Bumpgate: Difference between revisions
m Added some headers, changed [Incidents] to "Companies involved and responses", and corrected misuses of solder "balls" to "bumps" in the intro. (yes, there's a difference) |
m →Sony's Response - The "Yellow Light of Death": Added a reference for the soldering iron "poke test". |
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In November 2006, Sony released the PlayStation 3. Like the Xbox 360, the early models of PlayStation 3 had what consumers believe to be Bumpgate-related issues with their Nvidia RSX GPU. Sony never issued a recall, or extended warranty for these systems; consumers had to pay out of their own pocket to get them repaired. Because this was due to a defect, however, many consumers who did so only ended up having their console break again some time after. They quietly fixed the issue around the same time that Microsoft did for the Xbox 360, so "slim" revisions and newer were not affected. Specifically, it was only 90nm GPUs that had low Tg underfill- and hence, the defect. | In November 2006, Sony released the PlayStation 3. Like the Xbox 360, the early models of PlayStation 3 had what consumers believe to be Bumpgate-related issues with their Nvidia RSX GPU. Sony never issued a recall, or extended warranty for these systems; consumers had to pay out of their own pocket to get them repaired. Because this was due to a defect, however, many consumers who did so only ended up having their console break again some time after. They quietly fixed the issue around the same time that Microsoft did for the Xbox 360, so "slim" revisions and newer were not affected. Specifically, it was only 90nm GPUs that had low Tg underfill- and hence, the defect. | ||
As of 2025, Sony has never made a statement confirming that "Yellow Light of Death", their likely Bumpgate-related issue, was a widespread problem in early PlayStation 3 models. The only reason that consumers know that the RSX was likely afflicted by Bumpgate is thanks to console repair and modding enthusiasts- who had to do extensive research to find out the true cause of the problem.<ref>{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |first= |date=23 Dec 2022 |title=A PS3 Story: The Yellow Light of Death |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za7WTNwAX0c |url-status=live |access-date=2 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> It was clear from the timeline- what systems have been observed to be reliable or unreliable revisions- as well as tests performed by console repair and modding enthusiasts (such as "poking" the underfill on suspected bad GPUs with a soldering iron) that it was a Bumpgate-related defect. | As of 2025, Sony has never made a statement confirming that "Yellow Light of Death", their likely Bumpgate-related issue, was a widespread problem in early PlayStation 3 models. The only reason that consumers know that the RSX was likely afflicted by Bumpgate is thanks to console repair and modding enthusiasts- who had to do extensive research to find out the true cause of the problem.<ref>{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |first= |date=23 Dec 2022 |title=A PS3 Story: The Yellow Light of Death |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za7WTNwAX0c |url-status=live |access-date=2 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> It was clear from the timeline- what systems have been observed to be reliable or unreliable revisions- as well as tests performed by console repair and modding enthusiasts (such as "poking" the underfill on suspected bad GPUs with a soldering iron<ref>{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |date=15 Jan 2024 |title=A 360 Story - The RED Ring of Death & the 7th Generation Console War |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qKtS_uxdcU |url-status=live |access-date=2 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref>) that it was a Bumpgate-related defect. | ||
====Nvidia's Response==== | ====Nvidia's Response==== | ||
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The outcome of the suit, if any.}} | The outcome of the suit, if any.}} | ||
=== Nvidia Lawsuit === | ===Nvidia Lawsuit=== | ||
==Consumer response== | ==Consumer response== | ||
{{Placeholder box|Summary and key issues of prevailing sentiment from the consumers and commentators that can be documented via articles, emails to support, reviews and forum posts.}}[General Consumer Response (frustration at/satisfaction with Microsoft, Sony, etc.)] | {{Placeholder box|Summary and key issues of prevailing sentiment from the consumers and commentators that can be documented via articles, emails to support, reviews and forum posts.}}[General Consumer Response (frustration at/satisfaction with Microsoft, Sony, etc.)] | ||
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At first, consumers were angry at Microsoft. During the months that Microsoft would not acknowledge the widespread "Red Ring of Death", consumers felt as if they'd been scammed and made a bad investment. However, when Microsoft extended the warranty on Xbox 360s experiencing an E74 error to three years after purchase, consumer sentiment improved. After Microsoft's explanation and confirmation of the exact issue that caused the "Red Ring of Death" in ''Power On: The Story of Xbox'', many consumers who remembered dealing with this issue felt further validated. The release of this information also helped enthusiasts learn more about how to fix the issue not only in early Xbox 360s, but even in Sony's early PlayStation 3 systems. | At first, consumers were angry at Microsoft. During the months that Microsoft would not acknowledge the widespread "Red Ring of Death", consumers felt as if they'd been scammed and made a bad investment. However, when Microsoft extended the warranty on Xbox 360s experiencing an E74 error to three years after purchase, consumer sentiment improved. After Microsoft's explanation and confirmation of the exact issue that caused the "Red Ring of Death" in ''Power On: The Story of Xbox'', many consumers who remembered dealing with this issue felt further validated. The release of this information also helped enthusiasts learn more about how to fix the issue not only in early Xbox 360s, but even in Sony's early PlayStation 3 systems. | ||
=== PlayStation 3/Sony Consumer Response === | ===PlayStation 3/Sony Consumer Response=== | ||
=== Nvidia Consumer Response === | ===Nvidia Consumer Response=== | ||
===Misdiagnosis/Poor Repair of Faults=== | ===Misdiagnosis/Poor Repair of Faults=== | ||