issues with Sapphire support for R9 295x2 card

Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Messages
21
Hi,
I just went through the most disappointing experience with Sapphire with their support trying to get my issues resolved. Read below and see what you think. Feel free to give your opinion on what graphics card solution to go with.

Right now I'm left with two refurbished R9 290x trix cards that should arrive tomorrow. I also have a good XFX R9 290x that could be used in three way trifire. I'm considering going team green although I know it will be a little less powerful overall but I'm thinking it may make sense to reduce the heat and power requirements going with a 980ti.

I had considered shipping the replacement cards back and upgrade but I've now decided the support is too much of a hassle to deal with and I don't want to deal with them any further.

Hardware:
5930k
Asus Rampage V Extreme motherboard
Antec 1200 watt psu
32g crucial DDR4 ram
Samsung 850 pro 256g ssd
Windows 10 pro

To read the replies in order, start at the bottom and work your way up. Here it goes:


2015-11-13 [03:49]

I am sorry to hear that. we always try our best to accomdate the best solution we can offer to our customers. And we still apprecieted your support for Sapphire products



2015-11-13 [03:42]

Must've been shipping damage because if it wasn't like that when they shipped it and I didn't damage it, the only way it could've been damaged was during shipping.

As far as me selecting one of the two options mentioned althon micros response to me when I told the originally I wanted a new replacement card, he specifically stated they only ship out refurbished cards. If there was an option for them to ship a new card then that would've been the time for him to speak up and make that offer. That never happened.

At this point I'm cutting my losses with your company and sticking with brands I've had good experience with in the past unless someone in your company can do better than this.

Thanks for your time.



2015-11-13 [02:55]

We can unerstand your frustration, but trust us and Althon Micro we do not want this more then you do, it is also costing us money to send cards back and forth, you are not the only victim here. We are not in the states, if you send the cards back to us, you will be sending it to China, and shipping alone is not going to be cost effective. From what we understand, the last card that was send back had a bad fan unit on it. and its not because it didnt turn, there was a crack fan blade on the card, and the fan blad stops the card from spinning freely which could contibue to your issue, Althon told us there is no way the card was send like that to you, they know for a fact that it happen after the card was ship out. But as a responsible distributor, they still offer options for you to send your card back and continue to service it. There are no more new R9 200 series cards they can offer you, everything they have now are rework refurbish units. if you didnt want the 2 units, you should have talk to them and ask for other options, maybe pay difference for a new R9 300 series. I dont know what Althon Micro usually offers, but i am sure there is something they can try and accomdate you. But now the cards are send out to you, i dont think they will spend more money to get the cards back and try to offer you something else. Unless you are welling to pay and send the card back to them and ask them if you can pay the difference for new R9 300 series cards. This you will need to take it up to them.



2015-11-12 [15:31]

Hi,

Yes, they have been responsive and did pay for the shipping this round to and from their location which is much appreciated. The package shipped the afternoon I sent my last message to you so at that time the shipping had not happened yet. You're correct, I don't want the units that are being shipped to me. They are both refurbished units and this is my 4th try at getting a product that works from your company. The only reason I agreed to having them shipped in the first place is the rep at althon micro agreed to either sending me another 295x2 or two 290x trix cards but the problem I ultimately have with this entire deal is that I'm receiving more refurbished products.

The more I thought about it the more upset and dissatisfied I have become because I was expecting the customer service to be stepped up to ensure that I get a good product and go away another happy customer for Sapphire but instead I'm told to be more patient and work with althon micro.

There's not a customer online or on the streets that would sit back on a 4th round of refurbished products and 730.00 later in product costs and shipping fees dealing with constant issues with defective products.

I just want to sum up what has happened so far for you so you can better understand where I'm coming from.

1. I purchased this card through newegg and was excited to receive your product to install in my brand new high end rig. I used it for almost 5 months and began to experience occasional screen flickering and it became so bad I couldn't read 2 words on my monitor before it shut off. I got an RMA approval, shipped the card and received a new (refurbished card).
2. 3 days later it happened again. Identical issue. New RMA issued. Card shipped, tested by Althon micro and was proven defective. Another refurbished card was shipped and received and installed.
3. New replacement card immediately defective out of the box. Same identical issue with on screen flickering. Another RMA approved, shipped and tested again by Althon Micro, proven defective.

