You all have me freaked out about the NVidia GPU

My m1330 is set to be delivered Sept 19th and I didn't read about the GPU problem until after the order was placed. Now I'm wondering if keeping this laptop is too big a risk. I am a DJ and this computer will be used for live performances, where a failure could be seriously detrimental to my career.

After searching and searching, I haven't found any confirmation that this problem is still present in newer laptops, but I haven't found anything to the contrary either.

I also read that the copper mod is also just a band-aid and even if it does successfully cool the chip, the lifespan will be significantly shortened.

For some reason my m1330 didn't come with any warranty beyond the 1 year you would normally expect. I'm thinking this problem is widespread enough that you could get a warranty replacement regardless of how long it lasts before failure, but that is of little comfort.

Are the XPS models affected still rolling off the assembly line with this problem? This is awful. It's like knowing you're probably going to die in the next six months. Sure, even if you didn't know you still might die, but at least you wouldn't be worried about it all the time.

 

Return it or cancel the order immediately. Get a laptop known for more stability.

The 1 year extra warranty is "invisible", it only works if your GPU fails the 1 year after your original warranty expires.

Yes.

It looks like the problem is on the verge to being fixed, but nothing has been announced yet which means defect machines are still shipping.

I got my M1330 yesterday, I wish I could return it but I bought it through business, which removes the 14-days return thingy. I got the defective GPU.

 

wait for your machine, enjoy it, update all of your drivers, enjoy your system

It's not like you should have gotten a whole other machine for ATI mobility over that sleek m1330

if there is a problem, return it.

 

that is terrible.

 

The defective GPU is confirmed, by both nVidia and Dell.

I'd definitely go for another GPU brand until there's an official announcement from Dell that all new laptops contain non-faulty GPUs.

Plus the construction of the m1330 is faulty in itself, inadequate cooling leads to overheating the already heat sensitive GPU.

 

I would return it. There is no reason to spend good money on the defective product as costly as a laptop. I wish I could return my m1530 because of its known defective GPU.

 

I know the Vaio SR laptops seem to work very well, I heard of very few or no fails at all from them. They're a bit more expensive but also contain the latest hardware as compared to the 1 year old M1330. They also come with an ATI chip. They do have a battery leak issue, though, resulting in 5-10% of battery power lost per night. This can be avoided if you remove the battery from the laptop while it's off.

I would have gotten it if I could return the M1330. Or possibly Precision M2400, the workstation computers should be stable, that's what they're built for, but since it's completely new no one knows.

There might be even more stable laptops out there, you'd have to ask around.

 

anyone know how to convince dell that there is a problem with my m1330....i have a good idea that i am having the gpu problem....i have spoken with dell now on 2 seperate occasions....first time i couldn't get the issue to happen when on the phone with dell....and the second time it seemed it looked like it was the driver....but now again i am having an issue with the laptop freezing and the screen doing the funky stuff.....i did have a dual-boot but have since gotten rid of vista.....but now i am having the same issue on xp....and this is happening even before bios screen.....am i correct in believing i am having this mobo issue????

 

Jimmiem,

I'd say return it. Dell sucks, is overpriced and their customer service is terrible.

A quick look at the Dell website shows that a basic M1330 costs around 1.5k.

You can get a much bigger bang for your buck by getting a custom made laptop. There are many resellers with good reputation here in the forum which offer good warranties and great customer service. I am never returning to Dell or HP, its just not worth it.

Some good sellers are:

XoticPC
RK Computers
RawPowerPC
PowerNotebooks

For instance, it took me less than 2 minutes to configure this one at XoticPC for $1.4k:

http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np7220-biult-clevo-m722t-p-2414.html

Sager NP7220 (Biult on Clevo M722T)

- 12.1" WXGA "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1280x800)
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- ~Intel® T9400 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.53GHz w/6MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 35 watt
- Intel® GMA X4500HD Shared up to 256MB DX10
- None Standard
- ~ 4,096MB DDR2 800 (2 SODIMMS) Dual Channel Memory (Requires Vista 64-Bit to recognize Full 4GB)
- None Standard
- Standard Finish
- ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares
- ~ 200GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache)
- None Standard
- None Standard
- Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
- Internal Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5300 802.11 a/g/n Wi-Fi Link
- None Standard
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- None Standard
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Carying Case Optional (Select if desired)
- Smart Li-ion Battery (4-Cell)
- None Standard
- None Standard
- None Standard
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- None Standard
- ~Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit Installed (64&32-Bit CD Included) w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's
- None Standard
- None Standard
- Sager 3 Year Parts & Labor Warranty, Lifetime Sager Toll Free Support

If you take your time you will surely find a great deal that suits your expectations in one of the stores I listed.

