Elite e9150t Freezes/Locks up

[toddxr4ti]

Just spent all day (8hrs) Saturday on the phone with HP tech support trying to get Windows 7 installed. No luck after trying everything possible to see if there was a hardware or software issue. At the end of the day, the case manager said that she just recieved an HP Bulletin saying that my problem is likely a motherboard issue and set up the repair to replace the MOBO. I've been following this post for quite awhile now and although my problems were not nearly as severe as some of the other users, in fact, the machine was pretty stable running Vista, my experience in upgrading to Win7 made me realize there was certainly a hardware issue. In fairness to HP, all the the techs I spoke with were very committed to helping me solve the problem and I guess they ultimately did after I burned up a whole day. I will definitely report back after I get my repaired 9150t.

[PauHana]

Aloha GaryJ51,

Was just theorizing based ONLY on that 1% figure I was quoted.  One can also spin the numbers higher or lower using a specific model (for example the m9600t which wasn’t in production all that long).  Or better yet, plug in numbers based on all the differences of opinion/experiences (including a troll or three) on this board---a far shakier underpinning then I’m willing to accept.  Do I believe in the validity of that 1% number, or as you suggest 73%?  Let’s just say I think the actual number most likely lies somewhere between the two...   

As you and I both know well these defective i7 MOBOs are not going to age gracefully.  Nor is the cumulative failure percent (whatever it is now) going to drop once those “mine works just fine after I [[fill-in-the blank]]” MOBOs get a few more miles on them.  

The November 14 posting by GarenT as well as tone of my recent discussions with HP reps higher up in the food chain imply they are now coming to grips with the magnitude of the problem.   In fact, I would feel safe ordering another i7-series Elite model from HP since residual bad MOBOs have probably now been cleaned out of the warehouse and supply chain.    

Am speculating again, but think upper-management at HP has finally got a GOTBFO and is between a rock and a hard place.  New MOBOs are coming in but there is already a big repair backlog (my tentative return date has now stretched to nearly a month).  At the same time I would think many of those new MOBOs need to go to current production with the holiday season fast approaching.  Consequently, doubt HP has the wherewithal to issue a blanket recall ATT even if they wanted to.  

Regards, Pau Hana ("Pau Hana" is Hawaiian for retired or done work)

[The1stHunter]

I bought an HP Pavilion Elite e9180f and have had nothing but problems since the beginning. I posted a few weeks ago and I wanted to provide an update for the benefit of other customers facing a similar issue. I called HP Technical Support on October 19th to complain about the freezing and BSODs I was getting on almost a daily basis. I was told they will repair the unit and was given a guarrantee that after this repair I will not receive anymore of these issues. I was told it would take 1-2 business days to receive the box in which I would send back the computer and about 3-5 days to receive the replacement. The replacement arrived only last week! When I opened up the box, I saw that one of the plastic flaps was jammed at the front of my case and it was scratched! I won't even speculate how they managed to do that...I turned it on and within a few hours of use, lo and behold it crashed! Needless to say I was very upset with this.....

I proceeded to call up HP complain some more and I actually got a decent support rep who understood my concerns and that this is all unacceptable. After telling him the issues I was facing even after the replacement, he filled out a request to get the computer repaired again and put in the note that the machine was still crashing and the case was scratched. I told him that I have been following this issue on the HP forums and the internet in general and that this was an issue with the defective Pegatron Truckee motherboard. He told me HP has discovered that this is indeed an issue with that component and that moving forward HP will not be using this component (Part#: 517194-001) but will use the following instead for future units: (Part#: 594415-001). I asked him to verify the manufacturer of this type of motherboard but he could not. I sure hope this is not another Pegatron!

After I reported the issue I got a little peace of mind. I never want to deal with Pegatron again and I am disgusted by the problems I and the loads of other customers have had to face. If this problem is repaired and I ultimately end up with a working computer, I will be glad that the issue is solved but if more problems happen, I will give them a piece of my mind and I will make sure I get compensation for this mess.

[GaryJ51]

Aloha Pau Hana,

I think, one retiree to another, that we can certainly agree that HP has been less than forthright  in dealing with this issue.  I think it's safe to conclude that the failure rate was much higher than HP is willing to admit.  I recieved two bad e9180f i7 920 systems, and then got two bad e9180t  i7 950's.  Pretty difficult to conclude that there is a low failure rate based on that experience.  I'm willing to concede that it probably never reached 100, but I doubt if it was lower than 50 during the time I was getting replacement systems.  Grab a coin and see how many tries it takes you to flip heads 4 times in a row.  That will give you a good idea of the odds of getting 4 bad units at a 50% failure rate.

