AMD Radeon HD 6450 heat sink radiator failure

The vapour chamber ( the red flattened heat pipe) expands and distorts the circuit card til failure occurs.

We have had six fail this way at our KC office with more being reported around the country.

That certainly looks like a manufacturing Defect. The heatsink fins look different and thicker than the ones on the unit I have.:emotion-3:

Our failed boards have a # CN - 06XMMP - 74431 - 1AN - 03C0 - A01 (BACK SIDE STICKER)

There is no recall. We have been using that video card on four systems (Optiplex 390/790/990/3010) for awhile now. I cannot find any record of a systemic failure. Were all of your systems purchased on the same batch order? The serial number (CN06XMMP744311AN03C0) you provided states that the video cards were manufactured on October 23, 2011. The Optiplex 390/790/990 were released for sale in 2011. The Optiplex 3010 in 2012. All you can do is have Dell Technical Support exchange the defective video cards using each systems service tag number.

Bill, though no recall was made on the graphics card that you have referred to using in four systems has two versions I know of and Dell uses two different part numbers in the System configuration, Components list for the Service Tag # build sheet. So though they are both AMD Radeon HD 6450 1Gig Graphics cards, the version change was critical enough for AMD to assign different part numbers (CN) to them.

Dell uses two part numbers; '6XMMP' and 'M0KV6' for the AMD Radeon HD 6450 1Gig graphics card.

What are the 3-4 groups the date? The 5th group being the production design part version? 

If all four systems use the same small form factor style cards then there will be some form of Engineering/Tech notice at the manufacturers (AMD/ATI) level identifying the higher then normal failure rate of this model to initiate an engineering change to the production design.

This is the information I seek. 

Since AMD is ISO9001 certified this eng/tech notice exists and it would be based on quality assurance feedback or warranty returns from system integrators like Dell. Even if it was a particular supplier's error in building the vapour chamber to AMD specification and it was a small batch problem, it was enough for AMD to change the version and start using cooling fans for improved product reliability. My concern is how many of the vapour chamber version (Dell part # 6XMMP) we have in the couple of thousand OP 990s' and the cost the increased failures will bring to our organization when the warranty expires.

6XMMP = OEM AMD Radeon HD6450, OPGA8, 1GB, Low Profile, Optiplex 390/790/990/3010
CN = China
0 = Filler
6XMMP = Dell part number
14431 = OEM factory ID (confidential)
1AN = Date 10/23/2011
03C0 = OEM manufacturer code (confidential)
A01 = Revision

M0KV6 = OEM AMD Radeon HD6450, OPGA8 v2, 1GB, Low Profile, Optiplex 390/790/990
CN = China
0 = Filler
M0KV6 = Dell part number
74431 = OEM factory ID (confidential)
25N = 5/23/2012
00LP = OEM manufacturer code (confidential)
A00 = Revision

then there will be some form of Engineering/Tech notice at the manufacturers (AMD/ATI) level identifying the higher then normal failure rate of this model to initiate an engineering change to the production design.
* We never receive this data. Even if we did, it would be Dell and OEM confidential data.

We've had dozens on these (6XMMP) fail and be replaced under warranty. Now they are out of warranty and we get to buy replacements. :(

I have two on the job here. Exact same symptoms, same problem. I support 80 of these systems in my work environment.

CN-0K6HDT-74431-18R-01TY-A01 (If I am accurately reading the tiny characters on the sticker).

Warranty expired on these systems precisely a month ago.

K6HDT looks totally different.

Can't really speak to that. Maybe the wrong sticker was affixed to the board when it was produced. I dunno

Here's what we have on site.

From a repair tech point of view the incorrect number/sticker indicates counterfeit non dell product.   There is a reason why the same thing has different part numbers in different countries.  

Counterfeit parts are a growing problem in the supply chain. Reports of counterfeits have quadrupled since 2009, rising from 324 to 1,363 in 2011, according to consulting firm IHS. IHS drew the data from ERAI Inc, an information services firm that reports on the global electronics supply chain, and the Government-Industry Data Exchange Program (GIDEP), a joint effort of government and industry that shares information on the life cycles of systems and equipment. For example, if a failure in a DOD-owned Dell computer was due to a faulty, possibly counterfeit part, Dell might have to determine whether the component was indeed counterfeit and also determine what other products the component was used in.

And the card looks the same as TorVo's (here it is from a different angle): 

This is the stick from the 6450 that came in my Dell 790 purchased directly from Dell.

There are four of the AMD Radeon HD6450. Two full height and two low profile.

K6HDT AMD Radeon HD6450, 1GB, DP/DVI-I, OPGA8, Full Height
3173K AMD Radeon HD6450, 1GB, DP/DVI-I, OPGA8 v2, Full Height

6XMMP AMD Radeon HD6450, 1GB, DP/DVI-I, OPGA8, Low Profile
M0KV6 AMD Radeon HD6450, 1GB, DP/DVI-I, OPGA8 v2, Low Profile