Hope this helps,

W

 

okay, not being a gamer let me ask about the integrated graphics processor and see if it may possibly suit my needs.

A big plus for me with this laptop is the HDMI port. As I mentioned, I'm a DJ. I use music videos. I got the NVidia to bolster video output. Since I'm not gaming, just playing mpegs mostly, will the integrated graphics option leave me wanting?

btw, here's the build:

1 223-6994 XPS M1330, Intel Core 2 Duo T9300(2.5GHz, 800Mhz, 6M L2 Cache)
1 320-6312 Midnight Blue XPS M1330
1 311-7311 4GB, DDR2, 667MHz 2 Dimm, for XPS M1330
1 320-5583 13.3 Inch Wide Screen WXGA TL WLED Backlit LCD with Camera, XPS M1330
1 320-5603 128MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS, for XPS M1330
1 341-7765 High Performance 128GB Solid State Drive XPS Inspiron
1 412-0946 Dell Travel ExpressCard Remote Control, IR
1 420-5769 Internet Search and Portal
1 420-6436 Vista, PC-Restore, Dim/Insp
1 420-8566 Microsoft Windows Vista SP1 Home Premium Edition, English
1 420-7098 Media Direct 3.5
1 420-7387 DELL RESOURCE DVD,BACK-UP XPS-M1330
1 420-7622 DELL SUPPORT CENTER 2.0
1 463-2282 Dell Owners Manual installed on your system,click on icon after system set-up to access
1 420-9100 Dell Dock Consumer
1 420-7468 ADOBE ACROBAT READER 8.1 DIM/INSP
1 313-5361 8X DVD+/-RW Slot Load Drive for XPSM1330
1 420-8183 Roxio Creator DE 10
1 313-4783 Integrated High Definition Audio 2.0
1 430-2577 Intel 4965AGN Wireless-N Mini Card
1 410-1184 McAfee SecurityCenter 15-month
1 312-0561 56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery, for XPS M1330
1 412-0148 No Internet Service Provider Requested
1 412-1397 No Productivity Software requested
1 950-3337 1 Year Limited Warranty
1 987-6347 Dell Hardware Warranty PlusOnsite Service, Initial Year
1 983-3700 Type 3- Third Party At Home Service, 24x7 Technical Support, Initial Year
1 950-9797 No Warranty, Year 2 and 3
1 412-0360 Soft Contracts - Banctec
1 960-8710 Warranty Support,Initial Year
1 986-3557 LoJack Theft Recovery Service - 1 Year
1 420-8651 LoJack Theft Recovery Softwarefor Laptops, 1 Year
1 988-0099 To activate your online backupaccount, go to Start, Programs, DataSafe Online
1 988-7707 2GB DATASAFE ONLINE 1.1 FOR SDO/DIM/INS/XPS
1 420-9518 DATASAFE ONLINE 1.1 2GB FOR DIM/INS/XPS
1 330-0171 S and P Drop-in-Box Marcom forDHS Notebooks
1 310-9242 65 Watt Spare Small AC Adaptorfor XPS 1330
1 310-9273 Fingerprint Reader
1 430-2566 Dell Wirless 355 Bluetooth Module (2.0+EDR)
1 430-2692 Dell Wireless 400,Ultra Wide Band
1 464-9572 No Entertainment software pre-installed
1 313-6146 Slim and Light LCD with Blue High Gloss Casing and Camera XPS M1330
1 310-9348 Intel Centrino Core Duo Processor
1 310-8628 You have chosen a Windows Vista Premium System

 

This page should help. Check out the class rankings at the left.

http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-9600M-GT.9449.0.html

Some comments about your config:

- LoJack didnt work for me (I got my loaded M1530 stolen). I'd suggest getting this instead: www.safeware.com
- You'll need a 64 bit Vista or XP to recognize your entire 4GB of ram
- The Ram Dell offers is 667MHz as opposed to the one 800MHz available in many custom sellers
- Your wireless card is getting kind of old (the new one is the 5300)
- Having a 1 year warranty is definitively not ideal if you are buying a working tool
- The SSD drive is cool. It's really expensive though, a 7,200 rpm should be enough for what you are doing (someone please correct me if I'm wrong).I'd max out other specs before spending that much money on it.


BTW does it have to be 13"? There are also great cheap 15" options like the Sager NP7680, especially if you're not a hardcore gamer.

 

money back guarantee? too late for that,maybe?

 

I have the M1330 with integrated graphics and it runs fairly cool. It has the HDMI output port (I think that's what it is). It gets 5+ hours on battery and is a great traveling machine. It had the flaky keyboard problem though so the geek squad has it for two weeks for a keyboard replacement. I find that video performance for playing DVDs, youtube videos, etc. just fine. I'm not a gamer though. Intel Integrated Video is getting better over time.

