Dell Releases BIOS Updates for Failing Nvidia GPUs

Round Rock (TX) - Dell is offering BIOS updates to mitigate the effects of faulty GPUs shipped by Nvidia. The BIOS upgrade will not "repair" the GPU, but Dell hopes that the update will alleviate problems caused by the chip in most usage scenarios and make the Nvidia GPUs more usable.

Dell has prepped the BIOS update for ten notebook PCs in the Inspiron, Latitude, Precision, Vostro and XPS series and if you have a product that is affected by a failing GPU, flashing your BIOS is certainly a good idea. The update delivers what Dell calls "enhanced thermal control," which basically consists of a capability to moderate the fan speed to mitigate GPU temperature fluctuations.

It is a quick fix that will not correct the entire problem, which is based on a weak die packaging material set. Dell said that the update won’t be problem solution especially for those who already experience issues such as multiple images, random characters on the screen lines on the screen and no video playback capability.

Customers should contact customer service, which Dell promised will work on a case-by-case basis to resolve the issue. Depending on your warranty, you may have to send in your notebook or you could be entitled to on-site support, if you own a XPS system. Repair will generally require the motherboard to be exchanged, Dell spokeswoman Anne Camden told TG Daily. She declined to comment on the number of systems affected and the average repair cost.

However, Nvidia recently noted that it expects total the GPU issue to cost the company about $200 million.