Just sent my inspiron 1420n w/ geforce 8400m gs back in for a new mainboard...  It was hanging and then not booting for a while..

..doesn't quite fit the bullet points, but we'll see.

Do I get a summary of the fix when I get it back?  I'm kinda anxious about my $1K companion..

Thanks for the update Lionel.  Just curious here, but is there another resolution planned?  IMHO having the BIOS activate the fans sooner to compensate for a defective chipset is a band aid solution.  This will result in reduced battery time and shorter fan life - correct?  Is there any data to counter this?

Again, thanks for updating the community.  There has been too much speculation about which chips were faulty.

Customer: This won't be the last blog post on this topic. When I have more details to share, I will update this post with a link to the new information to help connect the dots.

The new BIOS updates will not have any noticeable impact on battery life. The fan may cycle on more frequently, but it will run at half or a quarter of its full speed.

So when is Dell going to be sending out corrected or fixed GPUs without this weak die/packaging material as this seems to be defective within all our laptops. I have a M1330 with a 8400M GS and the temperature fluctuations are still large with the indicated BIOS. Is Dell going to replace the GPU with an equivalent like the 9300M GS or the 9500M G so that the GPU does not die in the future when the warranty ends due to the defective GPU?

Is there a certain time frame on the XPS M1330s or does it potentially affect all?

Thanks,

D.C.

Small-Laptops.com

Well, since this BIOS update won't mysteriously change the die packaging material, the only real thing you can do is to extent warranty or premium support to the amount of years you wanna use the computer, and still then live with the fact that your computer could die on you any time.

My M1330 GPU reaches temperatures of up to 105C/221F, and even a complete mainboard and heatpipe replacement did not change that. I like the laptop a lot, but I have the feeling I can't fully trust it, which is very sad.

Cheers

So the inspiron 1520 with the nvidia 8600gt gpu is not effected?

Is the Dell Inspiron 9400 / E1705 also affected with it's Nvidia Go 7900 GS?

So rather than replacing the faulty parts you are going to just turn up the fans, at the expense of battery life and noise.  I would rather just leave the bios as it is and get a proper fix if the problem occurs.  Even if the problem occurs out of warranty I think there is a strong case for Dell fixing it for free since there is an admitted manufacturing defect.

fr: these BIOS updates will not have any noticeable effect on battery life. Look at Update 2 on this blog post for a bit more information.

With this solution, you try to push the issue outside the customers warranty-time.. but what's after that time? will you repair the notebooks for free? 

I installed the A12 bios for my m1330.. the cooler doesn't stop running anymore. That's very annoying, too! Nvidia sold bad GPUs, you sold the m1330 with a miserable cooling device (GPU idle temp between 65 and 70 degree celsius) and the customer should pay for it. Shame on you dell!

Next time I will think twice if I buy a Dell notebook..

nice to see that a hardware issue is fixed by software update.   how is a physical defect suppose to be fixed by software? time to step up to the plate dell and start offering a replacement device

Ah the 1530 is left behind again.

Not really a surprise considering we haven't seen nVidia graphics drivers updates either, or sound driver updates, or wireless networking updates, despite those existing and being published for other notebooks, including the 1330.

I'm suprised you're even bothered; you don't do anything else for us really.

barryd: Just wanted to make sure you saw that the updated XPS M1530 A09 BIOS is now available. Thanks to fonduekid for the initial information.

So what about ownder of XPS M1330n laptops running Ubuntu? How do we update our BIOS?

aikiwolfie: Ubuntu users can flash their system BIOS as well--it doesn't require Windows.

Click on the Installation Instructions area from any of the download links from the table. You'll see something like this:

And the Dell Latitude D820? Does it's A09 BIOS resolve the issue also and if not, when is it's update going to be posted?

Fortunately I don't have Windows to install a noisy "improved fan profile" on my M1330. Lets wait till it breaks. I got 3 years warranty.

