The Nvidia Defect Forum

So, I've been pretty much unable to get any kind of refund or replacement for my computer seeing as how I live in the US and not in the UK.

Thankfully I can still use my computer for internet and writing but no gaming. I'd like discuss the idea of swapping out my dead GPU for something new or the same card if a newer one won't work. I found this guide: http://www.pcworld.com/article/148909/u ... _card.html as well as a you tube video showing how to take apart the computer and take out the GPU. So it just depends on the individual specs and limitations of my computer. I'm worried that the card is soldered onto the computer or otherwise unable to be replaced... I haven't taken a look inside yet.

But, I found my card on ebay for just 40 dollars: http://cgi.ebay.com/nVIDIA-Geforce-8600 ... 53e37c0961

If I have to stick with the same card, I will buy a cooling stand of some sort and watch it's temperature carefully - that way it should last me a few more years or at least or until I can afford a new computer.

So I guess what I need to know is:

How can I find out if I can even swap the card with a new one (even if it's just the same model of card)?
How can I find out if my existing components/configuration/cooling capacity can handle a newer card?

Hello Rowan,

Whether or not you can change the video card in your laptop is dependent on whether or not your laptop allows for this. Not all laptops have removable video cards and instead the GPU is soldered down to the mainboard.

You will need to check first to see what type of video card you have.



That is just the GPU itself and is not a complete video card. I would also say that it is highly likely that the GPU's being sold will be defective.



If you can let me know the exact model number of your laptop I will check to see if it has a removable video card.



You will need to purchase a card that is along the same lines and specification of the card that you currently have. If you match this up then the your laptop should be able to cope with the new card without problems.

I hope the above answers your questions, if you have any further 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.

Looking on the back of my laptop I have located three different sets of numbers:

Model: 8227DMP
S/N: KNB826000119
761829UIAXQ2

keep in mind that this was a custom built computer, not one of the mainstream brands.

Hello Rowan,

Well, information on that laptop is very thin on the ground and I am unable to find out very much about it,

All I can say that it does indeed take a PCI-E video card, but I am unsure as to whether any card will fit in there because it may not have a standard layout.

It is good news though insofar as the whole mainboard will not need to be replaced.

If you can take a picture of the Nvidia card that is currently in your laptop then I will be able to see if it has a standard layout and is not one specially made for your particular laptop.

Once you provide that I will advise further.

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.

Awesome! thanks so much for looking that up. As soon as a find a small enough screw driver, I'll take it apart and snap some photos of it for ya.

In the meantime, I'd like to know why my computer keeps switching to the lowest color settings. If I restart the computer I get a distorted and almost unreadable screen. Also if I change the resolution to anything but the lowest this will also occur.. Periodically it will start up this way and I will either have to live with it (like I am now) or turn it off, wait an hour or so and then turn it back on. Any ideas?

Hello Rowan,



This is all connected to the failing Nvidia GPU.

Your laptop is on the fringes of failure and whilst it hasn't completely failed at the moment. The reason you are getting reduced resolutions is purely and simply because the GPU is failing.

_________________
=======================================================
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 believe it's the "standard VGA graphics adapter" that's in question here. The nVIDIA card is done, I'm sure. I can't play any games whatsoever, and it doesn't show up in the device manager. What does show is the standard VGA.

Hello Rowan,

The standard VGA is just the Nvidia GPU running without drivers. This is just a low resolution mode that, as the name indicates, only allows the laptop to operate in VGA mode, rather than in SVGA mode, which is what you get once the drivers have been loaded.

Some laptops that are on the fringes of failure will operate ok with no Nvidia drivers loaded but will crash and blue screen continually once the drivers have been loaded.

So, to clarify, the "standard VGA" and is just a low resolution driver that allows the Nvidia GPU to display an image prior to any drivers being loaded.

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.

Oh, thanks so much for clarifying that. I'd been mystified by the VGA graphics adapter for quite a while now, but it makes sense.