They can offer all the replacement chips they want to, but it'd still be up to the OEMs to manufacture replacement logic boards containing the new chips. Since these parts are a year or more old in some cases, it probably doesn't make sense to do that for most affected models.
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Apple says some MacBook Pros affected by faulty Nvidia chips
- Thread starter HiFiGuy528
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So in other words the nVidia et al game plan is to keep replacing faulty GPU logic boards w/ faulty GPU logic boards until everyone who initially bought them is out of the warranty range and have no choice but to pay themselves for a repair or better yet purchase a new computer?
Is that the cheapest way around this as opposed to longer warranties or a fullout recall? If I was Apple I'd demand nVidia (even take them to court if need be) pay for the recall themselves since this is their fault.
Some companies are offering 2 years extended warranty...some are offering 1. Apple's offering NADA to people who already paid out for AppleCare (specifically because of this situation). I have a feeling this could get *real* sticky by the time its all said & done. All its going to take is one whistle-blower or leaked email and their walls could come tumbling in onto themselves. At this point profit has to become secondary and nVidia needs to do the right thing. If they don't people are going to be scared off buying anythinig w/ their name attached to it again...for nothing else than their lack of transparency and how they choose to rectify this problem. Cover ups? Lies? Deception to the public and share holders? So far it doesn't look good and they need to stop waiting to see how much they can get away with, take the ball and premtively do the right thing!
Makes sense in theory, but I wonder (and this is because I have no evidence) if the 8600 or even the entire 8xxx series, besides the higher end 8800 (for the lucrative value) were phased out for the 9x series. Not plausable, I know, as I would expect them to be working on even the 7x series cards.
However, the Apple cards are relatively boutique style. Since nvidia farms their card production out to other manufactuers (pny, evga), I wonder who produces Apples line. If its in house, Apple should be able to provide a fix, but since it sounds like the graphics processor itself (not the entire PCB) is produced by a third party, it probably took. I know nvidia doesn't produce their own chips or chipsets, just like any other corporation. Apple esque "designed in california" but outsorce the entire production elsewhere.
Not disagreeing, just wondering.
I am experiencing problems like whoa with what I am guessing is the GPU. Pretty much everytime I boot up from sleep or being off for a while the bottom fourth of my screen is absent as in the attached pic. I took it to an apple warranty repair shop in which case the dude reset the PRAM confident that would fix the issue, yea no. I guess I will go back tomorrow. I have had the scrambled screen like others but this is just insane, 1/4 of my screen is kind of important.
System Overview:
Model Name: MacBook Pro
Model Identifier: MacBookPro3,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.2 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 4 MB
Memory: 4 GB
Bus Speed: 800 MHz
Boot ROM Version: MBP31.0070.B07
SMC Version: 1.16f8
Serial Number: W8741DWMX91
Sudden Motion Sensor:
State: Enabled
Graphics:
GeForce 8600M GT:
Chipset Model: GeForce 8600M GT
Type: Display
Bus: PCIe
PCIe Lane Width: x16
VRAM (Total): 128 MB
Vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID: 0x0407
Revision ID: 0x00a1
ROM Revision: 3175
Displays:
Color LCD:
Display Type: LCD
Resolution: 1440 x 900
Depth: 32-bit Color
Built-In: Yes
Core Image: Hardware Accelerated
Main Display: Yes
Mirror: Off
Online: Yes
Quartz Extreme: Supported
Display Connector:
Status: No display connected
System Overview:
Model Name: MacBook Pro
Model Identifier: MacBookPro3,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.2 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 4 MB
Memory: 4 GB
Bus Speed: 800 MHz
Boot ROM Version: MBP31.0070.B07
SMC Version: 1.16f8
Serial Number: W8741DWMX91
Sudden Motion Sensor:
State: Enabled
Graphics:
GeForce 8600M GT:
Chipset Model: GeForce 8600M GT
Type: Display
Bus: PCIe
PCIe Lane Width: x16
VRAM (Total): 128 MB
Vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID: 0x0407
Revision ID: 0x00a1
ROM Revision: 3175
Displays:
Color LCD:
Display Type: LCD
Resolution: 1440 x 900
Depth: 32-bit Color
Built-In: Yes
Core Image: Hardware Accelerated
Main Display: Yes
Mirror: Off
Online: Yes
Quartz Extreme: Supported
Display Connector:
Status: No display connected
Attachments
My current situation is that I was suffering from the flashing white squares in things like the ITMS and iPhoto events etc, as well as the distorted text when scrolling.
