Direct2Dell

DELL-Todd S

10 Apr 2009 07:43 AM

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.

joepre

09 Apr 2009 10:31 AM

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

wdhyte

09 Apr 2009 09:16 AM

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).

DELL-Todd S

09 Apr 2009 10:16 AM

Hi,

The Vostro 1000 is not one of the systems on this list. The only part cut off is the right hand border on the list. I'll see if I can get that fixed, though. Thanks.

hfmccarthy

09 Apr 2009 07:22 AM

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?

Gillyches

09 Apr 2009 04:27 AM

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

primus_imperium

06 Apr 2009 01:53 PM

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

Gillyches

09 Apr 2009 01:03 AM

Hello!

I bought my XPS 1530 a year ago, in fact, last week I had a call from XPS 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

keane86

06 Apr 2009 08:03 AM

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...

DELL-Todd S

06 Apr 2009 08:56 AM

Keane86, if you would like to PM me some more details about your case I'll see if I can get you on touch with someone from Dell China to see what they can do to help you.

memol

06 Apr 2009 06:27 AM

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

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 :(

HappyHeathen58

03 Apr 2009 04:58 AM

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.

DELL-Todd S

03 Apr 2009 08:42 AM

HappyHeathen58, not sure what would have happened with that troubleshooting. There are a few simple steps that you can take to determine whether its a video card or LCD panel at fault. If you would like, PM me more info on your case and I'll see if I can get someone to take a look.

HappyHeathen58

03 Apr 2009 04:58 AM

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.

swilliams2

02 Apr 2009 06:54 PM

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-Todd S

03 Apr 2009 09:33 AM

Swilliams2, If you would like, please PM me some more info on your system. I'd like to get someone from our tech support to take a look at your M1210 and see if there is anything that we can do to help. They can probably help you determine whether it was the NVIDIA card or something else causing the failure.

Skegsnz

01 Apr 2009 03:09 PM

@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.

Nowein

01 Apr 2009 04:54 PM

Me too... Got approved for repair today. Will get the box tomorrow. It would be nice to add m1210 to the list. I had to argue for 87 mins!!!! Thanks anyway. Hopefully my m1210 will get back to life again. my warranty just ended on march 10th.

Lord Walrus II

27 Mar 2009 06:51 PM

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.

Skegsnz

27 Mar 2009 07:48 AM

* Excuse me, I meant @ Todd S

Skegsnz

27 Mar 2009 07:46 AM

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.

madliz

23 Mar 2009 12:13 PM

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.

DELL-Todd S

23 Mar 2009 12:11 PM

@ 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.

madliz

02 Apr 2009 11:55 AM

I am just following up with your response as I have not heard from anyone since your post. I am just looking for some answers. This is very frustrating since I have yet to get a follow up from dell support after they asked me for links to stories about the nvidia issue (they didn't even know about it!). Let me know if I'm crazy for asking about this but I have never had a PCI slot stop working without a reason. If the reason is due to an overheating of a faulty nvidia chip (that is in a smaller case) then this should fall under an extended warranty. If dell does not agree then let me know that. Not getting a response is worse than a: "sorry to hear about your bad luck".

DELL-Todd S

02 Apr 2009 12:38 PM

Hi madliz,

The last response I received was that the desktop video cards are not being covered by the replacement policy. If I do hear more, or if the policy changes, we'll post that as either a new blog post or an addendum to these posts. Yours is the first comment I remember seeing from a customer regarding issues with those cards.

madliz

23 Mar 2009 11:16 AM

Hello Todd. It is a C521.

madliz

23 Mar 2009 10:51 AM

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.

DELL-Todd S

23 Mar 2009 10:51 AM

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

madliz

23 Mar 2009 10:47 AM

Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

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.

Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

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.

DELL-Todd S

20 Mar 2009 07:37 AM

@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.

boah51

20 Mar 2009 03:54 AM

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.

madliz

12 Mar 2009 07:50 PM

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?

