G1s GPU Fried - Out of Warranty - Any Idea on Cost?

well, it looks like my gpu fried out on me

in the morning, the notebook was working fine - i put it into sleep mode, came back a few hours later to look something up and - poof - nothing but a black screen

after i turned it off and back on - all i hear is the asus "explosion", but nothing pops up on the screen at all - the oled screen is stuck on "asus", the other lights work, but the screen won't show a thing

from reading around the board, it sounds like it might be the gpu (a common problem, apparently)

the problem is that i bought this thing from best buy (g1s-x1) and those models only come with a 1-year warranty

i called asus - they issued me a rma number and asked that i backup my hard drive - ill be sending it in sometime after my e-sata enclosure comes in - but im worried about what the cost may be

has anyone had to send in their g1s to get the gpu repaired out of warranty? any idea what the cost may be?

 

Well you are right about your diagnosis - your 8600m GT is out of commission. The deal here is that as of late, it seems that Asus is not replacing the GPU any longer and doesnt replace your motherboard with the G1Sn like they used to. These days it seems that they replace these defective notebooks with the G50Vt-X1. However considering that you dont have warranty i would seriously consider inquiring about your options with Asus customer service. It is quite possible that you will be held responsible financially-wise.

 

that's what im worried about - im pretty sure i am out of warranty

i made sure to ask them to notate the account and not perform any repairs before contacting me first (i asked them to not even attempt a restore without contacting me - as im sure this wont resolve the issue)

im just wondering how insane the repair cost could get - if it were $200 or less, i would seriously consider the repair - but something tells me it may be more than this...

 

I agree, give them a call and see what they are willing to do. No reason to volunteer information, play the unassuming consumer. Turthfully, if they end up quoting over $300 and you don't have any coverage from the credit card company you used to purchase it (if you did use a cc), then get a new laptop. It is not worth saving...a used laptop of similar stats or a bit more gets you a considerably better rig.

Edit: You can check their parts site, I believe they have the G1S mobo on there, just not the G1SN...

 

If they were to replace it, it wouldn't be with a G50 since they are discontinued. If its 2 years old I doubt they will replace it with the current G51 but nag them dude

 

As he correctly stated, Kricket's G1s is out of warranty and Asus has never, that I'm aware of, *replaced* a notebook that is beyond warranty coverage. For in-warranty, the fine print does detail Asus' option for Repair or Replace.

There have been reports around here of users over the past few months sending in their G1 notebooks (including in-warranty units) and having them sit at Asus NA for weeks to months simply due to lack of parts. Further, Asus' Tech Support doesn't typically do a spot repair/replacement of the GPU only - it's pretty much always (according to reports here @ NBR) a motherboard replacement to G1sn with the gpu already installed. And I suspect the eStore inventory online is not accurate - there have been shortages of all G1 motherboards since Spring.

By all means, Kricket, back up your HDD; I'm guessing the repair estimate will be $200-300 for the MB replacement, if that's the diagnosis. I wish you good luck.

 

I have gone through the lengthy and bothersome process of RMA with my G1S-B2. I dealt with the Asus centre based in Markham, Ontario, as well as the one based in California, USA. During this process i spoke with two managers and a chief engineer. From the gathered information i can safely say that anyone looking for a replacement model for their G1S will receive either a G50Vt or a G50V. The reason you will be getting that model is because there are lots of them in warehouses and they have been discontinued. There are also a lot of RF models out there, be wary of those.
There is, however, no reason to worry because a G50Vt scores approximately 5000 more 3D Mark '06 points than the G1S with its defective 8600m GT.
On a different note, if they quote you over $300, as gengerald said, dont bother. The G1S is now completely outdated and not worth paying that much for.

 

Yea but they are not going to give him a refurbished model since asus doesn't have any, only other distributors. They have a a chance of having an overstock of G50s. Same thing happened with my old nextel i930. It broke and I had to find a retailer(not motorola) that had a leftover one.

 

oof - it looks like this might be the end of the line for my notebook

i gotta say - ive had quite a few notebook computers in my day - and this was by far my favorite - HOWEVER, it is the only one that has actually had a major hardware failure - ive had hd's crash on me - but never anything like this

hopefully asus will be able to do something for me - i realize that im officially out of warranty - but that's only because the models best buy sells have only 1 year included (unlike the 2 years included with every other g1s)

im hoping the fact that this is a pretty rampant problem will skew something in my favor (chances are slim, i know) - but if it doesn't - it looks like i'll have to get a new computer (and if it comes to that - i wont, with good conscience, be able to even consider an asus)

 

The G50s and G51s are pretty dependable. I mean if you are in the $1500 range, most definately jump for something like a sager np8662. Those are built great and have an amazing cooling system(minus the hdd cooling).

