Is my 9800m GT done for?

I have an m15x with a 9800m GT (running forceware 186.81s) and Windows 7 Home Premium x64. I recently installed Call of Duty MW2. Before this everything worked fine. I played MW2 for a couple of hours and it worked great - good frame rates no glitches. The next day when I started playing it, it semed fine but then crashed after about 10 minutes (it started to stutter and then froze completely about a minute later so I had to re-boot). After that, all my games started to do this (L4D2, Anno 1404). 3dMark06 also now crashes (first run it got as far as firefly forest and then started to stutter and froze). I tried various fixes for MW2 which I found through google including - re-installing DX11 and deleting some MW2 files and redownloading them from Steam. Nothing made any difference - and anyway it was affecting all my 3D apps not just MW2. GPU and CPU temps are all fine: 45-48 degrees C at idle. Not managed to check temos at load since the probel started but last time I checked (a coupleof weeks ago) it was about 85 at load after an hour or so of heavy gaming (checked with GPUz and Thermofan).

So, I did a complete reinstall of Windows thinking that this would fix the problem. Finished it last night and tidied everything up and idle temps are fine. Went to benchmark it with 3Dmark06 and it crashes halfway through the first test. Until it started stuttering and crashed the frames rates were good. I set GPUz to log to file in the background and ran it again - this time I quit before it froze to check the temps - GPUz said max temp during the benchmark was 72 degrees.

Anyways, if it's a completely new install of windows and the same problem - could it be a hardware issue? Everything seems to be working fine expcept for 3D apps. But all 3D apps work great for the first couple of minutes and then just freeze. Is it hardware or is it a driver clash? Any thoughts?

Many thanks

 

Could be a hardware problem. Especially if you did a new install and get the same results. If your still under warranty I would contact dell. If not, and the GPU is gone, you may want to check out these threads

how to repair your dead graphics card in your alienware!!!!!

Baking GPU's In The Oven

Kind of a Guide: How to Bake Your GPU for Fun and for Profit!

 

Cheers for the links - they look amusing if not useful! I'll check them out tomorrow.

Could it be my power supply? Seems fine to me, not overly hot or making any strange noises though. Any idea how I'd check?

 

Do you get any windows errrors? such as " Display Driver nvlddmkm stopped responding, has successfully recovered"

I own same exact laptop with x9000, 9800gt running vista 32bit and I experience similar symptoms.

I think we doomed till new Nvidia drivers come out. I can't seem to be able to install anything beyond 186.81

 

Same thing happened to me with my 8800m gtx. All games started lagging. Then, my 8800m died and I revived it with oven trick, but its still laggy. If you are under warranty, I would send it in. otherwise, you should do what I'm doing and order a radeon 3870 for your laptop directly from alienware. Its only ~170 to fix it! A replacement 9800 is much more expensive.

 

replacing an nvidia card with an ati card requires the heat sink to be changed. nvidia heat sinks don't fit ati.

 

Thanks for the replies guys. Intersting stuff - I had no idea that some of nVidia's GPU boards had faulty soldering. Are we sure it's the case with the 9800m GT (the board in the link is a Desktop GPU)?

I'm not in warranty - just out by about 2 weeks - so I can't get it repaired for free. Plus I'm not keen the baking method if it's not a complete fix - I don't like playing games with lag. I want to find a solution soon though cos I bought my m15x to play games - at the moment all I've got is a £1600 wordprocessor/email machine with a ridiculous alien head on the lid lol.

@Martini, no I'm not getting any windows messages at all. Are you?

So, are we sure it is a hardware problem? Or do we need to wait for a driver release? I don't necessarily mind buying a new GPU but only if I'm sure my old one is done ...

 

If your sure your old one is done, may as well give baking a try. I think the problem is the solder has crack. Vibration causes it to have shody connection, and so it lags. But if you buy a new GPU, might give baking a chance. Nothing to lose at that point.

 

Yeah, not sure the GPU is the problem yet so don't want to bake it just in case.

I had no idea that the 8800GTX/9800GTs had solder problems. Is it well documented?

 

I have a 9800 GT card as well, but alienware currently has my laptop doin repairs on it.

 

When you buy the 3870 from Alienware they send the new heatsink as well if it requires it...

I'd highly recommend purchasing a single ATi Mobility Radeon 3870 from Alienware. It isn't very expensive-far cheaper than a replacement 8800m/9800m and while only a hairline slower, it won't be a ticking time bomb nearly guaranteed to burn out.

As far as we can tell, the 9800M GT appears to have the same faults as the old 8000 series.

 

if you really want the 9800 GT hit me up, I dont think I really need mine and I'd be willing to trade to a 3870 plus some cash.

Just throwing it out there.

 

also just fyi, the baking works... however its a temporary fix.

i baked my 8800m gtx and it worked.... and a few months later it died again. did it again, and it died sooner. did it again and it died even sooner.

so yeah... you can only go so far by baking. if you want real longevity, i would suggest the 3870 route as well...

 

NIs the GTX260m an option for the old m15x?

 

It wasn't an option for the m15x when it was configurable. But some people here in these forums have managed to put it in their m15x.

If i remember right, one user was even able to use a 280m gtx

 

Yeah, it was JDeluna who did it. LINK