Problems found by Althon micro on each issue:
1. 1st issue, card tested and experienced same issue I reported. card replaced with refurbished unit.
2. 2nd issue, fan throttling not working on the card. Althon rep stated card overheated and damaged the card.
2. 3rd issue, fan not working on radiator. Rep asked if I noticed this and my answer was no.

I was asked by the Althon Micro rep to remove the card and install in another system. I did just that. I tore apart a perfectly working system to test this card and had the exact same problem.

My ultimate question is, do we just keep sending cards back and forth and keep receiving refurbished replacements into infinity or where does your company begin to realize a customer is being dragged behind the bus and measures above the normal procedures need to happen to get a customer taken care of? I realize this is unusual to have so many issues so maybe your company doesn't deal with this often enough to even think about the answer to the question I'm asking. The fact is, I'm in that situation and need specialized help outside of the normal process.

Can I ship my two cards back to you (at my cost due to me allowing althon micro to ship them out which is fine) and have a replacement card or cards that are new, not refurbished? If this can happen, I would like to know all of my possible options so I can make an educated decision?

Thanks for reading my rant and handling my issue.



2015-11-12 [01:29]

I undertand your frustration, i just check with Althon Micro RMA#xxxxx they paid for your shipping label and went the extra miles to get your card back from you to process it for replacement, and they told me that your units has been ship to you already. Right now i am under the impression that you do not want the two units that are send to you, and why didnt you tell them?



2015-11-11 [15:47]

"I know for a fact Althon Micro is trying their best to help you out. So pleas work with them."

That statement just pushed my button. I have done plenty to work with Althon Micro AND Sapphire. Just how many times to you expect a customer to return their defective products for repair before the customer realizes they are being hugely inconvenienced with shipping fees and no working product?...


Good customer service will realize when a customer needs to be taken care of after a certain point after experiencing so many issues. 3x is the limit for me and most any reasonable customer.

I got a confirmation email from Althon Micro stating the cards were shipped but the tracking number they provided was incorrect. I emailed them so I anticipate a reply tomorrow with the correct number.

As for the replacement cards I am receiving, I am totally dissatisfied with receiving more reworked cards that will stand a pretty good chance of failure in the near future. Having 3 defective cards from your company in 5 months and 100.00 in shipping fees is where I am getting my opinion as would any other reasonable customer.

I was told by Althon Micro that they don't ship new cards and that any replacement card that I would receive would be refurbished. This is unacceptable after my experience with your product.

Think carefully how you reply as I will ether go away a happy customer that you are going to take care of or I will be the complete opposite and rant online about your company in every channel that I can find.

I'll gladly ship the two cards back at my expense but I want to know the card selections I have to choose from that are new, NOT refurbished.





2015-11-10 [06:49]

As much as we would like to help you, your regional point office is Althon Micro, only they will be able to assist you. As for the replacement unit, since we do not produce 295X2 anymore, we will not be able to offer you new replacement even if we wanted to. So if you are not happy with the cards they are offering you, you need to let them know. I know for a fact Althon Micro is trying their best to help you out. So pleas work with them.



2015-11-8 [05:55]

Hi,I wanted to give an update on my experience with Althon Micro. I've had defective cards and there's been a different issue with each of them. I'm being told that I have to receive refurbished replacements.

As a customer that is on the verge of selling the replacements as soon as I receive them and to never purchase sapphire products again and post my experiences online on the technology websites I'm a member of,I need someone from your organisation, not Althon Micro to handle this RMA properly.

What althon micro has agreed to do is send me either a reworked 295x2 or two r9 290x cards which is a generous offer but my sole problem is its another refurbished unit that could die a 4th time on me. I don't have any interest in that.

Please forward to your supervisor and see of you can do the right thing and send me a brand new r9 295x2 and get my issue resolved once and for all.

Thanks!




2015-10-23 [03:43]

[email protected].