TeKairangi

12 Mar 2009 05:06 AM

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.

jamesdahingo

11 Mar 2009 11:03 PM

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

jamesdahingo

11 Mar 2009 10:48 PM

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?

unvirtualman

05 Mar 2009 03:13 AM

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??

omidixit

05 Mar 2009 12:08 AM

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.

omidixit

04 Mar 2009 11:55 PM

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE

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.

DELL-Todd S

04 Mar 2009 07:25 AM

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.

Hero-ly

03 Mar 2009 04:04 PM

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.

DELL-Todd S

02 Mar 2009 10:28 AM

@ 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.

dpwo

02 Mar 2009 08:57 AM

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.

K1200GT

20 Feb 2009 10:34 AM

Here's another thread on this same subject and my recent post:

http://en.community.dell.com/forums/p/19257842/19433716.aspx#19433716

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm sitting here typing this on my old Dell 700m because my XPS M1330 just arrived back at Dell for Nvidia repair #2. As a Dell Solution provider, I'll be hard pressed to supply or recommend any Dell laptops in the future, based on my experiences, unless there are some radical changes at Dell. Of the eight (8) XPS M1330's I've either supplied, or had customers buy direct, all but two have now failed. My personal 1330 is the only one, so far, to fail twice. Dell needs to understand that they can flush their reputation down the drain, but I'm not about to let this problem do the same to mine.

Now for the facts:

A.) I purchased the 1330 in September of 2007 and it was about $2,600 with most upgrades, definitely not a cheapy $500 Vostro...

B.) Immediately I noticed a low gain problem with the built in MIc. Hours and hours with tech support culminated in a replacement laptop being shipped to me at the end of the month. Simultaneously a new audio driver was released that fixed the problem so more of my time spent returning the replacement. How did all the magazine reviewers that raved about this laptop miss this issue??

C.) Soon after the first of the year my AC supply started "singing" when the laptop was full charged and off. More tech support to get the AC supply replaced

D.) Spring of 2008 I started getting a lot of hangs, blue screens and errors. After a lot more quality time with XPS support I was able to get them to ship a replacement 160GB HD which I cloned and that solved the problem. I subsequently upgraded to a 320GB and recently a new Western Digital 500GB

E.) June of 2008 I started seeing odd video behavior, vertical lines, no video, blocks of video, splashes of pixels, etc.. Usually when this happened, I could just reboot and it would come back, sometimes after letting it rest to cool down. Finally the big one, no video at all. I tried to connect an external monitor via VGA and hot key - no luck. I connected HDMI to my big LCD, no luck even with a reboot. Dell sent in a tech who replaced the motherboard and the LCD since I had some dead pixels. In case you don't know, the Nvidia chip is hard solder on the motherboard so you can't just change the video "card"

F.) January 2009 I had a customer come in with his 1330 that was having problems. Dell supplied a replacement HD, since they diagnosed lots of drive errors, and his local computer guys cloned to it, but couldn't get the video driver installed. The laptop would run fine with a standard VGA driver, but nothing above that. I installed the latest 1330 Nvidia driver and got the blank screen with occasional little boxes across the top on certain reboots. It was obvious at this point that this was another failed Nvidia. More hours with tech support ended with them sending me a link to try and "flash" the video BIOS. When this failed they ordered up a tech to come in and replace the motherboard which was completed and that laptop is fine now

G.) Last week I open my 1330 to take it out of standby and I get the vertical lines, bummer, it died again!! Keep in mind that this 1330 is treated with kid gloves, always carried in it's nice fabric case even when in my brief or going through TSA. It has never been dropped, had anything spilled on it, abused in any way and looks brand new. On one reboot to try and get it running I noticed "normal" drive activity so I let it go then shut off the WiFi and plugged in a network cable. I went to my desktop and tried to connect via Remote Desktop, bingo! The 1330 was running perfectly, just no video. I was able to use it for a few days via RDP until I was able to arrange with Dell to get it fixed. The Dell policy is that you have an extended warranty one year from any major repair so I was covered until June 2009. The downside is that this is not onsite repair so they sent a box and call tag and they claimed they wanted to have a good look at it because there was possibly a heat pipe problem. Personally I doubt that unless they plan on replacing the goofy heat dissipating sponge that is the only connection between the heat pipe and the Nvidia chip. Maybe they have a whole new design, I won't know until it comes back next week. As a Dell Solution Provider I demanded and they agreed to extend my base warranty, which expired last September, but I can't do this until the laptop is repaired. It better be a full three year extension because Dell is on real thin ice with me right now. Hello Michael Dell, are you listening???

