How do I replace the GPU in an m1330?

Hello.

My 2 year old m1330 just died on me. It will boot 1 time out of 10 with Windows 7 complaining about the nvidia driver causing an error in kernel. the other 9 times it the screen will just be full of lines and it won't boot at all.

I only had a 1 year warranty so I'm wondering if its possible to replace the nvidia GPU (8400m) by myself? Or do I have to replace the entire motherboard?

If it is possible to replace the GPU chip, which model should I get?

Thanks in advance

 

1. There is a 12-month automatic warranty extension for any M1330 with nVidia chip...hope you are still in it.

2. Usually you need to swap the whole motherboard...but I saw people online putting the mobo in the oven to fix the nVidia problem.

 

If you're still under the gpu warranty Dell replaced he gpu with a new revision about a year ago. It's still the 8400M but it's addressed the overheating issue. This is what i was told anyway!

I don't think there is another gpu for the M1330 as you have to replace the entire mobo like alexzeon said. There are some repair services on ebay that claim to repair failed gpus but i don;t know much about them. Maybe they just put them in the oven and charge you a premium for it!

 

I just got my 1330 back from the free 1 year addition. It was very annoying, and they kept telling me it was expired, but I got it. It was fine since, until today. Upgraded bios and new hardware? BS. Same problem, in a week. It does kinda suck. Sorry if this is mean, but I'm bias. I need my laptop for class. This isn't supposed to happen. I love this computer though. And I want to see if I can get a replacement part again, so I can keep the machine. It is otherwise perfect.

 

No such thing as refreshed 8400m. Its the same chip but dell trying to feed you bs. I have an m1330 and have had it for 2 years and hasn't failed me except for the hd. I am way out of warranty and i loaded SC2 up on the thing yesterday and my gpu hit 108c . All i could do was laugh because i knew it would come eventually. Debating whether or not to do the copper mod and prolong its death. Imo it is still one of the best 13 inch notebooks around.

 

I think I had the mobo replaced every 7 months when I had it for almost 3 years. I loved the shape, and the looks when it came out, and I'm pretty sure those were the main reason why many people paid over 2-3k for decent configuration, but I do have to say it was the most expensive POS I've owned due to the GPU problems.

 

I wouldn't say the m1330 is a pos. But my 1640 sure was. My m1330 cost me 1400$ and its still running so i can't complain. My 900$ Toshiba Satelite a100 lasted 1 and a half years before the motherboard burnt its self out. Now that was a pos. But for 2100$ and nothing but problems the 1640 was rubish. The m1330 is a decent machine.

 

Yeah you have to change the motherboard again. Dell's full of BS if they told you there was a "new revision" of the 8400M chip.