Hardware Dreaded GPU "dots", wiikey and Nintendo repair

winterMOO · Nov 5, 2007

Hi there everyone.. My wii is starting to get the dreaded GPU overheating/frying "dots"

see here for what they look like on someone elses wii:
fried GPU dots

now, i've read the problem being discussed elsewhere, and about happy people whom Nintendo has gladly replaced their systems for them. so i know that there's that option.. my questions are:

1) Is the problem permanent? I've read many theories, a lot of people started seeing them after Resident Evil 4, or perhaps leaving Wiiconnect24 on all the time overheats the board (as no fan is running in standby). Do the dots go away, or just get worse?

2)I would LOVE to have nintendo replace my Wii, however i am an owner of a wiikey that i've had installed. Am I now out of luck for having it serviced by nintendo? (i am aware i should have the chip removed first) Can they tell it's been opened/chipped?

thanks to anyone who can help shed some light on this issue :S

sekhu · Nov 5, 2007

if your wii is modded, i think they impose a charge before replacing your wii. Could be a hundred could be less, and I believe the problem is permanent and can't be reversed

winterMOO · Nov 5, 2007

what about if i have the chip removed though? has anyone ever removed it and had their sent away? i am wondering if they will know.

KakTheInfected · Nov 5, 2007

Is the Wii in a warm area? Heat can cause this (as you said) so see if you can cool it down.

If you do have the chip removed and said it in, take any import/unreleased game saves you have off of the system first to be safe.

If the person who put your Wiikey in did a shitty job they still might notice...

BoneMonkey · Nov 5, 2007

whoaaaa how did that happen ??

winterMOO · Nov 5, 2007

i've turned off wiiconnect24 and standby. it's always been in a cool area, with none of the cooling vents blocked. i unplugged it totally last night and thismorning the dots were still there. on the menu, and in games (they move and "sparkle" different colours, i know it isn't my television)

i was just curious if this happened to anyone else, and their solutions. from what i've read nintendo replaces these overheated dotty units with almost no questions asked.

Kak, yeah i may take it to where i had the chip job done.. see if they can remove it.

crappy situation though, my wii is a D2B unit and fairly new, i've treated it well too. i hate that these dots will just get worse.

winterMOO · Nov 5, 2007

here are some more people getting this issue:

http://boards.thewiire.com/index.php?showtopic=18093

Smidget · Nov 5, 2007

I also woke to the dreaded GPU dots with my modded Wii and this is my plan of action:

I did an advance repair of my Wii. They send you out one in advance, then you send yours back once you get it in the same packaging. I don't have any VC games, so I couldn't care less to be wiped clean. I moved all my saves to my SD card and transferred all the Miis to my Wiimotes.

I plan to open up both machines, switch out the DVD-ROM drives (since the new one is bound to be the D2C and since all the soldering is done on the DVD-ROM drive anyways. I've read previous posts of people doing this without any problem (there's no special key like a 360 or anything). Then I'll close 'em both back up and send to Nintendo my broken one with the D2C drive, and hope for the best.....

winterMOO · Nov 5, 2007

QUOTE(Smidget @ Nov 5 2007 said:
I plan to open up both machines, switch out the DVD-ROM drives (since the new one is bound to be the D2C and since all the soldering is done on the DVD-ROM drive anyways. I've read previous posts of people doing this without any problem (there's no special key like a 360 or anything). Then I'll close 'em both back up and send to Nintendo my broken one with the D2C drive, and hope for the best.....

that's a really good idea, actually. I had no idea they did that advance replacement.. should i ask about that? or did they just offer that to you when you called them? i can swap out the drives, and take the modchip out of my dotted wii for use in the replacement. aren't the motherboards different though on the newer D2C wiis? would that impede installation of the wiikey i have, even if i did swap the DVD drive?

MrKuenning · Nov 5, 2007

My wii has tiny dot patterns show up randomly but only durning some games. Not on the menu.

