I am wondering if it is just the 32 meg cards that are affected or the 64 ones werent. If it is then it looks to be a design flaw. ATI should replace them for free. Anyone with a 64 meg card that were getting screen pixelations as well and had to replace them???
64MB *replaced*
It worked downclocked to 150/150mhz for 2,5 years.
My 64mb y67'd on me. I replaced it with an Ebay card since HP wouldn't tak to meabout free replacement. For $300ish they would swap it for me though.
can anyone explain me how to down clock it?
Does it downclock only when windows is running or it is permanently downclocked and saved inside graphic card. I primarily run linux and do not know what freq the card is running?
Sorry, I'm a linux noob and don't know which software to use for downclocking the card. In windows I prefer Centrino Hardware Control v1.8b1 (nothing above). You can lower cpu voltage and clock the card. Originally it runs with 250/220mhz. I've chosen 150/150 for my nx. In my opinion downclocking is nice to have (to play), but doesn't make the card live longer. I also don't believe the heat breaks them, it's more probably the chip fixation on the card. At newer ones the chip is glued (the red paste around). The more the laptop is carried and moved around, the sooner the card breaks up. Yes, this is only my opinion - maybe I'm totally wrong ;).
The settings are not stored on the card so in order to maintain them in Linux, you would have to run software that set them and maintained them. I'm not really a linux n00b anymore since I've been using it for a few years now, but I have never tried such a thing. I would look around the web for ATI underclocking in Linux.
That said, I don't think that it will necessarily help you. I believe the problem is at heart a chip fixation problem, but that it is accelerated by excess heat applied by the chip. With enough extra heat over time, I think that the whole card warps and disconnects either the chip from the card or the card from the board, or possibly, both at the same time. While underclocking your card may reduce the heat, it will most likely fail eventually anyway.
I don't really think it has too much to do with being moved around since I carry my laptop everyday during school. I frequently use it during class or at work on campus and it is almost never in the same place. I have never opened my laptop to see if my card has the redish glue on the corners of the chip, but I'm assuming that it does since the problem normally presents itself within the first year with above average use. My laptop is now over two years old and going very strong. The only problem I have is that occasionally it will forget that it is plugged in, but this hasn't really happened since I got my replacement power supply.
In the end, underclocking may help, but most likely you will just be delaying the inevitable anyway.