• Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
    Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.

Possible Dead 6950...please help!

G

gary_568

n00b
Joined
Mar 7, 2011
Messages
8
Hi Everybody,

Although I've never posted on this forum, I've been reading it for quite a while and I know there's some smart cookies in the community.

Anyways, I decided to install an Arctic Cooling S1 Rev2 GPU heatsink and Enzotech BGA ramsinks for the RAM / VRM's and other IC's. The installation on my 6950 was straightforward ----- the problem is, when I installed the card back into my PC, I wouldn't get a video signal, but the PC booted. Switching to onboard video gave me video back, although Windows didn't see my 6950 in the dev. manager. I also tried another video card, which worked, eliminating the possibility of a bad PCIx slot.

Some background info:

1) All heatsinks were epoxied onto the card with Arctic Silver thermal adhesive.

2) I cleaned the bases all of the heatsinks with alcohol and Q-tip prior to installation. Same goes for the corresponding mounting surface of the IC (RAM / VRM, etc).

3) I bought a spare set of Enzotech BGA sinks and cut them to fit the VRM's with a hacksaw. I used 2 x 5 (pins) pieces for the VRM's - roughly 14mm x 3mm (l x w).

4) I installed the remaining 3 x 5 (pin) pieces onto the 'R23' chips on the board, as I read in a waterblock installation guide that they do generate heat (and were directly in contact with the waterblock I was looking at). I also made sure that none of the heatsink were touching one another / other components.


Here are my thoughts, and I would very much appreciate some advice (or at least optimism :)) as to what could be causing the card to malfunction. Although I fear the worst, I've seen some wierd stuff happen (read: miracles) in my PC days :)

1) The 2x5 (pin) Enzotech pieces that I used on the VRMs were long enough so that I could use one heatsink for every two VRM's. In retrospect, is it possible that the heatsink(s) are shorting out the VRM's by ‘connecting’ them electrically? Or am I totally wrong here?

2) Is it possible that the card won't function properly because the onboard fan header no longer has a fan attached to it? I'm using two 120mm fans to cool this setup. I'm doubtful of this, as I haven't seen anything supporting this claim on various forums...

3) It's entirely possible that a copper filing from the cut ramsinks may have fallen onto the card, causing a short somewhere.....time for a can of compressed air.
4) It is possible that some of the epoxy seeped out from between the heatsink and IC’s, which leaves the question of whether or not this could cause a fault in the card....is Arctic Silver conductive?

5) I think that it's inevitable that I reinstall the stock cooler as a last-resort troubleshooting step prior to having a funeral service for my card. This leaves the question of how to remove and recover the epoxied heatsinks....any suggestions?

6) Anyone think that an XFX warranty will cover this? They don’t seem to have a problem with removing the stock heatsink, but I’d imagine that using epoxy on the IC’s would classify as ‘physical damage’, and rightly so. Has anyone experienced otherwise?

Thoughts?
 
So your card has no knowledge whatsoever about Fan speed...hmm

While much safer than electrically conductive silver and copper greases, Arctic Silver 5 should be kept away from electrical traces, pins, and leads. While it is not electrically conductive, the compound is very slightly capacitive and could potentially cause problems if it bridges two close-proximity electrical paths.
 
My guess is arctic silver epoxy bridging something or possibly cracking core if you didn't install it dead on. Did you plug in the PCI-E power plug? (I've known people to forget). I'd probably use some canned air to try to blow out anything that might be shorting something. Other than that I don't know what else you could do other than just scour everything to see if everything is normal. To retrieve your ramsinks, you can put your card in a freezer ziplock bag, put in the freezer for 10-24 hours (to make epoxy brittle). Then take some pliers and twist the ramsinks off. Chances are you'll damage something in the process, but its your best bet.

I used to use arctic alumina to attach ramsinks n such but I realized later that I wish I could reuse the heatsinks on my new stuff. So after reading and seeing for myself how you can't really reuse the stock thermal adhesive, not to mention that they don't tend to stick very well, I found out about sekisui thermal tape. Its very thin, strong, and I use it in place of double sided for everything. Plus you can remove it if you need to RMA. People used to sell a foot or two on ebay for $6, so I bought a bunch of rolls and started selling 4ft for $3.50 shipped (just to help out my fellow overclockers and make a small amount of extra cash). I quit that a few years ago, but looks like the prices have stayed low.

4ft $2.75 http://cgi.ebay.com/Sekisui-5760-Db...704?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a077bab38

8ft $3.75 http://cgi.ebay.com/SEKISUI-5760-Th...109?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3caea9143d

I'd suggest getting the 8ft since this stuff is useful for everything. It is also non-conductive so my method of putting it on ramsinks is pull out a strip. Put the ramsink on it, but when you go to cut off the excess tape leave about a mm all around it. Then fold that mm of tape up around the sides of the base of the ramsink. This will make sure that you don't short something else that is close by.
 
