RSSApple warns users about bad Nvidia graphics chips
By Jacqueline Emigh | Published October 10, 2008, 6:24 PM
In offering free repairs on impacted MacBook Pro laptops, Apple yesterday told users that the symptoms of faulty Nvidia graphics processors include "distorted video or no video."
Apple on Thursday contended that, contrary to promises by Nvidia Corp., MacBook Pro laptops may contain bad Nvidia graphics chips. Apple also offered users an extended warranty and free repairs on the affected PCs.
In a support document posted on its Web site, Apple claimed it had been assured by Nvidia in July of this year that MacBook Pros with Nvidia graphics processors would not be affected by the "higher than normal failure rate" that has plagued some of Nvidia's processors.
A number of other OEMs, including Dell and Hewlett-Packard, have also pointed to possible problems with Nvidia's graphics chips.
"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 officials said in its blog post Thursday. "If the Nvidia graphics processor in your MacBook Pro has failed, or fails within two years of the original date of purchase, a repair will be done free of charge, even if your MacBook Pro is out of warranty." Apple's support document goes on to explain the symptoms to look for, including distorted or scrambled video on the screen, or no video at all. It advised owners of MacBook Pros with these symptoms to take their laptops to either an Apple Retail Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) for evaluation. As previously reported in BetaNews, an unhappy Nvidia shareholder has meanwhile filed a class action suit against Nvidia in northern California, accusing the graphics company of violating Securities Exchange Act provisions by allegedly having knowledge of the flaw as early as November 2007 and keeping it from the public.
We may also want to check Toshiba laptops for this graphic defect. My Toshiba laptop failed with a Nvidia chip in it. It started with horizontal lines and then no video at all.
Score: 0
|Looks like Apple should consider ATI if Nvidia does not want to own up to it's problem and fix it's***ory of problems. A Mac is suppose to be flawless and Nvidia is a flaw right now.
Score: 0
|What planet did you come from? Mac's have never been flawless. The only advantage the Mac has ever had over an off the shelf PC is the fancy looking chassis.
Score: 0
|Spoken like a nitwit.
Yup, dump a vendor as it has a problem that it has taken Apple far too long to acknowledge.
And then you can dump ATi the next time they have a screwup.
And to use your logic, we should all dump Apple due to their various screwups.
Of course, we all need to dump PC's and MS for an outrageous list of screwups.
Keep up with your reasoning and you'll be standing even more alone than you are now.
Score: 0
|No Apple product has even been flawless.
Wake up interworld7.
Score: 0
|hmmm, not so Jesus. They run OSX unhacked, which from lots of personal experience is a far better operating system than the ancient mess called Windows. also runs Windows even better than any of the dozen or so Windows laptops I've had the displeasure of owning over the years. And that's not even touching upon the many superior design touches compared to the usual generic winclonetops. If you use your laptop to make money or enjoy the experience of using a computer, you simply can't do any better at this stage than the macbookpro with OSX. That's not saying that they don't ever have flaws which is simply not possible in this overeager bleedingly competitive information age.
Score: 0
|Mac OS X may be a better operating system only because it's based on Unix, but why should I have to pay $1,000 just to get the trusted platform module needed to run it? I don't see any reason to throw away a perfectly good computer just to get one with inferior hardware (like Intel integrated graphics) just to run Mac OS X.
Score: 0
|Apple's not well known for offering a multitude of hardware choices for their customers.
One day Apple might finally realize that when customers ask for more hardware options, they don't mean more colors for iMacs and iPod Nanos.
Score: 0
|NVIDIA has been a "flaw" for a while now.
Used to be one of their biggest fans. After the 6000 (3 in that series...returned, replaced, still bad) series dropped 'em like a load of bricks.
Been using ATi ever since. Not a problem yet. Doesn't mean they're perfect (I would love to see a display calibration wizard from ATi), but at least the hardware works as intended.
Score: 0
|"... don't see any reason to throw away a perfectly good computer just to get one with inferior hardware (like Intel integrated graphics) just to run Mac OS X. "
What? Assuming you are replacing an aging machine, please explain you 'need' to throw away a 'perfectly good' computer. If its so good, why would you be replacing it? And if its an older machine, pray tell how you are going to upgrade it to Vista? Hmmm. But we aren't supposed to actually listen to what you aee saying are we, when the point is simply to whine and make ridiculous claims...
And all Apples rely on intrgrated Intel graphics? I would rather suggest the majority of your whiz bang generic pre-built PCs for less than $1000 are doing exactly that.
Next time at least have a semblance of a clue about the platforms you are whining about.
Score: 0
|My $1,000 64-bit Windows Vista desktop PC uses an Nvidia GeForce 7600GS PCI-e graphics adapter which is blazing fast compared to the Intel integrated graphics Apple uses. As for the rest of the hardware, I'm using an Intel DP35DP mainboard (Intel P35 NB & ICH9R SB), Intel Core 2 E6420 CPU w/4MB cache running at 2.13GHz, 6GB DDR2 800 RAM and a Creative Labs SoundBlaster X-Fi Platinum soundcard.
I still fail to see Apple's reasoning as to why I should have to replace this computer with another one just to run Mac OS X.
Score: 0
|NOTHING NEW HERE.. Macbooks pros are a 50/50 chance they will work right..
Score: 0
|