Amazon Warehouse Deals 2080 DOA - return or warranty?

RustedAngel

Limp Gawd
Joined
Mar 26, 2007
Messages
145
I got an EVGA 2080 XC Ultra for $550 on amazon warehouse deals. It showed artifacts right away, and I'm trying to decide whether I should:
  1. Return to Amazon for refund, get my $550 back but have to pay $100-150 more at least to get a working 2080
  2. RMA to EVGA, get a working 2080, but may be some risk EVGA would deny the claim and I'm out $550?
The card was priced low because it was listed as having a cosmetic defect. The card arrived and looked almost mint to me. I did find a tiny 1-2mm spot where paint on the card backing plate was chipped off.
VzJ_cngAMIeHWVaQQPPmiBI25x8nU3bYGSh21YOWWgrXVHhkqjcfrPKQe5aoN145bAFKo2cUQEi_OqwJXE=w1280-h720-no.jpg

But no dents, deep scratches, or anything suggesting it was dropped. Here are some more images:
sFis2EHr7ye32OBq7EkB-7emjafLM24nmWyucs09lUbSOWcL_kxOV62q8iKwTut_5ZPi-nTwcNxAAimG6E=w1280-h720-no.jpg

9a6aTobEsZ67Wr8qg-XGVoiHODhaOg3keTGYmgdjATKv3ncvpTpj6nSexwOEiXjflqM1k9WKxKGBhCAC6I=w1280-h720-no.jpg

89RW3eizMPDIDhyxdjcMmgyMjGK5zJM4e3Y83-9xoPPBEKyHFo1CQfBjckUwYQsdgXuMf0GyzNVnK90Tvo=w1280-h720-no.jpg

PjrvZsIbFj3fblHGBjtsyZAhm62mUMWBDt3N8Dn90EuhsLV50EHMG07XPX1WVVVBEJEdPplFPvlo4nyt_A=w1280-h720-no.jpg

Uk1uIsRcrB28KTnwgvnMx6GBpJlh2RuAC4H46ajxHOupTGxgbpJGdZ495WG4hXeczgqqo-8Ur0jqcKR3pI=w1280-h720-no.jpg

977FYeXG0F3IXspFAhOmElnerMRUG4JgkB2wdEeZtfiU8PkjHLr9ATvsB7kfbWB9B3nHF6HVO32VF-NyJU=w1280-h720-no.jpg


Artifacting I saw looked like this:
H_12we1flYaB1C7sffqGynxSF29kj0XZ7_IaM9lMGoG_ufFzMvmS_BGZXRhl4sFPrXNmKLjGyrGsJh2SM0=w1280-h720-no.jpg

lWUEdKtrKtNP80VimojImjSDY6hMmvEEB9HqnqkExyS7CiSojvmlr_C4_0eSnDSW_8TddEO8YQ92YgaBQo=w1280-h720-no.jpg


PSU is 650 watt Corsair rm650x. PC has i7-8700K, 1 m.2 SSD, 1 4TB storage HDD, 16 GB RAM, and 4 case fans (3 200mm, 1 120mm).
First I uninstalled drivers for existing GTX 970. I used a static tether wristband while installing, then put the newest 430.86 drivers on. After I found the artifacts and freezing issue I uninstalled drivers, shut down, pulled card out of PCI-E slot to double check it was seated well, checked the 8 and 6 pin PCI-E power cables, screwed card to case again, and reinstalled drivers, same issue encountered after starting any game. I uninstalled again and put my GTX 970 back in and it worked as normal.

This is my first time using warehouse deals, I've read it's kind of the wild west, but for $550 I was willing to deal with possible headaches.

Hardforumers, do you see a risk of EVGA denying my warranty claim?
I know EVGA doesn't reimburse you for shipping RMA cards to them, I reached out to Amazon and they thought RMA was better deal for me and said they would cover shipping cost to EVGA if EVGA did not.
Did I do anything stupid during install that could have caused this issue?

Appreciate any help or advice!
 
Last edited:
Could just call evga and let them know and see what they say first to save alot of time and money.
 
I emailed EVGA this morning. I will call EVGA if I don't hear back from them tomorrow.
 
