Logic Board Failure due to Nvidia Graphics processor GT330M

"Sam

@leafixrepair


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"Kernel Panics are often corrupted memory blocks caused by a misbehaving process. While it's possible the cause could be bad hardware (RAM or the GPU) I've seen more software causes than hardware failures.

Did you upgrade your OS or add/upgrade any applications just before you started seeing the kernel panics? There have been reports of some video driver problems during the Lion upgrade process that cause odd kernel panics.

I would first try isolating out the software causes. The easiest is by using an external HD (Firewire would be better than USB here) which has a fresh copy of Mac OS-X 10.6.8 on it (not Lion 10.7.x if that is what you had been using). Then select it as your boot disk (you can still use the internal HD's apps). Did the problem go away? If that did make a difference you'll need to make a full backup of your HD wipe it down completely then using an external HD to boot from install a fresh copy of OS on the internal and use the migration tool to copy back your files.

One note here: if you did upgrade to Lion you want to boot under a straight Lion OS external HD not one had was upgraded or copied from an upgraded Leopard or Snow Leopard OS (to make sure you don't copy over any of the older drivers). To prep and install the fresh copy of OS.

If the panics are still happening after booting up under the external HD you could try exchanging out the RAM with a fresh set of SIMM's. I wouldn't spend the effort moving your current SIMMS from slot to slot or removing one, unless you upgraded the RAM after you bought your system (different manufactures). Otherwise I suspect one of your Apps has an issue, remember what apps you use and the order you use them after a fresh reboot to see what apps could be suspect then focus on making sure you upgrade these to the newest versions (don't forget OS add-ons and virus checkers).

As far as the Nvidia issues of the older MB Pro's ('08) Nvidia had a bad run of chips do to a design flaw. Depending on where your chip was located on the wafer the thickness of the layers are very slightly different. The inner core are thicker and the outer edge are thinner (think how centrifugal force works). The current theory is the dies (chips) closer to the edge just couldn't hold up as well under stress as the others. Normally these outer edge chips get tested more fully and depending on what happens they are tossed out. Some how the process failed so some got released. As far as I know only the 8600M GT was effected. As your system has the 330M GT it does not relate as being the same problem.

Check this out about the older Nvidia 8600 GT chip: http://www.macrumors.com/2008/10/10/some...

Bottom line here is your issue might be a new issue with the 330M GT chip which so far has not been acknowledged by Apple or Nvidia. So far no other system manufacture has had issues with this chip either as far as I can find.

References:

http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeFo...

http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeFo..."

"All of you are wrong, the problem and resolution is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzcgT_fi..."