Is my F3SV GPU fried?

I'm newly registered to this forum although I have been reading for 3 years now.

In 2007, I decided to buy an ASUS F3SV-B1. No problem whatsover for 2.5 years but about 2 weeks ago Vista began to crash b I could reboot it without any problems

Since 3 days ago,things got worst. Windows started to crash more frequently and with weird glitches displayed. A lot of times it would not reboot in normal mode (but was OK in safe mode, even with network). I thought first that it was my drivers (since I had downloaded a new one from Nvidia's website) but after changing them for an older stable version, it didn't solved the problem. Then I decided to format and install a clean version of Vista but although it does seems to crash less often, it still does from time to time and sometimes I still can't get to load Vista, although after a couple of minutes it works.
I also tested my RAM with memtest86+ just in case but it found no errors after 7 pass!

I'm about to contact Asus on this. I'm pretty sure than my Nvidia 8600M GS is fried (probably not 100% but close) as most of you who have experienced with their G1S but want to make sure that I'm right since there's not a lot of thread about my model (F3SV).

I've attached a jpeg of how windows looks when it crashes. This is just an example as sometimes the screen will go blank, sometime I will get crazy colors!

Any insight would be helpful for my fight against Asus (I'm out of warranty but I'm not willing to pay to get this repaired/replaced as this is cleary a defect product!)

 

Have you dropped your laptop onto the floor in the past? That was what happened to my friend's laptop after he dropped it.

 

Hi,

No, never dropped it, in fact, it usually stays on my desk, don't travel much with it. The lines you see in the picture are not always there, only this time when it froze.

I forgot to tell in my first message that after a couple of month of use I noticed that the laptop gets really hot when on, even when it is mostly idle.

I mostly use my laptop for internet and image processing (raw conversion). Don't play games with it.

 

Here's another image of Vista freezing at startup with weird glitches. Had to hard shutdown the computer and start it in safe mode.

 

*Update*

I've reinstall Vista without any video drivers and it seems fine now, didn't crash once. This is looking more and more as if it's really my videocard the problem.

So does anybody know if there's any test that can see if my GPU is really damaged?

 

It could be the GPU. Odd displays and artifacts could be the precursor of a total GPU failure, and 8600m gt's are notorious for failing.

You mentioned it's overheating? Have you cleaned out your vents? over time dust accumulates and causes notebook temps to shoot up. It could contribute to your random shutdowns, not sure if it would cause the screen artifacts though. If you don't game, there's a good chance you're GPU isn't failing, as it's heat that killed off the 8600's, and with just image processing and general internet usage, the GPU wouldn't hit those high temperatures.

I would download HWMonitor and check your temps. I'd also install windows 7 or xp, clean my vents, backup my important stuff, and go from there.

 

Agreed with trying to clean the dust from the fan and heat radiator (through which the fan pushes the air out). It may be simply a case of the GPU overheating and crashing the computer.

Although, even if it's just overheating, having the GPU overheat certainly increases the possibility of GPU failure, in this case most likely through the nVidia bad bumps failure.

 

WOW, just downloaded CPUID Hardware monitor and my GPU is at 89-90C idle (and lightly browsing this site), CPU is 72-73C. That seems like a lot, what temp can damage the GPU/CPU?

I did clean the heat radiator with a brush but don't have compressed air right now to do a good cleaning. But it doesn't look like there's a lot of dust inside.

BTW still no crashing since I didn't load any Nvidia driver (only the default standard VGA drivers are loaded). Does Vista uses the GPU at all if there's no drivers installed, I don't have a clue!

 

For cleaning: if possible w/o voiding warranty (or if you're not under warranty anyway) disassemble notebook until you can remove the fan from its slot. Then clean the fan blades and the heat radiator from the inside. That's the only way to do it reliably I think... otherwise the dust will stay there.

(probably that's how you did it but just to make sure)

That temperature is rather high for an idle GPU... although keep in mind that without the driver, there is no power management, so the GPU will always be running at its highest clocks, leading to a large temperature. Even so, 90 idle is a bit much.

Finally, in the late stages of developing the "bad bumps" problem, people have reported that the GPU temperature increases abnormally high. Which in turn leads to the problem getting worse (a positive feedback http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_feedback, really, which can only result in a dead GPU).

So if your cooling system is clean, it's possible (and probably likely) that your GPU is nearly dying from the nVidia problem and doesn't have much life remaining...

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=5729319#post5729319

Link to some pics of my GPU artifacts.

Sorry to say this but it looks like your GPU is on it's last strings, just like mine was. The 8xxxM series cards are quite known to have many failures. You mentioned that you've had your notebook for 2.5 years, which is past ASUS' standard warranty period, so unless you've purchased an extended warranty from them, you may be out of luck there.

As others have said, try cleaning out your vents, that should help lower the temps. Some people in my thread have also had some success using notebook coolers. If you can keep the temperatures down, you should be able to extend the life of your GPU and notebook.

Good luck!

 

*update*

I've bought a can of AirDuster and cleaned the interior of my laptop. Although there didn't seems to be a lot of dust, it is now running way cooler (GPU usually around 67C, 71 when in use). CPU is also a lot cooler (around 50C) It does seems as if the cooling wasn't working right before the cleaning. Maybe there was a dust speckle that was blocking a fan or something!

I've reinstalled the recommanded Nvidia drivers from Asus' website and no crash at all since yesterday. Hope the GPU hasn't been too much damaged!

thanks all for your help and hope this is the end of my problems, for now at least!