GPU Replacement Query: 8800GTX & Clevo M57RU (Sager 5791)

Hi,
I've been having hardware problems on my 2008 laptop (basic details below), and I'm pretty sure I need to replace my video card. My 8800GTX refuses to work on start-up, so I get a Blue Screen with a 0x0...116 error. I can boot in safe mode, so I have got all of my data off - now it's just a question of what I can do to save the laptop.

What I've tried:
- Updated drivers directly from NVidia after Widnows told me current drivers were alread up to date (didn't seem correct)
- Opened up laptop and removed/cleaned/replaced heatsinks & fans
- Removed old thermal paste from CPU and GPU and cleaned/replaced with new silver compound
- I have not yet tried uninstalling NVidia and restarting the laptop to try to force Windows to reinstall drivers (that's tonight)

Nothing I have tried has made any difference, which makes me think that the video card needs replacement. But it is very difficult to find a replacement.

I think this one looks okay, but I am just learning as I go, don't really know too much about this stuff. From the tags on the video card in the photos, it is from a Clevo M86TU. Is this comparable to the GPU that would have been shipped with my laptop?
NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTX G92-720-A2 512MB VGA Video BD Card Module Tested OK | eBay

Are there any other video cards that are compatible, so that I could avoid buying used products? And what would I have to do get them to work with my laptop?

As I said, I don't know that much about this sort of thing, having never replace a GPU before - stores only seem to sell desktop video cards, encased in fans/heatsinks. If you take off the shell, are the video cards inside laptop compatible? Such as this for example:
NVIDIA GeForce 8800GTX OC 768MB PCIe graphics card GIFT | eBay


Any help would be much appreciated,
Thanks,
David


Clevo M57RU (Sager 5791 equivalent)
NVidia GeForce 8800GTX 512mb DDR3
Vista Ultimate 64bit

 

Hi David
which part of the world are you from so people can advise of possible replacements.

as your getting bsod download who crashed from my sig below and run it in safe mode as you cant boot and see if that gives of a dump report.
as far as i can remember (and i know i will be shouted down if im wrong) the 8800gtx is a re badged 9800gt and if so your lappy should be able to take a 260gtx and even maybe a 280gtx

i had the 9800gt in my m860tu and it was replaced with a 260gtx after it died.

did you notice any artifacts or lines on screen before your card gave up on you.

at work at mo and manic so rushing to finish. will update when i get a chance

 

The gtx8 and 9 series are directly related to each other. Both were primary sufferers of the bga ball cracking escapades that nvidia got up to. So as above I would look into the gtx260-285 which even though are the same core are produced later and dont run into so many issues.

Just watch out you do get the right connector as they were also made in mxm 3.0 type b which is not compatible with your machine.

 

^^forgot the mxm 3. thanks for pointing that out Meaker.

the desktop gpu equivalant numbers are in no way compatable even if the outer casing is removed so dont get caught out on that one. as you mentioned there are also lots of desktop cards available from maplins in the uk but hardly any lappy cards.

 

Hi, thanks for your reply. I'm in London (thought my profile said that, but apparently not - it's been a while since I've been on here).

I'm not at home at the moment, so can't run anything on the laptop until later.

But I did go through a day of not even being able to boot in safe mode because of lines on the screen (random blue spots on the screen asking me to boot safe or normal; green/blue/grey lines covering the screen thereafter). But that stopped thankfully after I cleaned and refitted the heatsinks.

I had a similar issue over a year ago, and took it to a shop, where I was told they had replaced some melted fixings around the GPU (although looking at it I can't see where). But the problem was fixed for a while. Nothing looks melted or burnt now, and as I said , everything is cleaned and has a new dollop of thermal compound.


On the 260/280GTX, what do I need to do to install them - is it as easy as just slotting them in and booting up?

I have no idea what "MXM 3.0 type B" means exactly - presumably something to do with the slot where I stick the video card in? Do you know what type of connector should I be looking for?

Once again, thanks for the suggestions. I'm a good bit out of my depth here.

 

Yes mxm 3.0 is a newer standard. Yours is 2.0 (not that the version number was used back then) more specifically type HE I believe.

The balls that cracked are under the gpu and connect the die to the package which is then connected by balls of solder to the graphics card. (Look up BGA to get details on the way it is made and NVIDIA SOLDER CRACKING to get info on the fault).

The shop heated your card to melt and reform the solder but its a tempoary fix and tends to fail more quickly than the last time.