I was in London a few weeks ago, and managed to speak to a Genius (without my machine) who seemed unaware of the problem.
I left my details, and he was going to look into it and get back to me.
He did eventually, after Apple announced the extended warranty.
I advised him that 10.5.5 had seemed to have fixed it, and asked if he knew if it actually had in any official capacity.
He replied to say it had not, and recommended I bring the machine in for a logic board replacement.
I'm waiting to hear back from him about whether or not the fact that I can no longer replicate the symptons will be an issue.
I'm also - perhaps optimistically - pushing firmly but politely for them to swap the machine, as :
1. There's still uncertainty about which logic boards are affected - he admitted there was no serial number info.
2. The display also suffers from the issue where some colour gradients are not rendered anything like as well as they should.
3. The display / lid is bowed more than is acceptable for such expensive, high end kit.
I was in London a few weeks ago, and managed to speak to a Genius (without my machine) who seemed unaware of the problem.
I left my details, and he was going to look into it and get back to me.
He did eventually, after Apple announced the extended warranty.
I advised him that 10.5.5 had seemed to have fixed it, and asked if he knew if it actually had in any official capacity.
He replied to say it had not, and recommended I bring the machine in for a logic board replacement.
I'm waiting to hear back from him about whether or not the fact that I can no longer replicate the symptons will be an issue.
I'm also - perhaps optimistically - pushing firmly but politely for them to swap the machine, as :
1. There's still uncertainty about which logic boards are affected - he admitted there was no serial number info.
2. The display also suffers from the issue where some colour gradients are not rendered anything like as well as they should.
3. The display / lid is bowed more than is acceptable for such expensive, high end kit.
Yes its a fact. That's why I mentioned it.
There was a thread about it on the Apple forums ages ago :
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=6783383?
Basically yellows / pinks / oranges appear blotchy - its most noticable on skin tones or sunset type shots.
I took it in to John Lewis about five weeks after buying it, and they agreed it wasn't right, but I'd have to take it up with Apple.
Shortly after that the whole nVidia thing took over as the worst problem.
If you look at the start up screen in Leopard, you can actually see the same effect to a greater or lesser degree on most machines.
But the MPB is a top end machine, and other, cheaper laptops don't suffer, and my old PB didn't have this issue.
I've searched online and tried a few different colour profiles, but without much improvement.
I also found a LCD screen test tool, including one for gradients, and when you run it, you can clearly see artifacts where smooth gradients in those colours should be.
Should I get my GPU checked because I get a few graphical glitches every now and then running certain programs. Also loading pages in Safari appear yellow until they have fully loaded. Is this GPU related? My MBP is only 3 months old...
Not So Sure
I think there are some vairances in process since the problem has been known for about 15 months.
For instance. In June, I got an HP laptop with an 8400GS.
In August ... HP, Dell, and most other manufacturers released BIOS updates for potentially effected machines.
I looked at the HP support site, and my machine was not included in the BIOS update even though many older machines with the 8400GS and otherwise very similar specs were. The majority of machines that were included in the BIOS update seemed to be very early 2008 (Jan, February) and before.
In addition, HP did not extend the warranty on my machine like they did some others ... namely, slightly older machines.
There is some evidence out there to support the notion that there were indeed "batches" of GPU's that were worse than others.