2015-10-23 [03:05]

What's their contact Info?...



2015-10-23 [02:36]

Please contact Althon Micro about your issue, since they are the one that help you with the RMA request.



2015-10-23 [02:14]

Rxxxxx.

Thanks



2015-10-23 [01:43]

What was the last RMA# that was assign to this card?



2015-10-22 [21:13]

Hi, I'm having the same issues with screen flickering and going blank every few minutes like the previous two times. I no longer am interested in RMA'ing this card as I have already spent 90.00 in shipping + packing materials and have been a full month without the use of this card. I will need for someone to contact me about the option to exchange this card for another card or dual card setup equal to the value of my card. I'm very disappointed and have never experienced so much trouble from any product in my 16 years of PC ownership and enthusiast pc interest. Please have someone to contact me about the options and methods to exchange. I can be reached @ 000-000-0000 or direct email, email is best. Thanks for your help.
 
Read the whole thing OP (not many here will, you are going to get a LOT of bitching because you didn't post a summary for the ADD crowd:rolleyes:)..That being said:

I think that you have been more then reasonable in your request for wanting new cards at this time..The value of 2 refurb 290 Tri-X cards (I assume they aren't the rare 8GB models) is roughly $140~$165 a card, so less then $300 once you get hit with fees etc..

I can understand Sapphire being caught between a rock and hard place here, as they don't have any new stock 290/295X2 cards to send out..I feel that they should offer you a pair of 8GB 390 or 390X cards. If they don't want to take the hit on 2 cards, they should offer you a Fury X. I realize the Fury X would be slower in max FPS, but I would take the hit myself.

I would hit them, along with AMD, on Twitter and FB hard. Be firm, but keep your tone reasonable like you did in your emails. IF they won't budge, then I would talk to your CC company and then there is the option of a small claims court case for the financial loss you have suffered. It really depends on what your time is worth..

I have used a lot of Sapphire cards, as they used to make the AMD branded cards going back to the AIW series. I have never had an issue requiring RMA (with a GPU that is), but I always bought their cards based on good things regarding CS and build quality..If anyone from Sapphire sees this, please keep in mind that many have been recommending XFX branded cards recently, as there have been several wonderful above and beyond RMAs handled by their rep here @ [H]ard..
 
Thanks for taking the time to read and post. Sorry, I have been very busy with work. I just now posted on AMDs and Sapphires facebook page. I will attempt twitter maybe tomorrow.

I will post an update on the outcome, if any.

Thanks!
 
You might also hit up Sapphire Ed, he may be able to help you out as well, or at least point you in the direction of a better person to speak with.
 
I'm sorry you've had to deal with this. At one point, I owned and used 41x Sapphire GPUs ranging from 6870 to 280x. There are some issues with Sapphire themselves, ie: changing the fan model between different 7970 / 280x models, but they really aren't the issue. The sad thing is that they use Althon Micro for their RMAs who have terrible service.

I'm not sure if they're over inundated with work and lack the proper staffing to test components or if there is an issue with the process, but what you're not alone in the issues you're dealing with. I had a 6870 physically burst into flames after a VRM issue and burnt a hole through the PCB. When they received the item I received a response saying that they wouldn't service the product due to physical damage. Uh... I didn't take a torch to my GPU and light it on fire so I could deal with losing money on shipping it and downtime. Eventually, they agreed to RMA the product and were nice enough to replace the GPU with a 6950 1gb model that was indeed an upgrade. I've had other issues with RMAing 2x7950 and 2xR9 280x where they basically pulled the exact same thing stating physical damage due to, "Geographic location and atmospheric conditions" and charged me $50 per GPU to replace them. Then, receiving faulty products in exchange that only lasted about a week. At this point I no longer choose to do business with them, they don't stand behind their products.

It is hard to swallow, but you need to understand this is a large corporation and they don't care about you. To them, it is all about the bottom line and unfortunately not servicing or testing products helps them achieve better numbers. The best thing you can do is upon receiving an RMA product form them is to immediately test it and just cut your losses by selling it. The amount of money you're going to spend on shipping and the wasted time isn't worth having to deal with the possibility that you're going to have to do it all over again. You're free to make your own decisions, but that's my two cents so take it for what it is worth.
 
