A critical flaw with Nvidia Gpu's has caused several 1000's of laptops to malfunction from overheating problems.  This problem is not just with HP notebooks.  For instance several dell laptops have also been affected. Apparently all G84 and G86 Nvidia chips manufatured are also bad.  Which means laptops, desktops and maybe even servers could be affected if they use these chips for video processing.  I even found some macbooks that have been affected has stated at this article at MacLife.com.  

Unfortunately several Hp owners laptops of been rendered useless.  Some owners may be able to get their laptop repaired, but if your laptop is out of warranty you will have to pay $398 to have it fixed.  Currently HP is offering a $100 rebate on repairs making the total come to $298.  This is a steep price for most consumers that could go out and purchase a even better laptop with $100-200 more.  Even with the rebate most consumers would be better off getting a new laptop that is not a HP product.

The problem lies in the hands of nvidia due to a failed manufacturing process.  Due to a bad design in their gpu's they had to rethink the materials they use to build the video chips. Nvidia has provided a settlement of 150-200 million dollars to help provide repairs for affected laptops as stated on the Nvidia Website .  Apparently nvidia will not disclose much information about the problem.  This is because the problem is far wider than just laptops and they do not want to face the consequences.  Meaning that the problem even extends to desktops with the affected gpu's.

Many consumers including me, that have been affected by this failed video processor are left to deal with it on their own by forking several hundred dollars to have repairs performed.  Some people that have received repairs are reporting the problems happening again.  This makes the plunge to pay for repairs very scary by not knowing if they are replacing the faulty parts with newly designed ones.  Toms Hardware wrote an article covering what went wrong with the Nvidia Gpu's in great detail. should take this in stride by providing a total recall of all effected products, but they are not.  This has stemmed many people to file complaints with several agencies and groups around the world.  You can get a taste of the drama by checking out the HP Forums.   You will notice that HP is heavily following the forum and editing peoples posts to prevent people from getting repairs for free.  HP should have been given money by nvidia to fix these issues.  But yet they are still charging many for repairs.  This is not right or ethical.

HP

This is has caused many HP owners to rethink their future purchases of HP products.  Many have filed complaints to the Better Business Bureau(BBB),  as I will file my own complaint after publishing this.  Some have filed formal complaints with Nvidia by calling 408-615-2500 and asking for, Peter Sorrant(Head of Customer Care).  Others have also filed a formal complaint with HP by calling 1877-917-4380 ext. 8, by speaking with a lady names Chantre.

I feel like HP has blind sided many consumers by not making the issue more public.  They took care of the problem internally by issuing emails and through updates received on your laptop.  That do have a bandaid fix for the problem by updating your Bios.  Basically it just adjusts the speed of your cpu fan to help decrease the heat inside your laptop.  This only works for so long before your video goes out, like mine.

There is a classaction lawsuit filed by HP, Dell and other computer manufactures against Nvidia.  I used to be a huge nvidia fan, but I think I will be becoming an ATI fan now.  It seems as if none of the companies want to take responsibility for the problems.

For you lucky people that may still be under warranty you can call 1-866-671-7362. This the number to qualify for a free repair. Don't call the support number. The above number is the HP Limited Warranty Service Enhancement. There's hope if you contact HP using this number.  If you are under warranty I would have the repairs performed.  If you are not under warranty you may want to find out if they are replacing it with another bad nvidia gpu that has the same problems.  Cause if they are you will endup in the same situation in a few months. 

They do provide a 90 day warranty after they perform the repairs, but that is not sufficient to me.  I applied the Bios patch and my laptop worked for almost year.  So you could end up having a huge chunk of money missing from your bank account for a yard ornament a few months after.

By reading this article by The Inquirer you will find out that All Nvidia G84 and G86s are bad.  Nvidia tried to say that it was limited to a batch of gpu's only sent to HP.  This is a complete lie to cover their buts.  The same issues have been reported in Dell laptops.  Even some desktop gpu's have the issues.  Although I think most other computers are better cooled making it not as big of an issue for most.  As for HP they didn't adequately cool their processors causing them to overheat and fry.  Nvidia knows this and is why they claim the problem only is with HP laptops.

You can read additional articles by following the links I have provided below.  I am interested to know how many people have been affected by this problem so please leave your comments and any additional information that you can.  I will update this article as I learn more.

Information For HP Owners
Information For Dell Owners

Other Articles:

MaximumPc.com
Nvidia Notebook GPUs Failing at "Abnormal" Rate

Bit-Tech.com
Lawsuit against Nvidia seeks class action

TheInquirer.net
Lawsuit against Nvidia seeks class action

Wired.com
Nvidia’s Chip Troubles Worsen as Dell Extends Laptop Warranties

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