M1330 Display Issue (Vertical Lines on Reboot & Crash & Vertical Lines)

do u have any idea when the service pack 1 will be out?

 

Another case of it here. It's currently an over-priced light-up brick. Got mine around the start of September too.

The problems started after the A07 bios update for me - also noticed the fans running at lower speeds right after this update. At one stage it actually booted into vista and I had just enough time to update to A09. It ran for another 10 minutes and now is back to brick status. Goes straight into the vertical lines upon powering up.

I'm wondering that if I just rolled back to A06 it would have saved it - but I doubt it.

 

It wont' help going back to A06. I had tried it. I think the problem is A07 that causes overheating. I am running A09 now. I have to update using DOS method since the brick status came up during the updating from A07 to A06 BIOS. The A09 BIOS only caused a brick status once so I played around with installing Nividia drivers. The current driver I am using now is 156.69 and it has been running without any problem for 3 days. Now I don't if I want the tech to replace the motherboard which I have schedule for next week.

 

My M1330 seemed to have gotten better but then the next day and it completely died on me. Your symptoms may seem to go away, but once you've had the problem, it appears to only be a matter of time before the whole motherboard just goes.

 

Sometime in early March...

 

finally i got new motherboard replacement. hope this solve all the problem

 

godcha, how did the process go as far as replacing the motherboard? How long did it take? Was your system put back together perfectly? Everything running smoothly now? I can't even boot my system, I placed my support call on Thursday, I hope I get a call from the tech already!

 

My new board is already with the tech. I have to schedule a day for the installation.

 

After replacing the motherboard it seems fine so far. I rang them yesterday coz its really annoying and my syptom was really bad!! then this morning they sent the techinician and get the motherboard replaced probably took about half an hour?

I tried to run few programs and it seems ok but we'll see because after I used my laptop for long, it happened.

Hopefully the replacement solve this problem completely

**what i'm wondering is why this thing happened in sudden?
The motherboard is A04 and the BIOS is A06 didn't update the BIOS though

***Also I replaced the LED indicator twice but still doesn't work..errrrrrrr

 

Mine's also having the same prob. And I rang up XPS support this morning. The guy on the line made me go through all the diagnostic tests. ALL THE TEST ARE PASSED!! And the guy hang up after saying that it's merely a software error and Dell have nothing to do with it. lolz

What should I do?

 

just ring them again and request the motherboard replacement.

I just explained to them the situation and then ask them for replacement

and that's it

 

I told the guy that I want'd a motherboard replacement. But then he made me go thru all those system diagnostic tests. Anyway, I'm calling them again. Those silly colors are still there n the pc is still crashin like hell.

Btw, anyone with the problem have run' the diagnostic test from the "drivers n utilities" cd? Did it detect anything? Jus curious.

 

woo hooo hooo .... work'd out on 2nd try ... thx godcha..

They'll be dispatchin a technician to my home on Wednesday (not tomorrow thou). Motherboard n all heatsinks will be replaced.

Jus gotta have to wait and see.

 

That's good to hear that
actually when i rang them they asked me that i ever tried to test with external monitor etc..

btw... Now you got it!!

I left my laptop on whole day today and didn't happen anything..

just seems bit slower than before..mayb its just my illusion

 

I had the same issue with the first tech I dealt with. I ran all the diagnostic tests and everything was AOK. I was working with XPS Jody, and I must say she was NOT the nicest of people! When my system wouldn't even boot and hasn't been able to in days, there was a problem. When I dealt with another tech, XPS Brandon, all I did was request a new motherboard and he had one sent out right away. He was great to work with!

I asked both XPS Jody and XPS Brandon if this video issue was widespread with the original motherboards. Of course they said they did not think it was. Apparently, from the the response on here, we can see that its a larger issue that Dell would like to admit.

My A04 motherboard is with the technician right now, I too am awaiting a phone call to set up an appointment. I'm on 5 days without my M1330!

