M1530 Dead GPU - Capitulate or Fight?

I have a M1530 (3 1/2 years old) that just died due to the nVidia GPU. Which has been an otherwise good machine and more than sufficient for my needs. I had specified the computer to have a life expectancy of 6+ before being functionally obsolete.

Dell has offered to repair it free of charge and has already shipped a box despite it being out of warranty for 1 1/2 years. However, it is well reported that there is no permanent fix. Despite this Dell insists the GPU problem has been resolved. I have asked for a fair and permanent fix to the issue with one of the following options:

1. Offer a guarantee on the repair
2. Replace the laptop with a comparable unit without the defective nVidia chip
3. Give me a prorated credit based upon an agreed upon life expectancy of the laptop

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Unfortunately, they are sticking by their guns and will only offer a repair without a guarantee. This could last 2 months or 3 years, but I tend to think it would be on the shorter end. I believe Dell should stand behind their product given the failure rate.

What would you do?

1. Take the repair, prepare to buy a new laptop
2. Move up the chain of command at Dell and hope for a better outcome
3. Seek legal action
4. Other

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Has anyone had luck getting a credit or replacement out of warranty? If so how?

 

Dawg.. considering buying another laptop..

who knows.. maybe Dell will give you a system replacement

 

Get it fixed, sell it, and get a new laptop. M1530s are still worth some $300 on eBay.

 

You can get it repaired, but it will fail again and again. The only fixed chips were Quadros found in the T61p AFAIK.

You can get it fixed and resell it (Dell and other manufacturers offer a 90 day warranty on the problem or the balance of the warranty, whichever is longer).

I don't know if Dell will upgrade you to a new laptop if you are out of warranty, highly doubt it.

Legal action will not go anywhere, you are out of warranty.

 

still got mine after 3 1/2 years also... still going fine, battery and all, however I wouldn't fight for a new laptop - it's out of warranty and, tbh getting that long out of an m1530 was pretty lucky anyway

get it repaired, they should guarentee the repair for a specific amount of time (not sure how long though), clean it up and sell it on

not sure whether there's any sort of mod/fix for the GPUs that's floating around these forums - might be worth having a look.

 

I'd not sell that laptop to anyone knowing it has Defective Nvidia chipset which cant be fixed for few extra $$.

my XPS M1530 is finally dead after 3 years. The only thing you can do is better go for new laptop rather than getting fixed, AFIK even if u get it fixed by replacing the mainboard, you will get a refurbished board & eventually it will fail after few months. moreover for XPS M1530 the inventory will become obsolete at the end of 2 years.
so it will be waste of $ n time spending on dead XPS M1530.
So better go for new laptop.

now im sending back my laptop to Dell recycling for which Dell is sending me Rs.1000/- discount voucher for my next purchase.

 

Having the same conversations with them at the moment, though I am still in warranty.

They are insisting the problem is fixed with "new chips" and their "constantly updated bios" - last bios update 2008!

I'm onto my 5th motherboard replacement now for the same issue now.

 

Thanks all. Sounds like get it fixed and in the meantime look to buy a new computer. Unlike Dell, I'm not sure I could in good faith sell it with a known defect.

I guess I'm just really disappointed that Dell isn't offering a permanent repair to an inherent design defect. In my opinion, Dell sold a defective product that should have had a high probability of a life expectancy well beyond 3 1/2 years. Also, if it had failed under normal circumstances it would have been worth the repair which I would have gladly paid out of warranty.

Oh well, goodbye Dell. I used to be a happy Dell user for over 12 years.

 

They gave you a guarantee that it wont be obsolete in 6 years? I didn't know they did that. In reality, no computer will every not become obsolete in 6 years. Every 2 years something huge comes out.
Ahh... Actually I think you were talking about it working for 6 years... I hope my laptop lasts that long but I think by then everyone will be in the tablet scene. Tablets will be the new laptops!

 

It is absolutely ridiculous the line of bull they are giving and defies all logic. They could have offered a $400 credit or so (based on a 5 year prorate) towards the purchase of a new Dell computer. Instead, they are going to incur the cost of shipping a laptop 2-ways, labor to refurbish a board, and labor to replace a board in my laptop that will likely fail again. In the meantime, they would have been able keep a customer and increase their revenues with the sale of a new system. I'm guessing the delta of the credit and repair would have been more than offset by the margin on a new computer along with the settlement that nVidia would have provided to Dell.

 

I agree that something new will always be on the horizon and it might not be a laptop. But I can't see anything that would keep a highly spec'd computer from being obsolete in a few years. There is too much of an installed base.

And no they didn't offer a guarantee for 6 years, but I think I could have bought at least a 4 if not a 5 year warranty. My 6 year assumption was based on my experience of having used and owned computers since the early 1980's. My last Dell was a desktop I purchased in 2000 with a Pentium II. I was able to keep it functional for over 8 years. It was slow in the end, but it still performed most basic tasks.

EDIT: BTW - I am considering the option replacing the laptop with a tablet

 

The problem is it's not Dell's fault. Nvidia supplied the world's largest OEM's with faulty chips, knowingly sold them until the next generation chips came out. This affected HP, Apple, Lenovo, ASUS, any GeForce 6/7/8 chip is pretty much affected. Biggest offenders were G84M/G86M/G72M/G92M and any chips based off those. If you are dissatisfied, then open up your own lawsuit with Nvidia, as it is Nvidia who screwed over the world's largest OEMs. Nvidia got away with a fraction of what they owed, 400 million vs the tens of billions they owe to customers/OEMs.

Dell and most other OEMs extended the warranty by 1 year for problematic models. Again being out of warranty, I think you should consider yourself even lucky that they are even talking to you about options, and not charging you money.

 

I do agree at the root it is nVidia's problem. I also agree that the lawsuit was a shill. I was never notified to opt out of the settlement, although my email has remained the same as the day I ordered. Not to mention the conditions of the settlement (timing, recourse) were horrible.

In the end though, I did not contract with nVidia but Dell. As such, I expected them to take care of it. But, it's boxed up and ready to ship so I'll just I'll take what I can.

You do bring up a good point that it didn't matter who you bought from, pretty much every consumer got screwed. From what I can tell none of the OEM's went above and beyond for their customers. If any of them had, it certainly would be a point in their favor as I look for a replacement.