I need to know if my laptop's graphic card died, again...

[Black Panther]

Laptop works fine in safe mode or without any drivers installed.

If I install any driver, even the old one I ran without any problems for long months, I start getting a black screen every 30 seconds, with the message "display driver stopped responding and has recovered". Then after like 3 times of this happening, I'd get a total black screen and apparently 'the driver' doesn't recover at all and I'd have to reboot.

I'm typing on it in safe mode with networking right now.

If the card's gone again, I don't think it's a card fault now because this'd be the 3rd card!
First in 2008 this laptop had two 8800M GTX. After slightly more than 2 years, one of them died. I continued using the laptop without SLi. Then some time last year the other card died too. I bought a new card and the laptop was as good as new, though I didn't dare try any hard-core gaming on it. However recently I allowed my daughter to play The Sims 3 for long hours on it. And then.... it started playing up again

Never has this card overheated, and neither did the other 2 cards before it.
At least I'm lucky now in that the laptop still works without drivers or in safe mode, so I can use it for internet browsing. Unlike the previous times where it was artifacting like crazy.


What the heck is going on with this machine??
It's making me go desperate!
I'm all set now to use it just as a portable internet connection, but in safe mode or with vga drivers uninstalled I wouldn't even be able to play a youtube video.

Just for reference here's the thread I had made about this topic 2 years ago. But at that time the laptop didn't even want to run at all, whether safe mode or not. At least now it runs, albeit only in safe mode or without any drivers installed.

 

[brandonwh64]

I have seen many of your issues with that laptop panther and I think it maybe time for a new one and strip that one for parts since the CPU socket it the same as desktop.

There are many laptops that will out preform a 8800GTX mobile now a days

 

[_JP_]

The only thing that comes to my mind is problems with clock profiles, most notably, 3D clocks.
That could be the card itself or power-delivery related. Can you check the voltages?
IIRC, you bought that card not long ago, is it still under warranty?

 

[Black Panther]

The only thing that comes to my mind is problems with clock profiles, most notably, 3D clocks.
That could be the card itself or power-delivery related. Can you check the voltages?
IIRC, you bought that card not long ago, is it still under warranty?

It could be, I'll try checking the bios again to see if I can under-volt it or under-clock it. I'd be happy as long as it lets me use this thing for browsing. But the last time I checked the bios every setting was locked (fu*** laptops).

I'm pretty sure it isn't the card's fault this time. It's the third card which's playing up... and it worked fine for over a year.

 

[_JP_]

How about powering the laptop with another power-brick?

 

[Black Panther]

It works only for internet browsing though. I'm happy with it like this (to put it mildly).

In 'device manager' the vga shows up as "standard VGA graphics adapter" now because I had to uninstall the driver just to get the laptop to stop rebooting.

 

[INSTG8R]

Might I surmise that this laptop may from the "bad solder" era? The one I am currently typing on is(Acer 7520).
I had to have the 8400m G in this one replaced once already. Thankfully it was still under warranty when it crapped out. I guess if it died now it would be getting a baking in the oven.

I skimmed the old thread you linked but didn't see any specs.

 

[_JP_]

I was going to mention that, but I noticed the chip is a 8800 and not a 8600. I also know about that issue, becuase I also have a 8400M GS.
The chips with the bad solder were the G8xM. The 8800M GTX is a G92M. nVidia had already fixed that problem when those came out.

 

[robal]

I was going to mention that, but I noticed the chip is a 8800 and not a 8600. I also know about that issue, becuase I also have a 8400M GS.
The chips with the bad solder were the G8xM. The 8800M GTX is a G92M. nVidia had already fixed that problem when those came out.

Are you sure G92M was not affected by solder joint problem at all ?

In any case, the symptoms with this one suggest a slow, leaky silicon death, rather than joint problem.

 

[Black Panther]

Might I surmise that this laptop may from the "bad solder" era? The one I am currently typing on is(Acer 7520).
I had to have the 8400m G in this one replaced once already. Thankfully it was still under warranty when it crapped out. I guess if it died now it would be getting a baking in the oven.

I skimmed the old thread you linked but didn't see any specs.

Specs are Q9450, 4GB DDR2 RAM, and originally it had 2 8800M GTX in SLi. The model is Clevo D901C.

I was going to mention that, but I noticed the chip is a 8800 and not a 8600. I also know about that issue, becuase I also have a 8400M GS.
The chips with the bad solder were the G8xM. The 8800M GTX is a G92M. nVidia had already fixed that problem when those came out.

I'm thinking that it's a fault either in the mobo on in each graphics card. I had 3 dying now...

 

[Jstn7477]

Typical solder bump issue, affects G80 through GT200b (80 through 55nm parts). The card will malfunction with drivers installed, and eventually quit working altogether.

If I were you, I'd look into your laptop's compatibility with newer MXM cards. Maybe you can get a nice AMD or Fermi card in there or something, if you think it's worth throwing more money at your laptop.

 

[_JP_]

I thought that from G92 onwards, the cards didn't had that problem.
I mean, I have only had to deal with that kind of situation with G8x cards.

 

[Black Panther]

Typical solder bump issue, affects G80 through GT200b (80 through 55nm parts). The card will malfunction with drivers installed, and eventually quit working altogether.

.

That's how it went every time.

The only cards I can buy for this thing is the 260M and 280M, they have the same MXM socket. With the 280 I'd have to update the mobo's bios whereas the 260M should fit out of the box. I might try buying a new card, but not if history repeats itself and it starts dying again..

 

[INSTG8R]

Typical solder bump issue, affects G80 through GT200b (80 through 55nm parts). The card will malfunction with drivers installed, and eventually quit working altogether.

If I were you, I'd look into your laptop's compatibility with newer MXM cards. Maybe you can get a nice AMD or Fermi card in there or something, if you think it's worth throwing more money at your laptop.

Are they still even doing MXM anymore? When mine died I tried my damnest to get an ugrade to an 8600, No Dice... Pricing out MXM cards for sale was "sticker shock" to say the least.

 

[yogurt_21]

I've got a gtx480 (not mobile) that will do the same thing when plugged in. Runs fine in safemode without any drivers but comepletly fails with any drivers loaded. No bios mod has worked, overn bake no go, same issue. IF you're happy with web browsing then cool beans, if not...Unfortunately the card sounds like its gone. With that I think its time to take this laptop out to pasture, it's had a good run, now its time for it to rest.

 

[OneMoar]

time for a new laptop a 8/9 series is really dated boarder-line useless even
they ran hot they are short-lived and not worth keeping around

 

[kiddagoat]

What is your make and model of laptop????

 

[Black Panther]

Sager 9262 (Clevo D901C)