 

It's not just 'Dell' or the 'Dell' brand. It's nVidia. I don't see why people don't realize this. It's not like if you buy an HP computer with an 8600 that it will be magically fixed

There we go!!

nVidia has also said that they've changed the solder or something so the problem either isn't there anymore or much less likely to happen in LATE JULY so the new motherboards shouldn't be having problems.

Again, see above

 

My config came to about $1850, that includes the 128GB SSD and the wireless USB hub and Logitech mouse. The Lojack was free but shows up on my invoice as $50 so I'll be calling to get that knocked off.

I'm torn. I really want this puppy, but everything I'm reading is making it sound very risky to do so. I'm still reading about people with builds from August who have already had the MB replaced.

 

Honestly dude it REALLY depends on how you use it.... Be nice to the rig and it'll be nice to you

I've had mine since early june and no problems man....what do I do? I have a laptop cooler and I treat it nice....I still play games on it for a LONG time but the temps don't rise with the cooler and good air flow (being in A/C or cold weather also helps)

I say you keep it, you'll like it

 

One of my MacBook Pros died with the nVidia problem so I'm particularly sensitive to the problem. If you do go with an nVidia solution, I guess I'd definitely try to minimize heat from other components. The SSD drive is a good way to do that along with selecting a Penryn processor over a Merom processor. I think that it's a good idea to run with external cooling when possible too.

 

When I said he should get a laptop known for more stability I meant any, without a nVidia chip.

Yes, they changed from high lead solder to eutectic. It is less likely to happen that your M1330 will ship with a defective GPU, but I'm sure they're not going to stop shipping the defective GPUs until they state so out loud. Seems they want to get rid of the defective batch first. As you maybe read I got my laptop built two months after this problem was "fixed". And to add to that, putting non defective GPUs in the M1330 still doesn't solve the heat problem, which has to do with the construction of the M1330. Your non-defective GPU will still reach temperatures of over 100C, which will damage your motherboard no matter what. However, there is a revision of a motherboard out there which has better cooling, said to reach only 89C during load (according to Dell), this temperature is still bad for the laptop. A non defective GPU + the copper mod would probably do the trick, though.

So, whatever you say about this laptop and it's "fixed" problems, it's simply badly built, poor workmanship.

That being said, I really like my M1330, it looks awesome, I never typed on a better feeling keyboard and it's pretty silent, going to be even more so when I get a newer motherboard revision without the whine.

 

Until Dell makes an announcement (if ever) on which months and or laptop serial numbers have the defective GPU, they all must be assumed to be defective. If people are willing to take a $1500.00-$2000.00 gamble hoping that their laptop won't fail, well, good for them. I did not have that choice.

 

So much negativity here, and people wonder why OEMs don't announce defective card issues. Just because there are a certain % of cards failing does not mean that you'll get a defective unit. Heck there are a lot of cases where people overreact because the temps in their small notebook with a dedicated card is running warm or hot. The OEM announces defective cards and a mass hysteria happens and people panic and thus creates ignorance.

1.) Its not dell that is to blame, its Nvidia. I cant stress this enough people.
2.) Just because there is a mass hysteria does not mean that 100% of dells or Nvidia cards are defective.
3.) Enjoy your laptop! I have enjoyed my dell with an 8600mGT for almost a year and no matter if I OC the card or game all day its fine.
4.) Realize you are buying a ultraportable laptop packing ALOT of power, including a dedicated graphics card. This is not a system designed to run cool and quite, this is meant to be a light to moderate gaming/multimedia option and YES it will run warm or even hot.
5.) If your card is defective thats what warranties are for, if you have one then problem solved for you. If not then maybe you should have gotten one.

 

Dell has known of the high NVidia GPU failure rate for over a year now, but has kept quite until July 08. They still are selling these laptops, so yes my dear, they are responsible.

I don't think anyone ever said there was a 100% failure rate on these GPUs, but there is a much higher failure rate on the 8400/8600 GPUs then the industry norm. Much higher then NVidia is publicly willing to state.

I do enjoy my m1530, but really wish I had the choice of buying a laptop with a part known to have a high failure rate or some other OEMs (non NVidia GPU) laptop.

Agree

If you have to buy extended warranty on a product to protect against a failure, is the product really worth buying? I don't think so. What about the m1330 users who have their warranties voided by Dell because they have had too many system board failures?

 

Do you see what happens when they announce a "high failure rate"? There are countless threads and blogs made a day blowing the situation out of proportion.

Of the 3 8600mGTs I have/support on a daily basis, all I have to say is the situation is blow way out of proportion. There are too many people running around forums and blogs stating "dont buy this" and "brand X is bad", when in all honesty the defective units are being replaced with new boards that aren't effected.

