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Graphics Software Hardware Entertainment Games

Nvidia To Recall Every 8800 GTX/GTS Card 134

Posted by Zonk from the cardtastrophie dept.
SlashRating©
42
slashdottit! tm
Bill Stubbs writes "NVIDIA has admitted to a killer bug in all GeForce 8800GTX/GTS cards, and will recall all affected cards and replace them. 'An NVIDIA engineer, who wishes to remain anonymous, has just clued us in on the whole deal. This engineer claims that while allegations of poor gaming performance are correct, the reason is not really poor drivers. Brace yourself for the truth: Right after the G80 was taped out, NVIDIA discovered a bug in the vertex shader that causes the GPU to generate slightly incorrect geometry transformation data. The difference was minimal enough to escape attention but it was significant enough to render a scene incorrectly.' The article also links to a secret website which will allow gamers to purchase Nvidia cards at cost."
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Nvidia To Recall Every 8800 GTX/GTS Card More

Nvidia To Recall Every 8800 GTX/GTS Card

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  • *whew* (Score:4, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 01, 2007 @03:44AM (#18564619)
    Well, at least I won't have to worry about that problem because I have my awesome Radeon 9200 32MB. Thanks, Apple!
    • Would expect better from Slashdot.

      Oh wait.. nevermind.

  • Here we go... (Score:3, Informative)

    by StarvingSE ( 875139 ) on Sunday April 01, 2007 @03:45AM (#18564627)
    Happy April 1st everyone.... fp

    • Re: (Score:1, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Last year's pink make over was better. I weep for past joys.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Evets ( 629327 )
      Your vote in the Slashdottit system will help insure the best stories are presented to our readers, with hyper accurate numbers to indicate their relevance and general awesomeness. Only by requiring the contribution of every random user of the internet can we guarantee the most scientifically perfect numbers will be generated. These numbers will guarantee that every story that appears on Slashdot will be interesting, insightful, and flawless. Vote early, vote often.

      I saw those things and I thought to myself

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Agret ( 752467 )
      The page admitting that it's just an April Fools: http://www.techarp.com/0104.htm [techarp.com]
    • Personaly I think it's pretty discusting that they put a artical out like this knowing full well in the internet world ripples like this take a long time to dispel and will no doubt be paraded as truth for some time.

      The thing that makes me sick about it, is the fact they used it as a cheap publicity stunt advertising their BIOS's. Nothing wrong with stunts but when they intentionaly harm another companys reputation to sell a few bios's, well........I hope they get their ass sued off.

  • Whoa (Score:5, Insightful)

    by The Bungi ( 221687 ) <thebungi@gmail.com> on Sunday April 01, 2007 @03:49AM (#18564653) Homepage
    I know this is April Fool's and all, and it looks like this year we were spared the pink ponies, but isn't this a tad close to starting a harmful rumor? People are stupid, and nVidia is a publicly traded company. I think there's enough crap to make fun of without having to resort to this type of thing? Just IMO.

    • So what? (Score:3, Interesting)

      by TransEurope ( 889206 )
      There are more earthshaking News around. Se there http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/87582 [heise.de] (german). The Mozilla Foundation wants 1.4 Billion US$ from Microsoft because of a patent registered in 1922. :-D
    • Actually, according to Google this is authentic news [google.com.au]

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by suv4x4 ( 956391 )
      I know this is April Fool's and all, and it looks like this year we were spared the pink ponies, but isn't this a tad close to starting a harmful rumor? People are stupid, and nVidia is a publicly traded company. I think there's enough crap to make fun of without having to resort to this type of thing? Just IMO.

      You know, expecting real news on a news site doesn't make you stupid.

      What makes you stupid is posting lies on your news site just because it's "April's Fool's day" or something of that sort.

      And what

      • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

        by alfrin ( 858861 )
        What makes you stupid is posting lies on your news site just because it's "April's Fool's day" or something of that sort.

        Last time I checked the whole April Fools articles has been a tradition here on Slashdot and most members here are well aware of it and, dare I saw, enjoy trying to sort out the real articles from the fakes. Do you expect the complete truth out of the news anyways? Or on an internet news site?

        Chill out

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by suv4x4 ( 956391 )
          ... most members here are well aware of it and, dare I saw ...

          someone's confusing April's fools day with Halloween here.

        • Re: (Score:1)

          by nomadic ( 141991 ) *
          members here are well aware of it and, dare I saw, enjoy trying to sort out the real articles from the fakes.

