You may want to hold off getting a Sandy Bridge or at least get the right chipset

-- mod edit --

Please see:

http://event.asus.com/2011/SandyBridge/notice/

http://service.asus.com/notice/Overview.aspx

and

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4143/the-source-of-intels-cougar-point-sata-bug

Thanks,
ALLurGroceries

-- /mod edit --

"As part of ongoing quality assurance, Intel Corporation has discovered a design issue in a recently released support chip, the Intel® 6 Series, code-named Cougar Point, and has implemented a silicon fix. In some cases, the Serial-ATA (SATA) ports within the chipsets may degrade over time, potentially impacting the performance or functionality of SATA-linked devices such as hard disk drives and DVD-drives. The chipset is utilized in PCs with Intel’s latest Second Generation Intel Core processors, code-named Sandy Bridge. Intel has stopped shipment of the affected support chip from its factories. Intel has corrected the design issue, and has begun manufacturing a new version of the support chip which will resolve the issue. The Sandy Bridge microprocessor is unaffected and no other products are affected by this issue.

The company expects to begin delivering the updated version of the chipset to customers in late February and expects full volume recovery in April."

Intel Identifies Chipset Design Error, Implementing Solution - Yahoo! Finance

I can hear HellCry screaming from here...

 

Do any of the resellers know if this will impact Shipments of Sandy Bridge based laptops?

Intel Identifies Chipset Design Error, Implementing Solution

Does this affect laptops or only desktops (or laptops that use desktop chipsets)? Will the resellers take the already sold systems back?

Once corrected systems trickle out how will you tell you are buying a corrected version?

Cheers,

 

I just posted this.

 

Damn, I just posted this.

 

Both you and Chastity. I want the resellers to weigh in. They should have more information.

 

This is the worst that it could be really. It is one thing to pop out a CPU and fix it (ok, maybe not on our machines, but in general). But this will require a new mobo, and that will be a huge PITA for all those laptop owners with the problem....

 

Wow, this is incredibly bad. It's not as if all the systems are going to be immediately non-functional, but still...

 

It's not like they'll be DOA, but they're expected to start dying in 3 years, when CPU's are supposed to have 100 year halflifes. Anyone who has HM65 or HM67 chips are gonna be mad.

On the plus side, maybe this means the next SW release will have an option for a 6970 instead of a 460..?

i lol'd

 

Are the SW users today affected by these problem? :S Wish we had more details about this concerning the g73sw.

 

Be nice to see Asus issue a recall and replace the faulty motherboards. Doubt it will happen tho... I read "In some cases". How does one tell if they have the faulty chip?

 

Hopefully will see by the start of sommer an g73sw with a new generation gpu.

 

Or atleast april. Wow, Now im getting excited. Hope to hear some news from Gary key announcing the release of the g73sw with an upgrade on the gpu. LOL.

 

So far we know SATA port 2/3/4/5 are affected:

 

Wow. So a mass recall of G73SW's imminent?

What are ports 3 to 5 for by the way?

 

And that screen shot shows what?

Maybe not for anything. The chipset may provide 6, 10, 1000 SATA ports, but it's up to the PC manufacturer to choose how many it actually uses.

 

Looks like Sager is halting Shipments. I guess it's good I waiting before jumping on the SB train.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sag...ger-np8170-clevo-p170hm-owners-lounge-61.html

Sigh... Now I have hear all my Mac friends say Apple was right to hold off on releasing SB based notebooks.

Cheers,

 

LOL - I just ordered a 27" Core i7 iMac thinking that I was going to kick myself if/when Apple announced Sandy Bridge-based iMacs in the spring/summer of 2011. I suspect that this is less likely to happen know and I can have an extra couple of months to refrain from kicking myself.

 

I believe only desktop chipset are affected. Posted on Aftermarket Upgrade
subforum.

 

Hello,

This is having a major impact on the entire computer manufacturing industry. All current projects and future product projects have been cancelled. In essense shutting down the entire hardware/software engineering department for my company.

We had already released 3 different "sandy bridge" products that are on the shelf here in the USA and in the hands of customers. Including a competitor product to the G73SW.

Intel estimates the impact to be worth over $300 Million. Unfoturnately it has a more immediate impact on me. As a consultants me and 30% of the work force here are top of the list to get the lay off call. I doubt Intel even has a clue how deep the impact an issue like this can run.

Anyways - The solution is still in the works in regards to how the recall will occur and how the recalled items will be repaired/replaced - If I learn anything new on the manufacturing side I'll be happy to share.

In Peace and Agape,
Trav...

 

On alienware and clevo laptops forum, They are now talking about on how to rma those mobos. I think mobile chipsets are also included.

 

Are both desktop and mobile chipsets affected?
According to this post, only desktop. Any verifications?

 

Oh okay. That sucks for people who jumped in.

 

That article is interesting in that it states desktop chipsets only. Since Sager is stopping all shipments does that indicate they use desktop chipsets? Have we heard anything from ASUS?

Cheers,

 

@Lee -

I work for a Notebook Manufacturer and the issue is NOT limited to Desktop MoBo's - It effects ALL MoBo's with the "Courgar Point" (south bridge) chip which was implemented with the Sandy Bridge CPUs.

In Peace and Agape,
Trav...

 

From the NBR Sager/Clevo subforums: Anything SB equipped is affected.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/551892-intel-recall-sandy-bridge-cpus-7.html#post7113467

 

Thanks for verifying

 

Yeah. Hope they'll get a good recall or rma service. I was so close on buying the SW this week.

 

Huron River is the 7th gen Centrino mobile platform which includes Cougar Point:

Centrino - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

I can see it now... 2 years from now people selling potentially defective defective machines that were never repaired/replaced during the warranty period.