If your range is $1000-1200 jump for a new BB G51 as long as you dont mind the screen there amazing. The gpu does heat up quite a bit but the case is designed to keep the heat inside meaning you don't feel it on the palmrest(where the gpu and hdd is located)

MSI also has some nice 15 inchers that are up there with the np8662s. Alienware has the m15x but if you have read around like I have and have seen this thing in person, you would not want it at all. It feels like a plastic box that was super glued together.

Anyways that's my little insight on some laptops.

 

dont forget about the best buy g71 in the 1000-1500 dollar range, theyre really not THAT much bigger than the g51s cause the g51s have 16x9 screens and the g71s have 16x10 (closer ratio means less width)

 

True but when compared together, the G71 is a good amount bigger, I actually was stuck deciding between the two and the G71 Chasis is still 16.9. And the screen of a G51 is 15.6 and the G71 is 15.4.

 

What? 10char

 

to be honest - this isnt in the budget at ALL - i really expected this laptop to last me longer than the 18 months it did - so right now, i think im going to have to settle on a netbook just so that i can have access to the internet and do a little bit of word processing work

sheesh - what a nightmare - i REALLY want an asus eee pc but now im torn - this was my first experience with asus and, needless to say, im a little weary now

ive already been through 2 dell fiascos and told myself i'd never shop with them again - and i felt like a sucker the second time around - i dont want to have that same feeling again

right now - i have a $1000 paperweight (granted, i got a good deal on the g1s when i bought it - but $1000 is $1000)

 

Ok so i suppose you received a definitive answer from Asus and spent a month arguing with them trying to save your $1000 machine and didnt just give up right away in the face of an obstacle?
There are lots of people working for Asus who can help you, you just need to get their attention.

 

This does suck. How far out of the warranty are you. Asus may help you out if it is just outside as they are know that the G1S was the worst affected model by the 8600M GT failure fiasco.

 

oh no - i havent given up at all

im just saying i need a computer now - either way im going to have to get SOMETHING while this thing is at asus - from what i understand, once i send it, i wont see my computer for a long time...

i just think that i really am kind of toasted here - i bought this in november 2007, so my warranty was up in november 2008 - i dont even think asus would consider this a "reasonable window" after the expiration of the warranty

but hey - if they do help me out - theyll get themselves a customer for life

 

This is very true. Perhaps purchasing a netbook in the mean time or even a used machine would be a good move.
Anyway, dont give up, and best of luck.

 

Hi there,

I am going to speak from my experience with ASUS. I bought my ASUS G1s in February and it was used. It was originally purchased in 2007 sometime from Best buy. When my GPU fried, it was out of warranty. I thought I would take a gamble and send it back to ASUS to see what they could do. ASUS told me the repair to replace the motherboard would be no more than $500. First they would send an estimate and I could decide whether to fix or not. This was in May of this year. I waited patiently for two months, calling and checking on it maybe a total of 5 times. They kept saying there was a LONG wait for motherboards to come in. Total cost of out of warranty motherboard replacement for my G1s: $189+ tax. I'm assuming this would be the same for all G1s laptops, but I could be wrong.

They called me about a week ago and said the motherboards still did not come in, so they suggested a replacement laptop. It was the G50Vt-X1. It might be a refurb, but I love it. They charged me $189, since that is what the repair would have cost. I am very happy with the way ASUS handled my situation. I can't tell you for sure if they would handle everyone in this way, but I wanted to tell you they will replace laptops out of warranty in some situations.

 

^ wow! thanks for sharing your experience! that actually gives me a little bit of hope

i got my sata enclosure in yesterday - so i still have to backup all of my information - but im hoping to ship the thing off by saturday

btw - a little off-topic - but for those that have removed their hard drive - is there some sort of metal casing its screwed into? for some reason, it wont fit in the 2.5" enclosure that i ordered - and it looks like there is a little metal "sleeve" over the hard drive with screws on it (like a little jacket for the hard drive - this is what the little fabric pull string is attached to) - and those screws are in there pretty tight - i wanted to check on that before i removed it from this sleeve...

but anyway - ill probably end up getting a eee netbook for the time being - send this puppy into service and wish for the best

and thanks to everyone for all of the info so far - ill keep you posted on how things go

 

Yes, you have to take the screws out and completely remove the drive. External enclosures are designed for bare drives only - you can't keep the hardware on it. If the screws are tight just be careful not to strip the Phillips cross on the top when you turn them out, perform the complete operation slowly, and you'll be fine.

 

Yup, I just had to do the same thing. Take out the four screws on the edge of the drive at the corners and ditch that sleeve before using your enclosure/dock.

