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Dell XPS M1530 Screen Distortion/Freezing

  • 04-08-2011 1:22pm
    #1
    DubDJ
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,359 ✭✭✭


    Just wondering if anybody here might be able to help me out. The last few days i've been having problems with my laptop. While using it the screen just randomly freezes with horizontal static lines being displayed. The mouse curser doesn't move and nothing works. All I can do is a shutdown by holding the power button.

    I don't think this is a screen issue as it happened while syncing my iPhone once so I left it to see if the sync would complete but it didn't it just kept saying syncing iPhone for a good while.

    Wondering if anyone knows a reason why this is happening or can shed some light onto the situation. I've looked around but couldn't find a anything related.

    Few details:
    15.4" Dell XPS M1530 (2-3 years old)
    2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
    4GB Ram
    320GB Harddrive
    32 Bit operating system
    Windows 7 Home Premium

    Few photo's attatched


    169505.JPG

    169506.JPG

    169507.JPG

    Hope someone can help,

    Thanks
    Tagged:


Comments

  • #2
    Overheal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 86,729 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    Few details:
    15.4" Dell XPS M1530 (2-3 years old)
    2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
    4GB Ram
    320GB Harddrive
    32 Bit operating system
    Windows 7 Home Premium
    Few details indeed, considering this is a Graphics failure and you don't list your GPU/IGP. Nvidia? Which model?

    Or maybe your iPad got jealous, idk.


  • #3
    DubDJ
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,359 ✭✭✭DubDJ


    Overheal wrote: »
    Few details indeed, considering this is a Graphics failure and you don't list your GPU/IGP. Nvidia? Which model?

    Or maybe your iPad got jealous, idk.

    Sorry wasn't able to find the exact details for the graphics at first and I forgot to add it in before posting.

    It's a NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 8600M GT with 256MB dedicated graphic memory.


  • #4
    Overheal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 86,729 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    DubDJ wrote: »
    It's a NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 8600M GT with 256MB dedicated graphic memory.
    Of course it is. Because thats what most/all XPS M1330s and M1530s rolled out with. And this is far from the first thread on the forum in as many years about either model failing. But I just wanted to be sure.

    Your GPU is patently defective. You can attempt to bake the motherboard, which requires a near total dis-assembly, or if you are somehow still within your warranty period (ha) you can pursue that as well.

    http://arstechnica.com/hardware/news/2008/07/nvidia-denies-rumors-of-mass-gpu-failures.ars
    http://www.infoworld.com/d/security-central/lawsuit-claims-nvidia-hid-serious-flaw-in-graphics-chips-439
    http://www.cdrinfo.com/sections/news/Details.aspx?NewsId=23649


  • #5
    Voodu Child
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,706 ✭✭✭Voodu Child


    Yep, it is a dead/dying GPU, a lot of Nvidia GPUs from that era are timebombs because of a manufacturing defect. It was a well publicised issue at the time which affected most laptop brands, not just Dell.

    The GPU is part of the motherboard so the only fix is to replace the whole mobo, which is a couple of hundred euro afaik, certainly more than the laptop is worth given its age.

    Under Irish/EU consumer law I believe a product should last a reasonable length of time, but you are better off posting in the Consumer Issues forum to get the best advice. I have seen Dell users on this forum get replacements or repairs for this exact issue, im sure a search would turn up a few threads.

    Here's one I found


  • #6
    DubDJ
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,359 ✭✭✭DubDJ


    Thanks for the replies atleast now I know the exact extent of the problem. I wasn't sure if it was a fault due to updates installed or something like that.

    After reading the article about the Nvidia GPU being problematic for most people I seen a small part which said they issued a driver update which increased the speed of the cooling fan. This really settled the fact that it's a Nvidia problem as my laptop has an extremely loud fan which often sounds like a jet about to take off. And it heats up terribly even when kept on a desk in a cool room with the fan being well ventilated.

    So it's definitely the Nvidia GPU that's the problem. Only thing is after finding the original receipt i've realised the laptop is 3 years and one month old. Dell said that any laptop with this problem would be issued with an extended one year warranty. But that still leaves me out of warranty by 13 months. I don't know if I have a leg to stand on. Getting a repair seems out of the question completely.

    I'm going to keep looking around but thanks for the help it's really appreciated.


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