Dark Harry: You can install the BIOS update from a boot device.Take a look at my comment to aikiwolfie for more information.

Sir, i'm seeing 2 or 3 horizontal lines while playing games at times(mainly on cut scenes). before the update of bios system was running a bit on the hotter side.  i also feel the performance also gone down.while watching videos, also some artifacts are seen randomly. is the viewing angles also decrease. is this what r u talking about. my model is xps m1330 purchased just about a month or so. what i  need to do next ...i hope this is covered under warranty. Thanks

I tend to agree with some of the other comments. A bios update to turn on cooling fans is not the appropriate response when I have spent approx. $2000 on an XPS that I now fear will have a shortened life span. I am really glad I got the 3 year warranty, that is for sure.

Dell needs to reconsider their action plan, this is not acceptable.

When I ordered a 1530, I asked specifically about this problem, and on consultation with a "tech person," my salesperson assured me that Dell didn't have this problem since they assembled the chips in-house. As far as I can tell, they just blatantly LIED to me, and I'm considering cancelling the order.

Why isn't the dell inspiron 1720 in the list, To tell you the truth, i have already been affected by this issue a while ago and my video card 8600m gt has been replaced, but i am not certain as to how long will this replacement last

its funny how you have included the vostro 1710 and not the inspiron 1720 which is exactly the same thing in a different color.

dell, honestly though bios updates won't cut it, we need replacement for our cards with the newer 9 series nvidia cards which live without these issues

Yeah, I'm with aikiwolfie and Dark Harry-- how do we install bios updates in ubuntu?

ethana2: You can install the BIOS update from a boot device.Take a look at my comment to aikiwolfie for more information.

What about DELL M1730??

For over a year I have been getting excited about buying an XPS m1330 for my full-time MBA program.  Sadly, this means that when I purchase a laptop next month, I will either have to buy a chunkier, heavier laptop with a non-affected NVIDIA card, or just stick with the m1330 and get the under-powered Intel graphics media accelerator.  <sigh>

I commend Dell for publicly acknowledging the problem (I wish NVIDIA would do the same); however, it seems like too little too late.  Let's hope these companies do right thing.

In response to barryd > M1530 BIOS updates are online :-)

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&releaseid=R193896&SystemID=XPS_M1530&servicetag=4DP3R3J&os=WLH&osl=en&deviceid=14338&devlib=0&typecnt=0&vercnt=4&catid=-1&impid=-1&formatcnt=1&libid=1&fileid=267480#2Win

fonduekid: Thanks for updating customers here. You are right on the mark. I updated the table and the original post with the A09 BIOS information for the XPS 1530.

Thanks again.

For me, this is a case of too little, too late.

I spent months trying to get help for my crappy video card (Nvidia 256 6800 go) N41.  I either got NO REPLY at all, or told that there's nothing they could (would) do to help me.  My warranty finally ran out, and while I still can use the laptop (Inspiron 9300) it's only good for doing e-mails, since the memory on the card is shot.  What really adds to the frustration is that I PAID EXTRA to get the "better" card for gaming.  Not to mention this was the THIRD video card in Dell systems in a ROW that died out. Two ATI's and the Nvidia.

Before I read this blog/comments, I was thinking of trying again and even had a Inspiron 1720 in my cart ready to buy (yes, with the Nvidia card)...unless Dell comes up with a replacement offer, I won't complete that purchase!

It's too bad, I've bought Dell computers for YEARS.. but, the last 3 caused me nothing but trouble (and money) and Dell's Customer Service is a JOKE... and I've got all my past e-mails to them with no replies to prove it.

dh

I just had a card fizzle.  It had lots of colors in the picture with static on the screen, which would get worse then the monitor would just turn off.  I contacted PNY about the issue and they said that they wouldn't send me a new card even though my computer was in the warranty time frime.  They told me it was my fault for using a power supply that couldn't provide enough power to the card.  In reality, they don't post any such wording about the user being responsible for under-powering the cards.

Is this issue similar?

