A31P - video ram defect ??

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fwinkler · #1 Post by **fwinkler** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 3:48 pm

How can i determine that the video memory / ram of my A31P is defect?

Symptom:
Sporadically the content of my screen gets scrumbled in a way, that for example if i have a big white area (empty word document) the screen shows randomly red artecacts all over the screen. if i move the mouse they are moving. It could happen, that i can work for hours without that effekt, and sometimes i have the effect from the beginning of my working session.

What have i done so far?
I've changed screen resolution and color depth.
To exclude that it is an software issue, i have booted an ubuntu linux from a live cd, with the same effects.
I've changed the memory modules.
I've created a screenshot, loaded the image into photoshop and i got the artecacts as an bitmap. This excludes that the lcd (single transistors) is defect.

Currently i've no access to an external display, to verify that this is an video-card issue.

Lets assume this is a video-ram issue, do i have to exchange the whole motherboard? If yes, how much does this cost?

Thanks in advance.

Frank

#2 Post by **BillMorrow** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 12:36 am

fwinkler wrote:...
Lets assume this is a video-ram issue, do i have to exchange the whole motherboard? If yes, how much does this cost?

i believe so, on an A31p, not all that much..
but to be sure, get the HMM and check it out..
go here:
http://www-306.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/home.do

type in your machine type and model # and then select publications and hardware maintenance manual..
its in PDF format..

rajm · #3 Post by **rajm** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 1:37 am

Unfortunately, genuine A31p system boards run around $500-700

fwinkler · #4 Post by **fwinkler** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 7:48 am

thanks to alll, but one question left.

You didn't mention, if you aggree with the fact, that i'm assume that the videoram is defect. The Thinkpad is working perfectly. Running SAP Systems wich are consuming almost everything of my 2GB Memory; no problem. VMWare altough no problem. I want avoid to buy a new Motherboard, and realize then, that it was something like a defect cable, or a bad connection between the MB and the display.

I'm a right with my thought, that if a take a screenshot with SnagIt or so, and have the artefacts in the jpg, than this 'information' was stored in the video-ram, and is not an issue of an non working lcd.

Thanks again.

@Bill - i'm located in germany, as mentioned in my profile. to be more specific i'm living in a town called reutlingen, which is near stuttgart (--> porsche, mercedes..

)

proaudioguy · #5 Post by **proaudioguy** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 2:04 am

WHile I cannot tell you if it is video ram, I can tell you it is NOT the LCD or the invertor board or whatever, that are mounted with the LCD. It is not the LCD cable either.

I have 2 A31. 1 with this problem and one without (so far). I have switched the screens/ cable/ etc as one complete part, and the problem stays with the same MB. I only wish it was a cable or invertor.

Incidently I bought the second machine because it was bugging me on the first.

Milos · #6 Post by **Milos** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 1:22 am

fwinkler wrote:How can i determine that the video memory / ram of my A31P is defect?

Symptom:
Sporadically the content of my screen gets scrumbled in a way, that for example if i have a big white area (empty word document) the screen shows randomly red artecacts all over the screen. if i move the mouse they are moving. It could happen, that i can work for hours without that effekt, and sometimes i have the effect from the beginning of my working session.
... [snip] ...

I have had this problem with my A31 with two consecutive motherboards. It is indeed a motherboard (i.e. graphics card) issue. I verified with external displays, etc, that it wasn't the LCD. The first motherboard got replaced under warranty, and the funny dots went away. Now a year and a half later or so, the new motherboard has once or twice on occasion done it to me. (In the meantime, I had to have the LCD changed also, because its backlight blew, but that was unrelated. So, with two LCDs I've seen the dots, and from when the dots appeared, they're surely graphics card related.

You can find the error in video memory by running a PC Doctor for Windows test of the video memory. It has found an error both times I've had this problem. I can keep using the machine though.

Anyway, it makes me wonder why this seems to happen with A31s.. I've wondered if the heating of the machine is detrimental to the health of the graphics chips.. my machine really cooks.. It runs at ~60C at normal levels and 85-90 when using the CPU 100%.

Milos

fwinkler · #7 Post by **fwinkler** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 8:10 am

I expected that this is a mb issue, so i've tried to get some information from ibm/lenovo about the repair cost, but they won't give me any helpful information. I expect 1200 - 1500 €, which is way to far for a 4 year old laptop.

The temperature of my machine has never been an issue. I'm working almost 10 h a day, two harddisks, 2 GB Ram and a lot of CPU / RAM hungry applications (SAP System)

So now i'm waiting for the MB, and hopefully i'm able to swap it. I have the HW Maintenance Manuel.

Frank

A31P - video ram defect ??

A31P - video ram defect ??

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Re: A31P - video ram defect ??

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