I finished my complete HDD backup yesterday and am ready to go to WAR to get Asus to do the right thing about this GPU issue. The thing is, I bought mine used, so I just sent out an email to the original owner asking if he has any documentation of his purchase. If it's truly out of warranty, as yours is (and as I suspect of mine), then I'm just going to do my best to not let them simply blow me off -- keep taking it to the next in the chain of command until they help.

$1000-$1300 isn't a HUGE amount of money for a laptop, but we can't just let them flush it down the proverbial toilet.

 

hey i just figured something out. i actually had the same problem as the original post but when i took things apart i pressed the GPU chip down while testing it and guess what! it worked. seems that the way the chip is placed on the board causes the heat to warp it a little. i just put some stuff between the heatsink and chip that presses it down but still keeps it touching. yeah its a choppy fix but if it saves me hundreds of dollars so be it. Hope that helps.

 

ok - i just wanted to give you all a quick update (in the event that you actually care - lol)

i had a CRAZY month so was just able to send the computer out last week - asus received it on the 14th according to the repair status inquiry online

i just checked again this morning - and, apparently, it looks like they shipped it back out to me

there are two sections: "Complete Items" and "Incomplete Items" - well, my laptop's info is all under the "Complete Items" tab - complete with a fedex tracking number - it looks like fedex should be delivering this thing to my parent's house tomorrow

could it be that they actually just repaired the thing and sent it back? i mean - they didnt even contact me regarding any repair costs, shipping costs, etc.

if its the case that they simply repaired my laptop - this far out of warranty - without so much as asking me for shipping costs - then im a sold asus customer for life

i guess ill find out this weekend (im gonna have to set aside some time to visit the folks, i suppose)

oh - and as an aside - i picked up an asus eee pc and its pretty awesome - if youre in the market for a netbook, i would recommend one - those atom processors arent too bad - ive been really impressed with its performance

 

Interesting indeed.....

Please post final update once you receive it - G1 motherboards are nearly non-existent (and that's what they replace when a gpu goes out, not just the chip), so I'm curious what they did to it?

 

Yes, definately post the details about what they have actually done. This is rather intriguing.

 

Interesting...I wish I could even get my G1s back. it's been out 3 weeks now on RMA (graphics card). They claim they are fixing it...(sigh).

 

^ ill be heading over to the folks place tonight - im VERY curious to see what is indside this 10lb box asus sent me back

ill be a bit disappointed if they simply didnt repair it and sent it back without even offering to - would that even be a possibility?

ugh - the anticipation!

 

quick update - fedex dropped the package off a few hours ago - my dad's day off is today so i just called to have him open it up

its my g1s in the box - he turned it on and it looks like it works

he was reading through the paperwork that came with it and he thinks it says that the motherboard was "repaired" - maybe not replaced

whatever it is - it looks like they just fixed it and sent it back! ill have more information once i actually pick it up and take it back to my place for fiddling - but so far, it looks like asus took it upon themselves to repair a notebook well out of warranty!

 

Lucky you, I would have liked my G1S-A1 repaired, but I'm pretty happy with the G50VT-X5 they sent me.

I'm actually torn, one hand I had really loved my G1S and now with the G50VT I'm sorta leaning towards the G50 even though the lower resolution screen sucks, it's been really good.

Too bad too, they took a practically new G1S-A1 off me :'( I've taken such good care of it too, it still had the protective plastic on the lid and where the power button was too.

ohwell.

 

lol - i still have that strip of plastic on there too - in fact, i didnt even take the plastic off of the lid of the laptop until i had it for over 6 months

i babied that thing - thats why i was so upset when it pooped out - a "newer" notebook would have been nice, but ill definitely be happy to get her back!

 

sorry for all of these posts - but yet another updated - i stopped at the folks place last night to pick up the notebook and - problem

the thing doesnt boot into windows

i get some error that says i need to pop in my windows installation disk - something about a recent hardware of software change thats causing the problem

when i sent in the laptop - i asked them not to do a restore on the os without contacting me first - i guess the tech took this to mean not to do it at all - so, although the gpu problem is fixed (i can now see things on the screen), apparently there was a further problem which remains unrepaired

i plan on calling asus back this weekend to see if they want me to send it back or what - i popped in my windows vista ultimate dvd and it doesnt seem to want to load up fully (i kept it on for 25 minutes with nothing more than a mouse pointer on the screen)

well - at least the gpu problem is fixed - i just dont want to have to send the thing in again - but it looks like i may have to...

 

I didn't give them my Drive when I gave them my G1S at the repair facility.
I just poped in the stock ram and handed them the laptop with no drive.

The tech said they didn't need it, and I knew they would format/reimage the drive, and I didn't want that to happen which is why I just handed them the laptop as is with no drive.