Man, I just went through RMA with MSI for coil whine on a reference R9 290 and got a R9 390X in return...

Sad to see such crappy RMA service from Sapphire.
 
There's horror stories for a lot of manufacturers (MSI failing to warranty fan failures), but Sapphire using Althon Micro is consistently poor.
 
Update: Received 2 R9 290x trixx cards in place of the 295x2 and one of those cards are defective!! I'm filing a claim through newegg since Sapphire obviously cant properly handle the issue without them getting involved.

I'm gathering all off my email communications with Althon Micro and Sapphire to submit to newegg.

Lets see how this goes...
 
My only experience with Sapphire/Athlon has kept me from buying a lot of Sapphire built cards in the past few years. I'm not saying they build lousy cards - I know they probably build most of the AMD cards - they just don't have the customer support part down pat.
 
Poor show.
Good luck.

I have avoided recommending Sapphire since a few years back because of the abusive attitude by their forum moderators when people needed assistance with faulty cards.
I'm glad that hasnt been the case for you but the inability to take direct charge, when their chosen support from Athlon Micro clearly has ineffective quality control, cannot be excused.
Even when kept in the loop it didnt prevent AM from continuing with the nomal poor show.
 
Now I'm REALLY glad I returned that Sapphire Nitro 380 card!

One thing though, you shouldn't have taken "we only send refurbs" as an answer. You saying OK to that basically f*cked you....

Accepting the refurbs cards at all pretty much ended the whole exchange.

I would've huffed and puffed and demanded two new 390's.
 
I sent a support request and now theyre telling me they will take both cards back and return another 295x2 in place of the two cards.

I will ride this last ride with this RMA as they are going to send a shipping label and it will only cost me time. I did request to go with another new 300 series card but they never acknowledged I even requested it.

I wonder how many units they think is ok to send to the same customer? This will be my 5th RMA and 6th set of cards and still not a good working set up.

Its unbelievable that so many replacements could be sent out and ALL of them be defective!!!
 
Hi,

I just now have an update for you that are interested. I returned the two 290x cards as one was defective. Althon Micro agreed to send another R9 295x2 and it has been about two weeks so I decided to give them a call. To their credit, they answered the call quickly, about 5 minutes.

I spoke to an asian guy that transferred me to Tom. Tom told me that they had two 290x cards that were being tested to send back to me hopefully next week. I told him that the last email agreement was to receive a single 295x2 again. He stated they didnt have any currently in stock and I would have to wait.

I told him that may be ok but what are the other options. I stated that I was thinking about getting a card from the 300 series as a replacement. He stated there were no dual chip cards like the 295x2 available yet but stated maybe a single 390x could be done but would need to be approved through Sapphire.

What I need to know is what you guys think is the best route to go here. I can wait for ever how long it may take to get another single (and hopefully working) 295x2 or forgo that option for another dual 290x setup or lastly the single 390x 8G solution.

My setup is the following:

Asus Ramage V Extreme motherboard
Intel 5930k cpu
Crucial 32G ddr4
Samsung 256 SSD card
Antec 1200 watt psu
Windows 10 64 bit

My monitor is an actual TV. Visio 43" 4k tv. My original plan was to be set up to play at 4k but didnt realize that none of the cards out at the time were really good for 4k smoothly and consistently. The AMD solution I picked didnt have the 60hz 4k hmdi 2.0 connector and none of the AMD cards do, including the 300 series.

1.Should I wait out for the single 295x2
2.Get the two 290x2 xfire cards
3.Get the single 390x 8g card (with the idea to pick up a 2nd later on)

OR get the 295x2, test it, sell it for more money and get away from Sapphire products and switch to EVGA pascal later this year?

I appreciate everyones opinion!

Thanks!
 