I'll post any news after I get the 1330 back, but you may want to read this thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=204772 . So what should I do in the future, carry two laptops becuase I have zero confidence my 1330 won't let me down when I need it the most or just buy another brand??

P.S. My Dell 700m is five years old, has been dropped 5’ on to concrete, burned on a motorcycle that caught fire and still runs like a top. No issues with the 700m besides the design flaw that cuts the speaker wires when you open the lid all the way. I fixed the speaker wire problem myself and the last thing I wanted was another built-in defect with the 1330, but that is where I am……

fufufufu

20 Feb 2009 04:42 AM

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.

DELL-Todd S

13 Feb 2009 02:32 PM

@ 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.

mnaatiello

08 Feb 2009 03:08 AM

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

steviehg

06 Feb 2009 08:51 AM

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......

1210

04 Feb 2009 06:29 PM

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.

tkid

04 Feb 2009 08:00 AM

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.

steviehg

29 Jan 2009 09:05 AM

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

FrixosTh

28 Jan 2009 05:50 AM

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.

Nick40000

27 Jan 2009 06:15 PM

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.

Gustavo Pineda

27 Jan 2009 09:58 AM

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

krisci3

25 Jan 2009 09:25 PM

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!

vutuyen

19 Jan 2009 12:54 PM

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.

drsound

17 Jan 2009 05:16 AM

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.

Nick40000

15 Jan 2009 08:04 PM

I have an M1210 that has been having video card issues since last may. My warranty is long ago expired. I called today and was initially rebuffed, but eventually technical service agreed to cover me on the extended warranty. It took me 1 hour on the phone to even get to talk to someone who knew about the nvidia problem and then another 1 hour to get them to agree to service it. From other comments it seems they're not being consistent on whether the M1210 is included, but I wouldn't give up if you've got one.