I guess this lays to rest all the arguments that were claiming it wasn't the motherboard.  I'm glad they all think they got great systems.

It will be interesting to see if they put the 5.24 BIOS out for download, or if it will only be used on the new boards.  It will also be interesting to see if they go back to offering the 9GB triple channel set up.  If those two things happen, the only rational conclusion will be that they now have a board that works as it should, and everyone with the old boards will indeed be stuck with non-freezing crippleware.  I'm still waiting for system 5 to arrive. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Regards

Message Edited by GaryJ51 on 11-15-2009 10:28 PM

[hpsad]

The1stHunter, I hate to disappoint you but that new part number still referrers to the same motherboard when you check the HP Parts Store:

http://h20141.www2.hp.com/hpparts/Default.aspx?mscssid=BE344F6991AC499E8CDF829F268F1F32

594415-001   Motherboard (system board) Truckee UL8E - With socket LGA1366, six 240-pin DIMM slots, up to 24GB (using 4GB DIMM modules) memory support (DDR3 DIMMs), and PCIe slots

Message Edited by hpsad on 11-15-2009 08:09 PM

[sandar2020]

hpsad

The e9180f is a preconfigured boxed system and it has 802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth, you don't get the option to select anything.  So there appears to be a slight difference between what you are testing and what the rest of us have which could be significant enough to comparing apples to oranges.

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Preconfigured with an added card sad. Bluetooth I do use and I did add it. Your machine, the e9180f as you stated is a preconfigured boxed system... the features are not on board meaning they were built into the board. The motherboards are undoubtably identical. Just like the video cards... the wireless and bluetooth are not on board.

I wouldn't buy a preconfigured boxed system just as much as I would buy a hog preconfigured from HD... I build my computers much like my bikes... from scratch. And just like a prconfigured computer I have less problems with my bikes as my friends with their preconfigured bikes.

If I did pick up a preconfigured computer the first thing to go would be all the add-ons. Then I would put back only what I need. I'm not walking around my yard with my desktop... But I do use bluetooth to activesynk and for mobile connections. A usb bluetooth works just as good as a pci-e card. Doesn't mater.

Gary... again I and others are not saying everyones problem is the video card. I think I've typed that 5 seperate times already. It is only my experience alone... have there been others like ken with the same result yes but that is his alone... Are there others with diferent issues yes... and those are their experience alone. But what is most common is they had their issues resolved without a board replacement. One thing though... have those who got there machine back checked the serian numbers on all their devices when it came back. If not then they really don't know what was replaced.

I do know that when I trouble shoot a computer like most that do... everything comes out... Only the esentials stay... then you put all the devices back one at a time. Some items right on my work bench and others off the rack. And if there is a conflict in one slot you switch it out to another to see if that resolves the resource conflict. Memory and pci-e slots. You would be surprised how many machines I've checked have been repaired and have run for years and are still running now were fixed with such a simple act of just switching a slot. Others by using the same model device but just a diferent one swapped out. They can even have the same manufature date. Of course changing to a diferent MB would have the same result because it's circuit is different and therfore so are it's resources, power consumption etc... Still doesn't mean the board you pulled was a bad one... but at that point who cares... it's fixed and I can tell the client hey your computers fixed... I switched out the MB... The biggest problem here is these guys didn't act quick enough.

The fact that the same models have the same problem tells me they have not be "peconfigured" properly. It's possible as I said earlier... the part in these machines just don't run properly together in combination with the Truckee board. I've run ito that a many times with other boards. It is a comon conversation at computer conventions and at part shops... does this device work well with this board? If not can I bring it back. I was in micro center today and someone was bringing back an msi mother board for the third time because microcenter wouldn't give him a diferent model/brand until today. The parts though they were all new just did not go together. The customer knew it but the salesman kept repeating store policy until the manager came over and said yeah it happens give the man a different board and make him happy.

[GaryJ51]

Sandar2020

So how did the people who kept everything that came with the box and just swapped the mobo and the freezing stoped manage to get all those other components to majically stop having a problem?

