VisionTek HD4850 failure over nothing??

[Cerulean]

My card was working fine until I took off the stock heatsink, changed the thermal paste, and placed the stock heatsink back on (this is in summary of what I did).

I do not recall ever jabbing, scratching, hitting, or damaging the card...at all. And since I didn't, this boggles my mind even more. The thermal paste was correctly applied because the card proved to work with slightly better temperatures than before and the heatsink (by touching it with bare fingers) was getting as hot as it normally would.

The symptoms?

Sometimes I can't get into Windows because when the DirectDraw engine (to render the Windows desktop) is initialized, I will either get a BSOD blaming ATI driver files or saying something about PTEs, a blank black screen (more likely over BSOD in this case).

However, if I do manage to get into Windows, there are three possible cases that could happen or start out in: (1) just fine, (2) with commodore styled graphics (memory artifacts or something), (3) a BSOD at any near-future moment.

If I get away with #1, after a few hours I will get a BSOD.

If I get away with #2, I usually just immediately shutdown the computer.

If I get #3, I'm screwed. I just restart or turn off my PC and let the machine cool down. The highest I've seen the card go in temperature was 84C, and I don't think that's a problem. When the GPU is idle, which it is in the Windows desktop for about 99% of the time, the temperatures are around 64C.



But on that note, I also ended up 'drilling' out (or messing up the pivots while unscrewing due to the frustratingly small size I needed to screw it out; had some things that'd work, but I had to use ones that would work but wouldn't be the best choice due to gripping issues) 4 small screws that held this metal piece on the back of the card that was shaped like an "X", which I need to replace and lately I've been jumping around stores in the city trying to find a shop that might be able to provide me clones of the right screw size.


Comments? What do you suggest? Should I return this to Newegg ASAP (after getting 4 new screws and restoring the screws to their original/stock position on the card) saying that the card fails, doesn't work, etc...or that I don't agree with ATI's Terms of Service/Agreement form (which by the way says that if you don't agree, that you should return the product for a refund), and then get a different card (perhaps an HD4870 that has a MIR that brings the price down to $190 to $200)? Should I RMA it to VisionTek?

 

[Valset]

you might be screwed here, changing the heat sink out is one thing, "drilling" on it was another even if it was the back plate. I would try and get the back plate and such from someone that got a third party heat sink.

dumb question but did you miss putting the thermal paste on any thing? if you forgot something it is possible that you have a single component overheating. the other question is what type of thermal paste did you use? some of them can cause shorts or other electrical problems. I would try redoing your heat sink, this time with something you know is non conductive (even AS5 has some mild issues). make sure the paste didn't get on the board and so on.

and I don't know of anywhere you can get a 4870 for 200 dollars rebate or not.

 

[Cerulean]

I didn't miss putting thermal paste on anything. Everything that is cooled by the heatsink had a thermal pad stickied to the heatsink.

you might be screwed here, changing the heat sink out is one thing, "drilling" on it was another even if it was the back plate. I would try and get the back plate and such from someone that got a third party heat sink.

Maybe I didn't word it correctly, but it isn't as bad as it sounds. If you take a screw and you trying to unscrew it and you're putting enough umphf into it, you'll grind away the metal and then you won't be able to use your screwdriver on it any more because there isn't anything to grip it onto in the screw.


However, I did replace the screws today after spending relentless time searching for a place that has clones of these screws, so now the video card looks just like new (there isn't a way to tell it has been tampered with, guaranteed). I'm safe now and can RMA the card and shouldn't have any problems getting a replacement.

 

[Met-AL]

Changing out the thermal paste? Why?

 

[conscript]

well it's obvious that something occurred as a result of you changing heatsinks...but i guess if you're going to RMA there's nothing anyone here can say to change your mind...just please don't let me ever read a post from you complaining about the prices of video cards...

 

[Met-AL]

Tamper resistant video cards are just around the corner to prevent things just like this from happening.

 

[Cowboy420]

Changing out the thermal paste? Why?

+1...

 

[tc93]

Well if these companies would put proper cooling on the cards in the first place, people wouldn't have to be buying 3rd party heatsinks. You can't blame the customer on that. Several of the Nvidia card makers DO let you put on your own coolers and keep your warranty.