As an eBay Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
It could be ESD... I don't suppose you ran around your house dragging your socks on the carpet and then grabbed your card in a dramatic fashion?

However it happened, it sounds like your card isn't gunna make it. :( I know XFX requires you to return it with only factory parts. I am not sure about their policy on using 3rd party coolers, other than you have to remove it before sending the card. I would recommend putting the stock cooler on and making it look like you never touched it. They could always check the thermal paste but I doubt they would.
 
You have to eat the loss on that card. You modified beyond the XFX warranty. Don't send it back and try to scam them. Live and learn.
 
I guess what I should have said was, it would be awful of you to try and deceive XFX into sending you a replacement card. That would make you a bad person, and people would look down upon you. :D
 
Hi everybody,

Thanks for the replies, I'll answer a few questions / issues while I'm here:

@ DumpALump: I checked the core, it seems ok, no signs of damage anywhere. I also double-checked my epoxy job and it's clean -- minimal seepage, of which none of it seeped onto adjacent components / metal bridges / etc. Both of the PCI-e 6-pin connectors are connected to the board. Also, I like your reference to the thermal tape -- I'll research it when I remember to do so. Safe to say I won't be modding video cards for the next forseeable future, as the old saying goes: "Get bit by a dog, you're scared of dogs". Wierd though, I never had any problems re: installing the same cooler / ramsinks on my old 4850. Guess I just got unlucky :(..... $300+ unlucky...:(

@ shizdizzle: I doubt that it was ESD, as I do my work on a wooden table on a wooden floor and I always touch a grounded metal piece before I start touching electronics.

@ DooKey: Agreed, although do you have any troubleshooting advice beyond "You have to eat the loss on that card."?

@ All: I've removed the Accelero cooler and gave it a good spray with compressed air and checked the card for physical damage -- everything looks ok. I did notice that there was some thermal paste that seeped onto the small bits (I have no idea what they are called) immediately surrounding the GPU core, so I cleaned them off with a Q-tip. I'll re-seat the cooler and see if that makes any difference.

Edit: UPDATE: After performing the above steps, I'm still not getting a signal out of the card. Anybody else have an idea?

Thanks,

Gary
 
Last edited:
Try connecting your fan back on the gpu fan header. Might be the prob. Just guessing.

I believe you can remove the epoxied heatsinks by freezing the card. I mean turn the freezer down as low as it will go and let the card sit in there for a couple of hours. Then take it out and gently rock the HS back and forth and it might break free. Don't know if the epoxy will come off though.
 
I was almost going to say the Epoxy paste mix is contacting something, and then noticed "filings from cutting the heatsink"?

Were you cutting the heatsink while it was on the card or did you measure up and then cut, while it was nowhere near the card?

Maybe the Epoxy picked up some filings and they are now contacting in a way you cannot see?

Yes Arctic Silver is conductive, Arctic Ceramique is a much safer option as it's non-conductive, never screwed up my 9700 Pro that needed it's services (that died from a memory problem...and a 7,000 mile trip across the atlantic ocean), not sure if any other brands went with the ceramic option?
 
@Dookey: Yeah, I'll give this a try eventually when I decide to put the stock cooler back on. I figure that returning the card to its original condition would be the proper thing to do prior to its funeral service. Who knows? Maybe it'll work.....

@Outamyhead: I cut the sinks far away from the card, although I only really paid attention to the base of them when I was cleaning them -- perhaps a filing got nested in between some pins and fell onto the board......totally possible and a lesson learned.

Nonetheless, it's looking more and more like my card is pooched....I'm just stubborn to admit it seeing as I've had the card for three weeks, chose an XFX for the lifetime warranty (which is completely irrelevant now), chose to modify the card (voiding said warranty) and spent over $300 including the Accelero , 2 fans and 2 packs of Enzotechs for the whole setup.

If I don't post again in this thread, I have a message for everybody: "A young man never learns from his mistakes, an old man always learns from his mistakes, but a wise man learns from others' mistakes"...I think this saying originated in ancient Asia, if I'm not mistaken. I'd gladly accept all (cash) condolences :)

EDIT: UPDATE: Tonight over dinner I attempted to impose a $39.99 monthly 'Relationship Subscription Fee' upon my girlfriend to help cover my losses. This ended with bitter, tragic results, especially when I realized that it was International Women's Day today. Do not attempt. Again, read my aforementioned proverb.

Thanks,

Gary
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top