How many times has your 1530 failed on you and at what dates?

You buy an extended warranty because you realize you are using a high performance model or card in a small chassis that will perform desktop tasks and be used for a prolonged period of time. I have heard of users being denied out of warranty, which by law is morale, but wrong in the fact that they knew it was defective hardware. So that I'll agree is wrong.

 

@liquidxit2, I'm pretty sure nVidia announced that all cards are affected. They used high lead solder in every single card of those manufacturing lines up until August 01, thus all of them are defective. The reason they don't all break down is that it's only in the M1330 that the card, during high load (gaming etc), reaches a high enough temperature to break down in less than a year.

Other laptops, where the affected nVidia cards reaches only around 70-80C, can look forward to their soldering cracking in 2 years from now. The copper mod for the M1330 gives the GPU in it an expected life time of 3 years.

Luckily most hardware is way outdated by this time anyway, but still, bad news for people intending to use their laptops for around 5 years - warranty will definitely be out when their card finally burns out.

 

DELL IS NOT MAKING THE GPU'S!!!!

nVidia is. And, to top it off, they did make an official, albeit small, announcement that they did change the solder.

 

Time will tell if the problem is being blown out of proportion. This web site probably only consist of a very small subset of laptop owners. Most people would not have found this site unless they are an enthusiast or having some type of problem. What really concerns me is the lack of information being released. If it was a small problem NVidia would never have had to announce the issue. If it was a small amount of Dell laptops would it not be in their best interest to post the build dates and serial numbers or do a silent recall?

My laptop is only three months old and I love it. I speced it just the way I wanted it as my sig shows. I do not like the feeling of knowing that It has a higher failure rate than the norm. I would have not bought any laptop with a NVidia GPU if the information was available when I placed my order and cannot recommend anyone buying a laptop with NVidia GPU until all information is made available.

I have been following this issue with much vested interest and except for some posting about pre sale comments that these post August system boards are not also defective, I have seen no concrete information of that being the case. If you have a link which shows this, it would be most appreciated if you would share it. Thanks.

 

I'm hoping that someone does a class action lawsuit. Apple is replacing motherboards that are a few months out of warranty. There's a spreadsheet of some of those affected and those experiencing the problem bought their machines from June to August 2007. It will be interesting to see if failures follow at about 12 to 14 months. Apple isn't formally extending warranties so users would have a reason to sue if they are denied motherboard replacements. I would expect this to happen with Dell and HP after warranties run out.

I've been affected with one dead machine and I have two others. $7,000 of hardware shouldn't last a year.

 

I had this thought earlier. If I didn't have to wait so long for my laptop to ship, I would be playing with my new toy and not reading every review on the web I can find and dreaming about it

After reading every website on the first 10 pages of an "m1330 review" google search, I finally got bored reading the same thing and decided I needed to find a good forum with enthusiasts discussing how great my new laptop is. Until I found this site, I had seen a few references to m1330s running hot in a few reviews, but since finding this site I've read everything I could find about this GPU problem.

Even though there are plenty of people here who have had their motherboards replaced, Dell sells millions of laptops. If they were failing at the rate that it appears on this site, there's no way they could keep a lid on it. Even this site is mostly people like me, just worried they are going to have problems and not necessarily actually having problems.

 

I wonder if they are having problems getting spare parts. Mine is in the shop for two weeks - Apple's turnaround was less than a week. At this time I won't buy anything with nVidia just on principle.

If Apple puts out a new MacBook Pro Penryn with ATI or even integrated video, I'd take a look and try to sell my existing notebook.

 

Since you are a DJ why not go with a macbook?

 

You make me laugh... It takes many many months before the GPU supply channels to become depleted of defective parts, if ever.


Could you please give me either the updated system board version number for the m1530 or GPU version number which have these so call non defective GPUs?

 

An excellent question. The next time my wife needs a new laptop, we'll probably get her a Mac. That will give me an opportunity to dip my toe in the water without diving in. For now, I'm too comfortable in Windows. I don't know if all of the programs I use come in Apple flavor.

 

Im sure there is some conversion to OSX. You could always get a macbook and have it dual Vista and OSX. Being as though Apple targets its Macs to the multimedia crowd it may suit you better, but then again the XPS line is currently dells multimedia line. Im sure you will like your 1330, and heres a pre-congrats for when you get it.

 

This thread has been edited to remove personal insults.

KEEP IT CLEAN!

 

I am wondering how you know this. Did you read it somewhere or are you in the industry or something. From the small amount I have read about Dell's production and supply practices, it almost seems like stuff is going from being manufactured, sent to Dell, put together and shipped to us in a very short time frame. I didn't think industry could afford to have parts sitting around for many months or forever anymore. Especially the technology industry.