should I still get my motherboard replaced?

I was having problems with my GPU the past week (display driver not responding messages, really poor 3D performance, artifacts, some 3D programs not being able to run), and went through XPS support who concluded with me that my motherboard needed replacing.

After I prepared my system to be sent for warranty work, by un-doing copper mod, replacing CPU and keyboard, swapping hard drives, the problem was gone!

I then re-installed my custom stuff and the problem is still gone!

The only thing I can think of is either my problem is intermittent, or maybe my cleaning the GPU of the extra arctic silver (there was a lot) had to do with the problem.

Should I send my notebook in to have the motherboard replaced anyways? I have the authorization and packing materials.

I'm just worried that they will take a look at it and just send it back to me as 'no fault found'.

Does anybody have any experience with this sort of thing?

 

If you don't want to be without a notebook, call them up and say it is working fine now. But if it is intermittent, you might want to see if you can keep the RMA on standby incase the problem crops up again.

 

Lots of artic silver would actually be counter productive...i.e it would not transfer the heat as well. I think the original copper mod thread says use about "half a grain of rice" worth.

Why did you use "a lot" ...was it becasue you had to fill a gap between the copper and the heat sink?

Sounds like your GPU is on its way out If I were you I would definately get it replaced.

 

The thing is I did the copper mod a few months ago, and only now I was starting to have problems.

I think you're right. I'll send it in as I just can't trust it.

I'll just use my work laptop in the mean time.

 

I was considering the copper mod also but what you just said has made me chagnge my mind.....The way I see it is that if it is going to fail then it is going to fail and it is better to fail sooner (under warranty) than later!

Did you see a drop in GPU temperature after applying the mod?
If so did the temp go back up again recently just before your problems started.

Still possible that "a lot" of arctic silver may have caused a problem......did you need to fill a gap and thats why you used a lot?

 

My temps were drastically reduced by the copper mod. I thought maybe the GPU was overheating again when I got my problems, but the temps were still low (low 50's idle, high 60's under load).

I first tried a little arctic silver and the temps didn't go down that much. I added a bit more and the temps went down further.

 

Can't they send you an on-site technician to change the motherboard for you? They did that to my sister's m1530 so it should be possible. Ask for it!

 

Your temps may have appeared to go down because you changed the configuration of the cooling system by adding all that arctic silver. Rather than actually reducing heat levels, you may have just insulated the GPU from the heat sensor, giving a false reading.

The problems you describe are certainly what I would expect (and have witnessed) from an overheating GPU.

 

No, I'm up here in Canada where by default we don't get the special XPS on-site service.

 

LOL

You should get your motherboard replaced as it sound as though the gpu was damaged (by you). Just because it is ok now doesnt change that, you may have just given it a temporary reprieve.

When you get the new one back, please leave it alone, making modifications to the laptops cooling system is for advanced users only.

 

I don't know how you came to the conclusion that it was damaged by me. The temperatures were fine for several months, and my GPU started failing after 9 months. More people who haven't even done the copper mod have had theirs fail sooner than that.

I am an advanced user, thank you very much. I've even taken my m1330 apart to replace the palmrest, among other things.

And thanks for your helpful input, and jumping to your incorrect conclusions. Maybe someone will rep you for that.

 

Look, your comments about arctic silver ( 'it wasn't cool enough so I put on some more') suggest you really don't know what thermal paste does or how it should be applied. It is completely possible to damage a GPU by badly-done cooling modifications, which is why I reached that conclusion.

There's nothing wrong with not knowing what you're doing, im not having a go at you, I didn't mean to offend. Im just trying to be the voice of reason - there's so many skilled guys posting threads here that have no problem modding or overclocking that it can make less advanced users over-confident. They think 'oh, everybody else is doing it, I should do it too.'

I have seen it time and time again, people messing up their laptops because they were blindly following a guide on the internet. So my advice, is that if you get a laptop back from Dell that is working 100%, leave it alone until you're 100% confident about what you're doing.

 

ok...but you're assuming I put a whole LOT of arctic silver on. The fact is I do know what I'm doing. It is possible to put too LITTLE AS on. And the fact is I did get the temps I was shooting for in the end.
My GPU dying is not necessarily due to the copper mod that I did MONTHS ago, as everyone knows that some or all of these Nvidia GPU's are defective and will fail eventually.

 

I got my machine back this morning. I must say that Dell turnaround was quite fast considering it had to be shipped back and forth.

My load temp is even lower now. It went from 73 down to 69, and this is without the AS fully cured.

The only thing wrong was that the wi-fi card was not properly seated, but easily fixed.

Copper mod and all other mods were re-applied.

 

That was a quick turnaround for Dell, they are doing something right. Hope all works out well for you.

 

My Motherboard was replaced today. It came with Bios A13.

GPU temps dropped to around 65 from 73 (using HWMonitor Pro).

My hard drive which was making some strange noises was replaced as well.

The service was performed by a Technician from BancTec.

.

 

I spoke too soon.

I just noticed two scratches on the silver part of my outer lid.

I am sending it back to the depot to have my lid replaced

Hopefully I will get it back before Christmas...

 

I would send it to dell

 

V C,

i really dont know what your problem is, we are here to help, if you think you are helping somebody by telling him that he is a complete idiot and to blame him for all his issues, then you should really look for another forum.

I had the same problem when adding AS5 to my m1530, the "thin layer" was not enough, i had to apply some more because for some reason it did not make full contact with the cooling assembly, by applying more my temperatures dropped much more, and by doing the copper mod, mystery slowed down his GPUs death clock, but still happened, again because these GPUs are defective.

witch comes to show you really don't know crud about these computers, and their problems.

So seriously man, TRY TO HELP OR KEEP QUIET.