          Yeah, that's such an amazing intellectual challenge...

      • Re: (Score:1, Funny)

        by Anonymous Coward
        Maybe not, but reacting/responding solely to a headline without context does, in fact, require one to be stupid - a fool, even.

        • Re: (Score:1, Troll)

          by suv4x4 ( 956391 )

          Maybe not, but reacting/responding solely to a headline without context does, in fact, require one to be stupid - a fool, even.

          The fools are the people wasting their time to read the crap Slashdot feeds us, not just today, but every day.

          I have better things to do with my time, so I'm banning it from my news sources. Honestly, I'm already so sick of arguing with kids and clarifying poorly written article summaries anyway.

          If left to the majority of Slashdotters, Slashdot will feature daily joke articles, free

      • Re: (Score:1, Funny)

        by Anonymous Coward

        You know, expecting real news on a news site doesn't make you stupid.

        What makes you stupid is posting lies on your news site just because it's "April's Fool's day" or something of that sort.

        Note to friends of suv4x4:

        Never pull a prank on suv4x4. Instead of laughing, suv4x4 will whine and complain about the "lies" you told.

        Never watch The Simpsons with suv4x4. Instead of enjoying a good show, suv4x4 will complain about Bart Simpson still looking 10 years old, even though he should be about 30 years old by now (debut on Tracy Ullman show in 1987).

        Never invite suv4x4 to any parties. Suv4x4 is guaranteed to be a downer.

        For fuck's sake! It's April 1st. Lighten up, suv4x4. And choose a less

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by suv4x4 ( 956391 )
          Never watch The Simpsons with suv4x4. Instead of enjoying a good show, suv4x4 will complain about Bart Simpson still looking 10 years old, even though he should be about 30 years old by now (debut on Tracy Ullman show in 1987).

          I wonder how many more years it'll take YOU to grow older than 10 year old. The Simpsons isn't aired during CNN Breaking News report, there's no deception.

          But explaining the difference to a 10 year old is tough.

      • Re: (Score:2, Interesting)

        by kjart ( 941720 )

        You know, expecting real news on a news site doesn't make you stupid.

        No, but not understanding it's a joke does make you stupid. Sorry.

        What makes you stupid is posting lies on your news site just because it's "April's Fool's day" or something of that sort.

        I know, something untrue on the internet - frankly, I'm shocked.

        • Re: (Score:1)

          by suv4x4 ( 956391 )
          No, but not understanding it's a joke does make you stupid. Sorry.

          Have you heard that truth is stranger than fiction? Looks at the articles today. Those who are "in" on the jokes think mostly all articles are jokes (even those that are NOT), and someone who's not aware of this idiocy may accept the lies for truth.

          If all our news sources were like that, then real news would be taken for a joke and people would be oblivious that they REALLY bought a deffective Nvidia.

          If you can perfectly deduce if a news is j

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by Crizp ( 216129 )

            If all our news sources were like that, then real news would be taken for a joke and people would be oblivious that they REALLY bought a deffective Nvidia.

            Today I read an article about a machine installed at an airport for automatically declaring and paying customs, so one doesn't have to deal with pesky uniformed personnel. It was demonstrated by our Minister of Finance. I think this is the year's April Fool's joke.

            In the 70's, NRK (Norwegian equivalent of Auntie Beeb) broadcast a story saying that the "Wi

      • You know, expecting real news on a news site doesn't make you stupid. What makes you stupid is posting lies on your news site just because it's "April's Fool's day" or something of that sort.
        No shiat. It's one thing when The Washington Post or CNN tell lies, but when I can't trust something I read on the internet, there's no hope left for society. Next you'll tell me that Barac Obama isn't a member of an Islamic terrorist organization.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by mikael ( 484 )
        Here's the actual admission that this is a April Fool's Joke

        The actual "secret page" [techarp.com]


        One Last Question...

        Congratulations! If you made it this far, we are pretty sure you are NOT an NVIDIA lawyer, or from ATI. Have a beer on us.

        We have just one more question for you... Do you know what day it is today?

        Yes, my friend, it's April 1st. Adrian's uncle was born on this day, but it's really more commonly known as April Fool's Day.

        Unfortunately, there is no secret page where you can buy cheap NVIDIA cards. How we wi

      • I know this is April Fool's and all, and it looks like this year we were spared the pink ponies, but isn't this a tad close to starting a harmful rumor?