 

ahh the good old baking method. will link to it later as blocked at work.
lines is defo the card dying or died.

my 9800gt died the day of crysis 2 release and luckily i was still covered by warranty so it was replaced by kobalt the same day with a 260gtx. it took about 10 minutes to replace so for a novice i guess take your time and give it 30 mins or so.

the baking method is just that, you shove it in the oven and it melts the solder that has cracked and it reconnects them.
(whatever you do dont do what some bright spark done and put it in the microwave thinking it would be quicker DOH!)

 

Thanks Meaker.

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by the die and the package even after googling, but I think it means that the issue was not the GPU-heatsink connection on the surface of the GPU, but rather what was going on underneath the GPU and it's connection to the pcb? Apologies if I am butchering the terminology.

But if I understand the broader point correctly, I could get around the solder cracking issue by completely replacing the card.

So if I can pick up something like the first link in my original post or an equivalent 260m GTX or 280m GTX, that should take care of my problems once I can connect the new card correctly with the old standard connection?

Assuming I can do all of that, what happens then - do I just turn on the computer and hey presto, or is there anything I need to do to get a new graphics card working.

Finally, does it matter that I would be going from a 512mb card to a 1gb card?

I bought Crysis 2 last month on a Steam sale for just £5 - haven't downloaded yet though, and it's probably unlikely that would have worked given that my recent crash occurred during Football Manager. The first Crysis always ran fine.

I've seen the baking idea on YouTube - don't think I'd be confident enough in what I'm doing to do that. I can remove the graphics card pretty quickly if you meant time taken to physically do a changeover. It's the bit after that I'm not sure about when everything seems to be connected, the cover is back on the laptop and I hit the power button...

Anyway, a lot of searching online ahead of me for cards with the right connection it seems.

 

If you find one that is physically compatible and you fit it properly, there is nothing else you need to do. The existing drivers are the same. See if you can find one in the marketplace, or ask there if anyone has one.

 

It is an easy upgrade process and you should have no problem finding a suitable card to replace the 8800m gtx (many people have had the desoldering/baking problem).

Check out mxm-upgrade for any technical info you want to get: MXM technical before 3.0 . I am 95% sure you set up is version 2.1 HE, with extra power tab pictured. If you can upload a picture of your failed card it might help us Identify it but as far as I know the 8800m GTX was only ever a mxm 2.1 Type IV HE.

My recommendation: Check ebay for a quadro 3700m. Lots for around the $180 mark from what I see. Sometimes sellers have them for even cheaper. They are essentially the 9800m GTX with a few more shaders I believe. There are lots of threads about flashing the vbios from the 3700m to a 280m. Have not done it myself, been rocking the 3700m for two years now in my Clevo D901c (purchased on Ebay from seller AtlantaTech). I only say look for a 3700m because there seems to be an abundance of them on Ebay and heaps cheaper than finding a mxm2.1 - 280m GTX. Most of the 3700m's on Ebay are pulled from other systems that have been damaged in other ways. Just make sure you order from somewhere that offers a warranty.

TL;DR - Ebay a Quadro 3700m and you're off to the races.

 

So no flashing of BIOS with a change to 260m GTX? (which I really don't want to have to deal with, given my low level of knowledge).

I understand (now) that I need an MXM 2.1 type HE (or III) connector having looked here and seen what it was all about.
MXM technical before 3.0

But I'm in the middle of reading old threads about the 260m GTX like this one that don't fill me with confidence.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/463385-np5793-screen-black-9.html

So would you recommend sticking to 8800gtx of 9800gt?

 

you will have a really difficult time finding a 8800/9800 card now. the last time i say one available they wanted over £300 for a used card which is ridiculous.

my 260 worked flawlessly since it was installed and is still working fine now.

keep an eye on the nbr marketplace > NBR Marketplace

 

Okay - this has all been of really great assistance. My final final question - when you changed to 260, did you have to do anything with the BIOS at all?

I think I can pick up a used 8800 for £100 from sellers China, which is expensive but a price I would pay to avoid replacing my laptop for couple of years.

 

reseller done it and as far as i can remember once he had closed the lappy he just turned it on and it worked and no going into the bios.

 

Iirc they are all the same shape too so the heatsink should fit.

There are two levels of package in a graphics card.

One is between the core and the package (shiny die and the small square attached to the card) and then from that square to the pcb.

The issue was between the core and the package which meant everyone got the issues as nvidia sells the core attached to the package where as each vendor attaches the package to the card.

EDIT: I hope this poorly crafted paint image helps:



As you can see, taking the package off and re-balling it does not help as its the core connection (which is much more delicate) is the issue.

 

just in case heres the oven bake The Oven Trick (repairing your broken video card with an oven) | Overclockers