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Dell XPS M1330 Problems with Graphics / Video Driver
I have a Dell XPS M1330. Recently, I had been having problems with the graphics and video driver on my computer. My screen will sometimes freeze and go to a screen that is black and has various different lines on it and then the computer will either shut down or recover.
I tried reinstalling the graphics driver, and am continuing to experience this problem.
I bought the computer last November 2007 -- so it is relatively new.
If you have any suggestions on how to fix this problem, please let me know.
I tried reinstalling the graphics driver, and am continuing to experience this problem.
I bought the computer last November 2007 -- so it is relatively new.
If you have any suggestions on how to fix this problem, please let me know.
I’m frustrated
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Tell me when someone solves it.
The more people who report this problem, the more it gets noticed.
The more people who report this problem, the more it gets noticed.
The best solution from everyone
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So, I hadn't heard from Bill (poor guy is probably really busy!), so I logged into the Dell web chat and spoke with a technical support representative. He was great and they are sending a tech out to repair my system. He had me connect my laptop to an external monitor to test if it show the diagnostic test he wanted me to run on it (which it wouldn't.. just black screen with green lines) and this confirmed that the video chip was bad and the motherboard needed replacing. The tech should be here in the next couple of days to fix my computer (yay!). Thanks for posting this thread! I can't wait to get my beloved laptop up and running again!
I’m thankful
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Inappropriate?look here: http://www.nvidia.com/object/io_12150...
and here : http://www.trustedreviews.com/laptops...
Both NVIDIA and DELL are aware of this issue and are considering whether recall or not.3 Comments Add a comment
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Neither of those links say that Nvidia or Dell are considering a recall. Nvidia has admited that there are higher than usual failures and it is costing them money. -
Jacub,
Sorry to burst your bubble~ nothing personal against you, but your comments in defense of DELL HELL is quite futile and wishful thinking.
If you read ALL the reviews of the M1330 with the NVidia chip PRIOR to the DOCUMENTED BREAKDOWN of this particular MB, you'll see virtually every review gave this particular model a glowing review. (nature of the industry as well as many other industries ~ caveat emptor - let the buyer beware - dont believe anything you read....)
If you read through this particular entire posting thoroughly and read thru the many other forums discussing this same topic and taking into consideration the number of complaints and issues/ (also taking into consideration that some of the comments posted are duplicates of the same person, AND you performed your own due diligence into what information is hearsay and what information is truth and factual, you'll see that DELL HELL has done nothing to resolve this well-known and well-documented problem. Talk to the chops that perform laptop repairs in this model and many others and see what they all have to say....you'll find that their professional comments are in line with owner comments on this issue - not good.
IF they are so well-aware of the issue, then why the delay in resolving this for their customers?? Answer: It's a numbers game. The more owners capitulate to the problem, the less $$ they have to spend dealing with the issue IF they even are forced (and that's ONLY if they are forced to concede to a settlement or lawsuit decision). The quick fix for them?? Just replace the faulty MB with the same faulty replacement MB (I've personally experienced this many times.... you would certainly know all this already since you've read through this post thoroughly....) and use time as their ally to buy more time to have this problem go away magically by itself and offer then owner a false hope that this faulty replacement will fix this fault and the extended warranty on the replacement MB will have expired before it fails again.
Did you even read the about the class-action lawsuit (in Canada) against DELL HELL on a similar problem they had with laptops???
You're right... DELL HELL cannot afford to have a whole line of laptops recalled during the economic downturn. That is why they are playing the numbers game on this particular issue....the longer they drag this out, the better it is $$$ for them. -
Jakub,
Sorry to burst your bubble~ nothing personal against you, but your comments in defense of DELL HELL is quite futile and wishful thinking.
If you read ALL the reviews of the M1330 with the NVidia chip PRIOR to the DOCUMENTED BREAKDOWN of this particular MB, you'll see virtually every review gave this particular model a glowing review. (nature of the industry as well as many other industries ~ caveat emptor - let the buyer beware - dont believe anything you read....)
If you read through this particular entire posting thoroughly and read thru the many other forums discussing this same topic and taking into consideration the number of complaints and issues/ (also taking into consideration that some of the comments posted are duplicates of the same person, AND you performed your own due diligence into what information is hearsay and what information is truth and factual, you'll see that DELL HELL has done nothing to resolve this well-known and well-documented problem. Talk to the shops that perform laptop repairs on this model and many others and see what they all have to say....you'll find that their professional comments are in line with owner comments on this issue - not good.