I would RMA it, like you said going to miss out on the great deal if you return. Just get on it asap so if they do refuse you can return with Amazon.
 
Should be able to RMA through EVGA. That's what I would do.
 
That looks like the classic 'Space Invaders' corruption they were seeing on the early RTX 2080ti boards. It was a common problem, and it could appear on other early RTX cards. EVGA is pretty good about RMA's, but they can be stuffy if you haven't warrantied the card first.

Don't show them that last screen, they'll tell you that your warranty doesn't cover letting the invaders get that close to the ground after losing all your bunkers.


P.S. Fallout 4!
 
Called EVGA last night, they recommended I try a different PSU to make sure problem is not power related. I picked up an 850 watt PSU at Best Buy (which I had been thinking I'd step up to anyways), new PSU didn't fix it. EVGA is starting their process to give me an RMA number.

I didn't show them how low I let the space invaders get, so hopefully they don't deny my claim for being a noob at old school games.
 
In the bottom most picture of the card it looks like there is a big chunk missing out of two of the pci express pins. Not sure if that's just crud that landed on the card for the picture, or is actual damage. If damage that could get your RMA denied.
 
That was crud, not damage to the PCI-E pins. I noticed it after posting and took canned air to the PCI-E fin on the card, and the PCI-E slot.
Thanks for calling attention to it!
 
all depends on your budget, time, and patience. if you can swing the extra, then by all means, RMAs are never fun, just less painful depending on the day. If you cant, then RMA away.
 
It is worth it to me to deal with RMA headaches to get a 2080 for $550. I have a much easier time enjoying things if I feel like I got them for a good price.
I'd previously planned to upgrade to a 2070, or maybe try to hold out until next generation. I've never had an '80 series card. But when the best deals for 2070s run $450-470 and I can get a 2080 with the upgraded Ultra cooler, the extra $100 was hard to pass up.
Amazon has already said they'll comp me for any shipping I have to pay, so I'm only out time on this, and the cost of the $850 watt PSU, which I would have needed anyways for a 2080.
 
It is worth it to me to deal with RMA headaches to get a 2080 for $550. I have a much easier time enjoying things if I feel like I got them for a good price.
I'd previously planned to upgrade to a 2070, or maybe try to hold out until next generation. I've never had an '80 series card. But when the best deals for 2070s run $450-470 and I can get a 2080 with the upgraded Ultra cooler, the extra $100 was hard to pass up.
Amazon has already said they'll comp me for any shipping I have to pay, so I'm only out time on this, and the cost of the $850 watt PSU, which I would have needed anyways for a 2080.
Totally worth it. I agree.
 
If it were me I'd return it. I'm not usually one to say "wait", but we're only a week away from new nV and AMD cards being announced at E3 (with availability likely very soon after) that will give you new options for that price range.
 
Called EVGA last night, they recommended I try a different PSU to make sure problem is not power related. I picked up an 850 watt PSU at Best Buy (which I had been thinking I'd step up to anyways), new PSU didn't fix it. EVGA is starting their process to give me an RMA number.

I didn't show them how low I let the space invaders get, so hopefully they don't deny my claim for being a noob at old school games.

This is an absolutely ridiculous recommendation by their technical support.
 
i think EVGA is going to get the card and see scratching and try and find any way possible to call it customer induced damage. You will need to treat this like Asus and take pictures of everything in detail before sending it to CYA. I saw on their own forums they are getting extremely petty about it. They denied a guys RMA for his Kingpin 1080ti that had no video for a scratch on the SLI connector even though the card had never been in SLI. They told him to kick rocks.
 
If it were me I'd return it. I'm not usually one to say "wait", but we're only a week away from new nV and AMD cards being announced at E3 (with availability likely very soon after) that will give you new options for that price range.
I highly doubt NV is going to touch the top end cards unless AMD brings something that can actually compete on the high end. My guess is, something to replace the 2070 or maybe a 1770 :p?
 
I sent it to EVGA RMA yesterday. I should know by Wednesday next week what EVGA is doing for me.
The main reason I dealt with Amazon support first was to help make sure they have my back. They recommended I send the card to EVGA RMA. Now if EVGA tells me to kick rocks, I have a strong argument to Amazon that the product they sold me was a brick when they shipped it.