Perhaps they were made on a particular assembly line, perhaps Nvidia tweaked the bonding material when this situation first came to light over a year ago ... then again, maybe not.
All chips have slight revisions and steppings, and a GPU made in July of 2007 is probably not identical to one made in August of 2008 ... even if they have the same part numbers and specs.
Manufacturing is not constant. Some Intel processors can be clocked to insane frequencies, up to 50% higher than their shipping frequencies, while others will fail with even a 100Mhz overlock.
As a matter of fact, most processors come out of the same sheet, and are identical. They simply test each one to see what it will take, and spec them accordingly.
All processors of the same family start out spec'ed to the same level ... say 2.4Ghz as an example. Ones that fail but will run fine at slower speeds are shipped as 2.2 Ghz chips, and ones tolerate overclocking are shipped as 2.5Ghz chips.
There is always variability in manufacturing, and plants tweak things here and there along the way. It is highly unlikely that they simply run a fab belt for 18 months without making any changes in process whatsoever.
The problem of unsurety remains, however.
One GPU may chug along fine for 10 years, and one may blow in 10 days.
It sounds as though the manufacturers have an idea of which chips are likely to be worse than others, and they do drop little hints here and there (2.4Ghz, 15" specifically mentioned, HP excludes certain models from BIOS and warantee updates) ... but nobody will come right out and say exactly what they know.
If I had to guess, the older the GPU, the higher likelihood of being in the "bad" batch.
Of course, that is just a wild guess because nobody is talking clearly.
I think there are some vairances in process since the problem has been known for about 15 months.
For instance. In June, I got an HP laptop with an 8400GS.
In August ... HP, Dell, and most other manufacturers released BIOS updates for potentially effected machines.
I looked at the HP support site, and my machine was not included in the BIOS update even though many older machines with the 8400GS and otherwise very similar specs were. The majority of machines that were included in the BIOS update seemed to be very early 2008 (Jan, February) and before.
In addition, HP did not extend the warranty on my machine like they did some others ... namely, slightly older machines.
There is some evidence out there to support the notion that there were indeed "batches" of GPU's that were worse than others.
Perhaps they were made on a particular assembly line, perhaps Nvidia tweaked the bonding material when this situation first came to light over a year ago ... then again, maybe not.
All chips have slight revisions and steppings, and a GPU made in July of 2007 is probably not identical to one made in August of 2008 ... even if they have the same part numbers and specs.
Manufacturing is not constant. Some Intel processors can be clocked to insane frequencies, up to 50% higher than their shipping frequencies, while others will fail with even a 100Mhz overlock.
As a matter of fact, most processors come out of the same sheet, and are identical. They simply test each one to see what it will take, and spec them accordingly.
All processors of the same family start out spec'ed to the same level ... say 2.4Ghz as an example. Ones that fail but will run fine at slower speeds are shipped as 2.2 Ghz chips, and ones tolerate overclocking are shipped as 2.5Ghz chips.
There is always variability in manufacturing, and plants tweak things here and there along the way. It is highly unlikely that they simply run a fab belt for 18 months without making any changes in process whatsoever.
The problem of unsurety remains, however.
One GPU may chug along fine for 10 years, and one may blow in 10 days.
It sounds as though the manufacturers have an idea of which chips are likely to be worse than others, and they do drop little hints here and there (2.4Ghz, 15" specifically mentioned, HP excludes certain models from BIOS and warantee updates) ... but nobody will come right out and say exactly what they know.
If I had to guess, the older the GPU, the higher likelihood of being in the "bad" batch.
Of course, that is just a wild guess because nobody is talking clearly.
From the completely unscientific research I have performed simply by searching the Internet for hours about this problem, it is that GPU's with ROM 3175 SEEM to fail in higher quantities than those with ROM's over 32xx.
Then again, 3175 GPU's are older, and probably should see higher failure rates at any given point in time, but it was just an observation which may or may not mean anything.
