The Nvidia Defect Forum

Hi all
Thanks for taking the time to read this post.

I have owned a hp pavillion 2630ea laptop since Jan 2008. Unfortunately it has now decided to give up on us and am wondering if it is due to the nvidia defect.

Well here goes. It has always ran quite warm and the fan never seemed to stop on the thing. However it first started to cause us problems when it would lock up and the screen would become pixelated or would have a series of green lines along it.
I would then have to then turn off the laptop using the on/off button to restart. Once restarted I would then be greeted by a blue screen which would say Display driver error. I was able to download the new drivers which worked for around 15 mins but since that day the screen has spilt into 6/8 smaller ones and it will no longer start at all.

Thanks all george. I am unsure which gpu it has but it does have a nvidia sticker adjacent to the keypad.

Hello George and welcome to our forum.

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

The good news is that HP have, in part, acknowledged a problem with your model of laptop and the proof is here:- http://tinyurl.com/3a9m5ng

This is the BIOS update page for your laptop and the purpose of this update, according to HP, is:-



This update was released on the 8th April 2008, about three months after you purchased the laptop. Had HP informed you at this time of the potential for your laptop to overheat then you would have been well within the six month limit to have rejected the laptop.

They didn't inform you and so now here you are with a laptop that has failed prematurely.

HP must of known of the potential for your model of laptop to overheat otherwise why release a BIOS update that switches the fans on 24/7?

The problems that you describe are manifestations of the defect so it is highly likely that your laptop is indeed inherently defective.

Considering also that your laptop contains one of the more prolific of the defective chips, the Nvidia 8400, then I would say that further enhances the chances that your laptop is inherently defective. The full specifications of your laptop can be found here:- http://tinyurl.com/36pqhtc

There is a step by step guide on this forum that will help you reach a positive resolution and that is here:- post13.html#p13

If you follow my advice in that post then you will reach a positive resolution.

The key to success is persistence, don't let the retailer fob you off, which they may try to do.

They may tell you that you are out of warranty. You should tell them that you have six years to take action when the product is inherently defective. They may also tell you to contact HP. You should tell them that your contract is with them and not HP and so it is completely their responsibility to sort out.

They may offer you a repair. This should be rejected as the chances are they will be using the same part number of motherboard as is already in your laptop. Is this is the case then the chances are it will also have the same BIOS tweak, which your really do not want.

Please keep us updated on your progress.

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

Good luck and best wishes

Paul
The Admin Team

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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.

Thanks Paul
I spoke to a friend who works in IT. He was pretty confident also that it was the GPU.
Armed with this information I contacted PC world on the 26th August. They were pretty good really and didnt try and fob me off like I thought they would. I was given a reference number and informed that I would be contacted in the next 5 working days.
Times up on Tues 31st Aug due to the bank holiday so hope to get a positive outcome.

regards george

Hello George,



Well good luck with that, please let us know what they say.

Any questions please let me know.

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.

I was suprised to have a call from pc world yesterday "On a bank holiday of all days".
I have been asked to take my laptop into a store so it can be checked over. Been told that they can asses the damage there and then. Anyone else had this experience? and is it a wise move to allow them to carry out the report, as i thought it was my responsibility to prove it is defective.


thanks all george.

Hello George,



I would tell them that you would like to provide your own independent report as the "reverse burden of proof" puts the onus on you, the customer to prove the inherent defect in your laptop.

I would also tell them that once you have provided a report you will expect either a refund or a replacement laptop as a repair is out of the question.

If you have any questions then please let me know.

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.

My friend had a look at the laptop and cofirmed it was the GPU, so following the converstaion I had with customer services I decided to call in to PC world.
I had a few problems with the guy on the desk who seemed to think that they would repair the laptop and there was nothing they could do as it was out of warranty. However I persisted and he called my case manager at customer services. All they did in regards to testing was turn the laptop on to cofirm the defect and I was offered a settlement on the phone in store. I bartered a little but am happy with the voucher for £325 considering I thought I would get nothing before I found this site.

Thanks everyone. It looks like PC world have changed there process for dealing with this problem so good luck to anyone taking them on, Im sure you will have a succesful outcome like myself.
Just need to but a new Laptop now free of the dreaded nvidia defect.

Thanks george

Hello George,

Well done on your success



You are not the first to have said that so who knows, the winds of change may be blowing through planet DSG Retail.

Well done again and all the best for the future.

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.

Hi George,

I don't suppose you could tell me how much you paid for the laptop as I have exactly the same issue and am about to contact dixons and I was wondering what a fair settlement would be?

Cheers.

Hello De_Deej,

According to George's profile he paid £659 for the laptop.

Hope this helps.

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.