Apple on Thursday admitted that its laptops featuring Nvidia graphics processing units (GPUs) may get out of order due to already known issues with GeForce chips for mobile computers. The company advices owners of affected MacBook systems to contact Apple to get free repairs or reimbursements for repairs. The firm stressed that Nvidia misinformed it regarding possibilities of problems.
“In July 2008, Nvidia publicly acknowledged a higher than normal failure rate for some of their graphics processors due to a packaging defect. At that same time, Nvidia assured Apple that Mac computers with these graphics processors were not affected. However, after an Apple-led investigation, Apple has determined that some MacBook Pro computers with the Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT graphics processor may be affected,” Apple said in a statement.
Apple indicated that if a MacBook Pro notebook fails within two years of the original date of purchase, a repair will be done free of charge, even if the affected MacBook Pro is out of warranty. The potentially faulty computers were manufactured between approximately May 2007 and September 2008
Earlier this year Nvidia admitted that its GeForce graphics processing units (GPUs) and nForce chipsets (which the company calls MCPs, media and communication processors) designed for mobile computers could fail due to issues with high-lead packaging. The company took $196 million charge to help its partners to tackle the problem, however, it said that the issue only affected certain notebook configurations. Earlier only Dell and HP acknowledged issues with their mobile systems and GeForce M-series chips.
Nvidia did not comment on the news-report.
Tags: Apple, Nvidia, Geforce, Failures, macbook
Comments currently:
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Discussion started: 10/11/08 06:34:18 PM
Latest comment: 10/13/08 12:53:35 PM
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Why am I not surprised? Yesterday, a client brought over his Dell Latitude D800 yesterday, and I diagnosed the problem as a failed nVidia GPU. Now he is getting the motherboard replaced by Dell under warranty. A number of older Dell laptops offered snap-in video cards with either nVidia or ATI graphics chips. I have replaced a number of failed nVidia ones with ATI. Every so often, a desktop computer shows up here for repair, and I replace a failed nVidia graphics card. Bottom line is that nVidia GPUs generally run hot and the circuits inside a GPU can break down due to excessive heat and fail. I can only say that I have seen nVidia graphics failures far more than the other three GPU companies still left standing: ATI (but part of AMD), Intel (integrated onto the motherboard) and Matrox (now a smallish niche player). I've serviced thousands of computers of all brands over the last decade... Ben Myers
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Posted by: Ben_Myers
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Date: 10/11/08 06:34:18 PM]
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Well surprise, surprise.
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Posted by: Pixelated
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Date: 10/13/08 12:53:35 PM]
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