EK6790 Reference Block does not fit my card

T

TigerLord

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Mar 11, 2007
Messages
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I ordered a XFX 6970 HD697ACNFC. According to CoolingConfigurator, thmI'at is a reference design. So I ordered this block.

My card's packaging does say HD697ACNFC. But if you look at the back of the card, it sais HD697ACNFC v1.1

v.1.1???? WTF?

The AMD logo is gone above the PCI-E lane, but otherwise the PCB is almost identical... I say almost, because the two bottom screws under the memory are further apart. Did XFX secretly make a new revision of their reference design and didn't tell anyone?

Now the block won't fit, I'm out 120$ and there doesn't seem to be a block that exists for that supposedly 1.1 design?
 
IMGP4240.jpg


IMGP4242.jpg


Some pictures.
 
Where does it say the 1.1? I was thinking of buying a block in the next few days and have the XFX6950.
 
Yes, and now I am royally screwed.

What are the chances Performances PCS or EK will exchange it without the restocking fee? Not to mention I'll need to pay for shipping again.

Arggh, this is frustrating.
 
You can tell by not having the bios switch. The newer once dont have the back plate any more either if I remember corectly.
 
These are all physical hints, which you don't get until you get the actual card in hand.

If you can't base your decision on the model number anymore, how can you protect yourself from shit like this? This is infuriating. Changing a few things is one thing, but changing the PCB design, cutting stuff out, using cheaper components then charging the same price and hope nobody notice is disgusting business practice, especially for a 400$ card.

I can't even use their contact form on their site to let the know of this heresy, it just bugs out.
 
You're right. It seems they sent me a HD-697A-CNDC slapped with a HD-697A-CNFC sticker...
 
yeah, "strange," is all I can think of.... I don't recall XFX changing to a nonref design without atleast tweaking the last two letters of the GPU model. Who knows, lol. I hope XFX set this straight for ya, if not the vendor.
 
Thats what it looks like you got the wrong card. They have 3 6970's on the site now the dc, fc and the black edition. Not sure why the dc is more since it's only 20 mghz faster with no bios switch or back plate.
 
Makeroflostsouls said:
Thats what it looks like you got the wrong card. They have 3 6970's on the site now the dc, fc and the black edition. Not sure why the dc is more since it's only 20 mghz faster with no bios switch or back plate.
Click to expand...



XFX OMG XXX Black Edition card!!! UBER SEXY gun/nuke editions!! Buy NOW!!:eek: Nonreference design with iChil voltage control chip (which it does, iirc).

Only 15usd extra :cool:


:p
 
Makeroflostsouls said:
Thats what it looks like you got the wrong card. They have 3 6970's on the site now the dc, fc and the black edition. Not sure why the dc is more since it's only 20 mghz faster with no bios switch or back plate.
Click to expand...

Unless they're shipping DC cards with a FC sticker and calling it "v1.1" to get away with it. Have yet to see this so far.

The only thing that would impress me is if XFX shipped me a new card overnight so I get it Friday, and they pay the return shipping too. This would make me forget this ever happened.

It's shady at worse, an honest mistake at best.
 
Update: EK replied back, saying "not our problem". Hopefully they will at least update their configurator to warn people.

XFX has yet to reply to my ticket.
 
Hi Bitch,

The 6970 cards have gone through a revision change, and unfortunately not all the retailers have updated the images to reflect that current revision. Unfortunately that original design that you are refering to was manufactured for such a short period that we dont even have those available for RMA. If its not exactly what you were looking for your setup, unfortunately the best course of action would be to return it to the place of purchase, as again, we dont even have those original revisions in our RMA stock currently.

- Erik
Click to expand...

There you have it. XFX sucks.
 
The funny thing in all this is they blame NC!X for not changing the product pictures, but fail to recognize that would change nothing. The design changes are only visible under the cooler, or if you look at the PCB sticker behind the card to check whether a "V1.1" is present. Only other way to is to physically inspect the PCB by removing the cooler.

But of these options require opening the card. They expect me to return the card to ++++, paying a 15% restocking fee + shipping (so about 78$ overall). I should take a loss of 78$ to return a product XFX misrepresented in the first place?

Unacceptable.

You can't fundamentally change the design of a card (especially an enthusiast card, which is very likely to be modified in some way by modders) by moving screw holes and components around, slap a "V1.1" sticker in the back of the card, and not tell anyone.

Model number should have been changed, plain and simple. Now I will need to resell the block at a loss and purchase the EK-6970FC V2, which should fit this card.

I have let EK and Performance PCs know of this change. They were completely unaware. Hopefully they edit their product pages to reflect this.
 
There is now way now to know if your card is coming with a back plate of bios switch any more. I think thats xfx's falt not letting there supliers know they changed the card. Newegg doesn't have new pictures up of the CF model. Still showing it with a back plate and bios switch. I would be pissed if I had ordered 2 water blocks and a new card only to find out one wouldn't fit on the new card. I would write a nice letter to XFX. It's there falt not any one else's. How is the place thats selling them going to know they change the card if XFX doesn't tell them. I'm sure they dont just open random products if the model number doesn't to see if the product is difrent. Also they are cheaping out taking off the back plate and bios switch on the top amd card. I'm so not getting my second 6970 from them.
 
yeah, I'm not getting any HD6000 product from them. If the GPU dies outside of 3 years, it would be roughly like a HD4870X2 now - not worth the replacement, as 150usd for a HD4870X2 used, or about 180usd for a HD6870, used... lower power consupmtion, lesser chance of driver issues killing the GPU, and no CF issues either... So that's why I just decided to screw the lifetime warranty, and just stick with Sapphire + the big three TW brands :p Good enough for me, since I've never kept a card past 2 years, lol.
 
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