Nvidia G84m/G86m faulty chip happen to Vaio??

[6800gt]

I just wonder if anyone has the alleged graphic problem with your vaio series. I got AR51J with 8400m GT early this year. So far it works fine, but not sure it would die shortly :smileysad:. What's the sony's response?

origin story: All Nvidia G84 and G86s are bad
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/07/09/nvidia-g84-g86-bad

Channel Vendors Demand Graphics Cards Suppliers to Recall Potentially Faulty Nvidia GeForce Graphics Cards.
Resellers Want to Return Potentially Faulty Nvidia GeForce Graphics Boards to Makers
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/video/display/20080725123120_Channel_Vendors_Demand_Graphics_Cards_Supp...

[davedwar46]

snip

(I have seen hundreds of similar issues on this thread and on other sites, where I have posted this reply).

Some customers have started a petition which is fine, but it does not give as much public awareness to a poor product and customer support service as a nation TV programme running an article. Here in the UK, BBC's watchdog has huge leverage even with the manufacturing giants.

snip

I'll be registering my complaint with watchdog by the end of this week, when I suspect Sony will stop listening. I think its worth a try as it looks as tho you guys have hit a brick wall with your complaint routes so far.

I totally agree with this poster about contacting Watchdog. Everyone in this thread should do the same.

I am also slightly worried that there seems to be little co-ordination for those who have defective machines. Individually Sony are saying that it is not a problem, even here on their own site.

I was not aware of the petition until I looked at this site as it does not seem to come up in any search engines. There are also a number of threads scattered across several sites.

Who thinks that a site should be set-up specifically to raise awareness of these issues? something like www.sonysupport.com (I know it's already gone, it's just an example!)

I would be happy to register and host it, perhaps use Wordpress or something similar (although I've no experience setting this up).

Your thoughts?

[DetlevCM]

I think there was an attempt to coordinate it over at Notebookreview.

http://forum.notebookreview.com

[horrok]

Hi all. I have already contacted watchdog via their website form. I suggest as many of you who are able do likewise and we may get the attension of their researchers.

Cheers.

[brettf]

Hi, i think im having the same problem with my FZ21Z.
The other day i turned it on and had a few lines going thru the VAIO sign at the start up, as it went on to the desktop my screen was enlarged and had all lines and dots over it. Well i tried to do the complete system retore.

When i turned my comp back it on it said 'OPERATING SYSTEM NOT FOUND'
I got someone to have a look thank god he was a neighbour cause i rung around a few who wanted loads of £££££.

He had a look tried my recovery disks which were no use, then tried installing vista again, well this worked after he deleted the partitions then re-done it all over again.
Well my laptop was working fine till about 3 hours ago when the screen started to go again, i was just on the netbook review site reading about the problems with the NVIDIA Geforce 8600M and the whole lot crashed. I turned it off and then on, and the screen was enlarged with all the lines and dots yet again.

Please can you help cause this is doing my head in. When i rung sony the other day about my first problem they want silly money to sort it.

[brettf]

Hi, i think im having the same problem with my FZ21Z.
The other day i turned it on and had a few lines going thru the VAIO sign at the start up, as it went on to the desktop my screen was enlarged and had all lines and dots over it. Well i tried to do the complete system retore.

When i turned my comp back it on it said 'OPERATING SYSTEM NOT FOUND'
I got someone to have a look thank god he was a neighbour cause i rung around a few who wanted loads of £££££.

He had a look tried my recovery disks which were no use, then tried installing vista again, well this worked after he deleted the partitions then re-done it all over again.
Well my laptop was working fine till about 3 hours ago when the screen started to go again, i was just on the netbook review site reading about the problems with the NVIDIA Geforce 8600M and the whole lot crashed. I turned it off and then on, and the screen was enlarged with all the lines and dots yet again.

Please can you help cause this is doing my head in. When i rung sony the other day about my first problem they want silly money to sort it.

Sorry i forgot to add, that it is constantly hot, i dont mean by warm, i mean by red hot.

[horrok]

Sorry Bretff but it sounds like your GPU is broken like the rest of us. Unfortunately its welded to the mainboard so your up the creek without a paddle.

Sony are so far denying that this problem exists so they wont help you for free unless your under warranty.

All you can do is sign the petition and contact BBC watchdog to add your case to growing pile of evidence.

I've bought a cheap second hand laptop to last until SOny take responsibility for this like HP, DELL and Apple have.

Good luck.

[brettf]

Yeah sounds like im the same..
My Comp started fine this morning, then the screen started to go, it then restarted with the lines going through the VAIO sign then it went to a black screen and said

'BOOTMGR IS MISSING'

Any ideas why this has happened???

It does start when i press F10 and then enter, but goes to my desktop really enlarged.

Its a shame SONY are not as useful as MICROSOFT, when the problems of the XBOX 360 come about they were straight on it, letting you get it repaired for nothing.

Anyway pics of what has gone on with my one:

[brettf]

Sorry tried to add pics but to big to put on, gonna try and resize

[brettf]

Hi all,

I contacted sony about my problem, they said it would cost at least £217 to be fixed.
They also said its not a common fault, but we all know it is.

Well after i hung up i contacted Trading Standards, they advised my problem is not with Sony but where i purchased it from ( PC World ).

They said no matter if its in warrenty or not, if its a defect with the system so you have 6 years to get it sorted, and that where ever you brought it from has to either Repair, Replace, or Refund.

Well i contacted PC World, they said i need to get an engineer to look at it, write a report of what the problem is, how it was caused, and how much to repair.
I then have to send it to PC World, where they will assess the report..

[davedwar46]

Brettf is correct.

I am not an expert in this matter, but let me share the research that I have done.

Firstly I will say that as long time Sony fan, with 4 laptops, TVs, cameras, camcorder and many more pieces I am extremely disappointed as to the response that Sony has given to it's customers over the failing of these graphics chips. Particularly when other large names such as Apple, HP and Dell have taken responsibility for these well known defects.

*** It will be their loss as I will not buy Sony again. ***

Whilst we would all like Sony to step in and repair these items, your contract is with the retailer that sold you the machine. I do not believe that Sony have any obligation/liability to repair your machine.

For those of you who haven't yet gone back to the retailer, do so and ask them if they will repair or replace your laptop as they have an obligation under the Sale of Goods Act. It is reasonable that an £800 laptop lasts longer than the average 16-18 months reported on here.

You may be told that The Sale of Goods Act states that after 6 months, the purchaser needs to demonstrate that the goods were faulty at the time of sale (Burden of proof). Go to a repair shop and get them to write you a report (you will have to pay for it).

The report should state what condition that laptop is in, whether it has been modified, the fault that it has, and the cost to repair it. Also an opinion on whether this is likely to be a manufacturing fault, and whether it would be expected through normal wear and tear.

Return to your supplier with this information, and ask them to repair or replace the laptop. Ask to be reimbursed for the report. Inform them that this is a known fault accepted by Nvidia, even if it's not yet accepted by Sony. Inform them that your contract is with them as the supplier of the laptop not Sony.

Tell them you will take the matter to the small claims court (with trading standards if they are willing) if the supplier is unwilling to make the repair.

This is what I did, and my supplier has agreed to repair the laptop (14 months old).

I think that the only way Sony will change their position is if lots of retailers complain to them that they are having to make these repairs. Pressure from consumers does not seem to have any effect, but suppliers who may refuse to stock future models may?!