Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Defective nVidia GPUs?

S

sixth

macrumors 6502
Aug 16, 2006
285
5
rlm22b said:
I'd like to know this as well.
Click to expand...

To answer the question yes. Say you set your fans at 4000RPM, and the laptop needs to go higher it will go higher....you are just setting the MINUIM fan speed not the maxium....so use it...its a great program, i have mine set at 4800ROM on my 2 year old Merom, just because I dont like to burn my legs :)...
 
e12a

e12a

macrumors 68000
Oct 28, 2006
1,881
0
i think its more of the artifacts that are present after waking from sleep, or the whole display being scrambled.
 
MrCrowbar

MrCrowbar

macrumors 68020
Jan 12, 2006
2,232
519
ilifecomputer said:
This worried me as well. It's interesting to note their suggestion that their discoveries are only the tip of the iceberg, that, future problems with current and past cards are possible. Ouch! I hope this doesn't affect us. With that, I've taken interest in finally downloading smc fan control for this notebook. Can anyone answer this for me:

Even if you set the fans at a higher default speed (or load speed), will they still speed up if the heat rises and requires such an increase (on top of what i have already increased)? Anyone know exactly how this is handled? Thanks in advance. :apple:
Click to expand...

SMC Fan control only raises the minimum fan speed. So if your Macbook has 1500 rpm minimum, you can raise that to say 2500 rpm to get the Macbook a little cooler when almost idling. Neat for when you use it on your lap. When your Macbook gets hotter, the fan speed just rises normally. Downsides are: Laptop is louder on low load, uses more battery and your fan might die a little sooner.
 
C

Columbo X

macrumors member
Jun 10, 2007
62
0
UK
GPU temperature

Does anyone know if the 8600 in the MBP dynamically scales according to temperature (on some games I get a slowdown after playing for a while that remains until I quit and reload some time later - could be many other variables, but this has got me thinking)?
 
K

Kinderhauz

macrumors member
May 28, 2008
56
0
I own stock in NVDA. I am getting absolutely slaughtered on this stuff. I strongly believe in NVDA and I wish I had saved my money -- I think the stock is very attractive at this price.
 
MagnusVonMagnum

MagnusVonMagnum

macrumors 603
Jun 18, 2007
5,193
1,442
kabunaru said:
Apple always has problems with their MacBook Pros. Apple can never seem to get the MacBook Pro right, especially the 15" version. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I keep putting off my MBP purchase because of basically just that. If you spend $2000+ on a laptop, you should get something near perfect. That's a LOT of money to spend on something that can be had for essentially half the price in the Windows world and probably without all the problems. First it was the keyboard issue that resulted in missing first letters (absolutely unacceptable for a $2000 computer to have a problem with a $5 part and then take YEARS to even address it). I wanted a decent GPU but now I'm thinking maybe a Macbook is a better idea. I know there's way better GPUs just about to come out (like 40% faster) and that has been delaying my purchase again. I mainly need a machine to run Logic Pro and it doesn't need good graphics. I'd hoped to be able to play some games while on the road (on a Windows bootcamp side if nothing else), but maybe it's just not worth all the hassles and added cost?
 
Shasterball

Shasterball

Suspended
Oct 19, 2007
1,177
750
MagnusVonMagnum said:
First it was the keyboard issue that resulted in missing first letters (absolutely unacceptable for a $2000 computer to have a problem with a $5 part and then take YEARS to even address it).
Click to expand...

Wasn't this a software problem? I had it, and it was patched...
 
CanadianGuy

CanadianGuy

macrumors regular
Jul 3, 2007
117
422
Ontario, Canada
Mine died and was replaced by Apple

My MacBook Pro (Santa Rosa) has an NVIDIA 8600 in it and it fried on me. Wouldn't display video on the LCD or external monitors, but the system was still working, used Firewire Target mode etc with no screen.

Took it to the Apple store in Yorkdale and they replace the logic board. I had 2 weeks left on the warranty (and then purchased AppleCare to extend it).

Now using SMC Fan Control to monitor the temp and increase fan speed (plus added a fan base thing for while in my office). My temp is now around 50-60C instead of the 70+C.
 
BenRoethig

BenRoethig

macrumors 68030
Jul 17, 2002
2,729
0
Dubuque, Iowa
This could be bad. This would hit the MBP real hard for town main reasons. First, the ultra thin design puts more thermal stress than thicker, less aesthetically pleasing designs. Second, to make it as thin as possible, both the GPU and CPU are soldered to the motherboard. AS opposed to MXM graphics modules and CPU Socket. That makes the repair a lot more expensive.
 
S

scrambledwonder

macrumors 6502
Dec 4, 2006
314
18
Berkeley, CA
AppleCare

You should almost always get AppleCare. And a big old backup drive. And maybe a backup computer too . . . Yeah, it's a lot, but if you rely on your machine for work/life, it's worth it. Losing productivity while your machine is repaired can cost a ton.

Having said that, yeah, my MBP gets stupid hot when I do anything with graphics. Thus I always use some sort of cooling stand when running Aperture/Photoshop/Illustrator/Games. I think it's necessary and has been for a long time. I had to use a cooling stand on my old 1 GHz 12-inch PowerBook. These things just run hot.

Hopefully within the next five years we'll see a breakthrough in computing that'll really cool off computers (and reduce their power consumption).
 
B

blaaat

macrumors member
Mar 18, 2007
63
0
Netherlands
CanadianGuy said:
My MacBook Pro (Santa Rosa) has an NVIDIA 8600 in it and it fried on me. Wouldn't display video on the LCD or external monitors, but the system was still working, used Firewire Target mode etc with no screen.

Took it to the Apple store in Yorkdale and they replace the logic board. I had 2 weeks left on the warranty (and then purchased AppleCare to extend it).

