I will NEVER purchase another MSI product again, here's why.

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Alouette Radeon

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Back in March of 2008, I spent over $200 and purchased a motherboard in anticipation of my next (Phenom II X4 940) build. It was more than I had ever dreamed of having before. It was the MSI K9A2 Platinum v1.0. It had the awesome AMD 790FX northbridge and although it only had the ATi SB600 southbridge, it was the only 790FX motherboard that had its PCI-Express x16 lanes arranged so that it could hold 4 double-wide Radeon cards. I purchased this board with confidence that such a high-end board would be extremely durable and long-lived as long as I didn't try anything like overclocking. Well, to date, I have NEVER OC'd my X4 940 because I never felt the need to. It's still plenty fast for anything I've ever wanted it to do.


Well, in early July, my system started acting up. It had intermittent problems with posting and those intermittent problems became so common that they became the norm. The computer would also freeze while being used which led me to have to press the reset button which again made me have to try several times to get it to post again. Of course, I never dreamed that a once-flagship motherboard would be the problem, especially since I took such good care of it. I originally thought that my OCZ Z-Series 1000w PSU was the problem because the system would turn on by only flicking the back switch on the PSU, without pressing the power button. I contacted OCZ and they said that the behaviour my system was experiencing was not PSU-related. I tried switching my PSU to another one of my systems and sure enough, the problem ceased. It wasn't the PSU, so I thought maybe it was my computer case.


My case had 2x120mm Thermaltake adjustable fans (Some of the most powerful case fans that money can buy) and an 80mm fan in the side panel. I made damn sure that heat would not be a problem for my system, especially since I use Radeon HD 4870s. I changed my case from that PowerUp gaming Mid-Tower to the massive Ultra Black ULT-40670 Full-Tower case because I reasoned that the relatively cheap power wiring in my PowerUp case was probably the culprit. Well, after luckily finding that huge (and beautiful!) case on sale at a Tiger Direct outlet store for $130CAD, I was certain that my problems would be over. I couldn't have been more wrong. After spending the hours switching my system over to the new case, I turned it on. There was no change at all but it did post, twice in fact. Little did I know that those would be the last times that my K9A2 Platinum would ever post.


I was in shock. I'd never had a motherboard fail on me that quickly before and I've been building systems since 1988 (at the age of 12). I still have an old ECS PM800-M2 with a Celeron D as my fileserver running in my basement and an old ASUS P4P800 with a P4 2.4 running as my HTPC. Both of those boards are almost 10 years old and they're still running flawlessly. I even gave my old ASRock 4Core Dual-VSTA motherboard to my cousin so he could have a PC that runs games and that one was running a Core 2 Duo 1.8GHz Conroe, it's also still running perfectly. I wondered what to do next since I knew that this sort of thing must have been pretty rare.


I still didn't fully believe that it was my motherboard but rather than pay Tiger Direct over $50 to diagnose it, I spent $50 on a cheap ECS A780GM-A motherboard with an AMD 770 chipset. I was limited in my choices due to the fact that the Phenom II X4 940 is not an AM3 CPU and so I had to get an AM2+ motherboard. I couldn't find ANY that supported Crossfire so I just made sure that the one I got could hold my 8GB of DDR2-800. As soon as I moved everything over to the new motherboard, all my problems ceased. It had been confirmed, my MSI K9A2 Platinum motherboard had failed 3 years and 4-5 months after its initial purchase.


I realised that it had only been 4-5 months since my warranty expired and so I contacted MSI support. I thought to myself "Sure, it's only a 3 year warranty but MSI wouldn't want a customer to be burned on one of their flagship boards by having it fail essentially right after the warranty ends." I didn't expect a replacement but I thought "Maybe they'll send me a coupon that I can use to get a discount on another MSI motherboard to replace this one." Well, their answer was "We are sorry, but your warranty expired in March of this year." which was basically the same as "Get lost kid, ya bother me!". I didn't even know what to say in reply because I didn't anticipate that response.


I just wanted to let everyone know about this and I can guarantee you that I will NEVER buy another MSI product again. It's such a shame too because before this happened, I was absolutely THRILLED with my motherboard's performance and had even updated the BIOS so that it could recognise Thuban. Oh well, live and learn I guess.