 

The tech is coming tonight to service! Will post then.

 

Happened to me as well... Called the tech, right when I did, the laptop started working fine... ran the diagnostics test... updated the bios to A07. It worked great for about 4 days. Today, it happened again. I realized that pulling out the battery and leaving it for a few minutes seems to break the vicious cycle of coloured bars. I updated the bios to A09 now however I'm not holding my breath.

I will call them again in a few days once my exam is over and get them to replace the motherboard. I personally think its a GPU problem.

 

Had the xps tech come out yesterday. He had to replace both the LCD and the motherboard - somehow both had just died. Working great now though! (as it's basically a new machine).

He said he hadn't seen both components die at the same time before. Really strange.

 

Wow...had not checked this thread since my post on the first page.

UPDATE:

Motherboard replaced with A04 and BIOS A06. So far everything is ok.

Might contemplate updating to A09 BIOS.

Tech came in, did the job very slowly but its not somethign I would rush him on. Put it back together resonably well...

I was also running A07 BIOS when it died. I too suspected overheating.

However, my GPU is still getting pegged at 80degrees C on 100% load. So there is still cause for concern.

As for tech support, I guess I am lucky. We have a direct line to XPS support (Malaysia) with 0 wait time (the local guys also support the rest of the world - but the timezone differences probably works to my favour).

 

The tech just left, took him quite some time to take everything apart. He had to reopen the machine twice to get everything working. One screw was too big, which prevented the battery from going in, the other issue was he forgot to connect the switch that controlled the mouse and fingerprint scanner. Other than that, everything seems back to good. I do have four extra screws though, lol...

I still have the CPU whine. So much for the A04 board getting rid of that.

The board came with the A06 bios, I've already flashed to A09.

 

You have extra screw left over...That's not good.

 

And I assume that you haven't experienced any problems and crashes since the replacement?

 

Nothing, it's running the same as it did before I had all those video issues.

As for the extra screws, I think these were because the new motherboard has certain parts already screwed together, while the tech unscrewed everything from the dead motherboard, leaving a few extras. Everything seems to be intact.

 

I'm glad to see that at least one of you took the time to note operating temps

Could you please tell us what you used to note the GPU temp and what you used to load the GPU?

I made two separate runs of 3DMark06 and on one run I used 18kfanGUI and on the other run I used RivaTuner. 18kfanGUI reported a max of 86C and RivaTuner reported 95C. This large variance is why I'd like to know what tool your'e using as (oddly enough) they don't always return the same results... .

Btw, no matter what tool you used, I wouldn't worry about 80C: I ran Half Life 2 - Lost Coast and it hit 100C (RivaTuner)...

 

I'm using 18kfanGUI (with the sensor swap) and Homeworld2 with all effects maxed on my external monitor...it was barely chugging along....so I suppose I can assume its maxed out. Now, if it wasn't maxed out, then it could potentially get hotter as you noted.

Also to note I have a 9 cell, so its already "better cooled"

I could download and run 3Dmark06 tonight, and see what it gets up to just for a comparison.

 

It's a tough call if Homeworld 2 is taking advantage of the advanced shader "engines" of modern-day GPUs. If Vsynch was on then I'm really suprised it's "chugging": if off, then of course the graphics card will churn out a limitless amount of fps... . Finally, the resolution you set it to is also a factor.

Yes, 3DMark06 would be easier as it's more "universal". I also recommend that you install FRAPS - that way you have an actual idea of the fps rate of any game you play.

FYI, I have both the 6 and 9 cell batt and the max temp difference between the two is 2C (RivaTuner degrees... )

Last but not least, I forgot to note that the ambient temp during my tests was 22C. I hate to think what the max temps will be when I use my M1330 during the upcoming Summer months...

 

Just opened my M1330 from sleep after the first night with the new A04 motherboard. As soon as I opened it, I get the nice blue screen memory dump. Coincidence? I hope so! I don't know...