WHy is there no release yet for Precision M4300? I was under the impression that the QUadro FX360M included with the M4300 is based on the faulty geforce 8400 chipset but has better drivers? I have 2 of these provided by my employer so I'd like to avoid problems with them.

Everyone has to understand that it is NOT Dell's fault. It is nVIDIA's fault. However, the defective part by nVIDIA is in Dell systems. Other computer manufacture's are facing the same issue using the same defective parts by nVIDIA. Dell, you should be pro-active about this issue by give your customers peace of mind and reinforcing their decision why they went with Dell in the first place instead of your many cometitors. If anyone from Dell in an executive position is reading this and has the power to make a difference, please consider replacing ALL Dell computers affected with a FREE upgrade to the current market equivelant part. By doing this, you will demonstrate that Dell is a leader in the industry because a company is not judged by the problems it faces, but by how the problems are addressed. I purchased a XPS 1530 about two months ago after debating between Dell or HP. I decided to go with Dell because my very first latop I bought over 5 years ago (Dell 300m) is still working like the first day I truned it on. You have my loyalty Dell, please do not lose it because of nVIDIA. I've spent over 2k on my XPS selecting the latest and greatest parts and am extremely concerned.

I have a XPS M1530 on order with the 8600gt gpu.  Has the root issue been resolved with NVIDIA or are new systems being built with the weak GPU and the updated BIOS?  I will be cancelling my order if a known defect is being band-aided and built into new (and NOT inexpensive) laptops.  I've had an XPS desktop for a couple of years and love it but I travel internationally for business and my laptop must be bulletproof.  Clearly this is not acceptable.

So what about the Vostro 1700 with an 8600gt no upgrade for us?  How bout just a whole laptop replacement when mine melts down, or now before it burns my house down?

I've had intermittent problems where I will only get vertical lines all across the screen at boot up, but if I let it rest for a few hours and try again, it works as if nothing happened. Then I'll get the lines again at some random time later. Will you guys automatically replace this laptop?

I haven't called in for warranty service yet because I figured that if it happened to work properly when the tech guy boots up, he'll think theres no problems and send it back to me without actually fixing it.

Maybe someone here can answer my questions.

1. Does this mean that if the 8400GS in my XPS M1530 dies at 1 year and 1 day that I will be stuck paying for the repairs even though it was a known faulty part?

2. For those who already have failed / failing parts and who are under warranty, what is being done to resolve the issue?  Is Dell / Nvidia simply giving the customer another faulty 8400 as a replacement?

What about my Vostro Notebook 1500? It has Nvidia and it-s not listed abobve!

Hi there,

I have a vostro 1500, and I have 8600M GT, it's having a lot of problems, and i believe it's overheating as well. How come there is no fix yet, or will there be a bios fix?

I am CERTAIN this happens to other laptops like the XPS M1710 as well.  My best friend's XPS M1710 has died TWICE wit this issue -- the first time was 11 months into his first version (with a GeForce Go 7800 GTX), 1 month before the warranty expired.  His system was completely replaced with a new version with a GeForce Go 7950GTX, which died 13 months after he got it.

He called Dell which gave him the runaround for 2.5 hours on the phone, through at least 15 different representatives, before they basically told him he needs to personally buy a new video chip for $850 (more if he wants Dell to install it for him).  It's clearly a design failure, and they clearly don't give a damn about the people who spend $4000 on their high end laptops.

Never again.

I own a XPS M1330 with nVidia Geforce 8400M. Now my 1 year limited hardware warranty is going to expire soon this coming September. Since the problem is not exactly "fixed" by updating thie BIOS as Dell stated, what's going to happen once our laptops are out of warranty? Dell and nVidia should really provide an ultimate solution like replacing any faulty/possibly faulty video chips or something like that. This temporary fix will only make our laptop work longer than it would until our warranties expire and we are all screwed. Furthermore, by having the fan running all the time, the battery will drain considerably quicker. I really regret paying more money for this nVidia dedicated video card....