 

[iTYPE]

The real question now is, "Will you try it again ?"

I'm safe now and can RMA the card and shouldn't have any problems getting a replacement.

 

[BigCactus]

Actually the stock 4850 cooler is adequate. All you had to do was turn up the fan speed in your CCC profile and you would have been set.

 

[Cerulean]

well it's obvious that something occurred as a result of you changing heatsinks...but i guess if you're going to RMA there's nothing anyone here can say to change your mind...just please don't let me ever read a post from you complaining about the prices of video cards...

I don't have a problem about the Video Card's price. In fact, if you ever go and read some of my threads about when I was putting together my new machine, you'll find that I was wanting to buy a $500 video card over something around $200.

Now changing the thermal paste is just the summary of what I did. Originally I was trying to install my Accelero (Arctic Cooling) heatsink, and since I didn't bother to check that I had all the sinks to begin with, I ended up finding out at the end of installing it that I was missing some heatsinks for the vchips or a quad-pair of small chips.

I ended up sending the VGA heatsink back and just putting the stock heatsink back on (therefore, I had to reapply thermal paste). This is why I hate to summarize (people always bug me in reality that I don't summarize).

Well if these companies would put proper cooling on the cards in the first place, people wouldn't have to be buying 3rd party heatsinks. You can't blame the customer on that. Several of the Nvidia card makers DO let you put on your own coolers and keep your warranty.

Ya know, that's exactly why I wanted to install my Accelero heatsink -- and I'm glad that atleast someone considered this possibility amidst my summarization.

The real question now is, "Will you try it again ?"

Probably... I just decided that since I made a huge step up from my SocketA system to a highend machine, I should rather be thankful enough that I was even able to do this (buy and assemble my machine). I'm just going to leave the HD4850 in one piece now, even though I would like to have a decent cooler.

Maybe after a while once I get over this I'll give it another try and make sure to check I have all the parts before trying to install it. :\ Usually it happens this way.

Actually the stock 4850 cooler is adequate. All you had to do was turn up the fan speed in your CCC profile and you would have been set.

Really?! I did notice that (after changing thermal paste and reinstalling stock heatsink) that when I put my room fan up to my computer and blew air in from the side at the maximum speed, it brought my card's temperature down to nearly 50C (wow? ) for an idle temperature.



Any how, I don't particularly like video cards idling at 70C and stressing up to 90C in worst case scenarios, as I am used to the 30C to 50C range...and since it has a slight if not large effect on my water cooling system.

My machine: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1334345

 

[dmonkey]

It's perfectly understandable what you did, but you need to grow a pair. If you had done everything "correctly" like you said, the card wouldn't be dead would it? Sure, 4000 series temps are high due to the obnoxiously low stock fan speed, but if you tampered with the card physically, when before it was fine, then after it dies, you are clearly at fault. Better luck next time I guess. I hope you remembered to unscrew the retention bracket diagonally rather than in series; the fact that you don't even know what to call it seems scary.

 

[Met-AL]

Now changing the thermal paste is just the summary of what I did. Originally I was trying to install my Accelero (Arctic Cooling) heatsink, and since I didn't bother to check that I had all the sinks to begin with, I ended up finding out at the end of installing it that I was missing some heatsinks for the vchips or a quad-pair of small chips.

Ok, that takes most of the "dumb" out of your story. The way it sounded earlier, you went through all this to just change your thermal paste.

EDIT: In this picture, it seems as that metal hose clamp is awfully close to the back of your card: http://www.hlrse.net/Qwerty/newrig-08032008/IMG_0422.jpg

..slip a peice of cardboard in there or something.

 

[Direfox]

Comments? What do you suggest? Should I return this to Newegg ASAP (after getting 4 new screws and restoring the screws to their original/stock position on the card) saying that the card fails, doesn't work, etc...or that I don't agree with ATI's Terms of Service/Agreement form (which by the way says that if you don't agree, that you should return the product for a refund), and then get a different card (perhaps an HD4870 that has a MIR that brings the price down to $190 to $200)? Should I RMA it to VisionTek?

