Direct2Dell Blog Post UPDATED with some small info

http://direct2dell.com/one2one/arch...ment-to-all-affected-customers-worldwide.aspx

Update: Over the last few days, customers like Steve Johnson, John and Robert have asked if their systems are affected. Throughout this process, Dell has undertaken a detailed assessment of this issue. If your system is not listed in the table above, you do not need to do anything. If you have one of the systems listed above with an NVIDIA graphics card and are experiencing video-related issues I described in the bullet point section of my first post about NVIDIA GPUs, please contact Dell Technical Support.

 

Muahahaha!

So my system is immune? I was thinking about upgrading to an 8600m gt, but I was concerned about it failing.

 

Well, if you want to upgrade, I am sure you can go ahead and do it, because IMHO, irrespective of the mess around, I am sure nVidia has rectified the manufacturing line / process and they aren't shipping out defective units anymore. so may be you'd get a good unit... (I think it would dumb for nV to keep shipping out defective units even after all this.) Cheers.

 

Hey there!

Thanks providing the updated blog.... *reading time*


Cin

 

wow, nvidia really messed up, lucky i gave my m1530 back
hopefully, the new 9xxxx gpu's wont be affected.

if they are, ati is going to kill nvidia in the laptop gpu sector like there and with the 48xx GPU's for desktops.

if you have a affected laptop, do dell do anything?

 

Yeah! I was John! He mentioned me! Man, I'm special.
Looks like the 1500, 1520, 1700, and 1720 are all clear.

 

Just updated the first post with Bold.... thought there is something hidden inside this particular line... particularly with the "and are experiencing....." .... Does this mean not all systems listed in the table with the nV card, are affected and Dell expects only few / some / from some particular unit / country are experiencing issues? Or is it truly a reflection of the fact that no one has really any idea about where nVidia shipped those defective units? and its kind of spread all over the place???? Just a thought....

 

They are the same GPUs but have different operating conditions.

The bigger notebooks tend to have better cooling systems and therefore smaller temperature ranges. It is the thermal cycling which causes the GPUs to fail and this effect evidently wasn't anticipated. Think of these GPUs as eggs which need the right incubation conditions to make them hatch.

John

 

Theyve probably stopped manufacturing 8600m GT's a while ago to make way for newer models.

We all still have the same core revision/stepping. Which means there has been no modifications or fixes done to the chip.

 

Thanks John / Flip for interesting comments

 

So why don't we just leave our laptops on AC (when you can, of course)? If cycling is the problem, then if we just leave them on, no cycling; constant temperature.

 

^ Phaaam... but which is more lasting, cycling or leaving laptops on 24/7.....

 

I don't think thats a good idea either.. and its not that leaving them on is better than cycling.. and though I am not sure, leaving them on forever probably might end up worse IMHO.

 

So, what is the the best thing to do then?? I leave mine on sometimes for 2 days straight...then I will do a complete shut down.

Have had not troubles, either.



Cin.

 

Well, the thing about leaving it on is that it's still cycling but not as high a range as you would be by turning it on and off. For example idle at 58-62 so the range is 4. Whereas turning it off would be a range of 34-38 degrees dropped (from idle) to room temperature (24 for example). I guess it's up to you, if you trust technology (which might be hard) then it should have come a long way that it could withstand prolonged idling. Especially when idling constitutes automatic underlocking of the CPU and GPU, RAM too.

Also, considering that most people will turn off the computer after they're done with it (cycling(, after the past year the GPU problem comes up. What I want know is that how many of those people with GPU problems have left their computer on many nights at a time.

Say you turned off your computer and 10 minutes later remember that you forgot to do something, will you think twice about turning it on worried that it might harm the computer? Who knows, this is probably one of the never-ending arguments but it avoids the GPU cycling problem. You might just have to trust your other parts to be functioning properly to not die, but every component is entitled to failing.

 

I thought we were talking about days numbering more than that... Anyways..

 

My friends book said it was only worth turning off your computer if it was for more than 3 days. The book is old though, 90s I'd imagine. If there's more recent information, it'd be more useful.

But I'm still the type to only use my laptop when I need it and of course keeping the battery dry and cool when I'm not using it. Being as the success or failure of leaving the computer on vs turning it on and off will take us months or years I think it's entirely up to the user since this type of information would require long term commitment which is pretty difficult if you're looking for a better answer.