When was the last time a company changed their warranty policy for you?

G

Galaxy

Gawd
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Apr 13, 2010
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The US team at Galaxy has been in the enthusiast graphics business for very long time. We know you like to overclock. There have been some comments about Galaxy and our warranty policy (North America) regarding overclocking. It stated that you would void your warranty if you overclocked your product.

We were listening.

It took some work to convince the "suits" but we've updated our warranty policy! You can view the policy online here: http://www.galaxytechus.com/usa/supportPRO.aspx

It's a legal document so keep that in mind when you read it but the important parts are:

"5. Was not damaged by overclocking or modification by someone other than GXM."

and

"Any modification made to the Product must be reversed prior to shipment back to GXM for warranty service. Product must be in original factory condition to receive warranty service. Determination of damage or defect, as a result of any modifications or overclocking by purchaser, will be at the sole discretion of GXM. Any charges arising due to modification will be the responsibility of the Purchaser."

I know we don't specifically say you can overclock your card in the warranty policy but we also don't say you can play My Pretty Pony at night when no one is watching...
However, since you want a simple, plain english answer, here is our official statement on overclocking:

"Galaxy Microsystems Ltd (“GXM”), officially allows the overclocking of our cards by the end user provided that any defects or damage caused by overclocking will not be covered under warranty."

Dean / Galaxy Guy
 
Interesting to see how this one will play out, but appears to be a nice gesture. Thanks Galaxy.
 
Good to know, my two Galaxy GTX 460s are arriving this afternoon and it is just a crime not to OC those chips.

I previously had bought some 9600GTs during one of the super cheap Dell deals, but this is my first Galaxy purchase for something actually going into my main system. Warranty support (if needed) will be the biggest determination as to whether I again consider Galaxy cards for a future upgrade.
 
To clarify, I would assume this is the kind of shenanigans you WON'T cover: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1534437

That kind of BS is just frustrating to no end. Guy way overvolts cards and expects to RMA it to Newegg. The rest of us just end up paying for it in the long run because the cost to produce products has to include BS like this.
 
interesting, but how is "damage caused by overclocking" determined? volt/bios mods are obvious. otherwise?
 
@Galaxy i have to say that you stepping up and fixed this is pretty nice. Congrats.
 
We do say "damage caused by.. won't be covered". I can't comment on GT's issue as it was not our product nor do I know the circumstances surrounding his problem.

We know some of our cards have great headroom for OC but there are limits.

If our GTX 460 SOC 1GB at 810MHz isn't fast enough for you, check out the 480 in today's Hot Deals from Tiger.. ~$375 ABCB. Amazing.. I may have to upgrade myself :)
 
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dbphelps said:
To clarify, I would assume this is the kind of shenanigans you WON'T cover: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1534437

That kind of BS is just frustrating to no end. Guy way overvolts cards and expects to RMA it to Newegg. The rest of us just end up paying for it in the long run because the cost to produce products has to include BS like this.
Click to expand...

It was defective before being overvolted/flashed, as I explained in the other thread. Regardless, this is off-topic here in a different manufacturer's thread, we can discuss it in my original thread if you want.
 
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BobyTT said:
@Galaxy i have to say that you stepping up and fixed this is pretty nice. Congrats.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I'm hear to offer help, get feedback and make improvements where I can. :)

We know we may not be as well known as other brands - yet, but we've been around longer than most. We have the engineering expertise and we manufacture our own products but this was one of the things we needed to improve for the enthusiast crowd.
 
Galaxy said:
GT, please don't think my reply was in any way aimed at you.
Click to expand...

Thank you... I didn't but I do appreciate the clarification however :). On-topic, though, this warranty change is definitely a good thing for marketing towards the enthusiast crowd, for sure :).
 
Galaxy said:
We do say "damage caused by.. won't be covered". I can't comment on GT's issue as it was not our product nor do I know the circumstances surrounding his problem.

We know some of our cards have great headroom for OC but there are limits.

If our GTX 460 SOC 1GB at 810MHz isn't fast enough for you, check out the 480 in today's Hot Deals from Tiger.. ~$375 ABCB. Amazing.. I may have to upgrade myself :)
Click to expand...

AFter newegg voided my order for no reason when ordering 2x 470s i placed 2 days ago for $577, i'll try and figure out how to sign up for BCB and buy those sexy Galaxy 480GTXs!
 
WoW - A company changing the warranty on the fly to cater to customers? That = sweet!
Thanks Galaxy for LISTENING to us! :)
 
Nice move, Galaxy!

Now put coolers on your cards that are as or more effective as the reference design at the same noise level.
 
Parja said:
Nice move, Galaxy!

Now put coolers on your cards that are as or more effective as the reference design at the same noise level.
Click to expand...



Yes, nice move with the warranty but are there any plans to change out the fans? I would rather have a quiet card from the beginning.
 
I remember when TigerDirect canceled my warranty on a 6x86 system, because I, as a 12 year old, had turned my PC into "a science project," If TigerDirect is out there listening, and wondering when I'll stop telling that story to anyone who brings up warranties from PC retailers, or brings up shameless business practices of any kind, I won't.
 
needmorecarnitine said:
Yes, nice move with the warranty but are there any plans to change out the fans? I would rather have a quiet card from the beginning.
Click to expand...

I have to agree, the negative comments on the noise were the only reason I went with Sparkle for my GTX 460 instead of Galaxy. Last week I had the choice of buying Sparkle through Newegg or Galaxy through TigerDirect. But the Sparkle fan is reference, so I knew I was getting a quiet solution.
 
The fan noise at idle is horrendous, my system sounds like a server now. I'm not a silence freak, I'm running an Antec 1200 with all fans at high and I can still hear the Galaxy cards from quite a distance.

edit: sorry, I know off topic. The warranty isn't going to matter much if the cards are horrible to use though.

