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2 video card failures and counting....

B

bhgreenwood

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 8, 2009
6
0
I have a 17 inch Mac Pro with the Nvidia 8600m video chip. The video cards have died and it has required two replacements of the Mainboard to fix the issue. I now have a work order to replace the keyboard and the track pad because of this fault. I am currently under warranty with about 8 months left. To replace the mainboard is about $1000 (Canadian) I am concerned that I may be facing another GPU (and Mainboard) replacement again, this time outside of warranty.
My questions are these.
1. Why hasn't Apple come up with a fix for this defective Nvidia chip? Replacing it with the same chip in my experience has only lead to itś re-occurrence.
2. I bought this Mac Pro refurbished from the Apple store and I wonder if buying it -even with a two year Applecare warranty means that I bought someone else's problem? Should I buy a refurbished Mac in the future?

Thanks for your input!

Bruce
 
bhgreenwood said:
I have a 17 inch Mac Pro with the Nvidia 8600m video chip. The video cards have died and it has required two replacements of the Mainboard to fix the issue. I now have a work order to replace the keyboard and the track pad because of this fault. I am currently under warranty with about 8 months left. To replace the mainboard is about $1000 (Canadian) I am concerned that I may be facing another GPU (and Mainboard) replacement again, this time outside of warranty.
My questions are these.
1. Why hasn't Apple come up with a fix for this defective Nvidia chip? Replacing it with the same chip in my experience has only lead to itś re-occurrence.
2. I bought this Mac Pro refurbished from the Apple store and I wonder if buying it -even with a two year Applecare warranty means that I bought someone else's problem? Should I buy a refurbished Mac in the future?

Thanks for your input!

Bruce
Click to expand...

Its nVidia's fault. Theres been so many news/reports about this. Apple can't do crap about it because nVidia sends them the chips and thats the only chip they can use without a complete logic board redesign.

Refurbished doesn't always mean someone had it and it was returned.
 
Apple extended the warranty for the graphics card only for 2 years after your AppleCare ends, if I'm not wrong. I can't find the source for this any more though. You might wanna get someone to reconfirm this.
 
ayeying said:
Its nVidia's fault. Theres been so many news/reports about this. Apple can't do crap about it because nVidia sends them the chips and thats the only chip they can use without a complete logic board redesign.

Refurbished doesn't always mean someone had it and it was returned.
Click to expand...

I wonder how common my problem is? I hope Nvidia is fixing the solder problem that lead to this repeated failure.

Any body want to buy a refurbished 17¨MacBook Pro? You might have to replace the Main board from time to time but hey it looks great! (heavy sarcasm)
 
bhgreenwood said:
I wonder how common my problem is? I hope Nvidia is fixing the solder problem that lead to this repeated failure.

Any body want to buy a refurbished 17¨MacBook Pro? You might have to replace the Main board from time to time but hey it looks great! (heavy sarcasm)
Click to expand...

Its widespread, nearly 100% failure rate depending on how its used.
 
I've been gaming for an average of 10 - 15 hours a week, for 11 months, and my graphics card is still fine. Occasionally I'd overclock too.
 
Hah, I think 100% is just a tad extreme? Not 100% but hate to say it, the 8600M GT is going to give out sometime between 1-3 years if not consider yourself lucky!
 
If it fails three times demand a new machine. They consider it a lemon at that point. You'll probably get a unibody.
 
Mark2000 said:
If it fails three times demand a new machine. They consider it a lemon at that point. You'll probably get a unibody.
Click to expand...

Well I'm taking it in to the shop tomorrow for repairs. I hope I can persuade them to give me a new machine. I have the strange experience of waiting and wanting the video card to fail again. Some how I hope to see my lemon turned into lemonade.
 
I've had mine fail twice too. Apparently the manufacturing defect was rectified in or around September 2008, so any motherboards made after then should be okay. My second one failed in December 2008 and therefore the board I have now should be a "good" one.

If the nVidia chip in this computer dies outside the warranty though, it'll be interesting. I don't think I would accept anything less than a free replacement since they've acknowledged there's a problem. I hope I don't have to cross that bridge though.
 
Teej guy said:
I've had mine fail twice too. Apparently the manufacturing defect was rectified in or around September 2008, so any motherboards made after then should be okay. My second one failed in December 2008 and therefore the board I have now should be a "good" one.

If the nVidia chip in this computer dies outside the warranty though, it'll be interesting. I don't think I would accept anything less than a free replacement since they've acknowledged there's a problem. I hope I don't have to cross that bridge though.
Click to expand...

Let us know in another 6-8 months if that replacement is still working.