*rant over*
 
shit happens and some warranties are finite. Not MSI's fault for sticking to the terms of the warranty.
 
You are surprised that MSI wouldn't do anything for you when the product failed several months after the warranty expired? Really?

Did you try another power supply with that MSI board? Trying your power supply in another weaker system that doesn't draw as much power doesn't really rule out the power supply does it?
What if you try the system with just one card, then does it start?
 
Its rare for a vendor to offer any support after the warranty. Try going to Apple after your iPod fails right after the 1yr warranty expires and see what happens (hint - a polite 'get lost'), and that's from a retailer with ultra high prices and profit margins.

You can find similar horror stories for any other mobo manufacturer.
 
Yeah, My only complaint with MSI was the length of the RMA process but every RMA has been what I expected.
 
I would never buy a MSI product based on customer support since it has none. They still do make nice products for lower price than other manufacturers. I figure I am on my own if something goes wrong but so far my mobo has lasted well.
 
Your gripe is that the mobo died outside of a three year warranty and MSI will still not warrant the product? Derp?
 
Zenshi said:
I would never buy a MSI product based on customer support since it has none.
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I don't even know what that means. Seems these others in this thread are not having issue with getting in contact with support....
 
Maybe we're missing something here. You bought a computer part in 2008 and it broke in 2011 and you're upset? Is that true or are we being trolled?
 
Although it sucks to have a mobo die, to EXPECT any compensation or service after the product is out of warranty is wrong. They have no obligation whatsoever to honor something they didn't promise. Of course, there are those rare cases where the manufacturer or retailer will go out of their way to make sure a customer/client is happy. That being said, it is NOT the norm and should not be expected.
 
Your gripe is that the mobo died outside of a three year warranty and MSI will still not warrant the product?
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That is correct!
I don't even know what that means. Seems these others in this thread are not having issue with getting in contact with support....
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I think he means that when you have a issue, no one is around to help him out or work on the issue from MSI. Maybe they only want you to RMA the product and they figure it out in house. He wants to help out and work with MSI on the issue. Of course I am only guessing and could be way off on this. ;)

Maybe we're missing something here. You bought a computer part in 2008 and it broke in 2011 and you're upset? Is that true or are we being trolled?
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No! He stated that the motherboard is 4 or 5 months out of warranty. He think MSI needs to give him something for a out of warranty part because it was a flagship product when he bought it.
 
Chalk this one up to "they don't make 'em like they used to". It's sad we can't rely on hardly any consumer products to last these days.
 
all motherboard manufacturers are this way...out of warranty your out of luck...3yrs with a hot running nvidia chipset, not bad id say...so man up guy its new platform time...
to be bitching about this is crazy...its not a 45000 dollar car we are talking bout here....
man up and get another board or change platforms....maybe you shouldnt buy amd anymore cause there cpu;s fit in msi boards...that will teach them...nvidia chipsets always sucked for amd mostly....
if i were you id get a 680 or 780i board and then you will know what real problems are...
 
As long as I don't lose data, dead board is always good excuse to do a new build. ;) 3.5 years is a really long time.
 
Never had any problem with an MSI product, and i wouldnt be complaining about it lasting 3.5 years, sounds like you were due for an upgrade anyway
 
That mobo would be worth like $40 now, pay with a credit card that increases the manufacturer's warranty.
 
Your complaint is weak. Stuff breaks. If your MB broke and it's out of warranty your best bet is buy something that you like and move on.


IMO MSI has greatly impressed me with their products. High quality and dynamic for a decent price. MSI builds good stuff.
 
Stuff dies it's not the end of the world. 3 years and 5 months out of a mobo is fine I would say, sure it sucks to have to buy a new one but that isn't a short life span by any means.
 