        Well, I'd say people only call it a "harmful rumor" because it has the ring of truth. Not gullibility or anything, but the simple fact that the 8800 GTX driver situation has, indeed, been so deplorable, is what prompts folks to call this news a "harmful rumor". It's a sour reality for nVidia, of course; but, in all fairness, one of their own making.

    • I know this is April Fool's and all, and it looks like this year we were spared the pink ponies, but isn't this a tad close to starting a harmful rumor? People are stupid, and nVidia is a publicly traded company. I think there's enough crap to make fun of without having to resort to this type of thing? Just IMO.
      I totally agree with you!!!

      The absolute worst April Fools jokes are the ones that ACTUALLY FOOL PEOPLE!
      • Yeah man... I totally agree with u. The only ones who read this news article would in all probability already know its an April 1st joke. So who are they fooling
    • Investors should take a break on April 1st, and it's Sunday anyway. All effects to the stock of a company, if any, should be short lived as "sly" investors would rush back upon realisation of the joke hoping to benefit from the dip in price. Result is that the price would shoot back up, maybe even landing a coupla feet further than it was in the first place. Clowns.
    • Yeah, I've just bought an 8800GTX, in the UK. £350 is about $690; that's a lot of cash for a 16-year-old to be spending at once. Seeing that in your morning RSS feeds before thinking about the date is damn scary.

      Honestly, I was expecting something more to do with ponies and such, rather than cheap scare tactics.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by ddent ( 166525 )
      "but isn't this a tad close to starting a harmful rumor? People are stupid, and nVidia is a publicly traded company."

      So a better plan would be to start a harmful rumour against a small private company that is struggling?
      • All stories on April 1st should be ignored; if they're serious, they should be brought up the next day.

        It won't be long before April 1st jokes become a major engine for producing new libel & slander lawsuits.

  • 0104.htm (Score:2, Informative)

    by FMota91 ( 1050752 )
    Nice way for http://www.techarp.com/ [techarp.com] to try and sell us their products...

  • April Fool's Day (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Renraku ( 518261 ) on Sunday April 01, 2007 @03:56AM (#18564705) Homepage
    Just an excuse to be a lying asshole and get away with it. Much like alcohol, or drugs.

    • Mmm...beer. (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Kadin2048 ( 468275 )
      Much like alcohol, or drugs.

      So, in other words, you mean "awesome"?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by saskboy ( 600063 )
      "Just an excuse to be a lying asshole and get away with it. Much like alcohol, or drugs."

      But without the hang over, or jail time!

      Thank you Slashdot for providing a safe and effective fix!

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by DaFallus ( 805248 )
      Just an excuse to be a lying asshole and get away with it. Much like alcohol, or drugs.

      Not having a sense of humor; just an excuse to be an asshole and get away with it. Much like alcohol, or drugs. Get over yourself.

  • Mod me insightful for no particular reason (Score:4, Insightful)

    by aussie_a ( 778472 ) on Sunday April 01, 2007 @03:57AM (#18564711) Journal
    Come on. Come oooooon.
  • I give this story a Slashdottit rating of + Eleventy One

    Glad I don't own an NVidia anymore too ;-)
  • This could really boost the NVIDIA Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) [nvidia.com] hence number crunching projects like the Netflix Prize, which needs a second wind right about now due to a slowdown of progress in recent weeks [netflixprize.com]. This depends, of course, on the detected error not being critical to the programs compiled for the 8800 hardware by CUDA, and on NVIDIA making the returned 8800s available for CUDA programmers.
  • Articles like these are why I'll once again be staying away from the internet on April Fools Day.

    -signing off until 0001, 04-02-07

  • Fucking stupid (Score:3, Insightful)

    by d_jedi ( 773213 ) on Sunday April 01, 2007 @04:03AM (#18564755)
    nt.
  • If you RTFA you'll notice they tell you about a secret page you can reach by answering a quiz. Here's the link: http://www.techarp.com/0104.htm [techarp.com] Quote from it: "Unfortunately, there is no secret page where you can buy cheap NVIDIA cards. How we wish it were true though. Graphics cards are so very expensive."
  • From the article:

    NVIDIA might recall all affected cards and replace them right away with GeForce 8600 Ultra/GTS cards, and offer those affected a free day-trip to NVIDIA HQ and lunch with NVIDIA CEO and President, Huang Jen-Hsun.

    APRIL FOOLS!
  • Give me them any day ... just stop with these articles!!!

  • stupid tags (Score:4, Insightful)

    by OrangeTide ( 124937 ) on Sunday April 01, 2007 @04:35AM (#18564913) Homepage Journal
    I think I would enjoy the prank more if it didn't say aprilfools right on the slashdot tagging.

