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Nvidia's Taiwan-based graphics chip contract makers are being low-key after the US chip designer informed investors on July 3 that will take a charge of US$150-$200 million related to expenses stemming from issues discovered with die/packaging materials used in previous generation notebook products.

With Nvidia indicating that the problem is due to the packaging material used with some of its chips, which was compounded by the thermal design of some notebooks, industry sources in Taiwan believe the problem is most likely related to either the solder bumping process used by one (or more) of Nvidia's manufacturing partners or the company's PCB substrate supplier(s).

Sources at foreign institutional investors in Taiwan indicated that the defective products were Nvidia Geforce 8500M-series graphics chips launched in 2007, and that the problem was caused by related bump processing. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) and Siliconware Precision Industrial (SPIL) all provide bump processing services to Nvidia.

When ask for comment by Digitimes TSMC declined citing client confidentiality, while ASE and SPIL both claimed to know nothing about the issue because the defective chips are older generation products.

On the other hand, some industry insiders believe the problem might have been caused by PCB substrates supplied by Nay Ya Print Circuit Board (NPC) or Phoenix Precision Technology (PPT).

The sources speculated that the problem could be that the green paint used by NPC in PCB production might have lower than expected heat resistance, or that the adhesiveness of ABF (Ajinomoto Build-up Film)-based substrates produced by PPT might not be strong enough.

However, NPC and PPT both refuted the speculation saying their PCBs are not the components at fault.

What?!?

So should I buy this or an Alien m15x? I can't decide....

Fergetit, can't customize the laptop to get a better proc...

"Nvidia Geforce 8500M-series graphics chips launched in 2007" + "while ASE and SPIL both claimed to know nothing about the issue because the defective chips are older generation products"

Since when did the gap from 8500 to 8600, and now 8800 series GPU's in notebooks become an older generation? Besides, a T5550? Come on now! At least put a T7xxx series chip in there.

#3, Get the Alien m15x with the T9xxx series chip, or better yet the Core 2 Extreme X9000 if you can afford it At least you can upgrade these at the drop of a dime without completely tearing down the entire unit to swap the CPU.

Don't get a gaming laptop. I did once and it was a mistake.

processor should be better imo

I think I'll go for the m15x. It also has the super cool light up keyboard. I'll get it with the T8100 proc and buy an x9000 on ebay for about $500. This laptop is a little too big, and a little too weak...

That's great advice guys. Tell him to buy a laptop that cost 3 grands instead. Ppl who can afford a 3 grand laptop don't visit bens.

#1, Just beause it lists for 3 grand, doesn't mean you need to spend that to obtain the same specs. I swear some of these posters were born dropped on their head!

The cpu on this machine is very easy to upgrade. Got to this link:

http://www.notebookforums.com/thread212385.html

The cpu install tutorial is towards the bottom.