I don't blame MSI for not servicing an out-of-warranty product, but I'd be kinda disappointed if my board died that fast. In fact (crosses fingers, don't wanna get jinxed), I've never had a motherboard die on me. I've had many systems that all still work to this day, some that are over 15 years old. My A8N-SLI Premium I just retired last month still works like a charm after over 5 years of faithful 24/7 service... looking to turn it into a router one day when I have money/time to do so.
 
jubrany said:
I don't blame MSI for not servicing an out-of-warranty product, but I'd be kinda disappointed if my board died that fast. In fact (crosses fingers, don't wanna get jinxed), I've never had a motherboard die on me. I've had many systems that all still work to this day, some that are over 15 years old. My A8N-SLI Premium I just retired last month still works like a charm after over 5 years of faithful 24/7 service... looking to turn it into a router one day when I have money/time to do so.
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I had the non sli version of that board a8n-e. It was fantastic I had it running for 5 years too and the only thing that went wrong with it was one sata port went screwy after about 3 years.
 
perhaps some of the comments were a bit harsh.
it does suck when a part dies just outside warranty. however 3 year use isn't bad.
i'd look at it as a opportunity to get my hands on new hardware to play with.
personally when i buy a MB, i'll spend a bit extra to get something decent with quality components primarily so i don't have to pull the entire pc apart to RMA/replace.
three things one shouldn't cheap-out on, the MB, RAM & PSU. too much else in the system relies on these bits being good.
 
Poisoner said:
Somebody call the wambulance.
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done..

fDPl2.jpg
 
I'm scared to google your thread title, because I have a suspicious feeling you ran to every board possible, and posted this exact same thread.

Either way, it was out of warranty...wtf do you honestly expect? I get it that it was your hard earned money, and that you went through this and that and hunted the problem down. If you don't want to have to deal with this thing...Dude, get a dell!
 
Kluden said:
I'm scared to google your thread title, because I have a suspicious feeling you ran to every board possible, and posted this exact same thread.

Either way, it was out of warranty...wtf do you honestly expect? I get it that it was your hard earned money, and that you went through this and that and hunted the problem down. If you don't want to have to deal with this thing...Dude, get a dell!
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Yeah, out of warranty rant? lol.


You called it, multi forum rant posting:

http://www.++++++++++++++++++++/for...199-i-am-very-disappointed-msi-heres-why.html

http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?p=4053638

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/294668-30-product-again-here


Funny how almost every reply is some form of "Yeah, stuff breaks. Sucks that it happened out of warranty" :)
 
I realised that it had only been 4-5 months since my warranty expired
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LOL!

The OP is just another goofy consumer that believes he's entitled to not play by the rules.
 
I can't fault MSI in this case too much, however...

I don't buy MSI anymore due to a rash of failures and basically shoddy work on a number of MSI products(I used to be a big MSI buyer). Though I do know a few people who've had good luck with MSI products, that's not me and most of my friends so I stick to Asus/EVGA where I've always had good RMA experiences and good luck with product lifetime.
 
I won't buy MSI because their quality control isn't quite up to my standards. I understand they make some good products, but if they have the potential to "not work" after the warranty period is over, eh, no thanks. My 750i FTW lasted from 2007 to my Sandy Bridge upgrade (and I'm sure still does) and it's been out of warranty since... well, whenever EVGA's expired.

This thread though, is just whining. Yeah, it sucks that your motherboard died dude, but shit happens. Things aren't made to last forever, otherwise companies would cease operations after those only purchases. It's the same concept as buying a car - it's going to crap out eventually, it's simply a matter of when.
 
which was basically the same as "Get lost kid, ya bother me!"
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Actually it's the same as "Your warranty has expired, by almost half a year. Read the contract you essentially signed when purchasing the product."

Like ffs. One DAY out of warranty? Perhaps... 3-5 months? lol. I'll try that one with Volkswagen when my warranty's up. After all, they want a customer for life right?!
 
same story, only in my case MSI replaced the mobo TWICE... the last RMA didn't last long and died right after the warranty period expired for the original mobo. MSI sucks bad, not getting any of my money ever again.
 
I see your forum post here as just a means to try to splash mud on MSI and try to get them to fix YOUR problem.

Now if it was a few days or maybe even a few weeks after the warranty expired, I can see MSI MAYBE doing something nice for you as a gesture of good will. However, you are coming to them approximately 150 days after your agreement with them ended. 5 Months is a rather long time in PC-Tech time.