ohzirus

14 Jan 2009 03:41 PM

After at least 15 mentions of XPS M1210 on this exact blog, most of them being very recent (OCT 08 - JAN 09), Dell cannot deny any longer that something isn't wrong here. With the same exact symptoms and effects that M1330, and M1530 customers are experiencing; this cannot possibly be just a coincidence. There is no ironic explanation for so many of us having this same exact problem, and the model not being listed on the product list mentioned above. I actually came upon this blog doing a google search for problems with Nvidia video card on the M1210. I am 100% sure this is a hardware issue. I have installed Vista, Windows XP Media Center Edition, even Ubuntu 8.10, and have only been successful in running the computer in Safe Mode, which is how I am currently adding this comment. Vertical Lines, Blue Screen of Deaths, Bla Bla Bla... I am tired of it. Most of us all with the same problem, after our manufacturer's warranty has ended. We need justice! I would like to share with all of you my recent phone call to Dell. Normally, I would not bother wasting my time, but too many people complaining about the same thing triggered me. The icing on the cake is user Kheaver's comment posted January 4th, 2009 where he stated that Dell replaced his motherboard after calling, not having warranty. Unfortunately, Dell stated that without Case # or Express Service Code of Kheaver, they weren't able to help. After advising the first technical support representative of my issue, referencing this exact blog, she put me on hold. After a few minutes, she said unfortunately due to me not being within warranty, there was nothing Dell can do. I then requested to speak with a Manager, and was connected with. Right away, she was defensive and stating that due to the fact that the M1210 was not on a recall list, there is absolutely no way that they will replace my motherboard. I stressed the fact that Hreaver had his replaced, and so many others on this forum were complaining about my same issue! She verbally stated that in her 3 years working at Dell, there had never been a case where Dell had replaced an XPS M1210 motherboard without it being under warranty. Unfortunately, since Hreaver is the only one that posted he was successful at a replacement; I could not argue this any further. I stressed the fact that I needed customer service, and I needed Dell to check on this matter, yet she kept saying that this blog is simply not looked upon, and meant nothing in terms of Dell's policies. I then requested to speak with another manager (since I was tired of her nasty customer service), and she advised me that if I wanted to speak to someone else, I should hang up and call again. I requested to please be transferred, since it was an inconvenience for me to call again, and it was well within her power to transfer me, yet she refused. After bringing up extensions of warranty, and used/serviced parts department, she said she would be able to transfer me. I was so furious to hear this, and replied" So you can transfer me to extend my warranty to another department, but cannot transfer me to a manager in your same department"? Finally, she gave in and transferred me to another gentleman. Immediately, he came off speaking to me with defenses fully raised, and being very irate (I must admit, my patience was wearing thin as well). He, at least, had more knowledge as to these issues, and stated that until enough people call reporting the incident, and until they troubleshoot and determine that enough systems are faulty, Dell will not warrant a recall. I stressed to him to please escalate this as a model-wide issue, and to urge Dell to investigate this hardware malfunction, which is sure enough happening to many of us. The coincidence is what gets to me; so many of us are having this same problem, and it's recent; not something that has been happening for years. This is why we must continue to call, and report our issues, and hammer the phones to advise Dell that this does need to be looked into. Here are some facts that blow my mind: Model XPS M1210 (May 2006 - May 2008) replaced/updated with model M1330 (recall list) replaced/updated with model M1530 (recall list) WHY ISN'T OUR MODEL ON THIS LIST? Could it be that there was a certain production line that was faulty, and just now we are seeing the effects? User Melinda Tillman seems to be the first to post an issue regarding the XPS M1210 on this blog, dating back in September 2008. As you surf closer to the present date, you see mentions of faulty systems appear more abundantly. Dell is not aware of this issue, but we must help them be aware. So I wasn't as successful as user Hreaver in obtaining a replacement, but I was at least successful in getting the gentleman to open an issue to a lvl 3 technician, giving them full permission to use my system as an example of this malfunction. This means, even though it might not be overnight, or even a few weeks... one person has made a difference. I urge everyone to please call into Dell and advise them that you are having the same issues, and need resolution! In this present day, I am sure all of you realize how more affordable systems with our same specs, even better specs, are much cheaper than what we paid for originally. Let us get our money's worth from Dell, and lets stand together so that Dell can back up their name and work for the money received to provide us with solutions! I have 1994 IBM Thinkpad that is still trucking, and working beautifully. Yes, electronics have faults... but we cannot simply be labeled an anomaly. Dell has provided us with faulty hardware, and it is their responsibility to stand behind their product and offer resolution to all of us. Best regards and good luck, Ohzirus

danshine

14 Jan 2009 04:18 AM

Well my NMI Memory Parity Error seems to have gone away now and although I was also getting an error during the Dell diagnostics Video Card tests, this has also gone away too. However I am not sure how long it will be before the problem returns.... I haven't worked out how to reply to private messages that I have received regarding my previous posting as when I log in it shows no private messages. I am trying to get onto Dell Technical Support today but the system will not let me email them as my warranty ran out 6 months ago.

jkpolk

13 Jan 2009 08:12 PM

Just to follow up on my ordeal. The Dell guy came out and fixed my machine (new motherboard and such) and was fast and friendly and my machine is working well again. I am a bit leery that it could happen again, but I am at least satisfied with the fix.

danshine

13 Jan 2009 08:29 AM

My XPS M1210 has developed a video card problem 'NMI Memory Parity Error' or something. The one year standard warranty ran out about 6 months ago. I do not use it for gaming or graphic applications that would put it under any load. I have not contacted dell about it yet but having seen so many other people with this problem I realise that this is known problem. I will be back on here once I have found my warranty information.......