If you're happy with the Pegboard, good for you.  I'll give you a good deal on mine once my new system comes.  if i replace it with the evga or msi board for about $170 - what you pay me for the old board, I can get a better board with an unlocked BIOS that will let me OC 20% and run circles around the junk I dump.  Core i7 typically can run at 3.6 to 3.8 with stock air cooling perfectly stable.

Make me an offer I can't refuse for my primo Pegboard.  I'll consider your bid first.  Which BIOS do you want on it?

[Proximo]

Updated 'parts, process by site' and unit status table.   posted 11/15  - 

This is the summary, only.  The list is little change since last weekend.  I will post the whole updated list before next weekend.  The impression based on the new status information is the situation is stabilizing. 

34 of 150 machines have reported in the "no longer freezer" category since 7 of 71 on 9/27.  Net of 3 more BIOS 5.22 upgrades report freezing stopped.  Numbers seem to be stabilizing.

Summary

First Buy Not Freezing Machines (13) was 11/8 (13) was 11/1 (11) was 10/25  (11)  was 10/18 (9)  was 9/27 (6)
Subsequent Not Freezing Machines  (19) was 11/8 (20) was 11/1 (12) was 10/25  (11)  was 10/18 (12)  was 9/27 (7)
Not freezing after BIOS 5.22 (22) was 11/8 (19) was 11/1 (16) was 10/25  (14)  was 10/18 (10) was 9/27 (0)  new category
Status to be resolved  (17) was 11/8 (17) was 11/1 (25) was 10/25  (15)  was 10/18 (15)     was 9/27 (6)
Freezing Machines
96xx  (16) was 11/8 (15) was 11/1 (15)  was 10/25 (12)  was 10/18 (9)   was 9/27 (4)
9180  (41) was 11/8 (40) was 11/1 (45)  was 10/25  (44)  was 10/18 (38)   was 9/27 (29)
9150 (25) was 11/8 (25) was 11/1 (24)  was 10/25  (26)  was 10/18 (24)   was 9/27 (19)

total (150) was 11/8 (149) was 11/1 (148)  was 10/25 (133)  was 10/18 (117)   was 9/27 (71)

[Proximo]

Not much change on 92xx thread either

92XX Machines

First Buy Not Freezing Machines
holamip  9280t i7 9?? ???? 40-50 hours no problems
randallintacoma 9280t ??? ???? bls 10/22 1 week on/off and OK 11/03
gardengal5 9280t i7 920 ???? GT220 BIOS 5.22 run 6 days 11/3 (returned due to concern unit may not hold up >21 days)
Pinched e9280t i7-975 ???? GTX260 BIOS 5.24 (running 2.5 days 11/12, no problems and fast
Bitsand Byte e9280t ??? ???? v1.04E01, ATI BIOS 5.24 (8 hours no problems)

Subsequent Not Freezing Machines
MattMars e9280t ??? ???? rec'd 10/27 five BSODs to 11/02 in normal ops, file I/O.  not clear are freezes. disable auto sleep and discontinued external HD use, lots of use in 5 days w/o problems

Status to be resolved
Chrisis5150 e9280t  backordered
Pinched e9280t backordered
MikeV e9280t ordered Costco
ligaments e9270t ??? ???? hangs everyday, but totally crashed o/a 11/7 (suspects ATI driver) (Bestbuy refund)
DVD-42 e9280t i7-975 GTX260 being shipped
ronaldb1 e9280t i7-975 being shipped

Freezing Machines
bwinkjet e9280t ??? ???? operating one week, 10/29 BSODs daily, did factory restore, still cold start BSODs 11/01
jimmyt e9290f ???  ???? bld<10/13 GTX260, BIOS 5.18 run Ok for 3-4 days o/a 11/02, reports BSOD 50% of time after cold start 11/07, ditto 11/14
abakhru e9280 ??? ???? bld o/a 11/2 15 BSODs and 10 hangs in first week. (processor problem?)

[BrettD]

I hereby give up with hp "support".

After dozens of calls to hp, and many broken promises, I eventually wrote to the CEO as suggested by someone on this site. Nothing.

My unreliable pc is still sat here waiting for a returns box. It's many weeks now since I began this effort to fix the thing. I give up. I don't know what else to do.

Good luck to anyone else in the same situation.