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Nvidia GT650m Faulty Chips?

ivoruest

ivoruest

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 12, 2010
398
28
Guatemala
I've read a lot of posts about people complaining with graphics problems. This looks more like a GPU manufacturing problem or some kind of fault. (not necessarily)

Given Nvidia previous problems (GeForce 8000m GT, and others) this may be another Nvidia failure. What do you think??

(If I were to buy a new MBP with 650 chip I would definitely wait a little to see what is the real problem here. But this is only my opinion. Please do not feel influenced by this.)

I'M NOT STATING THERE IS A PROBLEM. JUST ASKING WHAT COULD IT BE. THIS IS NO FACT.
 
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Ummm, I don't see any widespread issues on the 650m chips, possibly just a few very isolated incidents. NVidia would be very careful to avoid the fiasco with overheating mobile 8000 chips, which cost them millions in court.
 
More of a driver issue in all likelyhood. There are plenty of PC laptops with 650s and we're not really hearing of any problems.
 
ivoruest said:
I've read a lot of posts about people complaining with graphics problems. This looks more like a GPU manufacturing problem or something.

Given Nvidia previous problems (GeForce 8000m GT, and others) this may be another Nvidia failure. What do you think??

(If I were to buy a new MBP with 650 chip I would definitely wait a little to see what is the real problem here.)
Click to expand...

So you decided to start a whole new thread about a possible problem which you've "read a lot" about, looks like a "GPU manufacturing problem" (because you are an expert at diagnosing manufacturing problems) or "something", may now be "another Nvidia failure", and then you ask people what they think before telling them to wait before buying a MBP until they figure out "the real problem"? A problem which, again, you seem to have invented through your many readings?

Do I have this right?
 
Great thread OP. Vaguely mention some "problems" you read about with a graphics card and go into no detail, then ask for our thoughts. Makes sense.
 
Well I did have this happen to me a while ago... I think it was a bug with changing the gfx via gfxcardstatus though

Cbwn4l.jpg
 
AZREOSpecialist said:
So you decided to start a whole new thread about a possible problem which you've "read a lot" about, looks like a "GPU manufacturing problem" (because you are an expert at diagnosing manufacturing problems) or "something", may now be "another Nvidia failure", and then you ask people what they think before telling them to wait before buying a MBP until they figure out "the real problem"? A problem which, again, you seem to have invented through your many readings?

Do I have this right?
Click to expand...

Relax man.

I'm just asking what do you think! And there is many people complaining. It may be a lot of things, of course, but I'm just putting this onto the table to discuss.

Just make sure you get what people is trying to say before answering with attacks. After all, this IS a RUMORS site.

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Dangerous Theory said:
Great thread OP. Vaguely mention some "problems" you read about with a graphics card and go into no detail, then ask for our thoughts. Makes sense.
Click to expand...

"Problems" include: Screen tear, coloring, misplacing of data, and many other things. Haven't you seen threads about this?
 
soldierblue said:
That's not what's causing it.
Click to expand...

Lets say you have a batch of chips that are borderline acceptable. If the frequency was pushed higher, they'd be more likely to exhibit artifacts.

I'm not saying the GPUs are faulty. But you can't rule it out just because of the other 650s out there, since ours run at higher frequencies (enough to be called GTX 260s actually)
 
ivoruest said:
I've read a lot of posts about people complaining with graphics problems. This looks more like a GPU manufacturing problem or some kind of fault. (not necessarily)

Given Nvidia previous problems (GeForce 8000m GT, and others) this may be another Nvidia failure. What do you think??

(If I were to buy a new MBP with 650 chip I would definitely wait a little to see what is the real problem here. But this is only my opinion. Please do not feel influenced by this.)

I'M NOT STATING THERE IS A PROBLEM. JUST ASKING WHAT COULD IT BE. THIS IS NO FACT.
Click to expand...

nope, graphics problems are only happening on mac side...windows runs perfectly. ML is new...the rMBP is new. All will be fixed in time.
 
terraphantm said:
Lets say you have a batch of chips that are borderline acceptable. If the frequency was pushed higher, they'd be more likely to exhibit artifacts.

I'm not saying the GPUs are faulty. But you can't rule it out just because of the other 650s out there, since ours run at higher frequencies (enough to be called GTX 260s actually)
Click to expand...

You're not understanding this. Chips are binned. Factory OC'd chips are sold all the time. Then you look at the screenshots of the issues, that's not a GPU issue.
 
So we may conclude this is more of a drivers/software problem rather than a physical, manufacturing or whatever the problem is?

I'm just asking this, and I know some may find it stupid (I don't care), but I did had the 8600m GT chip on my last MBP and worrying about a time bomb in your Mac doesn't feel good at all. Specially when you're using your Mac for important stuff.
 
soldierblue said:
You're not understanding this. Chips are binned. Factory OC'd chips are sold all the time. Then you look at the screenshots of the issues, that's not a GPU issue.
Click to expand...

Factory OC'd chips are sold all the time yes -- but it's not like the binning process is perfect. I've received my fair share of DOA GPUs in the past. What's so hard to understand? Fact of the matter is, the higher the clockrate is pushed, the greater the likelihood of failure on average.
 
Come on..

ivoruest said:
So we may conclude this is more of a drivers/software problem rather than a physical, manufacturing or whatever the problem is?

I'm just asking this, and I know some may find it stupid (I don't care), but I did had the 8600m GT chip on my last MBP and worrying about a time bomb in your Mac doesn't feel good at all. Specially when you're using your Mac for important stuff.
Click to expand...

This has been said many times before but I'll say it again anyway. You will always see forums have more complaints than praises from people about their new machine. The people who mention a defective machine usually outnumbers the people who come to the forums to say how great their machine is. You can see too though that many people are happy with their machine and they have no problems.

Stop making it seem like there's a widespread problem, because there isn't. You're only going to make someone who wants a new MBP more hesitant to buy one. I was like that last year with the MBA.

The amount of people with a graphics issue is such a small percentage of all users. Are you forgetting not every single person who owns a MBP goes on forums?
 
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