problem with ATI Radeon 9800 Pro - please help

[Adam]

My current setup is as follows ...

Asus A7V133 [rev 1.05. (with dot)] with VIA 4in1 driver v4.43
AMD Athlon XP 1600+
AGP Slot: Video - 128MB ATI Radeon 9800 Pro
PCI Slot 1: -----
PCI Slot 2: NIC - 3Com 3C905C-TX-M
PCI Slot 3: Sound - Creative Labs SB Live! 5.1
PCI Slot 4: USB Card
PCI Slot 5: -----
Operating System: Windows 98 Second Edition


The problem started creeping up last night ...
- bad pixels appear randomly on the screen
- the system freezes when I move the mouse
- something was mildly burning / overheating


I powered off the system overnight. Turned it back on this morning.
It worked briefly. Then, the problem started up again.
On one reboot, I got the following message ...

"You have not connected the power extension cable to
your Radeon 9800 video card
Please refer to the "Getting Started Guide" for
proper hardware installation !!!"

After removing the video card, cleaning and reinserting,
the message (above) went away. But, I noticed that
the fan on the video card was not spinning. So,
my guess is that the video card is overheating.
Hopefully, this can be fixed somehow. Any ideas?

Also, I now get the following "warning" message ...

"The ATI Control Panel failed to initialize because
no ATI driver is installed, or ATI driver is not working properly.
The ATI Control Panel will now exit."

And, the only display setting that works is 640 x 480
It will not take any other resolution.

Look at :
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/VGA_silencer_install/VGA_silencer_instal l.html

Thanks for the link. Just what I need to
clarify my understanding about these VGA coolers.

After removing the fan and heatsink, what's the best way to
remove the residual thermal compound from the GPU?
Is there a good website with pictures and instructions?
That stuff is all over the GPU (as expected) and beyond.

In the following link ...
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/VGA_silencer_install/VGA_silencer_install2.h
tml#storytop
what are those dots around the GPU?

 

[Paul]

After removing the fan and heatsink, what's the best way to
remove the residual thermal compound from the GPU?
Is there a good website with pictures and instructions?
That stuff is all over the GPU (as expected) and beyond.

In the following link ...
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/VGA_silencer_install/VGA_silencer_install2.h
tml#storytop
what are those dots around the GPU?

Arctic Silver ACN-60ML (2-PC-SET) Thermal material Remover & Surface Purifier - $6
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100010

The dots are filter capacitors and/or resistors for configuration. The
heatsink should rest on the silicon die, and not on those components.
Sometimes there will be a gasket material around the edge of the
chip, to prevent the heatsink from contacting the silicon die on
an angle, and potentially chipping the silicon die.

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/VGA_silencer_install/ATI_GPU_clean.jpg

Paul

 

[Buffalo]

Adam wrote:
My current setup is as follows ...

Asus A7V133 [rev 1.05. (with dot)] with VIA 4in1 driver v4.43
AMD Athlon XP 1600+
AGP Slot: Video - 128MB ATI Radeon 9800 Pro
PCI Slot 1: -----
PCI Slot 2: NIC - 3Com 3C905C-TX-M
PCI Slot 3: Sound - Creative Labs SB Live! 5.1
PCI Slot 4: USB Card
PCI Slot 5: -----
Operating System: Windows 98 Second Edition


The problem started creeping up last night ...
- bad pixels appear randomly on the screen
- the system freezes when I move the mouse
- something was mildly burning / overheating


I powered off the system overnight. Turned it back on this morning.
It worked briefly. Then, the problem started up again.
On one reboot, I got the following message ...

"You have not connected the power extension cable to
your Radeon 9800 video card
Please refer to the "Getting Started Guide" for
proper hardware installation !!!"

After removing the video card, cleaning and reinserting,
the message (above) went away. But, I noticed that
the fan on the video card was not spinning. So,
my guess is that the video card is overheating.
Hopefully, this can be fixed somehow. Any ideas?

Also, I now get the following "warning" message ...

"The ATI Control Panel failed to initialize because
no ATI driver is installed, or ATI driver is not working properly.
The ATI Control Panel will now exit."

And, the only display setting that works is 640 x 480
It will not take any other resolution.

