Help with packard Bell Laptop - Nvidia GPU dying?

Guys, give me a helping hand here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/packard-bell/515652-packard-bell-tj65.html#post6674712

It seems i have a problem with the gpu.
I bassicaly get "the display driver has stopped working" and artifact on screen when i try to get into 3d.

I'll try to reinstall windows see if i can fix it.

 

Those are usually signs of GPU failure, if you want to hold on to your current laptop for a while longer before you buy a new one, you can downclock it a little bit to see if it becomes stable at a lowered clock, if it does, then you may be able to keep it running for some time.

 

I understandm can you recommend me something to downcloak the gpu ?
I downloaded latest mobility drivers from nvidia. for the 240m windows 7 64bit.

Howeverm since this is a stolen laptop and i got only the laptop and the charger, it might be possible that the charger is not its original chargerm and maybe it can't handle the wattage of the laptop. Is there a way i can verify if the charger is original ?

PS I just bought the laptop. its brand new, so i expected it to behave.
It also has a dead pixel.

 

You can downclock via the NVIDIA Control Panel if you've installed NVIDIA System Tools, found here:
NVIDIA System Tools with ESA Support

If you have the NVIDIA Control Panel, then install system tools, you'll have access to the Performace tab and can downclock, create and save settings, and create profiles to load and unload automatically based upon what program is being run. I've got mine to overclock when I load any of my games, but to step back down when the games are closed.

 

Yes, use the nvidia system tools to downclock. To achieve better stability, you might want to keep the ratio of core to shader 1:2.5 (eg, 20 core-50 shader) when you downclock. And test your system stability with 3dmark06 or whatever games you play after you set the downclock, if it doesn't crash or anything, you will probably be fine for now.

 

What if the artifacts are caused by a corrupt video memory chip ?
Not all the downclock in the world is gonna fix that.
I'm trying the downclock now see what happens.

The thing is i tried to transcode something with badaboom, that uses the gpu, and i didn't get any artifacts.
I also ran folding at home for a couple of minutes, and no artifacts.

Could this be a driver related problem in any way, because i can\t see how it could be only software related.

Also, the gpu with CPUID hardware monitor reaches only about 50 or so degrees, nothing to worry here.

As i said i'll try the downclock now and see what happens.

 

The standard freq are 550cpum 790 memory and 1210 shader.

It seems it is stable at 500 750 1100 meaning when i launch the games i don't see any artifacts and the games work. I havent tested it with furmark or something else stresfull.

What could there be with a gpu that it doesn't work with the freq it was designed to work ?

 

From what you have described, it's highly unlikely it's a driver problem.

And also since you have reduced your core clock by 50, it's best to keep your shader at 1085.

It's perfectly normal to run modified frequency all the time, people overclock, downclock for various reasons. There are risks for overclocking, but for downclocking, it's completely harmless, it will merely make your GPU work less harder.

 

I understand what you were saying. However, isn't the GPU suppose to work flawlessly on the frequency it was designed in the first place to work ?

What i am saying is, it isn't normal to downclock the gpu just to make it work. Does this mean the gpu is busted ?

 

Yes, it should work flawlessly on the factory set frequency. In your case, your GPU has been wearing out slowly, it may not be completely dead, but it's dying. Downclocking is just a workaround to make it live a bit longer, it's not a permanent solution. GPU failure is unavoidable, it will be just a matter of time. I noticed you just bought this laptop, I would recommend you return it if you can.

 

I decided to keep it, as at the money i payed for it is a bargain. The stable freq. yield a score of 6250 in 3dmark 2006, at 1280x768.
It's not suppose to be a permanent solution, i'm keeping it untill i'll be gettin myself maybe a clevo x7200 or x8100 with sli.

I have thought about it. I know it is up to the manufacturer to se the freq of the gpu. Some set it normal some higher, some lower.

Maybe this was the case with this 240m gpu. Lower manufacturer freq because maybe they used a not so good yield geforce 240m gpu.

Anyways, i have played for quite some time stacraft 2 and it worked flawlesly.

The thing is i had an atom netbook before and spending 300 euros for 6300 3dmarks 2006 so i can wait a little more seems to me like a good solution. Esspecialy since i can game the good games i don't want to miss like starcraft 2 for instance. Works fairly well. if i might add.

Besides, i don't game all the time, i mostly spend time watching movies and netting.
The reason i want a clevo x7200 is because of the desktop cpu and sli. It will last me a great deal of time before i will buy something else. I'm aiming at the 5 year plus before i'll get me another one. IF we don't die all in 2012.

Thanks anyways for the help.

 

My guess is that since he said it was stolen, the return thing could be a bit of a problem. I just can't figure out if he is serious or trolling.

 

If it runs stable at your altered speed, you should probably be fine for now. It's not uncommon that some aging GPUs couldn't manage to run at the stock speed, the most usual solution is to downclock. Anyway, it should serve you well at least for a while before it goes out completely, the only problem is no one knows how long that might be.

 

The guy a got it from received it as a stolen laptop. The thing they - the thieves - do, is that they cut the kesington lock the laptop is displayed with in a showroom, and that's why the stolen laptops are "sold" without battery. And that's why their so cheap.

I could have returned it, but i decided to keep it. Standard freq yield a score of 6600 and stable freq give 6250. Even a score of 6250 is way to much for a 300 eur laptop, that's why i decided to keep it.

I understand the model is launched 2 months ago. From it's tier it's the best, because of the gt240m. All other versions of thise tier have intel 4500mhd as a video.

It should get me through the days until i have the money to buy a "serious" clevo rig.
When i do that, i'll give it to my GF, and she never plays anything, so it should last a while.