IF they are so well-aware of the issue, then why the delay in resolving this for their customers?? Answer: It's a numbers game. The more owners capitulate to the problem, the less $$ they have to spend dealing with the issue IF they even are forced (and that's ONLY if they are forced to concede to a settlement or lawsuit decision). The quick fix for them?? Just replace the faulty MB with the same faulty replacement MB (I've personally experienced this many times and they all tell you the same thing - "no problem with the replacement board".... you would certainly know all this already since you've read through this post thoroughly....) and use time as their ally to buy more time to have this problem go away magically by itself and offer then owner a false hope that this faulty replacement will fix this fault and the extended warranty on the replacement MB will have expired before it fails again.
Did you even read the about the class-action lawsuit (in Canada) against DELL HELL on a similar problem they had with laptops???
You're right... DELL HELL cannot afford to have a whole line of laptops recalled during the economic downturn. That is why they are playing the numbers game on this particular issue....the longer they drag this out, the better it is $$$ for them. -
Inappropriate?Before I even read your elaborate answer ;) I must say this: I'm not defending anyone and especially DELL! I think they SHOULD recall this junk and reimburse! If NVIDIA agrees that they are loosing money maybe they decide not to loose prestige? And if I have to say anything good about DELL is that they replaced mobo in 4 working days after submitting the service request.
After reading: even the guy who replaced mobo told a lot of bad things about Dell :D I will definitely stress the GPU with some 3dmark or other benchamrk and we will see what will happen. Yes I read about suit and I back it up with all my four paws :P
And please explain why are they still selling a lot of 1330s if it is taking a lot of bad reviews? If you imagine the numbers of sold machines (easily houndrets of thousands world wide) they should be paralyzed with support requested and flooded with law suits... -
Inappropriate?Simon: where are you from? I would like to write to the consumer spokesman as well.1 Comment Add a comment
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Australia. We have very clear laws surrounding the merchantability of goods.
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Inappropriate?well, so much for my "fix" i wrote about a week ago. 2 days later, same dead screen. i emailed for my box so laptop could be sent for free repair and i got back an email recanting the offer. i was informed i had to call out-of-warranty repair and pay from $199 - $538 to fix either video card or mobo! i blasted back an email refusing, blah, blah, blah, and tried writing to the dell "chief blogger":
Lionel Menchaca (direct2dell community)...
http://en.community.dell.com/blogs/di...
he never wrote me back (got out of office sick auto reply). regardless, same day, i got response to my email from the tech and they said for "one time" i could get my laptop repaired for free and they'd send the box. only because i was just 1 wk shy of the extened 1 yr warranty. (i was 2 yrs 1 wk out of warranty). i'm waiting for the box now.
guess, i'll join the rest of you replacing my mobo a few times.
I’m more than outraged!!
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Inappropriate?I wrote on here a few months ago about my XPS1330, and having to replace the GPU, I have watched the complaint list grow. I took out an extended warrenty after the fact for 2 years having read this would be a recurring problem and for simplicity the premium support is ideal! The service was speedy and efficient in the UK, a contractor from a local company came to fix it, came to my work address and turned up at the exact time I asked for - perfect! He said he'd done 3 Mobos that day on the 1330 and had one more to do. He said that was unusual, but a constant stream had come in during the last year.
I don't think that the problems with XPS are unique to DELL. I guess the rival to the XPS would be something like the Macbook. Just type in "Macbook Problems" into google and read some unhappy Mac users. I would think in this case, unlike the Apple cases, it has been the DELL support and their lack of understanding and their reluctance to recall (or at least repair for free - except in cases where people have pushed for it!) that has got people so angry.
So far I have had the new mobo board for 4 months with no problems. I'm not a high end graphics user, (watch movies, bit of photo shop, no games), so probably not pushing it too much.
One note I will make is that I went for the NVIDIA chip thinking it was not an integrated graphics card. To me that means is upgradable, without removing the mobo. My understanding has changed and it actually means that the chip doesn't share RAM with the GPU.
Let's hope Dell and NVIDIA can sort out this GPU, heat and bonding problem they have on notebooks and provided every XPS1330 user with a new mobo soon.
