The Nvidia Defect Forum

Hello,

I'm new to the forums having only discovered you this morning!

In August 2008 we purchased a Compaq CQ50-100EM laptop from Currys in the Midlands. Against my better judgement we ended up buying the shop floor model (no discount but some money off the bag, mouse and DVD-RWs that was on offer with it ).

A month after the 1 year warranty expired the thing started to turn itself off unexpectedly. It initially only happened every few days but then suddenly became more frequent. About two weeks later the power supply died. Given that it was out of warranty we took a gamble on an el cheapo power supply from ebay which, to be fair, does the job.

However, a few weeks after getting the power supply, the laptop had just booted up when suddenly the screen went blank. Not off, but blank. Even booting into Linux didn't solve the problem. And it's been that way ever since. From the info I have it seems that the CQ50-100EM has the 8200M Nvidia GPU but as the thing won't stay on for more than a minute or so before it goes blank I can't even run the GPU-Z program.

I'm slightly worried that if I go down the path of heading into Currys they'll use my non-Compaq power supply as an excuse to dismiss me out of hand. Is this likely?

B.

Update - managed to get GPU-Z on and working long enough to get a couple of pictures on my trusty phone. It's a GeForce 8200M G GPU and the temperature while it was working was 81 degrees. Does that seem high to anyone else (bearing in mind it was idling)?

Hi, and welcome to the site, Paul the site admin will be back soon and will be able to give you info about your specific laptop.

It does however sound like the infamous ' Nividia defect'

have a quick look through the following links untill then

http://www.nvidiadefect.com/what-exactly-is-the-nvidia-defect-t3.html

http://www.nvidiadefect.com/frequently-asked-questions-t220.html

http://www.nvidiadefect.com/what-steps-should-i-take-now-t11.html

The fact that the PSU failed is a none issue if the laptop had a inherent manufacturing defect!

If after reading through you decide to progress the issue then please contact Paul for an engineers report.

good luck

Ralph

Hello BrokenCQ50 and welcome to our forum.

Sorry to hear of the problems you are experiencing with your laptop.

I have worked on a number of your model of laptop and they all had the dreaded defect.

The fact that the PSU is not the original is inconsequential and will not affect your claim.

81C is quite high though not in itself an indication that your laptop is inherently defective.

What does indicate that your laptop has the defect is the blank screen at startup and the random shutdowns.

I would start off by sending a letter before action to Currys. A template is available here:- letterbeforeaction.pdf

You should download that, edit it with your details and send it via recorded delivery to Currys head office. Please ensure that you keep a copy of the letter and postal receipt.

Further help and guidance can be found here:- post13.html#p13

If you have any questions or if you need any advice then please let me know.

Please keep us updated on your progress.

Good luck and best wishes

Paul
The Admin Team

_________________
=======================================================
Calculate the minimum refund that you would be entitled to.
FAQ's
Why you should not accept a repair
Links to evidence
What is the Nvidia Defect?
Step by step help to getting a refund
Do you need an engineers report?
=======================================================

If you like what you see on this forum and would like to help then please post links to this forum in other forums or blogs. The more people we can help the better.


Please note that I am not legally qualified and I only offer my own personal advice. You are advised to seek professional legal advice for formal clarification of advice I give.

Well, I sent the first letter last Wednesday and, so far, no response. The letter was delivered on 18th August and, if I count working days, the seven days runs out on Friday. It's even disappointing that the retailers can't be bothered to write back and try to fob me off!

I'm not sure what to do about the next step though. The laptop wasn't as expensive as some that have failed and using the info on the forum it seems as though I'd only get about £180 back based on the usage, date of purchase and price paid (actually 300 quid).

Is it worth pursuing?

Hello,

Well, only you can decide whether it is worth pursuing for £180.

At the end of the day you currently have a broken laptop that is worth only what you can get for it for scrap.

I personally would pursue it but this is a decision that only you can make.

Best wishes

Paul
The Admin Team

_________________
=======================================================
Calculate the minimum refund that you would be entitled to.
FAQ's
Why you should not accept a repair
Links to evidence
What is the Nvidia Defect?
Step by step help to getting a refund
Do you need an engineers report?
=======================================================

If you like what you see on this forum and would like to help then please post links to this forum in other forums or blogs. The more people we can help the better.


Please note that I am not legally qualified and I only offer my own personal advice. You are advised to seek professional legal advice for formal clarification of advice I give.