undertheradar
[H]ard|Gawd
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2004
- Messages
- 1,792
My EVGA 980 Ti hydro copper started "flickering" the display when in-game a few months ago. I thought it might just be a driver issue since if I window a game, it was fine. When playing Call of Duty BO 3 or similar, the screen just flickers like a TV camera recording a LCD screen. When playing Battlefield4 or 1, my screen flickers when more than 50% of my screen contains sky. Titanfall 2 is perfectly fine, so... lots of playing that recently.
Anyways, I tried new drivers, a new windows installation, etc. I even tried the card in another computer and still the same problem, so I guess it must be the card.
So before getting an RMA online with EVGA, I contacted them via phone... to make sure they even have more 980 Ti hydro coppers available, right? I need this computer (also use for work) with minimal downtime, so I am opting for the advanced return/replacement aka cross-ship where I have to give a deposit on a new 980 Ti before I can ship mine in... $800 seems like a bit much for this, but that is what they took as a deposit.
So, the guy on the phone says that I don't have to worry... they have more 980 Ti hydro coppers for replacement and he sets up the ticket for my RMA over the phone.
So, just over a week later, yesterday... still no replacement card in the mail!
And I get an email from EVGA...
"
This is EVGA contacting you in regards to your 980 TI Hydro Copper RMA. Unfortunately we are out of Hydro Copper blocks for the 980 Ti. In this case, we can offer a air cooled card (980 Ti) to be RMA’d to you. You would then be able to install your block and then send back the air cooler and your defective card. Alternatively we can offer you a pre-paid shipping label and have you send in your card. We can then install the block for you and ship you back the card (the block is not normally exchanged, just the card).
Let us know how you want to proceed."
Now, I'm thinking BULLSHIT, right? Whoever I talked to last time told me a big fat lie and now I'm getting jerked around.
They won't send me a 980 Ti hydro copper, but expect me to send mine in and be without a computer for a month... OR...
They send an air cooled version to me that I have to swap out the coolers on myself?!?!
When I had this happen in the past with Gainward or BFG, they would simply upgrade the card, offering me something in the current line of cards that was equal or better. If EVGA can't keep replacements in stock for warranty replacement, why is it up to me to do more work?
They also said that they don't like doing advanced return/replacement on hydro copper cards since if the card comes in and shows water damage, they won't refund the deposit. Really? $800 is the going rate on a 980 Ti hydro copper still? I could buy a 1080 hydro for that much!
Which is kinda what I'm thinking they should do... send a 1080 hydro now, I send in the 980 hydro copper, and maybe, just maybe, I would be willing to pay for the 'upgrade' perhaps... the old one being worth about $300 less than the new one at this point. Otherwise, I also see an argument for me not having to pay a dime at all.
I don't want to be without any card at all for a month while I send in mine first, they look it over, and eventually send a replacement. I want the cross-ship warranty replacement option... its what is available according to the warranty and they have been sitting on my $800 now for a week while doing nothing it seems. All this after telling me they had 980 Ti hydro coppers sitting around for cross-ship.
I don't want to have to do a cooler swap on these cards myself. That just sounds hokey... "here, here's a new card, but some assembly/reassembly required to make it work". I bought this card so that I didn't have to do this.
I'm thinking I should be able to demand an upgrade at this point, and sure, I'll pay the difference ($300?) although this really is their mistake.
Or, if anything, they send me a 980Ti (air cooled) that I can use while I ship back my hydro copper, they replace it, and ship it back and then I can ship back the air cooled card... the air cooled card is pretty much a "loaner".
Any other perspectives on this? Anyone else have to deal with this experience? Any other suggestions?
Anyways, I tried new drivers, a new windows installation, etc. I even tried the card in another computer and still the same problem, so I guess it must be the card.
So before getting an RMA online with EVGA, I contacted them via phone... to make sure they even have more 980 Ti hydro coppers available, right? I need this computer (also use for work) with minimal downtime, so I am opting for the advanced return/replacement aka cross-ship where I have to give a deposit on a new 980 Ti before I can ship mine in... $800 seems like a bit much for this, but that is what they took as a deposit.
So, the guy on the phone says that I don't have to worry... they have more 980 Ti hydro coppers for replacement and he sets up the ticket for my RMA over the phone.
So, just over a week later, yesterday... still no replacement card in the mail!
And I get an email from EVGA...
"
This is EVGA contacting you in regards to your 980 TI Hydro Copper RMA. Unfortunately we are out of Hydro Copper blocks for the 980 Ti. In this case, we can offer a air cooled card (980 Ti) to be RMA’d to you. You would then be able to install your block and then send back the air cooler and your defective card. Alternatively we can offer you a pre-paid shipping label and have you send in your card. We can then install the block for you and ship you back the card (the block is not normally exchanged, just the card).
Let us know how you want to proceed."
Now, I'm thinking BULLSHIT, right? Whoever I talked to last time told me a big fat lie and now I'm getting jerked around.
They won't send me a 980 Ti hydro copper, but expect me to send mine in and be without a computer for a month... OR...
They send an air cooled version to me that I have to swap out the coolers on myself?!?!
When I had this happen in the past with Gainward or BFG, they would simply upgrade the card, offering me something in the current line of cards that was equal or better. If EVGA can't keep replacements in stock for warranty replacement, why is it up to me to do more work?
They also said that they don't like doing advanced return/replacement on hydro copper cards since if the card comes in and shows water damage, they won't refund the deposit. Really? $800 is the going rate on a 980 Ti hydro copper still? I could buy a 1080 hydro for that much!
Which is kinda what I'm thinking they should do... send a 1080 hydro now, I send in the 980 hydro copper, and maybe, just maybe, I would be willing to pay for the 'upgrade' perhaps... the old one being worth about $300 less than the new one at this point. Otherwise, I also see an argument for me not having to pay a dime at all.
I don't want to be without any card at all for a month while I send in mine first, they look it over, and eventually send a replacement. I want the cross-ship warranty replacement option... its what is available according to the warranty and they have been sitting on my $800 now for a week while doing nothing it seems. All this after telling me they had 980 Ti hydro coppers sitting around for cross-ship.
I don't want to have to do a cooler swap on these cards myself. That just sounds hokey... "here, here's a new card, but some assembly/reassembly required to make it work". I bought this card so that I didn't have to do this.
I'm thinking I should be able to demand an upgrade at this point, and sure, I'll pay the difference ($300?) although this really is their mistake.
Or, if anything, they send me a 980Ti (air cooled) that I can use while I ship back my hydro copper, they replace it, and ship it back and then I can ship back the air cooled card... the air cooled card is pretty much a "loaner".
Any other perspectives on this? Anyone else have to deal with this experience? Any other suggestions?