Now using SMC Fan Control to monitor the temp and increase fan speed (plus added a fan base thing for while in my office). My temp is now around 50-60C instead of the 70+C.
Click to expand...

Currently have my macbook pro in for warrenty for exactly the same problem, no video, no DVI video, but was able to connect thru screen sharing.

System details reporting that it has a GMA X3100 in graphics card.
Already 2 weeks without my system damn.

Edit: also a santa rosa with a NVIDIA 8600
 
K

kabunaru

Guest
Jan 28, 2008
3,226
5
MagnusVonMagnum said:
I keep putting off my MBP purchase because of basically just that. If you spend $2000+ on a laptop, you should get something near perfect. That's a LOT of money to spend on something that can be had for essentially half the price in the Windows world and probably without all the problems. First it was the keyboard issue that resulted in missing first letters (absolutely unacceptable for a $2000 computer to have a problem with a $5 part and then take YEARS to even address it). I wanted a decent GPU but now I'm thinking maybe a Macbook is a better idea. I know there's way better GPUs just about to come out (like 40% faster) and that has been delaying my purchase again. I mainly need a machine to run Logic Pro and it doesn't need good graphics. I'd hoped to be able to play some games while on the road (on a Windows bootcamp side if nothing else), but maybe it's just not worth all the hassles and added cost?
Click to expand...

Get the MacBook then. It would be good enough for you.
Just what games do you play? That's the question...
MacBooks seem to have less problems than the MacBook Pros.
 
D

Denali9

macrumors member
Jun 15, 2007
73
0
Gpu

My GPU died the day after my warranty expired. Apple agreed to cover it but I could not buy applecare. Now i'm afraid to push my MBP SR 2.2 and break it again. If we can get some kind of recall or extension on GPU related problem, it would be nice.
 
B

blaaat

macrumors member
Mar 18, 2007
63
0
Netherlands
Denali9 said:
My GPU died the day after my warranty expired. Apple agreed to cover it but I could not buy applecare. Now i'm afraid to push my MBP SR 2.2 and break it again. If we can get some kind of recall or extension on GPU related problem, it would be nice.
Click to expand...

mine was broken 2 days before the warrenty expired (a bit of luck after all). also a 2.2
 
G

gr8bob

macrumors regular
May 16, 2008
149
0
Similar thing happened with my MBP.. replaced the logic board once due to graphic glitches on the initial servicing only to be greeted again by corrupted graphics texture in Leopard after the logic board was replaced..:mad:

What apple is going to do about this? Replace all defective boards? Issue a patch to tweak the fan system? or worse, downclock the 8600GT? :rolleyes:

P/S: It's a late 2007 2.2GHz Merom MBP.
 
D

depaulsunny

macrumors member
Jul 1, 2008
73
64
Known that NVidia GPUs have fault..

I just want to clarify that the previous generation of macbook pro is known to have the complaint of overheating due to GPU and the color temp. changes when waking the screen from sleep or after a graphics intensive application.. I had this problem and the apple representative told me that they had got quite a number of that problem lately. I had contacted the representative in mid-feb or early-march and there is a chance that the 'quite a lot of complaints' was just a coincidence and the above problem refers only to newest GPUs.. but anyway I was offered a free logic board change and thermal modules change..
 
S

surferfromuk

macrumors 65816
Feb 1, 2007
1,153
0
I think some more info is needed.

Nvidia need to state which cards and not just play 'wait and see'. That is going to crucify them more than anything.

Basically anyone with an NVidia card is under some mysterious unknown threat of future failure now...

Now my MBP run's hot but how hot's normal ? Anyone know ?

I'm 46C at idle but I've seen close to 80C when hammering things with Motion and FCP...

If that's likely to create a premature death scenario I think I have a right to know...

I realise this isn't Apple's fault but Apple are going to have to grab Nvidia by the balls and make the fess up, deal with a fix and cool everyone's jets.
 
S

sixth

macrumors 6502
Aug 16, 2006
285
5
surferfromuk said:
I think some more info is needed.

Nvidia need to state which cards and not just play 'wait and see'. That is going to crucify them more than anything.

Basically anyone with an NVidia card is under some mysterious unknown threat of future failure now...

Now my MBP run's hot but how hot's normal ? Anyone know ?

I'm 46C at idle but I've seen close to 80C when hammering things with Motion and FCP...

If that's likely to create a premature death scenario I think I have a right to know...

I realise this isn't Apple's fault but Apple are going to have to grab Nvidia by the balls and make the fess up, deal with a fix and cool everyone's jets.
Click to expand...

Agreed.

I am not up on who actually manufacturers nVidia's silicon and processors (TSMC?) but....There was a post either on here or another news site that mentioned that it has to do with the actual manufacturing process and the silicon used cant take the heat that the card produces. Its not that the cards get to hot, its that the heat they produce and GRADE (quality) of silicon used cant take the heat/stress of the GPU.

I think it comes down cheap-bad-junky silicon used by whoever made the chips + crappy power usuage and horrible power-to-heat ratio of the GPU's....feel free to correct me...
 
style

style

macrumors member
Sep 27, 2005
52
2
my MBP just died few days ago, nothing showing in both internal and external monitor, but system can be booted and able to use target disk mode...I knew it was the graphic chip died

Apple better provide some free replacement scheme for the MBP thats using this chip...with and without applecare, just like the faulty sony battery few years ago, except this is going to cost much more than just a battery
 
R

rexapollo

macrumors newbie
Jul 3, 2008
10
0
MBP Problems

I have a August '07 MBP. It has had horrible problems with the screen... sent it in to get fixed. One week later it was still broken. Sent it back... replaced the NVIDIA card and logic board. So, this problem has indeed been bad from my vantage point.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom