Dell complaints

DPK07 · Discovering Dellhate Joined: 01 Jun 2009 Posts: 3

Hello,

I have a Dell XPS 420 with the following stuff in it:

Windows Vista™ Home Premium - 32bit
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz (4 CPUs), ~2.4GHz
3070MB RAM
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX

I was recently on Facebook and got a bunch of squiggly red lines across my screen (a bit diagonally) and my computer froze. Nothing I did got rid of these, but after shutting off my computer overnight everything seemed fine again.

These lines now appear whenever I try and play games online (Supreme Commander, relatively graphic intense) and my computer freezes. It also randomly freezes during normal Internet use/activity offline/computer boot-up, always screwing up the image on the screen in some way. I figure it's a problem with my graphics card but am not sure.

When I hit F12 while my computer is booting and run the general test, it says the error code is 0F00:131C and says 'Msg Block 0: non-recoverable hardware error (unknown sensecode).

Anyone able to help/comment on this one?

Thanks in advance.

GTSL1RR · Journeyman Dellhater Joined: 22 Jan 2005 Posts: 30

sounds like a bad hard drive. backup whatever you can asap. if you're out of warranty you can pick up a substantially sized hdd off newegg for <$100

diashto · Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2009 7:16 am Post subject:

Which test is it throwing that error up on you?

You may want to contact Dell support and get drive replaced, if it is the drive. Tell the phone/chat support person the error code adn they should be able to look it up and tell you what it is.

HellResident · Chancellor of Dellhateology Joined: 20 Nov 2005 Posts: 245

Sounds more like barbequed video ram.Have em diagnose.You're under warranty, but presumable too late to send it back.
HellResident

DPK07 · Discovering Dellhate Joined: 01 Jun 2009 Posts: 3

I bought the computer about 1 1/3 years ago, and I think I was only covered for a year ..... can't seem to find any reference to this error code on the Internet either.

Thanks for the help so far, and if anyone has any definate clue as to what might be the problem feel free to add anything ... it seems to have stopped happening except when I play my games, which unfortunately is pretty much the only thing I wanted this computer for :-S

poormanq45 · Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2009 11:40 pm Post subject:

The videocard is overheating.

OEMs seem to choose highend videocards that use stock, or less then stock cooling setups on their videocards.

The 8800 series had overheating issues.

Rocke_T_Sinetist · Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2009 11:15 am Post subject:

This is the answer. The giveaway is the diagonal lines and freeze. No drive failure can cause this. Take the side off and point a desk fan at the innards. If that solves it, you know with certainty what it is.

If you are still in warranty Dell should replace the graphics adapter. But procedurally they are reluctant to replace anything. They will have you reinstall Windows a half dozen times first, which obviously won't do anything but waste a couple weeks of your time. By this process they get a large number of warranty callers to give up and either live with the problem or fix it themselves. That is the actual mission statement of Dell tech support, in practice.

If you're not in warranty, or just don't want to get 1000 times more aggravated than you are already, go buy another retail graphics adapter.
_________________
Rocke T Sinetist
as in, 'it doesn't take a...'

DPK07 · Discovering Dellhate Joined: 01 Jun 2009 Posts: 3

thanks a ton ... I just replaced my graphic card and power supply, everything is working fine now Very Happy

(not under warrantee)

Rocke_T_Sinetist · Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 9:10 pm Post subject:

The dealer parts are under warranty for 30-90 days. And you already know, Dell warranty isn't worth the bandwidth it takes to invoke it.
_________________
Rocke T Sinetist
as in, 'it doesn't take a...'

poormanq45 · Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 7:34 pm Post subject:

Good job. Hopefully you upgraded to something nice Smile