Yeah, it'd be AWESOME if MSI did something for you...but you don't DESERVE preferential treatment...you bought a motherboard...it worked for you for 3.5 years...it died... Shit happens, time to move on and get a new board.

MSI is a business, they need to make money, and as much as it may pain you to hear. You really are not much of a blip on their radar.

Get off your high-horse.
 
I always buy MSI products, and I always buy XFX Video cards..

Both have very good warranties, and great products...


But if I ever had an issue with one their products and it was out of warranty, nothing else to do but replace it, and move on.


Just as I would expect if a piece of hardware was within warranty, they would help me get everything back in working order...

I dont see what the OP's point is?
 
DoomDoomDoom said:
I won't buy MSI because their quality control isn't quite up to my standards. I understand they make some good products, but if they have the potential to "not work" after the warranty period is over, eh, no thanks. My 750i FTW lasted from 2007 to my Sandy Bridge upgrade (and I'm sure still does) and it's been out of warranty since... well, whenever EVGA's expired.

This thread though, is just whining. Yeah, it sucks that your motherboard died dude, but shit happens. Things aren't made to last forever, otherwise companies would cease operations after those only purchases. It's the same concept as buying a car - it's going to crap out eventually, it's simply a matter of when.
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"I won't buy MSI because their quality control isn't quite up to my standards."

So what evidence do you have that their quality control isn't good?
What are your standards?
Please be specific and have measurable proof and criteria.



" if they have the potential to "not work" after the warranty period is over, eh, no thanks"

That just described every product ever made. Don't ever buy anything again as long as you live and you might be happy then.
 
Volcanon said:
I can't fault MSI in this case too much, however...

I don't buy MSI anymore due to a rash of failures and basically shoddy work on a number of MSI products(I used to be a big MSI buyer). Though I do know a few people who've had good luck with MSI products, that's not me and most of my friends so I stick to Asus/EVGA where I've always had good RMA experiences and good luck with product lifetime.
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lightning series is boss
 
If a board lasted 3+ years before it started experiencing any serious problems, I have a difficult time believing that is due to a defect from the factory. More likely it's something that occurred on the users end that damaged the board. I'm not implying negligence; sometimes shit happens.
 
Points from OP that piqued my interest:

I thought to myself "Sure, it's only a 3 year warranty but MSI wouldn't want a customer to be burned on one of their flagship boards by having it fail essentially right after the warranty ends."

MSI may not want to have items stop working after the warranty but I'm it happens with plenty of products and I'm sure they want you to buy another product from them.

"I didn't expect a replacement but I thought "Maybe they'll send me a coupon that I can use to get a discount on another MSI motherboard to replace this one."

Why would they send YOU a coupon? <----- Self entitlement? If they sent you a coupon, do you think they'd send everyone a coupon, for a discount? I'm sure that'll just lead to them upping the price a bit to compensate for the discounts.

"Well, their answer was "We are sorry, but your warranty expired in March of this year." which was basically the same as "Get lost kid, ya bother me!". I didn't even know what to say in reply because I didn't anticipate that response."

Why get upset? You didn't expect a replacement, I still don't get how you think you would get a coupon...... "We are sorry, but your warranty expired in March of this year." ------ That means they actually looked at your case long enough to do a warranty check, it doesn't mean "Get lost kid, ya bother me!"..... now if they emailed you once stating that a person will be contacting you about your ticket, then no one ever does.... that means "Get lost kid, ya bother me!"


SwitchFC

P.S.------- all my opinions are of my own, expressed in text in the same fashion I would verbally argue them. Those opinions have come from my own experiences with Tech Support from manufacturers, vendors and grocery baggers..... Remember!! if your product has a warranty that expired you can try to get a discount, but don't expect anything.
 
I think by the third page of the thread, it's apparent that the OP is just a bit blockheaded.

Contrary to popular belief, the customer is not always right - You are not special to the business after you buy their product. They aren't going to comfort you and make everything better by giving you something of value, for nothing but a complaint.

You bought the board, it lasted more than three years warranty. Depending on what you do with your PC, you got what you paid for and then some (3+ years of video games, productivity and whatever else ^_^).
 
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