I got mine repaired and sold it 4 months later even though I had Applecare until Aug 2010. Just didn't want the potential problem hanging over me. Went back to my older 2.16 C2D ATI x1600-based MBP.

I am very disappointed Apple stayed with nvidia. I understand why but it just feels wrong to reward nvidia when there are many users (not just Apple users, Sony users can't even get free replacements out of warranty because they deny the problem exists) who continue to have problems with the mobile 8x00 series GPU.

Best of luck to you all.

Cheers,
 
bhgreenwood said:
Well I'm taking it in to the shop tomorrow for repairs. I hope I can persuade them to give me a new machine. I have the strange experience of waiting and wanting the video card to fail again. Some how I hope to see my lemon turned into lemonade.
Click to expand...

Like I've heard once: "If God gives you lemons, YOU FIND A NEW GOD." :p
 
PeterQC said:
Like I've heard once: "If God gives you lemons, YOU FIND A NEW GOD." :p
Click to expand...

Apple is shipping me a new Macpro 17 Unibody I find that just amazing! They even asked if I wanted the anti-glare screen! I am getting the ¨basic¨model which is just amazing. I am gob-smacked over this. The only thing I could possibly wish for is that Nvidia gets the bill!


BTW My lemonade tastes real sweet! Thank you God!...... and Apple!
 
bhgreenwood said:
Apple is shipping me a new Macpro 17 Unibody I find that just amazing! They even asked if I wanted the anti-glare screen! I am getting the ¨basic¨model which is just amazing. I am gob-smacked over this. The only thing I could possibly wish for is that Nvidia gets the bill!


BTW My lemonade tastes real sweet! Thank you God!...... and Apple!
Click to expand...

Fantastic! I'm glad it worked out for you! :)

Unfortunately, unless they come out with matte screen for the 15", it wouldn't be so easy for me...
 
Could this really be all nvidia's fault? I can't help but wonder if the search for a quiet light thin computer apple sacrificed cool...
 
yargk said:
Could this really be all nvidia's fault? I can't help but wonder if the search for a quiet light thin computer apple sacrificed cool...
Click to expand...

It is all nVidia's fault. There have been failures in all 8600GT (M) chips in laptops from all manufacturers.
 
From a legal standpoint, Apple is only required to replace parts that fail inside the warranty period or unless they extend the warranty like they have with the nVidia problem. They are just replacing your old motherboard with another they have in stock and can continue to do this until your warranty runs out then you are on your own. They have no way of knowing whether the parts on the replacement motherboards are any better than the ones they are replacing. You might get a good one or you might get another bad one. It's all down to luck, basically. Nothing you can do legally, though, as long as Apple honors the warranty with repair or replacement. I'd get it fixed then put that sucker up on ebay and get a Unibody.

Edit: Didn't read all the way to the bottom. Glad it worked out. I am in the market for a 17" MBP now and won't take anything with the 8600M in it. I'm getting a 2.33ghz with X1600. I'll trade up to a Unibody from there.
 
bhgreenwood said:
Apple is shipping me a new Macpro 17 Unibody I find that just amazing! They even asked if I wanted the anti-glare screen! I am getting the ¨basic¨model which is just amazing. I am gob-smacked over this. The only thing I could possibly wish for is that Nvidia gets the bill!


BTW My lemonade tastes real sweet! Thank you God!...... and Apple!
Click to expand...

in case the lemonade ends up tasting like camels piss... read this >>
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/658880/
 
I wouldnt mind killing my video card 3 times and getting a unibody replacement..either that or wait until it dies out of warranty and be screwed :(
 
felt. said:
I wouldnt mind killing my video card 3 times and getting a unibody replacement..either that or wait until it dies out of warranty and be screwed :(
Click to expand...

The sad thing is no one should be contemplating such drastic measures at all. The whole 8600 debacle has made the entire SR era a bad dream.

Cheers and best of luck.
 
Old Mac Geezer said:
I'd get it fixed then put that sucker up on ebay and get a Unibody.
Click to expand...

I was wondering about that possibility, I have the infamous 8600 but I don't want a unibody, I like the way expansions ports are placed on my classic MBP, the matte screen. And even if the glossy screen wouldn't be a problem, the glass panel upon it would. Why can't apple force nvidia to provide "healthy" chips? I don't want a unibody, but still I want a functional laptop.
 
I've had my GPU replaced once 3 months ago and it hasn't died on me since. I plan to buy AppleCare for this and if it dies two or more times i'll be calling Customer Relations and hopefully get a Unibody or whatever else is available at that time

But thus far its all good here...glad it worked out for you
 
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