1. #1
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    Notebook NVidia Problem

    Hi guys,

    I have problems with my laptop's graphics.

    System Specs are HP Pavillion dv6870, T8100 cpu, nVidia 8400m gs gpu, 2 gb ram, XP Professional sp3

    I sometimes get the BSOD saying nv4_disp caused the problem (the driver), sometimes the system freezes, I always get flickering/wierd spots/etc on the screen before that.

    The problem seems to lie within DirectDraw, because when I use DXDiag to test that, the flickering starts.
    It also does when I:
    -When I start Firefox, after very few moments, random pink lines appear (but they somewhat seem to follow the site being displayed, so not like the lines you get when your display itself is broken), soon before the flickering etc etc.
    -When I start WoW, it will freak out and freeze as early as the login screen, or the character screen.

    I have tried the newest and 2nd newest driver from the nvidia homepage, sadly HP doesn't display provide drivers for XP for this PC, with all the same effect.

    I now run the notebook on standard display drivers, this way at least I can browse the internet (so far no issues). Ofc this isn't an optimal solution, having no directWhatever support (wow ofc says "no suitable display device detected").

    So, is that some wierd driver or maybe OS issue? Or do I have to face the fact that the gpu is broken?

  2. #2
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    I think the card might be broke, or overheating.

    Edit: Also, playing on a 8400m GS? I feel your pain, I played WoW on a 8400M G for over a year, shit lags even on lowest settings at 1080p.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Prixie View Post
    I think the card might be broke, or overheating.
    Shizzle. I have read that that card tends to break easily -.- Is there any way to test if the card is really physically broken? or does dxdiag do that and I already proved it?

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tearor View Post
    Shizzle. I have read that that card tends to break easily -.- Is there any way to test if the card is really physically broken? or does dxdiag do that and I already proved it?
    Run a tool called ATITool, it's an overclocking utility but it has artifact scanning, if it shows up with any errors, your card is broken.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Prixie View Post
    Run a tool called ATITool, it's an overclocking utility but it has artifact scanning, if it shows up with any errors, your card is broken.
    shit, lots of them. before it freezes. (Driver had to be installed for the artifact scan to do anything, w/o the driver it didn't do anything).
    With artifacts in it, I guess downclocking or whatever the gpu wouldn't help either?

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tearor View Post
    shit, lots of them. before it freezes. (Driver had to be installed for the artifact scan to do anything, w/o the driver it didn't do anything).
    With artifacts in it, I guess downclocking or whatever the gpu wouldn't help either?
    You could try and downclock it, but I'm guessing that won't help much, other than reduce the ammount of artifacts created.

    The 8400m GS is a dedicated card 99% of the time though. It's an MXM-II type slot if I'm not mistaken. If you look around on ebay you might be able to replace it, or upgrade it with a 8600m GT, which uses the same slot. (That is, if you're comfortable opening up the notebook).

  7. #7
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    Thanks a lot for your answers.
    I will have a look how much these gpus are. Sadly, the problems I mentioned (gpu breaks easily according to the internet) are true for both the 8400 and the 8600, but if they're not too expensive, I might give it a shot, I have no problems with opening the notebook.

    ---------- Post added 2011-08-09 at 12:45 PM ----------

    also, just to confirm that:

    if the card is broken, is it normal that I can run the notebook on standard drivers with no problems (other than having no directWhatever support, so no wow)?

  8. #8
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    I've read that it is a common problem for 8xxx series nvidia cards. It is caused by overheating. I have 8600M GS with the similar problem. I was able to temporarily fix it by blowing hot air on the GPU (the GPU is easily accessible in my laptop). Then I replaced my cooler and it was fine fore some months and now it started again. Now I just unscrew the cooler and unplug the cooler fan, hold it apart from GPU chip so it is not able to cool it at all. While doing that I power on my laptop so it would freeze because of overheating. When it freezes I just turn it off, put the cooler on tight again and next time I boot the laptop It is all ok for some days

    I think hp-s have their coolers inacessible without removing the motherboard so in your case it would not be the easiest thing to try. If you are comfortable in trying this maybe you can use some software to force your cooler fan to be off and maybe cause overheating to your GPU chip by doing that.