 

Ok, major problems. First off, the wireless controls on (on/off for Bluetooth & Wireless as well as the Wi-Fi catcher) don't click into place or do anything when moved.

When my wired network is connected, my machine claims it's not connected to a network yet I still have an internet connection and the little globe shows up on the network icon. I've uninstalled and reinstalled drivers, still having this issue. This only started after the motherboard was replaced.

I contacted Dell support, request a replacement system. Of course they need to send someone else to check it out before they can replace it. I requested a different tech this time. Maybe those screws were more important than was stated! The Dell rep also said customer care would contact me as far as some sort of compensation for my months of trouble, not holding my breath on that one!

It's always something...

 

They're calling for my motherboard to be replaced as well. They said its likely a video issue, but since the GPU is somewhat fixed to the motherboard, its the motherboard that they swap out. They will also swap out the memory in my case.

Will post sometime next week hopefully and let everyone know the outcome...

 

You might be right on the homeworld thing, but if i wasn't mistaken I was runngin 1900x1200 on my external, with well over 100 objects. Reducing the graphics and resolution brings it back to more enjoyable framerates.


The day it "died", ambient was 34 degrees.... the day I tested the temperature was at a more bearable 25 degrees (got my A/C fixed).

 

That's a problem with Dell certified tech. The tech got certified by taking a written test, no actual hands on training.

 

Hi All,
I have been drooling over this laptop in the stores, but this issue and some other that have been metioned scare me. However I think if I purchased it would be the integrated graphics solution not the Nvidia. No one mentioned which graphics solution they were using, is it safe to assume that most of you having the issue are using Nvidia or does this happen with the Intel integrated graphics as well?

 

The guy came today. I wasn't at home so I'm just inform'd that mobo n heatsink've been replaced. Seems' like it's on A06 or sth. I've gotta check.

Things runnin quite ok till now.

btw, how can i get the newer BIOS? Thru Dell website?

 

I finally heard from the new tech sent to "fix" my system from what the last tech did. I could barely understand what this guy was saying and he was extremely unprofessional in how he spoke. He wanted to come to service my machine in the mornings. As a teacher, this is never going to work, so I was trying to schedule an afternoon appointment. He told me he wasn't able to do afternoons because I was too far away from him. So I guess I'm never to get support because it's not convenient for the tech. I love the logic there.

I went right back to Dell support to complain. I again asked for a replacement system to be sent to me. This time all they could offer me was to send my M1330 to a Dell repair depot where they would service my machine and send it back to me. Dell is providing me with the packaging materials and then have DHL pick it up from me. 7-10 business day turnaround for this as well. Looks like I may go a solid month without a functional machine. And this is XPS support...

 

That really is a shame SirWells. Seems that XPS support suffers from the same quality control issues as does their products.

 

And the hits just keep on coming. My "XPS" letters have been falling off forever. I figured, since I'm sending my M1330 to the repair depot, why not have them fix that as well. So I wait in Dell Chat for 30 minutes to speak with someone. Turns out that original dispatch to send my m1330 to Dell was canceled. They had to redo it all for me. I would have been waiting around for DHL to come pick up my laptop for nothing! I have no idea what they're doing behind the scenes there!

 

just wanted to be added to the list of owners that has just experienced this total meltdown of my m1330 due to this motherboard issue. I'm going to have to contact Dell tomorrow. I'm typing this on my Nokia N810 because my notebook won't boot up. All i get is the pattern of lights on the right side of the screen which gets stronger to the point where the entire LED screen becomes white bright. Owned this since September and it didn't give me much warning before it took a dive. Really angry and disappointed with Dells quality.

Wondering how many others are about to come across a failed motherboard in their future

 

That number seems to be growing every day...