load97

12 Jan 2009 12:25 AM

My D630 seems to be affected as well. Good thing I still have the on site next business day warranty.

bgh85

10 Jan 2009 06:07 AM

I have an M1210, which is almost 2 years old, that recently started getting the problems described by most of the users on here (BSOD, vertical lines, etc). I called Dell tech support to try to get help and they immediately identified it as a GPU problem without asking me to do any tests, so I'm guessing they've been getting a lot of calls about it. Upon mentioning this page and asking why the M1210 isn't included in the extended warranty even though the same problems occur, all the rep said was "I can't comment on that" and offered me some packages to replace to the hardware. Give me a ' break. Who wants to pay an average of ~$1000/yr just to keep their laptop running? I've always heard great things about Dell's customer service but when I actually needed help, all I got was a load of . When has any company asked their customers to pay more money to replace faulty hardware that came fresh out of the box? Yup, that SURE sounds like a great way to keep customers. Selling a faulty product and then getting the customer to pay more just to get it working sounds like a sweet deal. I mean, really, who wouldn't want to pay more than they have to? It's common sense, duhhhh. With the economy booming right now, people are just jumping at the chance to throw money away! ..If you didn't catch it already, the last few lines are sarcastic.

jhg1

09 Jan 2009 05:42 AM

I've had an XPS M1330 since Jun 08. The GPU started failing a few days ago. Symptoms were that the display would freeze and then the machine would either reboot itself, or else the display would blank and then recover with an error message indicating the video driver had stopped responding but then recovered. Often the reboot would yield a screen full of vertical lines. I upgraded the BIOS and the video driver to the latest versions on the Dell website but still had the same problem. I then found this blog and discovered its a well known issue. Fortunately I have a 3 year next day onsite warranty. I called XPS tech support and explained that I thought the symptoms were caused by GPU failure. After carrying out a few cursory tests, which did not show up any problem, the support guy arranged for an engineer to come around the next day to replace the motherboard. The replacement procedure took less than an hour and the machine appears to be working fine again. This is the third time I have had to ask for an onsite engineer. In the first couple of weeks of ownership I had two failures of the LED backlit screen (one backlight failure, and one faulty connector). On both occasions they replaced the whole screen assembly and cabling. I do not use the machine for gaming or graphics intensive applications so the chip should not be under undue thermal stress. Obviously this level of reliability is unacceptable. Fortunately, the onsite support has been excellent. Despite these problems I still like this laptop. When its working it is superb - lightweight, fast, quiet, and an excellent display. However, I would obviously be reluctant to purchase from Dell again unless there is evidence that these reliability problems have been addressed.

dpwo

07 Jan 2009 05:52 AM

I've been on Bios A14 for several days now and it hasn't solved the problem at all I'm afraid to report. Worse, Dell haven't contacted me about my Tech support call or my chaser, despite the website advising that they would do so within one business day......

madukan

06 Jan 2009 10:07 PM

I've had a Dell XPS M1330 since november08, from the Outlet store, with hindsight I wondered why there were so many to chose from. I'm a bit annoyed at myself for not checking reviews before I bought it as this problem seams to be quite old. I've did a fair bit of reading since though. I haven't up to now had any problems, fingers crossed. Just a couple of things- What is the failure rate that allows some customers to recieve 3 faulty MBs in 1 year? Do customers have revision numbers that can be checked for faulty GPUs (surely you keep records) I wouldn't have bought this laptop if I knew what a gamble it was.