    There are risks that you can harm your CPU or motherboard by doing this. In my case, I don't care, I just try to push the last life I can out of my laptop.

    Quote Originally Posted by Prixie View Post
    If you look around on ebay you might be able to replace it, or upgrade it with a 8600m GT
    Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but arent those GPUs integrated on motherboard thus making them irreplaceable? At least I know mine is. So you would have to get a new motherboard, which is not cheap and probably has the same thing incoming in near future.
    Last edited by mmocfd7bf7069a; 2011-08-09 at 12:52 PM.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by tmt View Post
    Now I just unscrew the cooler and unplug the cooler fan, hold it apart from GPU chip so it is not able to cool it at all. While doing that I power on my laptop so it would freeze because of overheating. When it freezes I just turn it off, put the cooler on tight again and next time I boot the laptop It is all ok for some days

    I think hp-s have their coolers inacessible without removing the motherboard so in your case it would not be the easiest thing to try. If you are comfortable in trying this maybe you can use some software to force your cooler fan to be off and maybe cause overheating to your GPU chip by doing that.

    There are risks that you can harm your CPU or motherboard by doing this. In my case, I don't care, I just try to push the last life I can out of my laptop.

    EDIT: Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but arent those GPUs integrated on motherboard thus making them irreplaceable? At least I know mine is. So you would have to get a new motherboard, which is not cheap and probably has the same thing incoming in near future.
    Yeah replacing is nothing I would consider now that I see the prices, even more if I had to replace the mobo.

    What you were doing with your GPU I don't quite understand, why do you force an instant freeze?

    I think, if that works, I will just use the laptop without the driver, even though I still don't quite understand why the broken gpu doesn't give me any problems there.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tearor View Post
    Yeah replacing is nothing I would consider now that I see the prices, even more if I had to replace the mobo.

    What you were doing with your GPU I don't quite understand, why do you force an instant freeze?
    Causing it to get overheated resolved my problem for some time, so I caused it to overheat on purpose. As I've read somewhere about this cause-solution it goes something like this: Originally the problem starts because some microscopic contacts in the GPU get overheated and then break when cooling down. And when you cause another overheating these contacts get joint together again and GPU works again for some time. Might be completely wrong, but that's what I've read and it is working for me so far

    And I also downclocked my GPU and it does seem to be a little more stable and last longer now without needing to be forced to overheat (about 5 days straight now )
    Last edited by mmocfd7bf7069a; 2011-08-09 at 01:05 PM.

  11. #11
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    hmmm.
    When I have the nvidia driver installed, the graphic errors (pink pixels) start as soon as the startup, It shouldn't be overheating then.
    When I use the standard driver, no errors. Do I not use the gpu then at all?

  12. #12
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    You do use it with standard driver, but at low resolution and it does not get stressed enough to show graphic errors.
    It will not overheat at startup of course, but the damage is already done by previous overheat that is why it starts to show artifacts as soon as it gets to higher resolution. You can try if you can lose the artifacts with correct driver when you switch to very low resolution to prove this.

  13. #13
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    I can use it at 1200x800 (native) with the standard driver, no problem there. Also as I said, with the driver installed, the errors start immediately, without doing anything stressful (or at all).
    And isn't the fact that the artifact scan dinged a lot and then crashed the system enough to prove that the gpu is damaged?

  14. #14
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    Yeah, you're right, damage to GPU does not need proving any more.
    In case someone knows any other less risky way they should post it here, otherwise you could do as I did and try to cause the GPU to overheat and see if that helps or you could use the laptop for internets only (which I do now as well, because my problem has progressed so far that GPU can't handle more than couple of minutes of gaming).

    And this morning I got BSOD at startup twice saying something about nvidia driver. Then I logged into safe mode, did nothing there, restarted and booted normally and all is fine now. Strange...

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by tmt View Post

    And this morning I got BSOD at startup twice saying something about nvidia driver. Then I logged into safe mode, did nothing there, restarted and booted normally and all is fine now. Strange...
    Yep I did this, too, but the problem occurred far too early again to make this a work-around.
    I am now installing WoW on my old laptop (Turion ML-32 lol), installer says the cpu is too slow, canirunit says my cpu is too slow even for vanilla, but I had used that one far into TBC..... so I'll give it a try, to at least be able to get my mail

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