Cheers,

 

Like others said, both desktop and mobile are affected.

 

were these chipsets inside of the HP models as well? just curious since sandy bridge was in one of theirs as well.

 

SB just came out on wholesale this January, for sure HP models with SB are affected too.

 

You're serious? You already have a JH and SW's GPU is still the 460m. You won't wait for a newer and faster GPU like the 6970m?

 

I wouldn't spend the money to upgrade right now, especially with the same graphics card. Maybe this time next year when they put a 3rd generation in and go to the 485 or the 6970.

 

I've got a good friend who just built a i7-2600K with SLI Gtx460s. He is going to be so upset. (I can't wait to hear it). All the early adopters have to be pissed. I feel bad for them.

 

I merged the two threads together, sorry if it's messy but at least everything is in one place now.

 

this is BS, intel recalled all faulty ones.

 

..all faulty ones being all P67, H65 and H67 SB chips produced since they hit the market? I can assure you they have not.

To be fair I don't even think intel knows which batch of chips are all affected yet, its worth waiting a day or so to find out more, the chips aren't going to just die tomorrow.

 

lol also, it's only the sata 3 ports. Personally, if the return/refund/repair wasn't easy, I'd just leave it so long as I knew that I was on a sata 6 channel.

 

I was about to get the SW-B3 from prostar.com Well, I sold my jh already few days ago. So now, I play the waiting game. Hahaha.

 

Agh, I'm totally shot.

I woke up this morning, powered down my Sager NP8660 and took it to class. At class I powered it on and got nothing, jet black screen. No good, I am a senior Electrical Engineering student in my final semester and my GPU suddenly died.


Autopsy showed scorching near GPU: Twitpic - Share photos on Twitter



I did a full HDD image last week when doing a distro switch from Gentoo to arch.... lucky me. But I needed a replacement, and fast. So I got on my original droid (the only bit of working technology I have left) and ordered an ASUS G73SW with overnight shipping on my prime account.



Then at lunch I check the tech blogs on my phone and see this bombshell. To say I'm dismayed is an understatement. I must have a replacement laptop, asap, and it must be capable of dealing with workstation graphics like Altium Designer and Solidworks. I can't wait for the revised sandy bridge parts in april, I need a working laptop... tomorrow.

Torn up, don't know what to do. Don't want to buy an old i7 this late in the cycle, but not confident I should stick with the ASUS with no clear resolution to this problem for early mobile adopters. Called tech support and they had no idea about this and there were no signs of an approach towards dealing with it. With 3 SATA devices (2xSSH, 1xBD ROM) at least one is connected to the faulty controller.

I guess at this point I can only hope ASUS offers a full and timely RMA or swap path. I thought I was dismayed at the clevo/nvidia failure after just 2 years, but this was pretty unthinkable just hours after ordering. BULLOCKS!!!

 

I did twice the amount of research when I pre-purchased my ASUS G53SW. Ordered it on 21/01/11 and now this info comes out!

I found the following article from 'AnandTech' on the issue very informative:
The Source of Intel's Cougar Point SATA Bug - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News

Particularly:

After going through the saga with my previous Alienware m15x-R1 laptop, I'm not sure if I can handle dealing with these type of issues again, even if they are under warranty.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-area-51-aurora-legacy-systems/437987-alienware-australia-lack-support-re-old-legacy-m15x-laptop-under-warranty-hinge-repair.html

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-area-51-aurora-legacy-systems/515823-hinge-broken-m15x-screen-again.html#post6674496

I've sent an email to the reseller 'MLN' in West Melbourne as I'm seriously contemplating switching/downgrading to the ASUS G53JW...

 

Full recall from ASUS announced.

Proactively responding to the Intel-identified Sandy Bridge chipset design error

Cheers,

 

Hmm I wonder if I return in the UK will I be refunded the UK RRP? Will phone up when mine arrives from the states.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dell XPS M1710, 4gb, 500gb, ATI7900GTXGO, Core Duo 2 2.17 <- Current

ASUS G73SW <- On Order complete with Cougar Point Issue

 

This would explain why newegg and other vendors pulled this model from their site and are no longer selling the G73 SW's or other SW models at this time.

sucks...

 

Microcenter pulled all their G73's as well. I'm glad retailers are acting responsibly instead of trying to tell us "oh, it's OK...you probably don't need all those SATA ports anyway".

 

Awesome. Absolutely perfect response from ASUS, they nailed it.

Now I don't feel bad at all about having overnighted this thing a few hours before Intel made their announcement.


Thank you ASUS!

 

Good Job Asus. I feel for those who already have one and this gives asus some points. I still hate them so much to the point that I only purchase from them.

 

Don't feel bad.

Honestly, I am a little disheartened.... especially because I am studying electrical engineering and 100% understand the root of the Intel problem and how simple it would have been to avoid. Mostly though, due to Intel's willingness to fess up and replace the parts, and the ASUS response to deal with every product affected I'm a lot less worried now than I was Monday.

I rushed into buying this laptop because I need to do heavy workstation intensive work like Solidworks and Altium Designer, and I am kinda frustrated knowing all the components support nVidia Optimus but for whatever reason ASUS has decided not to enable it in this notebook... but I was using my laptop unplugged for the first time last night and Windows 7 estimated battery life at 3.5 hours. Thats a major step up from my broken Sager NP8660's 1.5 hours with a laptop that has 2x the cores, way more video processing power, 2x the hard drives, a bigger brighter screen, etc.

I am much more optimistic about the prospect of this laptop and it's utility for me now... I'm actually glad I got my order in when I did because I get to use this thing for a few months while everything is sorted out, during which time the MOS gate is exceedingly unlikely to die.

 

Solution for the Intel Series 6 Chipset Design Error