More info: I might just have a defective fan on one unit, the 2nd doesn't seem to be nearly as loud. First one almost seems like it is rattling around.
 
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darkpaw said:
The fan noise at idle is horrendous, my system sounds like a server now. I'm not a silence freak, I'm running an Antec 1200 with all fans at high and I can still hear the Galaxy cards from quite a distance.

edit: sorry, I know off topic. The warranty isn't going to matter much if the cards are horrible to use though.

More info: I might just have a defective fan on one unit, the 2nd doesn't seem to be nearly as loud. First one almost seems like it is rattling around.
Click to expand...

Darkpaw, are these the SOC @ 810MHz?
 
GC version. I found out the problem is that the fan protrudes past the shroud just enough that it can bump up against the heat sink screws from the next card down, not a good situation at all. I will be needing to call support to see about getting a replacement fan now, just been extremely busy with family stuff so far today.

As I mentioned on the generic 460 thread, I've been running SLI since 2005 (7800GT, 8800GT, 260) and I've never had problems like this. The fan sticks out too far and is completely unprotected and it is not really possible to check the clearance one the cards are installed. My 2nd card was the problem child. I had to move it down far enough that it wasn't hitting the fan of the top card (with what little slack there is while still being able to line up the screws), but instead it was hitting the top of my 9800GT PhysX card. Right now, one of my cards is just a paper weight until I can get a replacement fan and then I'm still not sure how I will get both of them in my case without the fans hitting the next card down.
 
Dean,

so glad to hear that another manufacturer will allow after market modifications and overclocking. Personally, I don't OC my video cards, but I'm forever looking for making to make them quieter. Nice to know that Galaxy will allow after market coolers to be installed.

Thumbs up :D
 
Yep, right after i seen that post where they mentioned they changed there warrenty i noticed a sale at tiger direct for a Galaxy 480GTX and snagged up 2! :)
 
Awesome customer service! After reading this, I just ordered a pair of Galaxy OCed 1GB 460s!
 
Has anybody else experienced loudness with the Galaxy GC fans? The review on H says the cards are extremely loud.
 
One of mine was extremely loud, but is now on its way in for RMA due to a bad fan. Galaxy has been very helpful so far in addressing that. The one that is still running in my system sounds fine, I don't have any issues with the noise at all.
 
I wonder if the card that H reviewed had a bad fan since the card also looks like it ran hot.
 
I just wanted to give Galaxy major props on their warranty service and special thanks to Dean for his assistance. I sent in my GTX460 with a fan problem last Wednesday and a new one just showed up today.

BFG and EVGA have been my nvidia providers of choice for the past several years and I'll be happily substituting Galaxy for BFG now as a top consideration.
 
Forgive me for not understanding this, but how did the warranty change? It allows for overclocking, but doesn't cover damage associated with overclocking? How is this any different than not allowing overclocking or covering damaged cards from being clocked?

Im still risking the card by ocing. Does this mean you can determine if a part went faulty not because it was clocked, but for some other reason? I guess i always had it in my head by oc/oving something too high the resulting damage would be my fault and directly because I oced it. Further, what does "modification" mean? Iirc, the warranty stated no removal of hsf was allowed. Is this still true or am I free to put mx-2 on there now?

Its really late and im beat down from a day of lanning so I hope something in here makes sense...I did english, right?
 
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They're saying it's OK to do everything, even watercool your card, without voiding your warranty.

If you fry the card, literally, by running too much voltage through it, or if you physically damage the card, you're not covered. I think I've seen photos on their site. Basically, there is a difference between a card that burns out through normal use and a card that melts PCB from being modified to be be overvolted more than software allows. Something along those lines.
 
I guess I'd just like to see a warranty that says...

The following is covered under warranty...

1. removing the heatsink
2. changing the tim
3. using an aftermarket heatsink
4. overclocking, but only as far as OUR software will allow
5. overvolting, but only as far as OUR software will allow
6. taking showers with on a lonely day

To be honest, I'm not really even sure EVGA allows that, but it would be nice to see a company bust out w/ the "super enthusiast way of life" warranty. Maybe a test could be taken to determine eligibility. Something like, "When touching a video card, be sure to flip on the heater and rub your feet back and forth to build up confidence...true or false?" If they answer yes, they get shocked. Answer no and get denied. Answer back w/ an explanation, a video of yourself holding a spoon to determine your shake factor and get accepted into the uberwarranty program. Simple.
 
appreciate this very much Galaxy, but have i missed where you add lifetime warranty since i last looked at your cards? Doing this would put your company on my short list for next video card purchase. (If you have added lifetime since i last looked, please disregard).
 
Jodiuh,

Water cooling doesn't cover the shower scene in Psycho, no.. sorry but we had to draw the line somewhere.

Our goal is to provide a solid product from the factory. For our "more confident" users, we are now allowing you to do certain "super enthusiast" things to your card without voiding the warranty immediately. The new language is simply saying that if you do decide to volt mod your card with the local science museum's Tesla coil, we probably aren't going to cover it - if it stops working. If you take off the factory cooler to replace it, we are just asking that you put it back into the original factory condition before sending it in for RMA.

All joking aside, the goal is to allow you to do the things you want, within reason and while not assuming 100% of the risk on our side. We know you may want to try different TIM or coolers, or overclock it to get a little more FPS out of Spear of Destiny and we're ok with that as long as it doesn't damage the card.

If the card stops working in the "altered" state, we just want to make sure it has the same issue in the factory fresh condition before going through the RMA dance.

Hope that makes sense. I wasn't LANing this weekend but I was prepping for one :)

NIVO - I can confidently say you won't see a lifetime warranty from Galaxy. Sorry...
 
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