BIOS fix for NVIDIA GPU problems may be other type of fix
- August 2nd, 2008
- 13 Comments
The NVIDIA faulty GPU fiasco is getting worse. In what was originally detailed as an isolated amount of faulty parts contained to some HP laptops, is starting to look like a much bigger problem. Now it is being said that all NVIDIA G84 AND G86 parts are bad, across multiple brand names, including, laptops, desktops and mobile devices.
The thermal based problem reveals itself after going through so many heat cycles. The components literally aren’t standing up to the heat. HP and Dell have offered upgrades, but these are more designed to stall the problem. HP recommends to flash the BIOS, which in effect, just keeps the fan always running. In other words, it’s a band-aid, and from their perspective maybe the problem will stay away until your device is out of warranty.
You probably shouldn’t listen to them.
By “upgrading” to a constantly running fan, you are getting less that what you paid for. Power consumption goes up, battery life goes down. Wear and tear goes up, and the faulty GPU is still there anyway. Good for them, bad for you. In a rather revealing move, HP doesn’t even have previous BIOS versions available. Once you do it, it’s done. (Dell does have older versions on another page).
This thing still has a ways to go before it plays itself out, so check your warranty info carefully and stay tuned. Your best bet, at the moment, seems to be to get the manufacturer to replace them broken GPU’s.
J (Who am I?)
4 months ago
On behalf of NVDA shareholders …F.U buddy
Brian Krepshaw (Who am I?)
4 months ago
Yeah, yeah, whatever –NVIDIA F’d up and it looks like Customers are the ones who are getting F’d by these supposed fixes.
Ron (Who am I?)
3 months ago
What ever happened to quality…..gone??
Ummmm Yeah (Who am I?)
4 months ago
Soooo, Nvidia and all it’s vendors are openly violating the law? I’d like to hear some firsthand accounts of ppl that have encountered the issue. Oh, wait, can’t find those on the internet. Just a ton of hearsay like this.
Again, F U buddy
sincerely another Nvidia shareholder
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Brian Krepshaw (Who am I?)
4 months ago
I don’t think band-aid fixes are against the law.
idiot
4 months ago
another dumb f. who trusts information from the inquirer. Way to back up your P.O.S. article @$$hole
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Brian Krepshaw (Who am I?)
4 months ago
So if you’re an idiot, does that mean this is a compliment?
GPU intact (Who am I?)
4 months ago
This is obvious the author just wants to influence Nvidia’s stock price. Maybe he is cooperating with some institutions to short Nvda. Way to go!!!! The price will go up, those who short NVda will be burned.
Brian Krepshaw (Who am I?)
4 months ago
Go play your stock games somewhere else. This is about Customers needing to not blindly listen to HP and Dell’s advice. Owners of other devices should be aware the problem hasn’t fully been revealed. NVIDIA releases second quarter results August 12 and is expected to disclose more info then. I have no position with NVIDIA one way or the other.
Ummmm Yeah (Who am I?)
4 months ago
See, in a marketplace where your name is what matters most a defective product will, should, and always will be returned to it’s vendor b/c in the real world (not some half-assed rumor-mill churning tech blog)that is LEGAL grounds for a refund. It’s called accountability and those who don’t comply find themselves sued and overlooked for future asset implication. So in this case HP and Dell normally would say give us cards that are reliable and absorb the cost it’s gonna take to fix it. Any reputable computer manufacturer would be absolutely out of it’s mind to push a product that they know will fail into a marketplace that is privy to the issue. Y’all can ride this bios update train into the dirt. Truth be told everyone who supports Vista is releasing bios updates now to better integrate SP1 into their HW configurations. This rumor has been spewed into the air and not one documented case of this HW failure has yet to surface. Selling a defective product falls into an area where MANY attorneys would be more than happy to build a class action suit on the basis of a lemon law.
Sincerely,
An Nvidia shareholder/IBM employee
easychord (Who am I?)
4 months ago
Apple too … the intel Macbook Pro’s all have the 8600M line of GPU’s. Check the support forums to see the increasing number of MBP’s that have lost their video .. gives some indication of the extent of the problem. Mine died just 2 days ago. Was getting hot as all *(&@#(*^@ and then just poof .. no more video, thought the computer boots. Requires a mainboard (logicboard) replacement. Luckily still under 1 year warranty and buying Apple Care to extend it to 3.
Apple has been silent on the issue. But I’m sure the murmurs are starting to increase in volume.
Gus
3 months ago
If this is not true.. how come both HP and Dell are offering extended warranties? Love maybe? You can also find a few molten Nvidia chips (garlic taste, smell of burnt silicon) in the list below. Sure, some are not of this recent case, but that only proves that crap has existed for a long time. I would suggest you sell your shares.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-9983840-1.html?hhTest=1
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Cory (Who am I?)
2 months ago
My HP notebook is dead because of this… lucky for HP, it was 2 months after my warranty ran out. HP has extended the warranty to 24 months for SOME of the notebooks having problems — but not all. They refuse to service mine and many others like mine.
A forum thread is growing with angry HP owners demanding action. Come join us and let’s see if we can rightfully get all of our notebooks serviced or replaced as they should be, and just like everyone else!
http://forums11.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/bizsupport/questionanswer.do?threadId=1191277