I'm with barryd. I'm an owner of a 1530 as well and I'd like to see some form of service updates for my laptop.

Do I hear M1730..? Anyone, Anyone? Dual 8700's are horrible. You should look into them as well Dell.

can dell send a representative to respond to the above questions which remain unanswered? i know dell is monitoring the comments, and even simple answers have not been responded.

to all those above who ask whether their system is affected, it affects all nvidia 8400m and 8600m gpus, regardless of laptop model

Lionel,

Saw it thank you; but a permanently running fan as solution? Hmm not good.

That doesn't set aside that the 1530 doesn't get driver updates with anywhere near enough frequency, especially as the same drivers are updated for the 1330 again and again (although you are always way too slow with graphics drivers)

barryd: This BIOS updates will not make the system fan run permanently. See Update 2 in this post for a bit more.

Keep in mind that AFAIK there are 2 models of the GeForce 8600M GT out there, one that runs DDR2 at 400MhZ and another that runs DDR3 at 700MhZ.

My Dell 1520 runs the former and idles at 40 degrees and loads at 60 degrees.  There is a bios update that I will install however it only makes changes to the intel GM965 onboard Graphics adapter.

That said perhaps it's only the new models that are having this problem so maybe there is no update needed for models like the 1520 that user the slower version.  On the other hand I don't know when the change from DDR2 to DDR3 took place.

Just a thought

i have a vostro 1500 also with 8400M, almost out of warrenty...do i qualify for some sort of exchange or bios update?

@ LIONEL, Chief Blogger :-) You're welcome and its my pleasure to be of any use... And I love these kind of blogs, since it makes it so easy for people to find out things they need and the place to get them, rather than going through a 1000 support pages to finally get what they want. Anyways, THANKS TO YOU for getting up this page in the first place :-) Cheers. See you around.

Dell, since 8400 and 8600 are known defect parts by now. PLEASE REPLACE IT.

If not, then Dell should consider extending the warrenty for all customers.

Just like what Intel did more than 10 years ago when a BUG found in their FPU. Instead of recalling, they simply replace any of their defect CPU at any time if customer requested.

Dear Lionel,

If a new Dell system with a Nvidia GPU (8000 series) was ordered today, would it still be affected by the weak die/packaging material?

We are particularly concerned with the Vostro 1310/1510 containing Nvidia GPUs. As you can imagine it would be against general logic for us to rollout an update for our laptop systems if there is an identified defect in them.

I look foward to hearing from you.

Warmest regards,

My Vostro 1400 with the 8400m gs warranty expires in about 30 days, Dell just want me to update to the new bios so it will break after the warranty is over, or buy one more year of extended warranty for around $170 I DONT THINK SO!!!

I purchased the XPS M1330 with the 9 Cell Battery in order to get the long battery life. Now I have updated the BIOS and if the fan runs all of the time I will not get the long battery lift that was  the reason to purchase the larger battery.  How much decrease will the fan running extra take away from my run time?  I do have the 3 year warranty but I wonder what are the chances of an actual FIX not just a software running of the FAN?

BTW I love my M1330 it is the BEST computer I have ever had and I have had all kinds ThinkPad's,Dell, Tandy, HP and HomeBuilt.  I sure hope my satisfaction continues.

i bet dell is screaming in nVidia's ear to have nVidia fix all the laptops. Dell probably won't do anything until nVidia pays for it all.

i also have a vostro 1500 with 8600 GT and am having problems what can i do?

I just sent in my Inspiron 9400 with a Nvidia Go 7900 GS for out of warranty repair.  I purchased it in Oct. 2007 and 2 weeks ago the video quit working completely.  The computer would power up but that was about it.  Dell India diagnosed the problem as a motherboard failure.  So I had to pay $600 before they would even send me the shipping box.  If this failure is due to a faulty Nvidia product being installed in Dell laptops, then Dell should do the right thing and deal with us promptly and fairly and then go after Nvidia for retribution.  I have just bought my first and last Dell computer!