I still have my Scorpio Black drive, no way I'm giving them that thing.

 

This has been reported around here a while ago on the G1 series back with the early gpu fails, when the notebooks came back from rma - Asus probably changed out the motherboard to the G1sn model and Windows thinks it's booting within a new system, thus the glitch. I don't recall the fix offhand (it was pretty simple for the user to do, I think, and no need to re-RMA), but you can send a pm to Ken @ Gentech (GenTechPC) and I'm sure he'll remember what to do.

 

^ excellent! thanks for the info - i just shot ken a pm

hopefully it'll be something quick and easy and i can get back to using this thing!

 

Please PM me your last RMA Number, and if possible log into your bios by pressing F2 on the animated screen ( if you hadn't turned it off yet, and verify for me the motherboard model and BIOS version. ).

Once I have the info, I will try to help you sort this out. Thank you.

 

^ i apologize for not getting back to you sooner - but i just PM'ed you with my information

and thanks for your help!

 

Hoo boy, I just caught onto this thread. I'm about 5 weeks into an RMA of my beloved G1s. All I've heard is the usual "unfortunately there are not other updates but it seems it maybe waiting for parts in which case we don't have an ETA yet." (Actual quote). I'm going to wait another 3 or so weeks, and if they don't get back to me, I'm just going to build that desktop I've been wanting to for so long.

 

Please pm me your old or current RMA number so that I can assist you. Thank you.

 

clearly this is a major issue. Replacing the motherboard will not help. Its the heat of the computer and within a short amount of time, it will need to be replaced again. There should've been a product recall or at least replace the laptop.

 

Hmmm...looks like I am also in the same boat. I'm a week into an RMA so let's see what happens.

 

My G1s is slowly dying again. Just not the GPU this time. My ethernet died yesterday which is REALLY annoying. I used to get 20mb/s speeds, now I'm stuck with weak wireless at about 3mb/s.

 

same position here. This is the second time it happened and last time it took them a month to get the motherboard and replace it (back in may). It's happened again so I'm assuming it'll take around a month again to get this problem fixed. I called asus and they said they didn't know how long it would take to order the parts so its probably safe to assume 1 month again.

The problem is, its probably going to happen again and my warranty will have expired. to my knowledge the problem is the heat is melting the motherboard and is causing it to break down so it will happen again, the only question is how long. I talked with Asus about this and they said that they won't fix this issue even though its clearly their fault for having too hot of a laptop without enough cooling. Got suckered into an Asus once, it won't happen again. will probably get a new laptop and keep this as a backup

 

Here in Portugal we don't have that kind of problem cause we have exelent consumer right laws.

There is one that says that after u send your laptop to rma , the company has 30 days to give back your laptop or a new one .
And there is another one wich extends your warranty for 2 years after u rma your laptop , but only for the problem that was fixed in the rma .

My G1s has been for 3 weeks on rma , the status is waiting for board replacement .

The problem is that asus ins't taking the 30 day law very seriously and there are people with the same problem has us waiting for as long as 3 months for a repair or a new one

 

This does not bode well. I guess I may get to build that sff sooner rather than later.

 

what i'll probably end up doing is sending an email or a mail to the asus in canada to a CEO or something. Let's hope they respond and do something about it.

 

Most upper corporate offices and executives in a company have email filters so that they only receive emails from business assosiates such as resellers.

 

Well folks, I got an email tonight saying that they will replace my out-of-warranty G1s with a new G50vt-X5 (with a 9800m gs!) for only $250.00 CAD. I think that's a pretty darn good deal, so I'm going to go for it. I was expecting them to replace my laptop, but I didn't expect it to be that cheap. Good luck to everyone else!

 

same here! they're replacing it with the G50VT X-5. Not sure about the cover though as it does look a bit too flashy for my tastes but I'm getting a free laptop which hopefully won't have this motherboard problem so I'm fine with it. I get a faster and larger HD and a much better GPU only downside is a 0.07GHZ loss in CPU speed. Full numpad and lower resolution might also be a bit annoying but hey, its free.

 

So a bit over a week into my RMA I called Asus to check on the status. The agent was very courteous and said that he will send a note to the factory to update the status. I thanked him and figured I'll just have to call back in a week to pester Asus again. The next day I get an email from Asus offering to replace my out of warranty G1s with a G50vt-X5! A free laptop replacement and upgrade for a 2 yr old machine - how can I refuse?
I am very impressed with the Asus customer support. This was such a different experience from dealing with Dell. Dealing with dell was like pulling teeth. My wife has a Toshiba that has issues and I am already dreading dealing with Toshiba customer support - I'm going to convince my wife to get an Asus.