DELL-Todd S

06 Jan 2009 01:17 PM

@manuel_jesus The 12-month enhancement coverage is for the NVIDIA GPU only, and specific only to this one issue. It is not a blanket extension of any existing contracts and will not be reflected under your service contract if you view it online. The support technicians are aware of the policy and should support your system if the issue is determined to be the result of this specific issue. If you are experiencing problems with any replacement parts then I highly recommend that you contact Support. If your system is crashing after the parts have been replaced there is most likely a different cause to the problem.

manuel_jesus

06 Jan 2009 12:08 AM

Ok... in less than 24 hours after installing the BIOS upgrade A14 it crashed twice. It took longer than before to crash but of course, this is not acceptable. I really don't know what to expect at this point from the promised new motherboard and gpu. I guess it will come wrapped up with the same problem. Maybe it will take me 3 months to get to this same point again with a new motherboard. I would feel more comfortable if Dell acknowledeged this problem officially , not only allowing to exist just a community forum for this.

manuel_jesus

05 Jan 2009 06:58 AM

I've been having this problem since a couple of days ago. I called technical support and they told me to upgrade the BIOS to A14. How can a BIOS upgrade solve this physical problem? Well.... I don't think it's gonna help but so far (20 mins) it hasn't crashed ...yet. If Dell doesn't fix this problem I think we should make a louder complaint ...maybe to the media as someone suggested. This is a major problem as we can see. Moreover. I just logged to my servicetag number and I haven't received the 12 months warranty extension as they promised here. What's going on? Can someone please tell me if this BIOS upgrade was of any help? regards

dpwo

05 Jan 2009 05:30 AM

I have exactly the same sypmtoms as elbushra and sandeepuno and jkpolk and jon7064 below - just reported to Dell technical support - first time I've done so and I have to admit I'm not very 'techy - can anyone advise what response I'm likely to expect and whether Dell can/will fix this - and if so, how do they do that please? Dave

sandeepuno

05 Jan 2009 04:59 AM

Reporting back. I just got a whole mother board replacement (literally 20 minutes ago) and have been running tests, using the graphics (video, games, etc). The real acid test comes up in 30 minutes when my 8yr old son will start playing some heavy graphic games on it. If anything goes wrong I'll report back else not :) Have to say that am happy. In fact seems that the system is actually running faster (although Vista Score reports the same value). Maybe I was running it in safe mode for too long and got used to the lower graphic response. I just hope the new board was actually a revision which fixed the NVidia problem. Anyway still 3 years left on my complete cover !! Way to go Dell.

bokalist

05 Jan 2009 02:29 AM

maybe its time to report this one to the media? i've heard that you can report this on on cnn's i report... maybe with this one.. dell will act on this matter quickly.. its been a year already...

jkpolk

05 Jan 2009 12:59 AM

sandeepuno: I don't think the safe mode is really going to help in the long run. My machine has gradually gone downhill and at one point I was in safe mode and it seemed to stay nice longer but it still inevitably freaked out on me. I'm at the point where I've gotten one good boot out of the thing in the past few days...just long enough to back up my hard drive files before it went toast again and have not had a successful boot yet. But at least now that I have my data I feel better about sending the thing off to be fixed if need be. Good luck everyone.

kheaver

04 Jan 2009 09:54 PM

I've got an XPS 1210 which is 8 months out of warranty and had the nvidia problem, vertical lines, freezing & no display, it failed on 1st Jan (Thursday). I phoned Dell on Friday morning, support had me run some tests, they put me on hold for a while, then came back and said they will replace the motherboard no charge. The tech guy came this morning (Monday) and replaced the motherboard, that's the next working day after I phoned them. Way to go Dell, I couldn't be more satisfied. After they agreed to change the motherboard I bought 2 years warranty just in case it happens again. The 1210 isn't on the list but it looks like they may be extending it.

elbushra

04 Jan 2009 12:44 PM

I totally agree with you 'Jon7064 - DELL, do something about it - Get YOUR defected laptops recalled and offer a replacement or refund now. It might be a Nividea GPU at fault, but they are your laptops being sold with your name on all over them). personally I have been suffering for three days with my XPS 1330 - the famous rainbow lines and finally the dead screen - the funny part is that the Dell agent here in UAE i willing to charge me for the new nvidia card (unbelievable) as long as there is no action from Dell the number of the victims will go up , I don't understand why they keep selling the 1330 !!????

