** WARNING: I8kfangui can ruin your GPU!

I started a thread on an issue I was having concerning GPU ram becoming permanantly damaged. The symptoms of this is screen corruption and artifacts.

Following three GPU replacements, a motherboard and LCD the screen corruption would eventually come back. I started to think that it is a software issue causing hardware failure...

Upon further investigation it is come to light that there are thousands of people with the same problem and posts on most forums about this issue.

See more here:

http://www.dellcommunity.com/suppor...?board.id=Tech_Talk_XPS_Laptop&thread.id=3011
http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_video&thread.id=171549p
http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_video&thread.id=171547
http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_video&thread.id=171499
http://www.notebookforums.com/thread209845.html
http://www.notebookforums.com/thread203491.html
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=51748
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=209408
http://www.notebookforums.com/thread210944.html
http://www.notebookforums.com/thread210914.html
http://www.notebookforums.com/thread210535.html
http://www.notebookforums.com/thread206665.html

The causal factor for burned out GPU RAM is often overheating. This is where I noticed something unusual.

I often use i8kfangui to monitor temperatures and set fans on high if running a game (like COD4, ETQW). On a reboot, if i8kfangui is set to "no fan control" then the BIOS takes care of cooling the laptop. Right now I have 46C (GPU)and the fans are on slow and high.

Here's the problem:
If you set "force fans to high". play a game, exit game, and set "no fan control" you would think that control would be passed to the BIOS.

Actually, the fans STOPPED. and they didn't turn on until the GPU was over 72C. After 72C the fans were only on slow! Now, if you run a game again, it is likely that the GPU will hit a dangerous region and damage the memory.

"What about automatic GPU core slowdown" I hear you say. - Well it seems some safety features let me down resulting in 3 burnt out 7800GTX in M170 and 1 7950 GTX in my new M1710 replacement.

I need to do further testing to prove this theory but my new card arrives tommorrow so I doubt I will.

Is 18kfangui a common factor in GPU video related problems?

If not, then it is probably caused by GPUs that are lifed becuase of wear out of thermal paste.

Comments?

 

Maybe not use I8kfangui?

 

Good advice, but is i8kfangui the main culprit behind video ram damage or is it something else?

 

So it's still alright to use it simply as a temperature monitor, right?

 

No, not always. Let me clarify:

If you set it to just "monitor" then it is ok.

If you set it to "monitor", and then "force fans on high" and then back to "monitor" then your BIOS will not appropriately take control of the cooling!

Only fix is to set "monitor" and then reboot your machine.

(Applies to: XPS M1710, 2.33, 7950 GTX, 4GB ram, BIOS A07)
(Applies to: M170, 2.13, 7800 GTX, 2GB RAM, BIOS A05)

 

I run it on all my systems, and they run as it should perfectly.

Don't make a scapegoat out of your faulty systems when some one actually spent time making this free software.

Isn't it common sense to check the fan noice when it's set to run HIGH anyways?

I use it to monitor the temps only btw.

You have to make sure I8kfan control is detecting the RIGHT SENSOR ON YOUR SYSTEM.

 

You seem to be misunderstanding the problem.

If you set "force fans to high speed" then the fans do indeed run at high speed.

The problem is when you set it back to "Show temperatures ony, no fan control". It doesn't send full control back to the BIOS unless you reboot.

Oh, and it doesn't mean that if software is free it is safe...

 

Mine goes back and forth as it should. I really don't understand why your system is doing it, but all my systems on my sig runs the same, and it runs as it should.

It doesn't matter if I want the program to control, or not, it works very well.

 

Does the M1530 have a separate fan for the GPU?

 

OK, but have you tested on an M170\M1710?

All threads I have come across concerning screen garble and artifacts are for the XPS M170\M1710, Inspiron 9300, 9400.

I haven't seen any threads concerning your particular machines.

Of course, we still need thorough testing to show what systems this software is really safe to run on.

 

M90 is pretty much same machine as M1710. 7900GTX = 2500M

 

UPDATE: A Dell engineer came around today and replaced the 7950GTX (rev. A00) in my M1710 with an A02 revision. I asked if he has seen similar problems and he said yes. Someone had his card replaced three times until he got an A02 revision board and then problems ceased.

Fingers crossed...

It now seems that it may be a faulty batch of cards!

Oh, and i8kfangui still doesn't work properly on 4 machines I have tested! (See previous on how to test on your machine and check compatibility list on the developers website - it is important!).

 

I have mine set to automatic fan control, and i dont think it works either. But cpu and gpu stay at fine temperatures. i like the graph for monitoring on this program however, thats why im keeping it around for now

 

I've use i8kfangui for years and it works great. Never had any problems in returning control to the BIOS as you say, no matter what setting i use.

Currently using it in a E1505

 

Isn't i8kfangui the utility that detects your temperature as being lower than it actually is -- unless you take time to calibrate it correctly? If it's underdetecting your temperatures and then turning on your fan based on those temperatures, your fan won't come on when it should.

Something about calibrating it here
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=185107
(though I don't know if that setting is correct for all Dell laptops)

 

I think its speedfan that does that. on my machine fangui shows the same as core temp, and NHC. SPeedfan shows like 15 degrees lower

 

Accurate GPU temp will show on ATItool/Ntune - so you have to tweak the i8kfan to match it. Some system will work with offeset, some you have to change the internal fan sesor. Either way the program works for me.

 

It's not the software.

I've never used I8kfangui and I had 3 NVidia 7900 go GS dead in 1 month.
The problem is the NVidia 7800/7900 series hardware. It seems that they have faulty components on the first batch of that series.
If you search 7900 artifacts in google, you'll find a lot of people have similar problem.
I think Dell quality control is going down the hill. First the faulty LCD on Inspiron 9300, now the faulty Nvidia graphics card on Inspiron 9400/e1705 and XPS M170 & M1710.

 

Its not the software.

The 8400GS on my m1330 overheated and died jsut last weekend. Seems a common trait. Waiting for a board replacement today. Luckyly it still functions normally until it gets too hot.