Canadians should NOT buy NVIDIA graphics products

Just a heads up... if you're considering a new computer, DO NOT BUY ONE WITH AN NVIDIA GRAPHICS CHIP, as NIVIDA won't support you just because you're Canadian.

There's a $2 MILLION dollar class action lawsuit against NVIDIA in the US, filed by customers of various laptop vendors who purchased units with a NVIDIA graphics processor. ("GPU") NVIDIA has chosen to settle the suit, and will be compensating customers with affected units. Details on the settlement can be found at www.nvidiasettlement.com.

I have one of the affected units, an HP PAVILION dv9000 series laptop, model number GA359UA. (just in case you want to look it up on the site to verify) I have had for three years the exact symptoms as reported in the suit... I go to turn the laptop on, and the screen is blank, but the laptop is still working, just no image on the screen. Anyway, I have been officially advised by NVIDIA that because we're Canadian, they're not going to do anything for us... too bad, so sad, you're outta luck cause your Canadian.

Well, that's not sitting right with me... and since I have a blog, one that gets a pretty high Google hit count when I post I.T. related stuff, I'm going to do something about it.

If you're considering an NVIDIA equiped unit... DON'T BUY IT. Go with an ATI or Intel graphics equiped unit. ATI has a strong Canadian presence, I I highly doubt they'd try to pull something like this.

Just for some perspective here, of how BIG a problem this is for NVIDIA... if you've bought ANY one of these computer, you may have a ticking time bomb on your hands... from Dell, to HP, to Compaq, right up to high end Apple units...

Dell Notebook Computers
PLATFORM NAME PURCHASE DATE RANGES SERVICE TAG NUMBER
Dell Inspiron 1420 May 2007 – September 30, 2008 Please click here to find out if your notebook computer is affected by the settlement.
Dell Inspiron 9400/E1705 March 2006 – February 28, 2010
Dell Latitude D620 December 2005 – November 30, 2008
Dell Latitude D630 February 2007 – September 30, 2008
Dell Latitude D630c February 2007 – September 30, 2008
Dell Latitude D820 November 2005 – March 31, 2008
Dell Latitude D830 March 2007 – September 30, 2008
Dell Precision M2300 August 2007 – September 30, 2008
Dell Precision M4300 March 2007 – September 30, 2008
Dell Precision M6300 December 2007 – March 31, 2009
Dell Precision M65 November 2005 – January 31, 2008
Dell Vostro 1700 March 2007 – September 30, 2008
Dell Vostro Notebook 1310 December 2007 – September 30, 2008
Dell Vostro Notebook 1400 May 2007 – September 30, 2008
Dell Vostro Notebook 1510 December 2007 – September 30, 2008
Dell Vostro Notebook 1710 January 2008 – July 31, 2008
Dell XPS M1210 March 2006 – November 30, 2008
Dell XPS M1330 March 2007 – September 30, 2008
Dell XPS M1530 September 2007 – January 31, 2009
Dell XPS M1710 March 2006 – February 28, 2010
Dell XPS M1730 November 2007 – January 31, 2009

