My 7900 GS video card is failing-- have you had a similar problem?

Hardware: Inspiron e1705 with 7900 gs video card
Bought from Dell Outlet 9 months ago.

While I am using my computer, occasionally the monitor will just turn off and go to a black screen, seeming to indicate that the video output has just died for some reason. When this happens, I am not doing anything video intensive such as playing computer games. I am usually just surfing the web and listening to music, etc.

When I restart the computer, when it gets to the Dell bios screen (at the beginning of the boot sequence), it has several vertical lines coming down the screen. Then when it gets to the "loading windows XP" screen in which the blue bar progresses at the bottom of the windows logo, this screen has several green vertical lines on it.

After the "loading windows XP" screen finishes, instead of progressing to the windows welcome screen (the login screen), the video output just stops and I have no option but to reboot in safe mode.

I am able to reboot in safe mode, after doing so, I go into Device Manager and disable my 7900 gs video card. After doing so, I am able to reboot into regular windows, however this obviously does not satisfy me as I am not able to take advantage of my graphics card.

Sometimes I get "lucky" and I will be able to succesfully boot my computer with the 7900 gs video card enabled and everything works as normal, however, after doing so, the video output will once again die after working on my computer for a bit (sometimes I can get a day or two of use from my computer before the video output dies, other times only an hour or so before the video output dies). Once the video output dies, I am forced to disable the 7900 gs if I wish to use the computer, until I get lucky again and it boots succesfully with the 7900 gs enabled.

I thought the problem might be that the video card was overheating, however, even after turning my computer off for a night, in the morning when I tried to boot it with the 7900 gs enabled, it still failed to boot properly.

I have tried reinstalling drivers (I have only ever used the drivers from the official Dell website) to no avail. Also I have never overclocked.

I suppose I will just call Dell and ask them to replace it since the computer should still be under warranty. Any other suggestions or people with a similar problem?

 

you could try a reinstall of xp. if you have the disk.
also if you have the driver install disk, maybe try reinstalling that,

 

Hello I have had the same problem as you. I formatted, reinstalled windows and now I cant even install video card drivers without getting a blue screen. It kinda sucks that the video card can just fail like that without overclocking or any extremely heavy usage.
I'm gonna see if I can take out the video card and put it back in and see if it solves my problems.

 

Wow, I just experienced the exact same problem with my Dell 1705's 7900 GS. Unfortunately, I didn't buy an extended warranty so I'm out of luck. A laptop repair place quoted me $500-$600 + the cost of a new motherboard/video card.

What I did was uninstall the video drivers. That way I can boot outside of safe mode and still run the computer. Artifacts are still present though.

 

This could be inverter problem? Maybe your monitor's inverter is going bad. Did you try lowering your brightness and restart? My friends notebook booted up nicely and suddenly go blank, when we restarted the windows with brightness to min, it booted up without a problem. We called CS and he confirmed that it inverter. Tech came and changed the LCD and he hasn't had problem yet.

 

To my knowledge, if the screen goes dark, it's probably the inverter or LCD backlight.

However, if the screen goes blank (particularly after the XP boot screen), and artifacts are showing up, then it's the video card. If booting in safe mode or uninstalling the video drivers fixes the problem, then it's almost certainly the video card.

 

It is not the screen, its the card.

It seems that a LOT of these 7900's share this similar problem - but dell still refuses to take my card back for free and replace it.

It's obvious thats this is a production error by DELL/Nvidia, but dell, refuses to accept this. They offered me a joke of 10% off the repair - screw them.

Specially because all of those cards that are having these issues are operating wayyy too hot in idle mode (70-80 degrees) and have about the same date of manufacturing (summer-fall 06).

Did anybody have these ****ty things replaced out of warranty for free by dell?

 

The 'GS' line is overclocked to some degree straight out of the box isn't it?

 

Wow - just found this thread. I have just been hit with the same issue. Did a bunch of methodical analysis and came to the same conclusion presented in this thread. Like the original poster, I can boot into safe mode and get a display only via the VGA output to an external monitor via the Fn F8 hot key combo. In safe mode, I disable the video controller for the card and I can then boot into normal Windows. I have been trying to identify on what layer the problem resides - I even tried flashing the video card bios. The problem is even before getting into Windows - so its not a driver issue.

What causes this failure? I was running a PlayStation emulator when it failed so I figured that was the cause and that it was a software issue... but its seems more grave than that.

So is there any solution known? Has the card physically failed?

 

My single pipe 7900GS died also.
Symptoms were the blue screen of death when booting windows normally.
There is a partition on the hard drive that will do HW testing - my card was failing all of the video memory tests.

It would boot in safe mode.

I bought a new 7900GS off of ebay (actually from dell) - it took about 1/2 hour to install and required significant laptop disassembly - dell's website has good teardown directions.

The case had to be slightly modified to fit the double pipe 7900, nothing a set of end nippers couldn't handle.

 

Inspiron e1705
My single pipe 7900GS died last night.
I left it running all day yesterday while I was at work and when I got home it was unresponsive / locked up. I held down the power button to power it off and I noticed it was hot to the touch around the left rear / bottom. I've got Ubuntu on it right now. When I powered it back on there were green vertical artifacts on the BIOS screen, then weird white apostrophe sized artifacts on the text screens. When it got to the OS where it should have switched to UXGA 1920x1200 or whatever it is there was just a black screen.

