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    Should one buy notebook with Nvidia card now?

    Discussion in 'Gaming (Software and Graphics Cards)' started by hendra, Jan 13, 2009.

  1. hendra

    hendra Notebook Virtuoso

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    Given the recent problem with defective Nvidia cards, should I buy a notebook with one? I am considering Sony AW290 CTO that comes with GeForce 9600M GT 512MB VRAM. I heard that only GeForce 8000 family is affected but another source said that GeForce 9000 family is also affected. Sony has 30 days return policy with no restocking fee but most people reported the problem occurred after a year or more.
     
  2. Bartlett

    Bartlett The Prophet

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    That would be fine...the 9 series is barely defective, as there has only been a few claims I have heard regarding overheating due to defectiveness.
     
  3. hendra

    hendra Notebook Virtuoso

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    But could the few claim is because the 9 series is new? It takes more than a year for the defective GPU problem to show up.
     
  4. Bartlett

    Bartlett The Prophet

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    no, its not as new as you might think, especially since it is based on a smaller nm process and a somewhat different chip structure. also there is a new 100m series
     
  5. Kevin

    Kevin Egregious

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    Nvidia has changed the soldering process, so you shouldn't worry about the defect popping up.
     
  6. masterchef341

    masterchef341 The guy from The Notebook

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    i wouldn't be too worried about it, but it could definitely exist. people who just toss out the possibility are just lying to themselves. it would take at least a year for it to show up.
     
  7. Rich.Carpenter

    Rich.Carpenter Cranky Bastage

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    The scary part is the fact that nVidia mobile GPU's have been known for that sort of soldering problem for 6-8 years. I had a Toshiba Satellite with a GeForce440 GO that failed the same way.
     
  8. ckdubois

    ckdubois Notebook Enthusiast

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    There's always a risk, but nVidia has an obvious stake in improving reliability, so I wouldn't worry too terribly much... just research the specific card a lot before buying
     
  9. Red_Dragon

    Red_Dragon Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    no wait for the 4000 series ATI it will be well worth it