Well, I don't know why, but I posted a comment here early this morning (around 9am) and it's not here.  Maybe it was a hiccup?

I'm not typing all of it out again, short version is similar to vaishakh's comment.

I've had the last 3 Dell systems I purchased, have the video card fail, first time I was given a refurbished replacement card, without too much hassle. Second one took me months to get them to replace it...and the last one, while I tried for months to get a response and help.  It never happened, the closest I came was leaving a post on the Dell Forum and Dell Chris responded, but only to tell me that by then my warranty had lapsed, and if I wanted to replace the bad card, I could purchase one (for only $400+ for a refurbished 90 warranty card!?)   I swore then, I'd never do business with Dell again.  However, the 9300 Inspiron I bought (with the bad card) now only works well enough to do e-mails and I need to get something so I can play my games.  So, I come online to check a few laptops out, and find this blog/post... and it appears as though nothing has changed.  Certainly not something that makes me warm and fuzzy about buying another one.

Think I'll watch and see if Dell is going to do the right thing here, before I fork out another $2k.

XPS M1330/8400M GS owner here.

I have waited the last two weeks - who will be the first to let kitty out of the bag...

+ + +  for Dell BUT

a firmware update shouldn't/cannot be a fix for weak material (ulli already interpreted this as extending life outside warranty).

What i want to see now is:

- A clearly statement about the range of temperature fluctuations that are dangerous for these chips (this should be tested).

- Automobile industry should be ideal > product recall > product replacement with non faulty chips (yes i know its soldered on my mainboard)

My future purchasing behavior will depend on the approach of this problem.

Thank you.

I also have Vostro 1500 with 8600M GT GPU in it and there are no BIOS update either. I checked the BIOS that I can download but the only one I saw was a version A06 which was released in June. I found couple helpful links to contact Dell executives. Here are the links:

http://consumerist.com/371091/dell-has-called-every-day-for-the-past-eight-months-and-im-not-a-customer

http://consumerist.com/consumer/executive-customer-service/email-addresses-for-19-dell-executives-321353.php

http://consumerist.com/335626/reach-the-dell-customer-advocates

If we all e-mail them, they might pay a little bit of attention.

I have been update itu latest A12 on my D630 but the new bios cause troble even in the DELL booting screen.

With boldy attitude, I reflash it to older A10 and so var was OK. Thank Good. I am waiting A13 hoping it fix A12 screen trouble.....

I had have already been bitten by this defect and had to replace the motherboard for the D630 myself. Originally I thought this was just a random manufactuing fault but now, Dell having admitted to the truth I am very annoyed at having to pay for a replacement.

As the CIO of a company I am responsible for deciding what platform we use to fit our computings needs. Previously I have been quite happy with the Lattitude line but I find Dell's response to this issue completely unacceptable and will be strongly considering switch our business to another supplier.

If there is a design fault, then the affected customers should have their hardware replaced. Likewise if Dell needs to seek compensation for this problem, it should discuss terms with nVidia (who seems to be escaping peoples wrath)

Hurray, my gfx chip died on me a week after my warranty expired. Nice one Dell. This isn't even a solution. Anyone had their chip replaced even after an expired warranty?

@Lionel Menchaca

So... for Linux users just boot with your windows boot floppy disk, right? Riiiight.. like I would have one just in case...

Actually... does ANYONE still have such a thing? A DOS / windows boot floppy disk? My laptop doesn't even have a floppy.

Can't we boot from a CD or something? How about provinding a linux version? It shouldn't be so hard. Or we're supposed to pay the price of not using Windows?

Well (usual, lucky coincidence), my Vostro 1500 with 8600M GT warranty just happened to expire the very day this notice was posted.  Even more disturbing, there is no provision for even this bandaid "fix" for the Vostro 1500.  Dell obviously knew of this problem prior to the expiration of my warranty, and I would expect a warranty repair in the event my video card fails or causes other damage to my system.  Really, there should be a recall, as there was with the defective battery issue a few years back.  Dell can then sue NVidia for its losses.  I am a devoted Dell laptop customer, but if this issue isn't resolved in a manner which is fair to the customer, I will be going to Lenovo for my business and personal systems from here on out.  I should not have to replace a laptop after one year.

