Where can I get a new GPU for my old M860TU?

Hello everyone,

It has been a long time I haven't set foot on these forums! Luckily, I haven't found the need to do so...

This was until today... Unfortunately, my old M860TU (Nexus, bought from Kobalt) is dying on me!

I bought my M860TU in the end of 2008 from Kobalt. It was a lovely laptop and performed really well... For the past year/year and a half, the computer has been sitting in my holiday house, being used very little!
Three days ago, when I was using it to work on a manuscript in Word, I had a blue screen with something like "Nvd*.sys" (Can't exactly remember what it said...). This was followed by graphical artifacts and me realizing the GPU was close do die! I was upset but thought that 4 years is a long time and that I should just get on with it and try and replace the GPU. If I was sad, I was even more sad of finding that Kobalt closed its doors and they are not replying to my emails!

So here I am... I would like to find a cheap but reliable way of getting a new GPU and fixing my laptop (I live in France). Does anyone know:
1- What GPU should I get to replace my old 9800M GT?
2- Where can I get it from in Europe?

Any help would be appreciated!
Best wishes,
M.

 

Ebay or the market on these forums. An mxm ii type he gtx260m or the like would seem the best iirc.

 

Hello and thank you for your answer! I did think about it...the issue is that I think that I need to get a kit with the GPU+cooling thingy. If I could get this from an official retailer, I could be sure I would get a good product that I could trust. Any idea if there are any retailers that can get their hands on this?
Thank you very much

 

Since its just a newer revision of the chip the card is the same shape and your current cooler should fit.

 

OMG! hes back watch out everyone trouble has returned hahaha (actually scrap that, its alienware better watch out).

Hi Milcs my old friend, hope you are keeping well. look out as pm message on its way shortly.

all i can say is you have been very lucky as my 9800GT died almost 2 years ago on the release day of crysis 2
luckily i was still covered by extended warranty and it was replaced by the lads the same day with a 260GTX which is still going strong today. its a more powerfull card and a lot cheaper and much more reliable than the dreaded 9800.

few things you could try to bring it back to life. some have lasted years and some only months. the baking method.

The Oven Trick (repairing your broken video card with an oven) | Overclockers

http://forum.notebookreview.com/zep...znote-6224w-but-works-all-brands-modells.html

dont do what some numpty done and come on here complaining as he had burnt his kitchen down. he couldnt understand why until he explained how he baked his card in the microwave DOH!

pm on its way.

 

Baked in the microwave? Seriously? Oh dear.

 

yup, its about 3 or 4 years ago. poor sod couldnt understand what he had done wrong but he thought it would be quicker to use a microwave instead of an oven.

theres one born every minute

 

Mr DJ... How good to see you are still around!!! We did rock the boat back in the days... I am happy you are still here and there is still a nice, friendly "face" around! (I mean... everyone is pretty nice... its just that MrDJ is... MrDJ!!!)!

I am not back to bring trouble though! Got older, wiser and quieter... Just want to save my old faithful M860TU... And I am sure with the help from this forum, I will do just that!

MrDJ, thank you for your PM, that is very good insight and resourceful info... I will use it to make the best out of it. I will probably nag you here and there... Just because you rock!!!!

Seriously, I am happy to see you around and thank you for your help! I guess I will try the oven method... nothing to lose really! I will reply to your PM when I have a bit more of time... Too much work getting ready for the new year!!!
Thank you again and speak to you soon,
M

 

Well best of luck with your home baking

 

Hey everyone,
Still looking around but so far, no luck...
Contacted a few providers in France (where I live), one in the UK and I am still waiting to hear back from them! But it seems it is going to be a tough quest...
I don't want my M860TU to die like this...

What other GPUs (maybe less rare) can I install on this laptop?
I am waiting for some thermal paste and I will try to bake the GPU to see if, at least, I can extend its life for a few more months!

 

9800GTS/9800GT/260GTX not sure about the 280GTX or 285GTX
did you contact Adrian on the other forum who built your lappy?

 

Hey buddy!!!
I did contact him yes... He gave me a price of something like 300 pounds, which I think it's too expensive... But he was still waiting for more quotes.
Spending 500 euros on a GPU for such an old laptop is a tough decision... I can buy an equally powerful laptop for a little bit more!
I will have a look at the other GPUs you suggest!

Bye for now

 

Hey there!!!
Still looking for a substitute GPU for the M860TU!
In the meantime though, for those with similar problems, I baked my GPU and guess what? Fixed... It seems like a joke, but man... it works!
Mind you, I didn't let the laptop on for a long time or used it extensively, but at least it turns on and there are no graphical artifacts! At least this can be a partial solution while I find a more definitive one...

 

told you

 

Baked to perfection

It can be hard to tell how long it will last, it depends if only one part was going, several and how well the connections have been reformed and without a detailed x-ray analysis you would never know.

 

now why didnt i think of that. i work in a xray department so all i need now is a broken gpu

 

Not the sort of thing I would wish for..... but hey each to their own

 

oh no, i didnt mean my new 680, i treat that with loving care

over the years weve xrayed many strange things from all around the world. deep earth excavation which under xray shows up various elements, a mummy from a tomb in egypt, long lost priceless paintings and of course the odd patient here and there. some of the things ive seen will make your eyes water and grimace in pain, nuff said

 

I was very interested in the x-ray image of my machine when it went through airport security, I could see the 9 cells in the battery, the mechanical insides of the optical drive, it was very cool

 

posted this on google image years ago but its still there