Look at :

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/VGA_silencer_install/VGA_silencer_instal

l.html

Thanks for the link. Just what I need to
clarify my understanding about these VGA coolers.

After removing the fan and heatsink, what's the best way to
remove the residual thermal compound from the GPU?
Is there a good website with pictures and instructions?
That stuff is all over the GPU (as expected) and beyond.

In the following link ...
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/VGA_silencer_install/VGA_silencer_install2.h
tml#storytop
what are those dots around the GPU

Rubbing alcohol seems to work fine.
Just the raised portion of the GPU is what you need to clean.
Don't scrape over those 'white dots' or you will be minus a video card. They
are electronic components such as resistors,etc.
When you apply the new paste, just a little dab will do it. It basically
just fills in the tiny voids that can trap air.
The more polished the mating surfaces are, the less heatsink paste is
required.
If they were perfectly polished, no paste would be required. Air is an
insulator.
If it is too thick, it will act as an insulator and slow down the heat
transfer.
Google the proper way to apply it.

 

[Adam]

Adam wrote:
My current setup is as follows ...

Asus A7V133 [rev 1.05. (with dot)] with VIA 4in1 driver v4.43
AMD Athlon XP 1600+
AGP Slot: Video - 128MB ATI Radeon 9800 Pro
PCI Slot 1: -----
PCI Slot 2: NIC - 3Com 3C905C-TX-M
PCI Slot 3: Sound - Creative Labs SB Live! 5.1
PCI Slot 4: USB Card
PCI Slot 5: -----
Operating System: Windows 98 Second Edition


The problem started creeping up last night ...
- bad pixels appear randomly on the screen
- the system freezes when I move the mouse
- something was mildly burning / overheating


I powered off the system overnight. Turned it back on this morning.
It worked briefly. Then, the problem started up again.
On one reboot, I got the following message ...

"You have not connected the power extension cable to
your Radeon 9800 video card
Please refer to the "Getting Started Guide" for
proper hardware installation !!!"

After removing the video card, cleaning and reinserting,
the message (above) went away. But, I noticed that
the fan on the video card was not spinning. So,
my guess is that the video card is overheating.
Hopefully, this can be fixed somehow. Any ideas?

Also, I now get the following "warning" message ...

"The ATI Control Panel failed to initialize because
no ATI driver is installed, or ATI driver is not working properly.
The ATI Control Panel will now exit."

And, the only display setting that works is 640 x 480
It will not take any other resolution.

Look at :

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/VGA_silencer_install/VGA_silencer_instal

l.html


Thanks for the link. Just what I need to
clarify my understanding about these VGA coolers.

After removing the fan and heatsink, what's the best way to
remove the residual thermal compound from the GPU?
Is there a good website with pictures and instructions?
That stuff is all over the GPU (as expected) and beyond.

In the following link ...

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/VGA_silencer_install/VGA_silencer_install2.h

tml#storytop
what are those dots around the GPU

Rubbing alcohol seems to work fine.
Just the raised portion of the GPU is what you need to clean.
Don't scrape over those 'white dots' or you will be minus a video card. They
are electronic components such as resistors,etc.
When you apply the new paste, just a little dab will do it. It basically
just fills in the tiny voids that can trap air.
The more polished the mating surfaces are, the less heatsink paste is
required.
If they were perfectly polished, no paste would be required. Air is an
insulator.
If it is too thick, it will act as an insulator and slow down the heat
transfer.
Google the proper way to apply it.

Arctic Cooling Accelero S2 comes with
a thermal pad pre-attached to the heatsink.
All I have to do is clean the GPU surface and
attach the VGA cooler, right? No need to mess with
other thermal paste, right?

See Arctic Cooling Accelero S2 here ...
http://www.burnoutpc.com/modules/smartsection/print.php?itemid=264

 

[Steph]

Adam wrote:
My current setup is as follows ...

