NVIDIA GPU Update: NVIDIA Class Action Settlement and Limited Warranty Enhancement

This is my fifth post on the topic of the NVIDIA GPU issue. For those customers who are reading about this for the first time, please refer to my previous post from 2008 that ties each of the earlier posts together. I have closed the comment thread on those earlier posts, so if you have questions or comments, you can respond here.

Some of you may have read the recent news regarding the NVIDIA class action settlement in sites like CNETElectronista and Ubergizmo. This class action lawsuit covers systems purchased in the United States only. More information regarding the settlement can be obtained at www.nvidiasettlement.com. The complete list of affected systems from Dell and other manufacturers can be found here on the NVIDIA settlement site. Other information like Court Documents and Important Dates and Deadlines can be found there as well.

The last time I blogged about the global warranty enhancement policy regarding this issue back in September 2008, I explained that Dell offered customers a worldwide 12-month limited warranty enhancement specific to this NVIDIA GPU issue. The NVIDIA settlement does not change that policy.

Here's more of what I shared then:

"Again, the limited warranty enhancement is specific to this issue and will extend coverage by 12 months from the date the original warranty term for the laptop expires. For example, one-year warranties will be extended to 24 months for this issue only. The maximum combined period for the initial warranty and the limited-warranty enhancement is 60 months. Systems purchased with 60-month warranties will not be extended. Customers whose warranties have expired will be eligible for this limited warranty enhancement from the date the initial warranty expired."

This extra year is in addition to the date your default system warranty expired.

Here are the Dell systems that may experience the NVIDIA GPU issue over time:

Dell Product Name

Dell Precision M2300 Latitude D630 Vostro Notebook 1700
Dell Precision M4300 Latitude D630c Vostro Notebook 1710
Dell Precision M6300 Latitude D820 XPS M1210
Dell Precision M65 Latitude D830 XPS M1330
Inspiron 1420 Vostro Notebook 1310 XPS M1530
Inspiron E1705/ 9400 Vostro Notebook 1400 XPS M1710
Latitude D620 Vostro Notebook 1510 XPS M1730

Customers who have questions about the NVIDIA class action settlement can go to http://nvidiasettlement.com, call 1-877-440-7557, or write to the NVIDIA GPU Litigation Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 6177, Novato, CA 94948-6177.

Customers outside the United States who have one of the above systems that is exhibiting video failures, please contact Dell Technical Support. Here’s how to do it:

  • Go to support.dell.com
  • At the very bottom of the page, select your country in the Choose a Country/Region field
  • Choose Contact Us on the left hand side
  • Click on the More Details link in the Contact Technical Support section
  • Click on the green Telephone button under the Call Tech Support section

If you are a US customer, here’s how to contact Dell in the United States:

  1. Phone: Customers in the United States can go to the Contact Technical Support page to choose from several options, including Call Technical Support.
  2. Twitter: Please follow and then reach out to @DellCares
  3. Facebook: Fill out the Dell Support for Facebook Fans form (this requires you to have a Facebook account)

I apologize for any frustration that this issue has caused any of you. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Dell in the ways I mention above, or share your thoughts below.

About the Author: Lionel Menchaca