sandeepuno

04 Jan 2009 06:07 AM

I had the same problem as described by many on the 2nd January 09 on my M1330 with an NVIDA GPU bought in March 2008 (in India where I am based). The screen went crazy and the computer locked up. Initially I though it was just one-time problem I rebooted after an hour or so and the system worked fine for about an hour or so and then started going nuts again. It would work fine for a few minutes to 30 minutes after each reboot but would then go crazy again (I now realise in hindsight that each time the fan started making a real racket). After the 4-5 boot I finally called Dell support who after a few cursory questions said and an engineer would have a look on Monday (tomorrow as I post). I was a but surprised since normally Dell support ask a lot of questions (even for a simple keyboard problem I had a month back). But this time no such probing. When I asked what the support person thought the problem was, I was told "probably" the graphic card !! "Is that what you are shipping me?" - answer "yes". First it is obvious now that Dell support new the exact problem as soon as I gave them my service tag number, inspite of this they did not tell me the specific problem nor acknowledge that this was a general issue. It is only today when I started exploring that I came across this blog. I don't have a warranty issue since fortunately I bought a complete cover for multiple years. But I am worried that this will affect me again. I run a small home business and my laptop is my lifeline. Can't afford even a few hours down. Now maybe someone can comment on this one - I have rebooted my XPS M1330 into safe mode with networking and everything (except small thing like sound, video, etc :)) is working fine. In fact I have been using it for extended periods in safe mode (writing this comment from the machine right now) without a problem. Does the heat problem only manifest when you are doing gaming or video applications? I bought Dell because I have had a fantastic experience with Dell support for the last 8 years (at various companies where I worked). Dell this is the acid test for you !!! Let' see what tomorrown brings.

jkpolk

01 Jan 2009 11:59 AM

I think Jon might be me. I too just had my XPS M1330 just go nuts with the colored lines and now inability to boot. (At least for a few days I could get a good boot every one out of 10 tries or so.) I am extremely frustrated and it doesn't help that when I try to click on any of the articles referenced above about previous posts I get "page not found" so I can't read more about what's going on. I just know I'm extremely frustrated that my new and expensive "good" machine is a and thank goodness for my older Dell which is allowing me not to completely lose my mind right now. Great way to start the new year. I get to go wrangle with customer service or support or whatever. What fun.

jon7064

01 Jan 2009 10:52 AM

I have Dell XPS M1330 and noe getting the vertical rainbow lines on the screen and the Laptop locks up. Im not going to boether telling you the rest as if you have read this forum then you nkow what the problem is. I just wanted to get this comment on here as yet another Dell/Nividia problem. Dell - do something about it - Get YOUR defected laptops recalled and offer a replacement or refund now. It might be a Nividea GPU at fault, but they are your laptops being sold with your name on all over them. You can send the bill to Nividea and recoup your loss from them. The consumer should not be left in the cold.................They are the ones keeping you in business. Just one thng i would like to point out - the kind of consumer who buys an XPS is normally an IT Professional, who hold a lot of weight in the IT world and people listen to regarding IT solutions and advice. Soon, if not already the name DELL will be mud - so be pro-active and stop being re-active, recall these laptops and kepp your customers happy. I will never buy a Dell again and will never advise to buy a Dell. I wonder if there is a Facebook group about Dell - Its amaising the power and reach of a Facebook group.

grahf12184

29 Dec 2008 12:10 PM

The Nvidia GPU failed on my M1210 a month out of warranty. This issue does exist on the M1210. Please include it on the extended warranty list.

ccatzin

17 Dec 2008 07:26 PM

My system is a M1210 and today started to fail. It was working perfectly until it suddenly died. I have plugged the second monitor and if I click FN + CRT/LCD I can see a bunch of symbols and after "guessing" I could see the menu... If I ask for a diagnosis it says something about an unrecognized video driver/ hardware. I am out seeing it might be the mother board... its sad since I was VERY happy with my laptop for over 2 years. Have anyone managed to fix this? It might be a corrupt BIOS? I guess the computer is trash now?