WeaponXxX · Nov 5, 2007

Yes my wii is doing in now...testing out my new Wii Zapper on the Rayman Bunny hunt levels and I am getting the dreaded dots. They want me to send my Wii in for repair

winterMOO · Nov 5, 2007

QUOTE(MrKuenning @ Nov 5 2007 said:
My wii has tiny dot patterns show up randomly but only durning some games.Â Not on the menu.

that's how mine started too..

keep it cool, and people have been advising to turn off wiiconnect24 and standby, as the wifi + no fan on in standby generate heat.

jpxdude · Nov 5, 2007

Mines been doing that for ages now, mostly since having my wiikey installed, but its intermittant. Keeping the Wii as cool as possible will solve the issue in most cases.

Smidget · Nov 5, 2007

QUOTE(winterMOO @ Nov 5 2007 said:
QUOTE(Smidget @ Nov 5 2007 said:

I plan to open up both machines, switch out the DVD-ROM drives (since the new one is bound to be the D2C and since all the soldering is done on the DVD-ROM drive anyways. I've read previous posts of people doing this without any problem (there's no special key like a 360 or anything). Then I'll close 'em both back up and send to Nintendo my broken one with the D2C drive, and hope for the best.....

that's a really good idea, actually. I had no idea they did that advance replacement.. should i ask about that? or did they just offer that to you when you called them? i can swap out the drives, and take the modchip out of my dotted wii for use in the replacement. aren't the motherboards different though on the newer D2C wiis? would that impede installation of the wiikey i have, even if i did swap the DVD drive?

Click to expand...

I said "My kids don't really care about the dots, but I want them fixed, is there any way I can keep mine for the time being while you send me a new one" and they just put a hold on your CC in case you don't send it back.

I really hope the motherboards aren't different for DVD-ROM placement, thought it was just for the chipset itself.

You wouldn't even have to uninstall the Wiikey if you switch out DVD-ROMs since it'll be already soldered!

winterMOO · Nov 5, 2007

QUOTE(jpxdude @ Nov 5 2007 said:
Mines been doing that for ages now, mostly since having my wiikey installed, but its intermittant.Â Keeping the Wii as cool as possible will solve the issue in most cases.

mine do not go away. i've been reading that the overheating damage to the GPU (maybe due to sloppy heatsinks or paste) is irreversible, and only get worse

WeaponXxX · Nov 5, 2007

Okay Raving Rabbits is a rental and it has scratches.... its the only game to cause dots.

Guitar Hero and Pokemon both do not cause dots. Maybe I will try a different copy of Rayman considering I have a first gen Wii. They may also know if you opened your Wii to swap DVD drives resulting in them charging you card.... just a thought

Bob Loblaw · Nov 5, 2007

keep your wii unplugged when you're not using it.

WC24 is dumb. nothing cool ever happens from it.

Mangofett · Nov 5, 2007

1. Its permanent.
2. It can be caused by any game.
3. The most common cause, however, is standby mode. NEVER use standby mode. Not only is it useless, it harms your Wii.

coolbho3000 · Nov 5, 2007

QUOTE(Smidget @ Nov 5 2007 said:
I plan to open up both machines, switch out the DVD-ROM drives (since the new one is bound to be the D2C and since all the soldering is done on the DVD-ROM drive anyways. I've read previous posts of people doing this without any problem (there's no special key like a 360 or anything). Then I'll close 'em both back up and send to Nintendo my broken one with the D2C drive, and hope for the best.....

Wow. You horrible, horrible person. I feel bad for the one who gets that Wii refurbished, looks up the serial number and sees that it's a D2B drive, happily buys a Wiikey and opens it to discover that it is in fact a D2C drive.

coolbho3000 · Nov 5, 2007

Whoops. My post has doubled. ^ please delete this.

Hardware Dreaded GPU "dots", wiikey and Nintendo repair

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