    • I think I would enjoy the prank more if it didn't say aprilfools right on the slashdot tagging.

      My sincere apologies...

      Would "omgponies" be more to your liking?
  • ... Happy lawsuit!
  • I was hoping Slashdot wouldn't participate this year, but ... Ugh.
  • ...Except the killer bug is called "Vista".

  • This is a good step, but support from nVidia in the past has been poor. I bought an nVidia 5700 two years ago and the driver hangs. This is known popularly as the "nv4_disp infinite loop bug". Searched on Google and many others have had the same problem. But you can't get anything done about it, and it affects the 6xxx and 7xxx series cards too.

    nVidia tell you to technical support requests must go to the OEM card maker. But all the OEM card maker does is slap chips on a board. They don't know about the inne
    • Hey, I had this problem for a while. The bug would "kick in" while playing Black and White 2. A hard system lock : made me fear a hardware problem.

      I made three changes, as suggested by googling, that seem to have fixed it. (I was getting the bug about once per hour in the game, I have not had the error since...which is just groovy, since it BSODs your whole box)

      I disabled write combining (troubleshoot tab of windows advanced display properties)

      I change a cache setting in the registry by adding another ke
      • Hey thanks for that ShooterNeo! I'll give it a shot. (hey: that pun was unintentional :-) Failing that manufacturers are producing AGP cards again so a shiny new ATI card is now an option.

  • I just submitted mine! (Score:4, Funny)

    by tacokill ( 531275 ) on Sunday April 01, 2007 @08:46AM (#18565971)
    I just submitted my card for return.

    I hope it comes back with a new pony. OMG Poni3Z!!!!!!
  • geforce 8800 have real problem with shadows, for example in oblivion and splinter cell double agent shadows are really aliased, while on call of juarez they flash continuosly
  • Why not pink ponies!? :( Actually in my nVidia 6600GT something in the 3D unit was cooked to death, and I even had the temp monitor on. When I installed Vista all I got was a giant unreadable psychedelic desktop. Now I have Direct3D off. :(

    For a millisecond, when I read "nVidia recall" - I saw hope. :(
  • Is this April Fools even technically plausible? I thought shaders were programs written by users to alter geometry/fragment processing. So there is no "vertex shader" on the card.
    • There really is a such a thing as a vertex shader, but it's not really plausible because nVidia could correct it by adding a hack to the drivers.
  • No drivers since Jan 10....

    fuckers. I knew it :)
  • ... only an insightful mod of +1 is keeping the corpse alive. An funny mod of +2 is keeping me from going zombie on the mother-fucking slashdot editors, although if I see some flame-bait out there ...
  • I have an XFX 8800GTX and ever since I installed that sucker, I've been getting BSODs out the arse. I've already had it replaced once; no dice. I've tried all the latest drivers; no dice. I've updated the BIOS, uninstalled and reinstalled the sound card, performed voodoo magic; no dice. Something is surely messed up here. My power supply is 620W and definitely enough to handle the card. I really don't understand what the hell is going on, but it's seriously unacceptable.
    • Is it an established brand name power supply? I've read that the cheap ones, and especially ones that come with cases, often aren't as "powerful" as advertized. Plus something about 12v rails and stuff that I don't really understand myself but will need to once I finally get around to building my new computer.
  • Man! That one reeled me right in. No jokes or sarcasm either. I even did the discount website thing. At least I didn't forward copies to friends who have 8800 cards.
  • Yeah, I bought it, until I looked at the comments, but you have to expect it, I just ordered an 8800 last night, and it had me scared.
  • Please Slashdot, one per category maximum! I want some actual news.

  • 42 (Score:1)

    by Kuvter ( 882697 )
    This post was rated 42, thats the only reason I read it.

    I searched and searched, but found no answer to life, /. you failed me again.

    Now I'm going to have to go to the bar again and see if any drunk chicks have the answer.
  • I just upgraded to a Geforce 8800GTS with the hopes of it being my last upgrade for a long time. Sadly when hooked up to my 46" Sharp Aquos 1080p TV, the 8800 overscans a bit. Now with my previous card, a Geforce 7600 I was able to simply use the HDTV Desktop Resize function of the nvidia drivers to fix the problem. This function does NOTHING on the 8800. Nvidia's website says: Question Overscan/Underscan setting does not work on Geforce 8800GTX/8800GTS Answer Overscan compensation is not supported

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