The general rule these days..if buying amd products stay with XFX since they have a very active rep here for crazy stuff like this. But yea evga is all i deal with on nvidia side. I know xfx can and will send out brand new replacements if needed....have you not been playing any games all this time? Thats fucked up bad...I thought you euro guys had better customer protection these days. In your situation i would try to get away from Sapphire unless they agree to send out either a working 295 or if needed 2 390 series to get this resolved NOW not latter.
 
I always have stayed with XFX and EVGA but the one time I deviate I get burned bad. No, I have two 6950's installed but you know that's nowhere near the performance, lol!

I do want this fixed asap. I was about to email Sapphire directly on this to see if I could get approval for a 390x 8gig card. Althon Micro says they arent looking at it from a dollar value perspective but a performance perspective.

I believe I would be taking a performance hit up front going with a single 390x but the 8g is sweet when going with a 2nd card later.
 
Last edited:
Just look at the below replies today from this Sapphire rep!!!

2016-1-14 [04:39]

That's a problem. I need my product in a reasonable time frame and your company is telling me that'll happen whenever a replacement comes in. That's unacceptable as I have a 2,500 system sitting collecting dust waiting to get a good part from your company.

I need a good solution from your company shipped within the next week wether it's a working 295x2 or a pair of 390x refurbished units.

I can't and won't wait indefinitely for a replacement part from your company.

Let me know what that'll be.
2016-1-14 [02:42]

We do not jump generation through RMA service. If you are looking to get the R9 295X2 back i will suggest you wait until they get RMA buffer stock in for you, since the two card setup is not what you are looking for.
 
At this point I should probably just file a small claims suit against them for a full refund and shipping costs.
 
At this point I should probably just file a small claims suit against them for a full refund and shipping costs.

They have made a reasonable attempt at providing you with a solution. You decided to wait for a 295x2 fully knowing they didn't have any available. So either wait and stop crying or work out another solution with them... Remember when they told you this YESTERDAY:

I spoke to an asian guy that transferred me to Tom. Tom told me that they had two 290x cards that were being tested to send back to me hopefully next week. I told him that the last email agreement was to receive a single 295x2 again. He stated they didnt have any currently in stock and I would have to wait.

So either take the 2x 290X cards (which is reasonable) or keep right on waiting.
 
Wow at this story. Just made my decision pretty easy to stay away from Sapphire unless some folks can provide some positive feedback from RMAs. As much as I've bashed Asus for their customer service and rma process, they are sending me a 390x to replace a 290x. For Sapphire to offer you one 390x to replace a 295x2 is unacceptable in my book.
 
They haven't even offered one 390x yet. I accepted the two 290x cards the last RMA and one of those were bad.

Ocellaris, you do realize this is my 5th RMA, right? If Im crying I believe I've earned the right to do so with such sorry service from them.
 
I would request a fury x as a possible compromise. A 390x is 1/2 the power of your current card and worth significantly less money. The fury x new is at least close to the used value of your 295x2.

You lose out on xfire but you won't be getting a refurbished card that was beat to death mining. Or you can sell it and buy a used 295x2. It may even be worth mentioning a 295x2 on ebay is ~$600 so a check for that amount would also be acceptable.

If it makes you feel any better I had a similar experience with Asus.
 
I contacted newegg and it looks like they will be getting involved and will ensure I'm taken care of properly. I'll be submitting the required info to them tomorrow to get things moving toward a resolution.

I'll keep everyone posted.

Keep the opinions coming. Much appreciated!
 
I thought I read they offered a 390x as a possible offer, but I think it was the MSI story. Anyhow, my condolences on this issue. I very recently had to resort to small claims court against TigerDirect over something different, but like you I gave them every chance in the world to correct the problem and they would not comply so I did what I had to do. Within eight business days of them receiving the court documents I had a check delivered via certified mail.
 
Awesome story! I'm giving Newegg a chance to push sapphires buttons. If that doesn't work, I'll do exactly what you did. :)
 
Interestingly enough, I called newegg support and two hours later I get an email from the Sapphire rep with a totally different attitude. He's suddenly offering the Fury X in place of the 295x2. The email from him earlier today stated they didnt jump series but now they are after all of these RMA's.