Can we set up a class action lawsuit using a petition to get Apple or Nvidia to explain things properly and what they are going to do about it? To be honest I keep waiting for news but nothing appears and as the clock ticks on so does my Nvidia time bomb. I want something to be done and SOON! The replacements are all well and good at the time but when they break again.......
Can you post your System Profiler of your Graphics/Display?
Guys,
I just bought a laptop cooler, the one that you put your laptop on and then two fans blow your laptop cool. Do you think I should use it to prolong my graphics card or make my graphics card hot so that it will/may breakdown faster to get a new replacement before my warranty expires? Dilemma... Generally, if I don't hear about this problem, I will make my macbook last as long as possible.
What precautions to take so that I can still access my HDD in case GPU fails
Hello
Just wondering if someone could give me step by step instructions on how I can still access my HDD in case my GPU fails one day. I have ridiculous amounts of notes from Nursing School and Pharm class on this HDD, and I've been doing nightly uploads to google docs as a precaution just in case my GPU decides to bite the dust the next time I press the power button. Finals are just around the corner and it would be a ridiculous pain in the A$$ for my GPU to fail now and not have my MBP to use.
I read somewhere on the internet that users of the MBP affected by this issue is turning a certain function on that would allow them to have full access to the system via a networked PC. To my understanding, when the GPU fails, the System/OS X still loads up and works fine, it just obviously has no way if displaying anything. So what is it exactly that I need to do to be able to control the system via network if possible?
I know I could always just open the MBP up and disconnect the drive and hook it up to another Mac, but among friends and family, I am the only Mac owner, so that might be too big of a hassle.
Any help on this is greatly appreciated.
Hello
Just wondering if someone could give me step by step instructions on how I can still access my HDD in case my GPU fails one day. I have ridiculous amounts of notes from Nursing School and Pharm class on this HDD, and I've been doing nightly uploads to google docs as a precaution just in case my GPU decides to bite the dust the next time I press the power button. Finals are just around the corner and it would be a ridiculous pain in the A$$ for my GPU to fail now and not have my MBP to use.
I read somewhere on the internet that users of the MBP affected by this issue is turning a certain function on that would allow them to have full access to the system via a networked PC. To my understanding, when the GPU fails, the System/OS X still loads up and works fine, it just obviously has no way if displaying anything. So what is it exactly that I need to do to be able to control the system via network if possible?
I know I could always just open the MBP up and disconnect the drive and hook it up to another Mac, but among friends and family, I am the only Mac owner, so that might be too big of a hassle.
Any help on this is greatly appreciated.
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Mac/
They don't specifically list the Nvidia models, but the steps for accessing the HD are the exact same as the older MBP's.
They don't specifically list the Nvidia models, but the steps for accessing the HD are the exact same as the older MBP's.
I appreciate the link, but my main question was for the steps to accessing the MacBook Pro via Network so that I can see the system on another PC's Screen that is on the same network, sorta like screen sharing but with a Windows based PC and not another Mac. I've done HDD instalation on my MBP a few times and that is the guide that I used.
Oops! Sorry, I was on the go and didn't read your complete post.
How about Firewire target mode? Can you use that?
Screen sharing is possible via something like VNC.
How about Firewire target mode? Can you use that?
Screen sharing is possible via something like VNC.
I had the same thought and turned on Remote Management and set up a VNC password. Beyond that I don't know what to do, but I believe that much is necessary.
I believe it is VNC that I read about.
I know I have to go into preferences and turn screen sharign on, but that's about all i know. My guess is I have to use a client like realVNC on the windows side and logon from there, can't actually play with it right now since I'm at work. I'll mess with the idea in the morning when I get home from work
I know I have to go into preferences and turn screen sharign on, but that's about all i know. My guess is I have to use a client like realVNC on the windows side and logon from there, can't actually play with it right now since I'm at work. I'll mess with the idea in the morning when I get home from work
The vertical stripes are another issue entirely, and there is little agreement on whether it's a software or hardware problem.