Dell reps, WHEN is a bios "fix" going to be provided for the Vostro 1500???

Are the 1510/1710 2MB updates really Windows/DOS?  That's what it says at the top of their pages, but the only download available is one "using the Windows format and...designed to be directly executed from [the] Windows environment."

If that's actually a dual-mode file, it's very misleading.

The problem is here nVidia with their bad GPUs on the market. nVidia should enhance the warrenty for owners or start a recall with all effected GPUs. Very expensive for nVidia, but better as an chippy image in future.

My M1330's screen started acting up - white screen with color lines as soon as I press the power button - doesn't even go into the bios.  I called Dell and they replaced the motherboard and LCD.  The old LCD I can see a ghostly "ring" of 2" diameter in the center before, not sure what it was - I thought they were the LED lights, but the new screen doesn't have it anymore.  This all happened 2 weeks ago before I read about the gfx card problems!  I'm not sure if the new motherboard have the same problem, but if it dies again, I think my 3 year warranty will still cover it.

Dell, please don't be cheap about this. I guess you can't change a faulty chip... but I didn't pay for a faulty cheap either. It is under your name brand and it is your responisbility to provide me with the product I paid for. Change the fan usuage is slowly screwing over loyal customers.... This is definitely making me rethink buying dell.

I own a m1330 as  well. My problem with my graphic card occurs when i am playing a 3d game and unplug the laptop from electricty. (this is also easy to achieve by mistake!) then my FPS drops from 60s to 20s. I believe this has something to do with power mods/ fan speeds setup. Does anybody experienced a similar problem?

My opinion after reading endless reviews and faults is that nvidia´s G84 G86 series are all faulty and nvidia is only covering up only due to enormous stock on this specific gpus.. check this link to open your eyes.

http://www.beyond3d.com/content/news/633

I bet A12 will make it only worse! Not sure about GPU (don't see any big temperature differencies with it compared to A11) but the palm rest, touchpad and keyboard is way hotter! The fan is constantly on, yes, but it is running at very low speed and the air flow (air pressure) is not enough to blow the heat out of the notebook as it happens when its running at higher speeds. Thus the heat is uniformly distributed within the case rather than blown out. I don't have a temp probe close at hand to prove this but the laptop definitely feels hotter than usual. I'll try to do some measuremets tommorow, I believe we have some probes at work.

Why does this feel like Deja Vu? I have a M1330 and a Nvidia 8440 GS graphics card. I have had the motherboard replaced twice and the LCD replaced once by Dell in the last 10 months. The second time was a fortnight back. The screen had vertical lines and I could not see anything on the screen. As an early adopter, I feel particularly unhappy with Dell. I do have a 3 year warranty. I have upgraded my BIOS to A012 but I doubt that it will solve the GPU problem.

What NVIDIA GPU models are affected? Is there a list of the affected GPUs (regardless of laptop make/model)?

Seems like this is a major consumer issue.  Has someone contacted the Better Business Bureau?  I am sure that if Dell has only a band-aid fix for something they know will only work short term and aren't willing to replace existing parts, it is a clear breach on consumer rights.  I have a 1720 that crashes my 3D art program the minute I load a simple object.  And my Mahjong game looks all garbled when I start it.  It's a new system, had it less than a month.

Like James and majortom1981 said, is the 1520 with the nvidia 8600GT GPU affected?

I'm sure all the owners would like an answer, and a new BIOS, or tell us about another older BIOS (I say this because A07 had an "enhancement for thermal control") as a hold-over until a solution is presented?

Why is there NO information about the Vostro 1500 on this?

 I DEMAND for a correct solution to this problem