HP-Compaq Notebook or Tablet Computers
PLATFORM NAME PURCHASE DATE RANGES PRODUCT IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
HP Pavilion dv20xx March 2006 – December 31, 2008 ES745AV; ES 746AV; ES817AV; ES826AV; ES892AV; EZ643UA; EZ644UA; EZ645UA; EZ648UA; EZ649UA; EZ672UA; EZ674UA; EZ675UA; EZ676UA; EZ677UA; EZ678UA; EZ679UA; EZ680UA; EZ681UA; GD275AV; RD140AV; RD153AV; RK416AV; RK434AV*
Compaq Presario v30xx March 2006 – October 31, 2008
HP Pavilion dv21xx March 2006 – December 31, 2008 EY045AV; EY046AV; EY047AV; EY048AV; RG404UA; RG406UA; RG407UA; RG408UA; RG411UA; RG413UA; RG414UA; RG415UA*
Compaq Presario v31xx March 2006 – October 31, 2008
HP Pavilion dv22xx/dv23xx March 2006 – December 31, 2008 GA154UA; GA155UA; RD856AV; RD857AV; RD858AV; RD859AV; RE205AV; RE206AV; RP408UA; RP409UA; RP410UA; RP412UA; RP413UA; RP415UA; RU767UA; RU768UA; RU769UA; RV322UA; RV323UA; RV324UA; RV325UA; RV326UA; RV327UA; RV328UA; RZ833PA*
Compaq Presario v32xx/v33xx March 2006 – October 31, 2008
HP Pavilion dv24xx March 2006 – December 31, 2008 GA532UA; GA533UA; GA534UA; GA535; GA536; GA537UA; GM035UA; GM037UA; GM038UA; GM039UA; GM040UA; RX692AV; RX693AV; RX694AV*
Compaq Presario v34xx March 2006 – October 31, 2008
HP Pavilion dv90xx May 2006 – November 30, 2008 EW635AV; EW680AV; EX988AV; EZ452UA; EZ453UA; EZ456UA; EZ457UA; EZ458UA; EZ459UA; EZ460UA; EZ461UA; EZ462UA; EZ468UA; EZ470UA; EZ471UA; RG139AS; RG564AV; RG931AS*
HP Pavilion dv92xx/dv93xx May 2006 – November 30, 2008 GA074UA; GA075UA; GA076UA; GA077UA; GA078UA; RD860AV; RG565AV; RL015AV; RP114UA; RP115UA; RP116UA; RP122UA; RU312UA; RU313UA; RU314UA; RU971UA; RU972UA; RU974UA; RU975UA; RW113AS*
HP Pavilion dv94xx May 2006 – November 30, 2008 GA354UA; GA355UA; GA356UA; GA358UA; GA359UA; GA361UA; GD545AV; GD574AV; GL880UA; GL885UA; GL886UA; GL887UA; GL888UA; GL889UA; GL890UA; GL891UA; GL892UA; RX944AV*
HP Pavilion dv60xx May 2006 – April 30, 2009 EW434AV; EW435AV; EW468AV; EW585AV; EW586AV; EW618AV; EZ472UA; EZ473UA; EZ474UA; EZ475UA; EZ502UA; EZ503UA; RE603AS; RE606AS*
Compaq Presario v60xx May 2006 – October 31, 2008
HP Pavilion dv61xx May 2006 – April 30, 2009 EX991AV; EX992AV; EX992AV; EX994AV; GD536AV; RD167AV; RD181AV; RG253UA; RG254UA; RG264UA; RG265UA; RG266UA; RG267UA; RG272UA; RG273UA; RG274UA; RG279UA; RG282UA; RG286UA; RG287UA; RG289UA; RG290UA; RG293UA; RG294UA; RG298UA; RG563AV; RG568AV; RK415AV; RM662LA; RN906UA; RN907UA; RN910UA; RN911UA; RN914UA; RN926UA; RN927UA*
Compaq Presario v61xx May 2006 – October 31, 2008
HP Pavilion dv62xx/dv63xx May 2006 – April 30, 2009 GA212UA; GA213UA; GA215UA; GA218UA; GA219UA; GA231UA; GA232UA; GA233UA; GA235UA; GA238UA; GA451UA; GA452UA; GA673AV; RD861AV; RD862AV; RD863AV; RD864AV; RD865AV; RJ637AV; RK654AV; RK664AV; RP153UA; RP154UA; RP156UA; RP158UA; RP160UA; RP162UA; RP164UA; RP165UA; RP168UA; RP203UA; RP211UA; RP287UA; RU676UA; RU677UA; RU678UA; RU679UA; RV003UA; RV004UA; RV005UA; RV009UA; RV010UA; RV011UA; RV012UA; RV013UA; RV018UA; RV020UA; RV052UA; RV053UA; RW114AS; RW115AS*
Compaq Presario v62xx/v63xx May 2006 – October 31, 2008
HP Pavilion dv64xx May 2006 – April 30, 2009 GA442UA; GA443UA; GA444UA; GA445UA; GA447UA; GA448UA; GA 449UA; GA450UA; GA454UA; GA456UA; GA458UA; GD661AV; RX950AV; RX951AV; GA462UA; GL896UA; GL909UA; GL910UA; GL911UA; GN202AV; GD662AV; GL912UA; GL913UA; GL914UA; GL915UA; GL916UA; RX945AV; RX947AV; GL917UA; GL925UA; GL926UA; KA249UA; KA250UA; RX946AV; RX948AV*
Compaq Presario v64xx May 2006 – October 31, 2008
Compaq Presario F500 October 2006 – September 30, 2008 RZ326UA; RZ327UA; RZ329UA; RZ330UA; RZ335UA; RZ340UA; GF593UA; GF596UA; GF602UA; GF606UA; GF606UA#AVA; GD598AV; GL935UA; RS499AV; RS500AV

HP Pavilion Tx1xxx
(tablet computer) March 2007 – May 31, 2008
PLEASE NOTE: All HP Pavilion Tx1xxx models purchased between March 2007 and May 31, 2008 are eligible to participate in the settlement, regardless of the Product Identification Number displayed on the computer. If you choose to file a claim, you will still need to complete a Claim Form and provide the required information, but you will not be required to provide a Product Identification Number.

* If the notebook product number is listed here, it is included as a Class Notebook computer whether the product number does or does not contain the letter "R" or "#ABA."

Apple MacBook Pro Computers
PLATFORM NAME PURCHASE DATE RANGES SERIAL NUMBERS
Apple MacBook Pro (15-inch) May 2007 – September 2008 Please click here to find out if your notebook computer is affected by the settlement.
Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch) May 2007 – September 2008

For some perspective... this is about as big as the Toyota recalls from earlier this year... although laptop user's safety isn't in question here.