I know there's trade offs going with the Fury X but I kind of like the lower power requirements along with the fact I can go with a 2nd card later or just hop over to pascal or whatever is a good enough upgrade.

What's everyone's opinion on which card to go with, the Fury X or the 295x2. They are saying they have ordered a 295x2 so I can get either one in a reasonable time frame.

My only issue with the Fury X is the 4g ram trying to run 4k res. I'm pretty sure that I will hit the ceiling on the ram in some cases. I know the 295x2 basically has the same issue but if dx12 gets used the memory pooling will resolve that with the 295x2.

Thoughts and opinions?
 
I'd go with the Fury X to avoid Crossfire issues.

By the time DX12 is truly viable, either one of those cards won't be that great anyways.
 
Yeah, another vote for Fury X. You can get one of the Club 3D active DP to HDMI 2.0 adapters and run 4K with that.

....or try to find a crazy/stupid person who will trade you a 980Ti for it. ;)
 
The general rule these days..if buying amd products stay with XFX since they have a very active rep here for crazy stuff like this. But yea evga is all i deal with on nvidia side. I know xfx can and will send out brand new replacements if needed....have you not been playing any games all this time? Thats fucked up bad...I thought you euro guys had better customer protection these days. In your situation i would try to get away from Sapphire unless they agree to send out either a working 295 or if needed 2 390 series to get this resolved NOW not latter.

This^^^

I'm not condemning all AMD board partners (Many of them do nVidia too), but from what I've seen XFX goes above and beyond. I don't know if they still offer it, but as recent as last year they still offered to install aftermarket coolers free of charge if you sent them the card and cooler. They actually preferred doing it for you, but would still warranty the card if you did it yourself.
 
I stand corrected. They are offering the Fury Pro which is a step above the fury x.

"We have spoken with factory, your R9 295+X2 is current on order, however they are+ asking us to offer you our latest R9 se+ries which is SKU# 11247-00. This is on+e level higher then R9 390X, please rese+arch this card and let us know if this w+ill work as a replacement for you.


Tech+


Technical Support+

Althon Micro Inc+"

And I believe I will go with the Fury Pro.
 
Once after sending me a replacement that didn't work perfectly (I think this was a Sapphire X1900XT or something) This guy Tony at Althon Micro told me I would have to sell the card on ebay if the next one didn't work...
 
I stand corrected. They are offering the Fury Pro which is a step above the fury x.

"We have spoken with factory, your R9 295+X2 is current on order, however they are+ asking us to offer you our latest R9 se+ries which is SKU# 11247-00. This is on+e level higher then R9 390X, please rese+arch this card and let us know if this w+ill work as a replacement for you.


Tech+


Technical Support+

Althon Micro Inc+"

And I believe I will go with the Fury Pro.

11247-00 Looks like a NON-X Fury to me.
 
I stand corrected. They are offering the Fury Pro which is a step above the fury x.

...there is no Fury Pro. There's the R9 Fury, Fury Nano, and Fury X. The Fury X and Fury Nano both have 4096 stream processors enabled, the Fury ("vanilla") only has 3584 stream processors. The Fury X is liquid cooled from the factory, whereas the Fury and Fury Nano are both air cooled cards.

The R9 Fury ("vanilla" or "non-X" as the above poster described) is a significantly weaker card than the Fury X.

Do not accept an R9 Fury as a replacement, only a Fury X.
 
shit as long as this been going on...I would accept the fury whether it was the x or not. after overclocking the performance should be very close.....now if you really need the water cooler like the 295 has then i guess you need to wait.
 
This was the reply from the sapphire rep. What the heck am I being offered?
SAPPHIRE R9 295X2 8GB GDDR5 Closed Expired
2016-1-14 [08:29]
2016-1-14 [04:39]
2016-1-14 [02:42]
2016-1-13 [10:17]
71584
2016-1-14 [08:29]

We have got in touch Althon Micro and they have already place order for the card to be ship to them ASAP. We have spoke to them about replacing your board with R9 Fury Pro. Get in touch with Althon Micro and talk to them about the Fury Pro, do some reserach on your end first and see if that is something you can take in as consideration.
 
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