Specific Question - 

I have an inspiron 1420 with the 8400gs, which from what I read will fail as some point.  I understand that it is covered under an extended warranty, but that doesn't save me from the very serious problem an unexpected failure would cause me.  You see, I am a law student, and we take our finals on our laptops.  In fact, I bought my dell specifically to take these tests.  If it were to fail mid-final it would be catestrophic!  These are 4-hour marathon essay tests that account for OUR ENTIRE GRADE.  So now the questions:

1 - can I have my computer fixed BEFORE it breaks (I'd do it even if that means downgrading to the intel integrated graphics)?

2 - is there a way to temporarily stop the risk of a failure for the duration of the test such as booting in safe mode or uninstalling the gpu drivers?

 

Please let me know.  This is a serious concern to me since our first year grades are what law firms look at when the hire people, and these tests represent 100% of the grade.