Cheers,
Eddie2 Comments Add a comment
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Or money back and new better laptop ;>
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I wish.
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Inappropriate?It seems like I'm not the only one with this strange graphics problem.
I was stuck with "dead" video for some time, could even get to text mode (in BIOS). Then I succeeded in reinstalling latest video drivers and the system looks like working. Somehow.
Can't say if the problem is gone forever, I still get some strange freezes from time to time.
I will start using linux in vbox to see if the video problem repeats there.
Just wanted to let you know.4 Comments Add a comment
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Well, I was too optimistic, the video problems comes back more or less every second boot; and I didn't get the chance to run linux in vbox on it. I just cannot make it get to even BIOS screen again. Video seems to be locked even when disconnecting/reconnecting battery pack...(!)
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I had the same problem and applied the same solution (upgrading the video card)and I am also still having the same problems like Vladimir.Luknar.
When I had this problem the first timeI had completely formatted and reinstalled my Dell XPS 1330, for which I also needed Dell's support for installing the various drivers and had to pay for it (€ 148.00), It worked for a couple of days but then the problem came back again as the Graphics Driver faillure has not been detected by the service engineer and thus not repaired. -
I had the same problem and applied the same solution (upgrading the video card)and I am also still having the same problems like Vladimir.Luknar.
When I had this problem the first timeI had completely formatted and reinstalled my Dell XPS 1330, for which I also needed Dell's support for installing the various drivers and had to pay for it (€ 148.00), It worked for a couple of days but then the problem came back again as the Graphics Driver faillure has not been detected by the service engineer and thus not repaired. -
I had the same problem and applied the same solution (upgrading the video card)and I am also still having the same problems like Vladimir.Luknar.
When I had this problem the first timeI had completely formatted and reinstalled my Dell XPS 1330, for which I also needed Dell's support for installing the various drivers and had to pay for it (€ 148.00), It worked for a couple of days but then the problem came back again as the Graphics Driver faillure has not been detected by the service engineer and thus not repaired. -
Inappropriate?Looks like the same problem...Use Dell extended warranty on this problem to change the mobo...
I’m disgusted
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Inappropriate?Experienced same problem as described by all of you, XPS M1330...
Dell offered free replacement of graphics card at their service centre which was good of them.
But, as it's a work laptop have opted for extending the warrenty at a cost of £120 for 2 years to get the on-site solution which will hopefully be quicker than sending it off to service centre.
Hopefully this isn't a recurring problem, but I'm guessing from everyone's feedback that it is. :( -
Inappropriate?I've got a prob with my xps1330 bought over a year ago from Tesco. Over the past week it's been giving multi coloured pixleation then a crash an it's good night vienna. When i start it most times it will fail an tell me it can't start but sometimes i can start it in safe mode like now but hell it's putting some heat out. I'm under the impression that this is a seperate nvidia graphics card.will this be my problem ? Can i buy another and fit myself?3 Comments Add a comment
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If I could swap out the Nvidia card I would, anyone know if this is possible? I cannot use my M1330 at all anymore, it gets so hot, it fries my palms and legs. I already had the motherboard replaced one some other parts but now I am out of warranty and would really like to swap the video card.
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If I could swap out the Nvidia card I would, anyone know if this is possible? I cannot use my M1330 at all anymore, it gets so hot, it fries my palms and legs. I already had the motherboard replaced one some other parts but now I am out of warranty and would really like to swap the video card.
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steve, & barbara...
no. the nvidia chip is soldered onto the MB so unless you have the proper microchip soldering equipment, not possible.
Even if you PAID DELLHELL for a replacement MB (which is the case), it'll fail on you again...guaranteed!
if you can find a competent laptop repair shop in your city that does perform microchip soldering on MBs, they should be able to do it at a reasonable cost. This problem is so wide spread, I'm sure there are shops that perfrom this type of repair. In one of my client's city, Vancouver, there is a shop that can replace the NVidia chip on the MB (so long as the MB has not been damaged due to overheating - cost was very reasonable from what I understand, and a permanent solution as compared to the DellHell replacement.)
GL. -
Inappropriate?I m glad im not the only 1 with this problem. Well I have contected every 1 (dell, pc world.. etc) no 1 seems to care about this problem... so i sent my xps to china and got it fixed from there for about £20.
im not sure how long it will run but im glad im not going through dell...
I’m amused