honeykool235

16 Dec 2008 02:22 AM

I want to inquire about my XPS M1530 Graphics Card Slot. Can i update my graphics card from 128 MB to any higher versions. Is it possible?

nrms

13 Dec 2008 03:05 AM

I bought my xps m1330 in June08 and had a 1 year warranty until June 2009. So I was expecting that in dues course this would automatically be extended to TWO years to run until June 2010. However, I have just logged into my Service Tag - only to discover that the warranty STILL only runs until June 2009. In other words I have NOT been given an automatic warranty extension, as promised. Was Dell just spinning a yarn? (a bit like the current UK government announcing things that actually never happen, just to get everybody off their back)? When can I expect to see this warranty extension happen? NigelS

frankvb

12 Dec 2008 02:22 PM

I own a Latitude D630 which I bought somewhere in June 2008 with a 3 year warranty. Up to this day I'm still waiting for my one year warranty extension. I sent two requests for a warranty extension through the Dell support website. Did I get an answer? No e-mail, no phone call, not even a letter! I will have to buy 4 new computers in January but I think I will be taking my business elsewhere. Dell, put your words where your mouth is or I will vote ... with my feet!

jtnugent

10 Dec 2008 11:14 AM

So far, Dell has ignored my request, but if they ever do get around to responding to m y technical complaint, I will post what I learn up here. A bad chip is a bad chip and until they replace the nVidia chips with the alternative ATI chip, I believe these problems will continue in waves until everyone just gives up on Dell/nVidia. i'm seriously contemplating it and i've been a loyal customer for 14 years and purchased 6 computers.

Hludwig

10 Dec 2008 10:59 AM

I had my xps 1330 motherboard replaced yesterday (after 10 months of use), now it is working fine. I asked about the possibility of having the same problem again, but they told me it can't happen again, because the new motherboard isn't made of the same material as the previous one, so, the error is "fixed" and it won't happen. Anyway, after reading the comments here, I still have my doubts about it... Now I wonder, what will Dell do if this does happen again?

jtnugent

09 Dec 2008 03:14 PM

I had this problem in early July 2008 and Dell replaced the motherboard and nVidia chip in my XPS m1330. Now, just 5 months later, the current nVidia chip has fried my computer AGAIN. What else is Dell doing to truly FIX this problem as opposed to ruining its reputation and profits by replacing motherboards ad infinitum? Thanks, John.

DELL-Todd S

09 Dec 2008 09:03 AM

@ nineen3 Sorry, but that generally sounds like either your hard drive has crashed or Windows has become corrupted. That doesn't necessarily mean that your data is lost though. I would recommend that you repost your questions in the Forums, under the Software and Operating Systems section, or the Disk Drives area. The members there can help you run some diagnostics to see if it's the hard drive or the OS. You can also contact Dell Tech support to see if they can help you or check out the diagnostic help pages on http://support.Dell.com.

nineen3

09 Dec 2008 07:48 AM

is there anyone out there who can give me some insight into Dell inspiron 6400 its just one year out of warranty and the battery went dead so i plugged it in and it told me ntl dr missing, after i ran diagnostics its now telling me problem with sata drive and will do nothing...........unfortunately ALL my college work is on it please please can anyone help!!!!!!!!

DELL-Todd S

09 Dec 2008 07:24 AM

@ Blincan -- PM me with your service tag and case number if you don't mind. I'd like to take a look at your case and see if there is anything that I can do to help.

Dell Product Name
Dell Precision M2300	Latitude D630	Vostro Notebook 1400
Dell Precision M4300	Latitude D630c	Vostro Notebook 1510
Dell Precision M65	Latitude D820	Vostro Notebook 1710
Inspiron 1420	Latitude D830	XPS M1330
Latitude D620	Vostro Notebook 1310	XPS M1530

Community Home

Blogs

Dell Blogs by Language

Categories

NVIDIA GPU Update: Dell to Offer Limited Warranty Enhancement to All Affected Customers Worldwide