucky?

Hi

I have got a dell laptop(xps 1330:90 days warranty left) from India with a defective gpu and here is what i have done:

Asked for a system replacement but it was rejected since I have got the laptop under EPP scheme.

Asked for a downgrade of mobo from nvidia to AGI but that too was denied due to reasons best known to DELL.

Asked for a mobo replacement with another defective one as many have done provided i was given a document from dell stating dell's claim of extended limited  warranty.Since after all the correspondence that I have had with guys at dell for past 18 days, i am compelled  to doubt DELL’s credentials who keep changing there statements now and then(I will not be surprised if dell suddenly removes the link http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2008/08/18/nvidia-gpu-update-dell-to-offer-warranty-enhancement-to-all-affected-customers-worldwide.aspx from the direct to dell site and disowns everything).

Providing such document was also denied stating some internal reasons.

My call is open since past eighteen days. I have spent some good money buying this laptop and lots of my time and energy taking to the support guy every time and explaining them my problem.

DELL has dumped my case and Its been a very bad experience. It was a big mistake opting for DELL and I am sure that I would never do that again.

The problem is that the dell customer care people try to downplay all this and make you feel that you are the only person in this world to have this problem. Every time I call, my calls are being forwarded from the tech team to the customer care and vice versa.

I have send a numerous mails and none of them were replied to.

Do not know what to do next. I don’t think I am asking for much just wanted the right fix for my laptop since I can’t shell out 50 grands now and then to purchase a new laptop.

And if DELL wants to experiment on my laptop with the same motherboard and a BIOS update, I helplessly surrender to that but provide me a solid commitment to the extended limited warranty deal.

Regards,

Salman

I understand this post is not an official announcement of the warranty enhancement. How do owners of the affected models find out that the warranty enhancement actually took place?

Thank you.

Mid Aug-08 received 1330. Dell confirms it came with the 'potentially' problematic Nvidia. Since it is within the 14 days return period, was given 2 choices:

1. Extend my graphic related warranty for free. On top of existing 3yrs warranty.

2. Replace with new 1330 fitted with integrated Intell x3100 graphic. Swap the Nvidia for LED screen instead. No extra shipping charges both ways. I don't do game so opted for this option.

In my region and my over 10 yrs using Dell, I have always been EXTREMELY happy their services. Simply love their NBD on site.

Eskymi said: "You people wanted Dell to extend the warranty and they have, now it's not good enough.  You are all thinking your laptop is affected, even though Dell shows the models that they say are affected.   But my 1720 has the chip, you say,  they are all bad.  You don't believe Dell but you believe a story by some (insert dirty word here) who writes on the internet.

You should have an extended warranty.  Anyone buying a laptop should spend the extra to get it.  Now the first argument I heard on this is, "WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO SPEND EXTRA ON A WARRANTY FOR A DEFECTIVE PART?"  WEll,  (insert derogatory name here), you didn't know the part was defective when you purchased your laptop before July of 2008.  That's when the story broke. SO those that have a laptop 6,8 months old, it's your own fault for being cheap."

Few things:

1) Dell has not officially extended our warranties

2) Do not assume everyone can afford extended warranties into their budget, just because you can it may not be true for others.

I've spent a good amount of time talking to dell representatives today to get my laptop (1420) fixed which has an expired warranty. I told them about this warranty extension and all they give me are options to buy a warranty option for another year. Another representative told me that there was no such warranty enhancement or option available. This whole issue is very frustrating, as it seems no customer service or technical representative knows about this extended warranty. Even more frustrating is that only a few selected people are getting help through this website. So nothings change and I still have a laptop that is unusable.

It is good direction but still I would like to see official annoucement with service tag range affected by this issue and a recall.

BTW - can someone tell me is  ~125F a normal temperature at windows XP idlle?

What Dell Told Me:

**What can I do to Fix Issue? Are Newly shipped systems be affected?

We had posted a new BIOS revisions for the affected platforms t