On Your Side

My new Gateway PC arrived with the wrong graphics card--an NVidia GeForce2 GTS with a 166-MHz memory bus instead of the GeForce2 Pro with a slightly faster 200-MHz bus that I ordered. I told Gateway and asked for the right component. But my repeated efforts to get the video card replaced have gotten me nowhere. Please help.

Michael San Jose, Herndon, Virginia

On Your Side responds: Gateway spokesperson Beth Etler says the problem arose from a naming conflict. Graphics board maker NVidia (which supplies cards to Gateway) named Gateway's board the NVidia GeForce2 Pro with GTS. NVidia also has a board called the GeForce2 Pro with the faster memory bus. Gateway replaced San Jose's card with one that has twice as much memory, which he's satisfied with.

Although some conflicts involve minor misunderstandings like this one, others may be more serious. When you buy a new PC, keep a record of the exact configuration you ordered. If there's a discrepancy when the system arrives, contact the vendor immediately.

--Grace Aquino

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