Well, whatever you do make sure someone else pays for your mistake. No reason you should have to pay for something you broke. This way when I buy MY 4850, I can help pay for the people like you who send in cards they busted.

 

[bangmal]

Well if these companies would put proper cooling on the cards in the first place, people wouldn't have to be buying 3rd party heatsinks. You can't blame the customer on that. Several of the Nvidia card makers DO let you put on your own coolers and keep your warranty.

If the card is working the way it is supposed to work then what do you think you are to be in any position to judge whether the cooling is adequate or not.
For the nvidia thing, maybe the makers have no confidence on their own coolers, thus let you replace the crap on it.

 

[msabo]

IReally?! I did notice that (after changing thermal paste and reinstalling stock heatsink) that when I put my room fan up to my computer and blew air in from the side at the maximum speed, it brought my card's temperature down to nearly 50C (wow? ) for an idle temperature.

Any how, I don't particularly like video cards idling at 70C and stressing up to 90C in worst case scenarios, as I am used to the 30C to 50C range...and since it has a slight if not large effect on my water cooling system.

Well maybe if you spent more time reading you would find that those temps are well within range for that GPU. Second, the stock fan speed is easily tweaked for much lower temps. You could have saved yourself a lot of time and effort.

 

[Cerulean]

you are clearly at fault

I have no problem admitting that it's my fault regardless. After all, simply taking off the heatsink is enough to obsolete the warranty.

I hope you remembered to unscrew the retention bracket diagonally rather than in series; the fact that you don't even know what to call it seems scary.

I was being lazy (and stupid to make this choice). I've always known that this is how it should have been done, but I didn't do that when I was reinstalling the retention bracket.

Well, whatever you do make sure someone else pays for your mistake. No reason you should have to pay for something you broke. This way when I buy MY 4850, I can help pay for the people like you who send in cards they busted.

Eh, sorry. I'll try not to do it again.

Well maybe if you spent more time reading you would find that those temps are well within range for that GPU

Oh I knew fully well that those were normal temperatures and the card was made to be able to handle it. I usually know about things like this.

Second, the stock fan speed is easily tweaked for much lower temps. You could have saved yourself a lot of time and effort.

But yeah... :\ Can't believe there was even a tweak for this. I thought the fan was running the way it was supposed to -- no doubt that I don't know too much about fans and how to work them. Should have known. X_x



Just like my 140mm fan that I have in my old machine...I have no idea how to make it blow more air because it's hardly blowing anything at all!



EDIT :: Now that I think about it...

EDIT: In this picture, it seems as that metal hose clamp is awfully close to the back of your card: http://www.hlrse.net/Qwerty/newrig-0...8/IMG_0422.jpg

..slip a peice of cardboard in there or something.

...any chance this hose clamp had anything to do with this problem?

 

[Valset]

I didn't miss putting thermal paste on anything. Everything that is cooled by the heatsink had a thermal pad stickied to the heatsink.

Maybe I didn't word it correctly, but it isn't as bad as it sounds. If you take a screw and you trying to unscrew it and you're putting enough umphf into it, you'll grind away the metal and then you won't be able to use your screwdriver on it any more because there isn't anything to grip it onto in the screw.


However, I did replace the screws today after spending relentless time searching for a place that has clones of these screws, so now the video card looks just like new (there isn't a way to tell it has been tampered with, guaranteed). I'm safe now and can RMA the card and shouldn't have any problems getting a replacement.

you stripped the head on the screws. I really would try reinstalling everything and see if you didn't miss anything, including said hose. as other have already commented on other things I will leave them be

 

[!gOtVolTage!]

well they are real fine mm hobby screws.. find a hobbie shop that deals with RC car parts and youll find the minni screws...or buy a cheao x1550 and take the same backplate and screws it uses.


in future unpin the Blue wire for 100% fan and cooler temps .

This is a 2pin connector the 4 pin is the same way to release the blue wire..use a babypin or minni flatip lift the tab above the gap of the wire to remove

Betty Crocker the street walker says,,,

if you dont have right tool dont do it

p.S. 4850 run hot and drivers sometime dont set the fan prfile...the blue wire mod is effective and can easily be reinstalled . The fan will always be full Speed doing this.