HP laptop + no defective GPU? exsist?

Ok, so I know not every nvidia unit is going to fail, but my previous v300 compaq did, and the replacement dv2700TSE I got is starting to do the same thing almost 6 months later. I was looking at the new SE and it has the 9200gm which I believe is on the list of possibly defective gpu's correct?

So what are my choices HP wise? no ATI (which im not a fan of, but at this point 'll try anything). Im not a huge gamer but like to load up FarCry 2 and other games every once in a while with medium settings. I also do a lot of 2d photoshop work and some CAD work. Id like to stick to the 14.1 size but doesn't look that will be an option.

Any help, suggestion, or experiences would be great!

 

does it have to be HP cuz then if u need, u could get dv5t although its is 15.4". if it can be any other company, try the ASUS N80Vn-X1.

is extremely cheap and is 14.1" and has a 9650 in there for ur graphical needs.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220389

 

I switched over to ATI starting with the Radeon 3000 series and haven't looked back. The Radeon 3200 integrated can keep up with a NVIDIA 9200 dedicated. Give ATI a try. Take a good look at the dv3z and dv4z series, especially the dv3z. I have a dv4z. Forget about playing Far Cry 2 on either though. I'd wait and see what comes out with the new Radeon 4000 series GPUs for that. No word on HP's plans for those yet.

 

Well I play farcry 2 on my 8400gs and I don't have any issues with it. Im not a 60+fps maxed out settings freak, just enjoy the game ill see how the 3200 compares to that.

 

Is ATi Radeon 3200 really integrated? Does it mean that the battery life is better on dv3z than on that version with NVidia? I am considering to buy the dv3z laptop from Amazon. On the HP website, it states "up to 3.5 hours" of battery life. On the Amazon, it states "up to 2 hours", which is just ridiculous. Which is it?

 

Probably a little better. Intel CPUs burn a little less power but the dead weight of the NVIDIA GPU should overwhelm that. With the dv3z's efficient LED backlight... probably close to 3 hours. Definitely more than 2.

 

Can you show me where this list of Nvidia gpu's is that you speak of? I got a replacement laptop that has the nvidia 9200m gs, and would be pissed if this is defective as well.

 

It depends on when your NVIDIA chip was built and there's no reliable way to know that. Pretty much everything built prior to July of last year is defective. Keeping the maximum temperature under control by running the cooling fan 24x7 is a reasonably reliable fix.

 

The notebook GPU scene is very different than the desktop GPU. I'd take ATI over Nvidia any day for notebook GPUs. They tend to run cooler and seem more energy efficient (I know, the specs say otherwise with their xxWatt specs, but my experience says otherwise). Also, I've never had a ATI fail on me but my Dell Inspiron with the Geforce card died, frying the wlan card with it.

 

On this same note I wish HP offered ATI graphics with the Dreamcolor notebook displays. Currently there are only NVIDIA options offered with that screen selection. I tend to buy my machines for the long haul and the possibility of a failing GPU really freaks me out.

 

My notebook was custom built for me in Dec 2008. Do you think there is a risk that my gpu is defective?

 

Ive had my dv2500TSE for over a year now, running overclocked too. I still believe it is defective though, my previous dv2000 w/ go 7200 failed on me.

Just keep an eye on the temperatures. Make sure the GPU doesnt exceed 80c.

 

Slight risk, but probably OK. I still recommend ATI over NVIDIA on general principle.

 

The failure rate on the 8400m GS is higher than usual. I suggest you get it replaced with an integrated or switch to ATI just to be safe.

I dont trust Nvidia anymore after all the cover up.