Should I try to get my laptop replaced?

I have a P7811 FX, and I've noticed 2 problems recently. First, there is a small dot of bright light in the upper right corner of the screen. It's not the pixels themselves, but the backlight. Second, I think I might have damaged my graphics card a little bit. I never turned off my screen saver (If you have a laptop, turn the screen saver off right now, as it doesn't actually save power or prolong screen life on an LCD), and I left my laptop alone for a while. When I came back, the fans were working like crazy. I checked the temps, and my GPU was at 94C. The highest it gets when gaming is just above 70C. After testing a few things to find out what the problem was, I eventually found out it was the screen saver that was overheating the GPU (why this happens, I don't know). Now, I notice more stuttering and strange graphical glitches when playing some games. Are these problems serious enough to send it in for a replacement, and if I do, would they just give me a new one, or replace the defective parts.

 

As i posted on the other forum, and now that you have been more descriptive

I would definitely replace it before warranty expires =)

I would be worried about 94 degrees, even if your graphics card can take it, the other things in your laptop will probably die out much faster at that heat.

 

Strange, I always use screensavers and never had any issues.... can anyone else confirm the screensaver issue?

 

Definitely too hot, as long as it's under warranty, you should send it in.

Curious what screensaver you're using? Is it graphically intensive? *thinks about what would happen if Furmark was turned into a screensaver*

 

I don't know if most graphics cards can operate well at that heat. I'm not as worried about the other components, because that heat wasn't sustained for long enough to spread throughout the computer, but I do know that there are some graphics cards that will break before even reaching 100C.

And about the screensaver issue, it definitely doesn't happen to everyone, and this is the first time I've encountered such a problem on any computer, but I can confirm that screensavers are pretty much useless on LCD displays. In fact, they even use slightly more power because most screensavers consist of dark colors, and LCDs have an easier time displaying light colors. In any case, I would recommend disabling the screensaver, or at least listening very closely to the fans, if you own an FX series laptop. I am 100% sure it was the screensaver that was causing the problem, as I let it turn on again to make sure, and about 2 minutes after it started, the fans went into overdrive.

Edit: @ComputerMD82:
It's that standard aurora screensaver that Vista has as a default. It's sort of pretty, but I somehow doubt it's more GPU intensive than Far Cry 2 on high. The temps on that have only gone above 70C once.

 

one of the most intensive screensavers i have ever seen was i belive black sheep, or something sheep used to bring my gpu to max on my desktop everytime... rather fun to watch though , wish i could remember the name.

 

Hmm. Yeah, the Aurora is hardly anything, nothing compared to the games of course. What surface was the laptop on while you had the screensaver on? If it was laying on a bed or something like that it's possible the fans could have been blocked, bringing up the temps.

 

@Alitronic: lol, it seems like they sort of forgot the point of screensavers.

@ComputerMD82: No way the fans were blocked. I had it on a cooling pad, which was itself on large book because I was worried about the carpet blocking the fans of the cooling pad. And it's not the cooling pad screwing with the air intake, because it usually lowers temps by 5C when I'm gaming.

 

Can't think of any other cause for that kind of malfunction except faulty hardware. I'd say they didn't seat the heatsinks properly but you said it was fine before that, and that's a rather recent model so I doubt you've had it long enough to accumulate much dust inside of it. As long as it's still under warranty I'd send it in.

Screensavers now are basically for looks, no burn in like on the old tubes, although you should see the screen they have connected to the surveillance equipment at work! You can see the room and everything in it even when it's off, that's how bad the burn-in on that screen is. I have to take a pic of that if I get the chance lol

 

Oh! I was on their site, and I saw that their newer FX laptops have a 1GB 9800m gts. Mine is only 512MB. Do you think they would just replace the card if I sent it in, and if so, would I be able to get a 1GB version? I mean, if they don't stock the 512MB version anymore, they wouldn't have much of an option, right?

 

Most likely they have the exact replacement in stock, but you never know

 

It's not a "card" the video is soldered to the MB, so unless they swap your whole MB out for a newer model's board, no. I'd imagine they have plenty of spare parts for the 7811FX since they're still selling them refurbed left and right.