8800m gtx could FAIL

hi guys I just wanted to see if any of you know whether there is any chance of the 8800m gtx in the m15x failing like the other nvidia cards which all the news is talking about. Asking because I really want to buy an m15x and want it to last at least 3 years, (obviously assuming I don't end up with a lemonish system to begin with). Thanks in advance guys

 

There's a possibility that it could fail, but if you're not hitting 70c on the GPU when you're gaming, then you could probably dodge that bullet, at least, for awhile.

 

How can someone not expect the GPU to be 70+ when doing intensive gaming???

 

I get around 68-74C when I play something as weak as WC3. Bioshock, Crysis, Mass Effect, etc. easily break 70C with, I'd estimate about 70C min and 91C maximum. Although, my second display, that I stretch out beyond it's native resolution and leave on all the time, might increase my workload a bit more than average. So, I might not exactly be a normal case.

 

*shrug* I personally haven't broken the 70c mark yet, but then again, I shouldn't really be saying anything since I don't play games like Bioshock, Crysis and Mass Effect. :<

Hey Ennea, have you tried the 177.92 drivers yet? I hear they help with temperature issues.

 

Yeah, ever since I heard good things from you and other users, I updated. My temperatures stayed relatively the same, however I got a slightly noticeable boost in FPS.

 

My 8800 GTX GPU's are in the high 80's when gaming and sometime peak at 92c even after i changed to the 177.92 drivers. Did not see any lower temp than the stock Alienware drivers but games play better.

 

My 8800 peaks at 84c in a non-air conditioned room. Should I be worried?
Oh and it messed up my expresscard X-fi when i left it there for a day

 

Are you kidding? my 5793, which got superior cooling system, peaked at 80C during heavy gaming. the safety limit should be 95C.

 

Yeah, I always thought any number under about 100C was safe. I forget where I read this, but I thought the damage range was ~115+C.

 

Everything I've read says the chips affected by the defect are the mid range cards and not g92 derivatives. So you should be good.

 

There is no way the safety threshold of any dedicated GPU tops out at 70°. That's just silly talk.

Why do these rumors have us throwing all of our knowledge out of the window?

 

Because a recent article from TomsHardware introduced this specualtion and many others that is worrying:

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Nvidia-GPU-failure,6248.html

 

The core threshold is around 105-110c. Since it was stated [in this article] that the GPUs have a higher likelihood of failing at temperatures higher than 70c, then you could probably prolong your GPUs if you were able to get core temperatures under 70c. I know this is hard for most (especially those who play graphic/resource intensive games on the GPU), but I'm just merely stating that if you COULD stay under 70c, you will be able to pretty much dodge that bullet.

Also, like Freeman just stated, the temperatures at which the GPUs have a higher likelihood of failing is just a speculation, so it's not completely definite or confirmed that it will fail at temperatures higher than 70c.

 

It may be more than just rumors...

Consumer Affairs-
Graphic Card Problem May Affect Millions of Computers


nVidia SEC filing attached (see page 24)
It should be noted that nVidia has admitted that [graphics boards] “are failing in the field at higher than normal rates,” and that “testing suggests a weak material set of die/package combination ..." [which is used in both desktop and notebook chips, but is less likey to manifest itself in desktops due to obvious reasons]

"Our products are complex and may contain defects or experience failures due to any number of issues in design, fabrication, packaging, materials and/or use within a system. If any of our products or technologies contains a defect, compatibility issue or other error, we may have to invest additional research and development efforts to find and correct the issue. Such efforts could divert our management’s and engineers’ attention from the development of new products and technologies and could increase our operating costs and reduce our gross margin. In addition, an error or defect in new products or releases or related software drivers after commencement of commercial shipments could result in failure to achieve market acceptance or loss of design wins. Also, we may be required to reimburse customers, including for customers’ costs to repair or replace the products in the field, which could cause our revenue to decline. A product recall or a significant number of product returns could be expensive, damage our reputation and could result in the shifting of business to our competitors. Costs associated with correcting defects, errors, bugs or other issues could be significant and
could materially harm our financial results."

 

OK... bringing this thread back from the grave...

i'm thinking I have a faulty 8800m gtx... I've tried 3 different sets of NVIDIA stock drivers (nothing from laptop2go that requires inf. mods) and I still get a bunch of problems. Screen goes all pixelated and/or w/ lines. Sometimes it goes all black.

has anyone been running into probs w/ their gfx card? I bought my m15x at the very start of the launch... in Jan of 08.

im gonna continue to do some more troubleshooting, however, its not looking good. if the gfx card is dead, am i entitled to a new one from nvidia? my alienware warranty expired back in december...

 

lol - talk about bringing back from the dead...

sorry to say, but your probably out on both counts.
you could still call AW and talk with them about the issue...you never know...you may get a person who takes pity and can help you the best they can....or worst case, you order a new gpu (if current is shot) and get the 9800 in the unit...

 

8800gtx in the m15x are very good cards. solid, stable, n fast

 

I just had my seconday 8800m gtx start overheating on me, sent it back to AW and now just waiting for my replacement. It started hitting 104 during gaming.
My primary card still doesnt break 75C when gaming.