Intel smoking...........
Overheating Intel parts threaten Toshiba laptops
By Joe Wilcox
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
March 17, 2000, 9:40 a.m. PT
Intel has a hot problem--some notebooks are overheating and failing due to processor packaging problems.
The flaw, which first appeared in Toshiba Satellite 4100 models, affects certain notebooks containing 400-MHz Pentium II and Celeron
processors. The flaw technically exists in the processor's mobile module, which is the package that surrounds the chip. The problem may not
be confined to Toshiba.
"At this point, it is only Toshiba reporting errors, but Intel has shipped this processor to other vendors," said a Toshiba representative.
"Intel has told us other companies have this defective module, and they're just waiting to see what happens." Toshiba said customers will
receive replacement parts at no charge.
Intel spokesperson Howard High confirmed the flaw, which, he emphasized, was confined to the module and did not affect the
microprocessor. ?This problem affects less than 1 percent of the mobile processors shipped by Intel, so we do not see it has having any
long-term effect.?
Intel introduced the problem on Dec. 4 during a routine revision of the 400-MHz mobile processors. The chip giant typically modifies
processors and occasionally other parts without necessarily notifying PC manufacturers.
"It's an Intel problem that happens to affect our notebooks," the Toshiba representative said. "We did exhaustive testing and there was
no glitch seen, then suddenly problems started to occur?because they made a revision without, I believe but am not sure, telling us."
Strangely, Intel has warned PC manufacturers the problem could occur in models released after Sept. 1, even though the chip revision
that causes it did not occur until December.
"We're trying to figure out what that means," said the Toshiba representative. "We can't seem to see the logic here."
There would appear to be no consistency with the problem either, at least from Toshiba's perspective. Some affected notebooks won't
turn on, others shut down immediately and in some cases it takes as long as 60 days for problems to surface.
Although the problems vary, the cause is always the same: overheating. When the defective processors overheat, the computer shuts
down unexpectedly, which can delete corrupt data. The chips can also fail completely, damaging other components as well.
Toshiba could not yet say how many units are affected, but the company said customers would receive replacement modules at no charge. The fix, which Intel pays for,
takes about an hour for most notebooks, the Toshiba spokesperson said.
March has not been a good month for notebooks. Both Dell and Apple reported flaws with the sleep function on certain notebook models. In both cases, data was being
corrupted when notebooks were emerging from the sleep state. |
