Bumpgate: Difference between revisions

From approximately 2005-2010, GPU manufacturers Nvidia and ATI developed some GPUs that had a serious design flaw. This flaw led to failures in many of their GPUs during that time period, and Nvidia even saw a class action lawsuit from it. In order to understand what truly happened during this controversy, though, it's important to understand what exactly led to the faults.

In 2006, IBM and Amkor published a study that explained that use of a low T_g underfill was not acceptable with high-lead solder bumps, and high T_g would be necessary to avoid defects.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ray |first=S. |last2=Kiyono |first2=S. |last3=Waite |first3=K. |last4=Nicholls |first4=L. |date=2006 |title=Qualification of low-K 90nm Technology Die with Pb-free Bumps on a Build-up Laminate Package (PBGA) with Pb-free Assembly Processes |journal=56th Electronic Components and Technology Conference |pages=139-144 |via=IEEE}}</ref> Therefore, because Nvidia and ATI chose to use high-lead solder bumps, they needed a high T_g underfill. However, this study was not out at the time that GPUs from 2005 were made, and the companies ended up using low T_g underfill in these processors.  

There were a variety of Dell and HP-Compaq notebook laptops that were affected by the Bumpgate defect, as evidenced by the Nvidia class action lawsuit.<ref name=":16" /> Upon being informed of the defect by Nvidia in 2008, both companies distributed BIOS updates for affected systems with Nvidia GPUs that according to The Inquirer, "[ran] the fan all the time".<ref name=":5" /> The purpose of this was to attempt to prevent the problem from occurring so that consumers wouldn't have to get their systems repaired. However, both companies also provided free repairs for systems already exhibiting symptoms of a failing GPU, such as no video output to the monitor or the computer failing to boot. It's implied in an SEC report that Nvidia filed in 2008 that the companies were compensated for providing this service.<ref name=":10" />

====Apple's Response - Macbook Pro, May 2007 - September 2008====

In May 2007, Apple released a version of the aluminum Macbook Pro that used the Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT GPU, and manufactured the computers with this GPU until September 2008. They stopped manufacturing them with this GPU because they discovered it was one of the models affected by Bumpgate. Unlike the issues with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 where the system wouldn't even boot, consumers ran into distorted video or no video output on their devices. Nvidia had assured Apple that the graphics processors were not defective, so Apple initially ignored reports expressing that possibility.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |last=Foresman |first=Chris |date=10 Oct 2008 |title=Apple: NVIDIA chips to blame for MacBook Pro video problems |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/10/apple-nvidia-chips-to-blame-for-macbook-pro-video-problems/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Buchanan |first=Matt |date=10 Oct 2008 |title=Apple Confirms Failing Nvidia Graphics Cards in MacBook Pros, Offers Free Repairs and Refunds |url=https://gizmodo.com/apple-confirms-failing-nvidia-graphics-cards-in-macbook-5061605 |url-status=live |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref> However, after doing their own investigation, Apple had found that the processors actually were defective. Because of this, Apple offered extended repair coverage adding up to four years from the date of original purchase, and refunded customers who already paid to repair systems affected by this defect.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Apple Support |date=18 Nov 2014 |title=MacBook Pro: Distorted video or no video issues |url=http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203254 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141202230527/http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203254 |archive-date=2 Dec 2014 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Apple}}</ref>

- Marvin Burkett, Nvidia Chief Financial Officer, Form 8-K report to SEC.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |last=Burkett |first=Marvin |last2=United States Securities and Exchange Commission |date=2 Jul 2008 |title=Form 8-K |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1045810/000119312508145974/d8k.htm |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=SEC}}</ref></blockquote>Nvidia processors were not the only ones affected by the Bumpgate defect (i.e., the Xbox 360's ATI Xenos GPU), but they seem to have been the most heavily impacted. There were a wide variety of Nvidia graphics processors across multiple architectures that had this defect, but according to the class action lawsuit settlement,<ref name=":16" /> the earliest confirmed system with the defect appears to have been manufactured in December 2005, and the latest systems were manufactured in late February 2010.

Joel Hruska from Ars Technica explained that if Nvidia ''was'' trying to cover up the defect- as Demerjian claimed- with this report to the SEC, they not only attempted to avoid responsibility and accused their suppliers of causing the problem, they also committed financial fraud by intentionally lowballing their expected financial losses. This is a major accusation that could have had severe consequences for Nvidia, and could have been dangerous for the company.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |last=Hruska |first=Joel |date=16 Jul 2008 |title=NVIDIA denies rumors of faulty chips, mass GPU failures |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/07/nvidia-denies-rumors-of-mass-gpu-failures/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref> However, it is difficult to verify if Nvidia was lying or simply not fully aware of the scale of Bumpgate. Nvidia's public acknowledgement of the defect in the SEC report is consistent with when Dell<ref name=":8" /> and HP<ref name=":7" /> discovered the problem. Although Sony never made a statement on the "Yellow Light of Death", this is even consistent with when they switched the PlayStation 3 to the non-defective 65nm RSX.<ref name=":6" /> The only company it does not appear consistent with is Apple, who discovered the defect in their Macbook Pro systems after their own investigation in September 2008.<ref name=":9" /> Even so, it is possible that Nvidia did not know that the GeForce 8600M GT GPUs in the 2007-2008 Macbook Pro were impacted yet when Apple asked them about it, because the situation was still developing.

==Nvidia Class-Action Lawsuit (2010)==

If a product does not last because of a defect, then the company should respect their customer's investment by honoring the warranty- or by recalling the product if the defect is found to be common, as with Bumpgate. Nvidia's SEC report<ref name=":10" /> shows that they appeared to have this intention, and the company informing Dell<ref name=":8" /> and HP<ref name=":7" /> of the defect also seem to demonstrate this. In addition, based on the fact that Bumpgate affected some non-Nvidia processors (such as the Xbox 360's ''ATI'' graphics processor<ref name=":3" />), Nvidia was likely not fully responsible for the underfill defect. In fact, they alleged in the SEC report that it was their packaging company that caused the problem. However, this did not quell consumers' anger at Nvidia, and a class action lawsuit was filed. Unfortunately, the results of that lawsuit and subsequent settlement left consumers still angry and frustrated at the company- especially those who received insufficient compensation, like those who ended up with a budget laptop to replace their high-end laptop.<ref name=":15" /> This only fueled consumer distrust for Nvidia. Although the defect may not have fully been Nvidia's fault, their failure to properly compensate some Class Members when they agreed to settle was unacceptable to many consumers.

==References==