I thought the recommendation to try another PSU was fairly sensible. I went from a 150 watt TDP card to a 250 watt TDP, if my PSU were weak it could cause issues with the higher power demanding card.
The guy did not tell me to go upgrade to an 850 watt. I wanted to go to 850 because I usually prefer to have a good margin of safety over the power requirements in my build. I just lacked foresight when I built last year with a 650 watt. It also just so happened that Best Buy had a Corsair 850 in store, that uses the same modular cables I had already run, and was lower than Amazon or Newegg's price that day.

I did see the rumors about refreshed 20XX series at lower MSRP, but I'm skeptical the real street price will drop that much. Maybe it will, I have until 6/30 to return to Amazon.
If you waited for every upcoming GPU rumor to materialize you'd never upgrade, especially me.
When I built my new computer in March 2018 I told myself I would snag a 1080 when I saw one at a good price. Then I got busy, and put off the upgrade itch until now. I have the money to spend now, and would like to have a more badass computer to enjoy.
I know it seems weird, but me giving myself permission to spend money on things I don't really need is a fleeting thing. If I don't jump on it now the window will close.
 
I sent it to EVGA RMA yesterday. I should know by Wednesday next week what EVGA is doing for me.
The main reason I dealt with Amazon support first was to help make sure they have my back. They recommended I send the card to EVGA RMA. Now if EVGA tells me to kick rocks, I have a strong argument to Amazon that the product they sold me was a brick when they shipped it.

I thought the recommendation to try another PSU was fairly sensible. I went from a 150 watt TDP card to a 250 watt TDP, if my PSU were weak it could cause issues with the higher power demanding card.
The guy did not tell me to go upgrade to an 850 watt. I wanted to go to 850 because I usually prefer to have a good margin of safety over the power requirements in my build. I just lacked foresight when I built last year with a 650 watt.

I did see the rumors about refreshed 20XX series at lower MSRP, but I'm skeptical the real street price will drop that much. Maybe it will, I have until 6/30 to return to Amazon.
If you waited for every upcoming GPU rumor to materialize you'd never upgrade, especially me.
When I built my new computer in March 2018 I told myself I would snag a 1080 when I saw one at a good price. Then I got busy, and put off the upgrade itch until now. I have the money to spend now, and would like to have a more badass computer to enjoy.
I know it seems weird, but me giving myself permission to spend money on things I don't really need is a fleeting thing. If I don't jump on it now the window will close.

When you have a weak power supply, artifacting is not how that problem presents itself. If the power supply were truly insufficient, you would experience lockups or the system would shut down or power cycle itself. Artifacts only appear when the card overheats or when there is something wrong with it.
 
When you have a weak power supply, artifacting is not how that problem presents itself. If the power supply were truly insufficient, you would experience lockups or the system would shut down or power cycle itself. Artifacts only appear when the card overheats or when there is something wrong with it.

Can confirm. I have replaced thousands of faulty PSUs.
 
As long as EVGA takes care of you, you should be fine. However imho, dealing with multiple RMAs (currently in one right now with another brand), I have gone from being the person who would be like at least I can depend on warranty, to the person whose like if I can get my refund and let the authorized retailer deal with the issue. The time, effort, and energy is something now that warranty repairs have really gotten down well. Its something which has become more of a burden then anything. Again just my 2c no need to flame me
 
When you have a weak power supply, artifacting is not how that problem presents itself. If the power supply were truly insufficient, you would experience lockups or the system would shut down or power cycle itself. Artifacts only appear when the card overheats or when there is something wrong with it.

I wouldnt just say thats the cause of artifacting. normally when ever the mem clocks are too high or the voltage to the mem is inadequate it can happen. if the voltage is rased or mem clock is lowered it may be possible to stop the artifacting and have a stable card but of course that may not be worth the time when a fulkly working card was expected.