 

Here is one more for the list.
Mine failed with the same symptoms. Vertical stripes on boot and pre bios.
Called support, the guy thought it was a broken screen-cable... I tried to explain how weird that would be since the machine would reboot after x seconds with stripes, indicating that something else was wrong other than a malfunctioning cable.

I ended up pissing the guy off by insisting that I should get a new motherboard, and it didn't help. When the tech guy came he only had a new screen and a new cable. Of course, that didn't help much... So 4 days later he came back with a new board and finally fixed the problem.

 

It's so obvious what's going on here, why won't they just send the A04 motherboard out?

I'm still waiting for DHL to come and pick my M1330 up.

I've already decided to make the switch to Mac. Apparently a large majority of those switching are former Dell owners. It never use to be this way, Dell always produced the best machines!

 

I'm sorry, but I don't follow. Why do we think that the A04 revison mobo is the answer to a - most likely - overheating GPU?

I've experienced a 10-15C difference with a (PC) CPU of mine simply because I was to sparse with the thermal paste (everyone's always warning against over-doing it). So it wouldn't surprise me one bit if 2/3 of the heatpipe assemblies (for both the M1330 as well as M1530) are not properly done, allowing the chips to easily overheat.

The fact that my own GPU hit 100C (measured with RivaTuner) makes me feel that I am a "contender" for this problem and the only reason I haven't had problem thus far is that the ambient temp here is still reasonable (22C). So I will keep a very close eye on the temps when Summer rolls in and if I see any signs, I will personally dis- and re-assemble the heatpipe.

 

Add me to the list. I just got the same problem from mine a few days ago, and now it won't turn on at all. My system came on August 21, 2007. I don't have complete care, but I do have a 3-year warranty on it.

Will Dell send out someone to replace the motherboard, or do I have to send it in? Should I replace my 4 GB of RAM with the original before the technician comes out? And what is the phone number to call Dell? I read all 10 pages, and no one has posted a phone number here anywhere. I'm in Florida. Thanks.

 

how do you kno which motherboard version you have?? thanks

 

You may be right, who knows what a few months down the road will do to this A04 motherboard. My point was when people are experiencing the vertical lines that turn the entire screen white and then back to black, that won't let you even boot up into BIOS let alone Vista, these Dell techs make you go through all these hoops. The new motherboard should go out right away. They don't want to admit to this problem.

 

I don't really believe Dell tech got any skills in troubleshooting. All they do is going thru a script over the phone. If a monkey can talk it can do that job too.

 

@Traveller

Sorry for the delay.

So here we go, temperature benchmarks.

Running 3DMark06 : CPU = 67*C, GPU 89*C

Now this is only the minute of so running each benchmark. I have a feeling it could get to mid to high 90s if the benchmarks ran longer. The (i8kfangui graph) temperatures where still increasing when the benchmark cut out.

Ambient is 26.5*C

This is definately something to worry about.

The day my XPS died, it was 34*C (my A/C died that weekend)....it could have potentially overheated.

I'm going to try sans A/C this weekend with a new game, and see what the peak is.
What do I care, I still have 2.5 years on completecare left.....

 

When the tech comes, will he be changing the CPU as well? Mine came with 4MB of RAM, but Dell only has 2MB, 3MB, and 6MB now. And should I remove my 4GB RAM sticks, and replace them with the 1GB sticks that came with the system before the tech comes?

 

FYI: there is no "6Mb" - the limit is 4Mb...

The mobos don't come with a CPU. Yours is removed from the old board and installed in the new.

I don't think the tech cares what is in there memory wise. He just removes it from the old and inserts it in the new - like the CPU.

Note:

Sometimes (they did in my case) ship all new memory along with the mobo, so just make sure that you have all of YOUR 4Gb before he leaves.

I guess to avoid any errors or confusion, you may want to restore to factory 1G config and stash your 4G...

 

Good luck with that. I've been around three MacBooks (two were mine and the other belonged to a friend) and all three had problems, some minor, some bad.

 

What types of problems?