Possible graphics card failure, course of action?

  • Thread starter Owen.C93
  • 24 comments
  • 1,577 views
Owen.C93

Owen.C93

3,236
United Kingdom
England
GTP_Owen
Ok so I decided to watch some video in HD earlier in fullscreen on ubuntu, and what I think happened was it over heated my GPU. The screen frooze then the audio started looping and diagnostic lights were flashing so I turned it off. When I turned it on again the screen was half there in lines so I turned it off, cleaned it out and tried again. This time the screen was worse. So at this point I'm expecting my GPU has failed (My GPU was one of the ones affected by nVidia which brought about the big lawsuit a few years ago (8400gm)).

So I left it half an hour and tried it on an external monitor. This time it came up (albeit all in pink) then when it tried to boot ubuntu an error came up and asked me to select a resolution (Maybe due to new screen?), I selected the closest one to my monitor and let it boot. Still pink it carried on until the display switched to my laptop where it was good as new. However I'm still worried about it going at any point so I shut it down and intend to leave it for a day.

Does this sound like a GPU on its way out? Or a crash that messed up the driver temporarily. Is it normal for the display to come back on after?

Thanks for any help, I really don't want to have to buy another computer when I'm about to buy a car and go to uni.
 
How does your BIOS look? And by the boot do you mean GRUB? If your BIOS looks fine, try using a live disk to check it out. If the BIOS looks bad, then yes, your GPU is screwed.
 
NissanSkylineN1
How does your BIOS look? And by the boot do you mean GRUB? If your BIOS looks fine, try using a live disk to check it out. If the BIOS looks bad, then yes, your GPU is screwed.
Click to expand...

One time it worked. But I think it was messed up another time. The lawsuit extended warranty for 5 years, but I think I'm not protected under the consumer protection since I used a business name to buy it. Hmm. I'll try again tomorrow and keep an eye on it.

Is it possible for the screen to return to normal when its on it's way out? Or does that suggest the GPU is ok?
 
Hm. Display corruption...

Could be a driver issue. Try uninstalling and then installing the latest Forceware release. If the problem persists even after that, then it could be a memory fault (especially if you're seeing artifacts). On an aside, does it get relatively hot at all?
 
I would look into the replacement of the graphics card because if I were you I'd rather replace the GPU for free if it truly is the problem.
 
Pink screens are generally not a good sign. Test new drivers, new Display Cable (Sometimes the pins or connector is screwed and it's not outputting a colour correctly) and if that doesn't work just shopping for a video card.
 
Last edited:
nick09
I would look into the replacement of the graphics card because if I were you I'd rather replace the GPU for free if it truly is the problem.
Click to expand...
Yea I'll phone Dell tomorrow.
Casio
Pink screens are generally not a good sign. Test new drivers, new Display Cable (Sometimes the pins or connector is screwed and it's not outputting a colour correctly) and if that doesn't work just shopping for a video card.
Click to expand...

That's on an external monitor, when it booted to my desktop it auto switched to my laptop screen and looked fine till I wussed out and shut it down. Unfortunately the graphics card is soldered on, so it's a whole new motherboard, I can salvage my ram and cpu though.
 
Ok I tried it just now and it lasted for 5 mins until the screen had some glitches and Windows 7 turned off aero with some glitches still present when I turned it off.
NissanSkylineN1
Flash the GPU BIOS?
Click to expand...

What will that do? Plus the chip is integrated on the motherboard so I don't think I can do that.
 
I always swear by replacing the thermal paste on any chip that starts to get glitchy. It can prevent and even reverse any damage because the heat will be driven away from the problem area (such as weakened solder). Worth a try, there's nothing to loose.

I would also maybe check to see if your case airflow is sufficient, maybe add a case fan near the card just to be sure.
 
Welp, 20 mins on the phone with Dell and they offered to replace my motherboard on site on Monday. For free. Wow that's a result (Laptop is 3 years old).

Thanks for all the help guys.
 
Well that's the best option possible! Because a laptop motherboard can cost up to $200 new. Good thing that Dell followed through with the extended warranty.
 
nick09
Well that's the best option possible! Because a laptop motherboard can cost up to $200 new. Good thing that Dell followed through with the extended warranty.
Click to expand...
Yep!
NissanSkylineN1
Oh crap! I forgot its an 8400gM.. mobile...
Click to expand...

I know, I saw this lawsuit about it and found out about the extended warranty. Technically I'm not covered since it's a business purchase. But they never asked. They also tried selling me an extended warranty for £80(1yr). Even though this one because of the defect lasts for another 3.:lol:
 
I am suprised they are replacing it while you are running linux.

These guys along with HP and Acer tend to get stuck up about windows and wont do much if you are not running it.
 
Grayfox
I am suprised they are replacing it while you are running linux.

These guys along with HP and Acer tend to get stuck up about windows and wont do much if you are not running it.
Click to expand...

Well I'm dual booting, but they don't know I have linux ATM. Honestly that's the least of my worries regarding voided warranty :L, hopefully the engineer is a chill guy and will replace it no questions asked.
 
Well, you may have known this, but Dell is actually friends with Ubuntu. A while ago, they sold netbooks with Ubuntu on them.
 
NissanSkylineN1
Well, you may have known this, but Dell is actually friends with Ubuntu. A while ago, they sold netbooks with Ubuntu on them.
Click to expand...

They may have sold netbooks with linux on them just like asus did with their orginal EeePC 700xx units.

But that does not mean they will like it being done on a 15~17" unit.

Plus they hate other O/S when it comes to trouble shooting.
 
They wont fix software issues and related problems when you have ubuntu. But hardware failures they wont mind. Mine is a special case since they extended the warranty on my failed part to 6 years after a manufacturing fault. But I have had the back open before and broken the blue seal thing on the screws (forgot the name). You kinda have to dissemble the laptop after 3 years to clean it though.

I can't imagine an engineer coming all the way to my house with a new MB ready only to say no.

I'm going to look a bit weird peeking over his shoulder the whole time though because the battery is dead thus it needs constant AC, and there's a 2 second window for you to press a button to boot into windows before it goes straight to ubuntu.
 
Just a little update, it got replaced and it seems to work now, but for some reason the fan is on alot when it's just in bios and not even loading an OS. And the GPU is idling at 70C and it goes to over 100C when under load before I get scared and turn it off.

Next plan is to ring again, get it changed once more and checked over before I file a complaint for having an engineer make my laptop a health risk if these crazy temps continue.

At which point I may get a refund/replacement. But I would rather it was fixed really.
 
Yeah tell them to put proper thermal paste on the chips. It sounds like that they put too much on there(too much and it acts like an insulator) or reused it from the chips(hence very little to move heat).
 
nick09
Yeah tell them to put proper thermal paste on the chips. It sounds like that they put too much on there(too much and it acts like an insulator) or reused it from the chips(hence very little to move heat).
Click to expand...

He put a fair bit on the CPU which runs very cool now, but the GPU had a little pad which he reused.

EDIT: He was a bit of an idiot though, he kept trying to download a tool he needed but kept saving target as instead of downloading so he had 5 .htm documents and he wondered why it didn't work, when I showed him how to download an internet file he then tried to rename it _zip instead of the more standard format of file extensions of .zip. :lol:
 
Last edited:
Yeah I've seen those kind of people in my IT class and college. Just tell them to replace the pad and the thermal paste(It ain't gonna work so well when the stuff is reused).
 

Latest Posts

Back