I have had a handful of shitty binned cards they would artifact at stock voltage and clocks but jumping up the voltage by abit solved those problems and the cards stayed stable
 
i think EVGA is going to get the card and see scratching and try and find any way possible to call it customer induced damage. You will need to treat this like Asus and take pictures of everything in detail before sending it to CYA. I saw on their own forums they are getting extremely petty about it. They denied a guys RMA for his Kingpin 1080ti that had no video for a scratch on the SLI connector even though the card had never been in SLI. They told him to kick rocks.

With a cosmetic scratch the size of a dust particle? I do agree with you that in this day of mfgs RMA services (3rd party or 1st) its just plain common sense to take pictures before sending in anything. Its their word against yours. However in this scenario, I doubt scratches will be the denial. The kingpin story, i would love to read.
 
With a cosmetic scratch the size of a dust particle? I do agree with you that in this day of mfgs RMA services (3rd party or 1st) its just plain common sense to take pictures before sending in anything. Its their word against yours. However in this scenario, I doubt scratches will be the denial. The kingpin story, i would love to read.
ill see if i can find it.They literally denied it because of the scratch on the SLI pins and stated customer induced damage and provided a picture and sent it back. Dude was heated.

Edit: Found it. Turns out it was on overclock.net.
https://www.overclock.net/forum/69-...ting-rma-sli-pci-e-finger-connector-wear.html
 
Last edited:
I wouldnt just say thats the cause of artifacting. normally when ever the mem clocks are too high or the voltage to the mem is inadequate it can happen. if the voltage is rased or mem clock is lowered it may be possible to stop the artifacting and have a stable card but of course that may not be worth the time when a fulkly working card was expected.

I have had a handful of shitty binned cards they would artifact at stock voltage and clocks but jumping up the voltage by abit solved those problems and the cards stayed stable

Yeah, I understand that. My point is that an inadequate power supply doesn't present itself in the form of artifacting.
 
ill see if i can find it.They literally denied it because of the scratch on the SLI pins and stated customer induced damage and provided a picture and sent it back. Dude was heated.

Edit: Found it. Turns out it was on overclock.net.
https://www.overclock.net/forum/69-...ting-rma-sli-pci-e-finger-connector-wear.html

I had a chip on the PCI-E connector on a 560ti and EVGA didn't want to replace it up front. If I insisted they would but they mentioned it should work fine, but they seemed to not want to do it. I never bothered installing it when I was told I would get a used RMA replacement even it arrived like that out of the box. Back to Amazon it went.

Also, an 850 watt PSU isn't really needed for a single RTX 2080. I assume a good 620-650 would be sufficient even with an OCed CPU and GPU.
 
Also, an 850 watt PSU isn't really needed for a single RTX 2080. I assume a good 620-650 would be sufficient even with an OCed CPU and GPU.

I'm a little uncomfortable being right at the manufacturer's minimum spec, though my review of various forums found lots of people saying their RTX 2080 system was fine with 650 watts.
I'd feel better with an extra 100-200 watts for breathing room.
I'm considering returning the 850W and getting this 750W Seasonic for $76
https://www.newegg.com/seasonic-focus-plus-750-gold-ssr-750fx-750w/p/N82E16817151187
 
I highly doubt NV is going to touch the top end cards unless AMD brings something that can actually compete on the high end. My guess is, something to replace the 2070 or maybe a 1770 :p?

They're releasing versions of the current range with faster memory, binned chips, and importantly, $100 drop in MSRP across the board. Except fpr the 2080 ti because F the enthusiast, right?
 
They're releasing versions of the current range with faster memory, binned chips, and importantly, $100 drop in MSRP across the board. Except fpr the 2080 ti because F the enthusiast, right?

The 2080 ti has been selling well because it's the fastest sku, it makes more financial sense to refresh up the lower end skus since the 2080/2070 didnt move the bar on value proposition from the 1080/1080ti and haven't been impressive revenue wise.
 
The 2080 ti has been selling well because it's the fastest sku, it makes more financial sense to refresh up the lower end skus since the 2080/2070 didnt move the bar on value proposition from the 1080/1080ti and haven't been impressive revenue wise.
Um... They had the second best quarter ever for them, only surpassed by mining craze activity. What on Earth are you talking about poor revenues?
 
Back
Top