I purchased it August 2006 and the warranty expired August 2007.
According to Dell's site I can add another year of RTD warranty for USD$108 to cover me until August 2008. The only used 7900 I see on ebay currently is also a single pipe and it's going for $149. I am going to try to extend the warranty and then call them to get it serviced. If this works it might be the cheapest solution.

Attached are two examples of the artifacts/weird screens.

Update:
I bought the 1 year extended warranty Return to Depot service for $108.
It showed up on my account page within 10 minutes.
I called Dell Tech Support and the tech support rep said the system is still under warranty and he is sending me a box to ship the system to the repair depot in.
I will update after that takes place.

Update (4-15-08):
I sent the system back for repair on March 26, 2008
About a week later I had a voicemail from Tech support saying the video card is out of stock and won't be in until the end of May at the earliest so they are implementing system exchanges and I would receive a like system or if that was not available, the next model in the notebook line in 8-10 days.

On 4-8-2008 an order for an Inspiron 1720 showed up on my dell account as a system exchange.

It shipped on 4-11-08 Next Business Day DHL

Received it on 4-15-08 (Delivery was attempted 4-14-08 while I was at work.)

 

I had the exact same problem with my e1705/7900gs
I bought it in Oct 06 and the problems arised around Nov 07
Safe Mode or uninstalling the video drivers would work

I emailed Dell and they came and replaced the videocard within a few days, but then the new one gave the same problems!
The system eventually even crashed about 2 weeks after it had the new videocard, due to "overheating", even though it wasn't overheating...

Then a few weeks ago, Dell tried to fix, didn't succeed and replaced the laptop for a new 1720, which I'm using now

 

here's a wayyyy wayyy late update to my thread: my laptop was under warranty at the time, so dell came in and replaced the video card, and the problem was totally fixed.

 

Bump for someone with the same problem.

I am having the exact same issues as everyone else here with my 7900gs equipped e1705 purchased in August of 2006. Are there any updates on weather dell is owning up to this production fault or not?

 

its the nvidia bad gpu thing. well, even if u put in anew 7900m gs, its still going to go out on u again. i suggest a new laptop. one with a ati card or a 9m series card.

 

From what I've read on this Dell Blog, they are offering a 12 month extended warranty for affected laptops. Unfortunately, ours don't apply. It should...

Btw solidsnake, my E1705 was also purchased in Aug 2006; what vid card are you using now?


http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2008/08/18/nvidia-gpu-update-dell-to-offer-warranty-enhancement-to-all-affected-customers-worldwide.aspx


And here's a link for some good reading for others with the same problem:

http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_video&message.id=167655&c=us&l=en&cs=555&s=biz

 

Hey fire268, I'm still using my 7900gs. It still works in some limited capacity, however I fear it will not last. I haven't had any issues with it in about a week (screen going black, artifacts etc.) but who knows when it will give out again. I've just been doing my best not to do any gpu intensive activities and keep it cool (also it has never been overclocked).

 

Make sure you use I8kfangui.

http://www.diefer.de/i8kfan/index.html

Beef up the cooling by lowering the temp thresholds (turn on fans sooner).

 

Bumparooney. My Inspiron 9400 with it's 7900gs is also suffering from artefacting. I bought it in November 2006 as well. Did anyone manage to get this fixed outside of warranty?

 

I'm having some problems with my 7900gs now too- horrible artifacts in games, and then it just turns into a big plaid screen. The games or whatever I was working on still goes on in the background, I just can't see anything.

I re-upped my warranty, and have tried talking multiple times to customer service. Its horrible- they keep telling me that my problems are caused by "third party software" even though I've had the laptop for over a year, and play the same games, and the problems just started up. I also get the graphics artifacts when browsing photographs, so it can't be the games.

Any ideas on how to get through the dell customer support defensive ring to someone who can really help??

 

It's funny, the $360 refurbished card I got from Dell had this artifacts problem, but the $190 one I got from eBay thereafter did not and is currently powering my notebook.

 

I have the same issue. I am now about to get my 5th video card! This last time they replaced it they gave me the ati x1400. It is going back because it is a far inferior card and won't handle the same video as the 7900GS. Its choppy to the point of unplayable. Dell ensures me this 4th GS refurb will be the end all solution, but I don't see how. The last one only made it 2 months. And they made me resintall windows (which was a huge undertaking) before they would send me the last one. Same issue. Not sure they are going to be able to solve this.. I am awating a call back in the next hour from a manager.

p.s. the ati x1400 and nvidia 7800 will not work for WOW or EverQuest 2, so DON'T let them talk you into it. I can run 2 instances of everquest 2 with the GS with no issues, but can't even run 1 instance without it being choppy, to the point of unusable, EVEN on very high performance (low detail).

Troy

 

I have had this issue. I also bought mine in the 05-06 era. Multiple replacements later and I still have the issue. I'm currently sending it to the depot to get the vid card, HD, cd rom drive and mobo replaced haha.

It's the design of the card and laptop that is faulty IMO.

If this doesn't work, I'm requesting a new laptop.