Asus A7V133 [rev 1.05. (with dot)] with VIA 4in1 driver v4.43
AMD Athlon XP 1600+
AGP Slot: Video - 128MB ATI Radeon 9800 Pro
PCI Slot 1: -----
PCI Slot 2: NIC - 3Com 3C905C-TX-M
PCI Slot 3: Sound - Creative Labs SB Live! 5.1
PCI Slot 4: USB Card
PCI Slot 5: -----
Operating System: Windows 98 Second Edition


The problem started creeping up last night ...
- bad pixels appear randomly on the screen
- the system freezes when I move the mouse
- something was mildly burning / overheating


I powered off the system overnight. Turned it back on this
morning.
It worked briefly. Then, the problem started up again.
On one reboot, I got the following message ...

"You have not connected the power extension cable to
your Radeon 9800 video card
Please refer to the "Getting Started Guide" for
proper hardware installation !!!"

After removing the video card, cleaning and reinserting,
the message (above) went away. But, I noticed that
the fan on the video card was not spinning. So,
my guess is that the video card is overheating.
Hopefully, this can be fixed somehow. Any ideas?

Also, I now get the following "warning" message ...

"The ATI Control Panel failed to initialize because
no ATI driver is installed, or ATI driver is not working
properly.
The ATI Control Panel will now exit."

And, the only display setting that works is 640 x 480
It will not take any other resolution.

Look at :
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/VGA_silencer_install/VGA_silencer_instal
l.html


Thanks for the link. Just what I need to
clarify my understanding about these VGA coolers.


After removing the fan and heatsink, what's the best way to
remove the residual thermal compound from the GPU?
Is there a good website with pictures and instructions?
That stuff is all over the GPU (as expected) and beyond.

In the following link ...

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/VGA_silencer_install/VGA_silencer_install2.h

tml#storytop
what are those dots around the GPU

Rubbing alcohol seems to work fine.
Just the raised portion of the GPU is what you need to clean.
Don't scrape over those 'white dots' or you will be minus a video card.
They
are electronic components such as resistors,etc.
When you apply the new paste, just a little dab will do it. It basically
just fills in the tiny voids that can trap air.
The more polished the mating surfaces are, the less heatsink paste is
required.
If they were perfectly polished, no paste would be required. Air is an
insulator.
If it is too thick, it will act as an insulator and slow down the heat
transfer.
Google the proper way to apply it.

Arctic Cooling Accelero S2 comes with
a thermal pad pre-attached to the heatsink.
All I have to do is clean the GPU surface and
attach the VGA cooler, right? No need to mess with
other thermal paste, right?

See Arctic Cooling Accelero S2 here ...
http://www.burnoutpc.com/modules/smartsection/print.php?itemid=264

Most people who are serious about cooling remove the sticky pad and use
paste. Heat transfer is much better.

 

[Adam]

Adam wrote:
My current setup is as follows ...

Asus A7V133 [rev 1.05. (with dot)] with VIA 4in1 driver v4.43
AMD Athlon XP 1600+
AGP Slot: Video - 128MB ATI Radeon 9800 Pro
PCI Slot 1: -----
PCI Slot 2: NIC - 3Com 3C905C-TX-M
PCI Slot 3: Sound - Creative Labs SB Live! 5.1
PCI Slot 4: USB Card
PCI Slot 5: -----
Operating System: Windows 98 Second Edition


The problem started creeping up last night ...
- bad pixels appear randomly on the screen
- the system freezes when I move the mouse
- something was mildly burning / overheating


I powered off the system overnight. Turned it back on this
morning.
It worked briefly. Then, the problem started up again.
On one reboot, I got the following message ...

"You have not connected the power extension cable to
your Radeon 9800 video card
Please refer to the "Getting Started Guide" for
proper hardware installation !!!"

After removing the video card, cleaning and reinserting,
the message (above) went away. But, I noticed that
the fan on the video card was not spinning. So,
my guess is that the video card is overheating.
Hopefully, this can be fixed somehow. Any ideas?

Also, I now get the following "warning" message ...

"The ATI Control Panel failed to initialize because
no ATI driver is installed, or ATI driver is not working
properly.
The ATI Control Panel will now exit."

And, the only display setting that works is 640 x 480
It will not take any other resolution.

Look at :

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/VGA_silencer_install/VGA_silencer_instal
l.html


Thanks for the link. Just what I need to
clarify my understanding about these VGA coolers.


After removing the fan and heatsink, what's the best way to
remove the residual thermal compound from the GPU?
Is there a good website with pictures and instructions?
That stuff is all over the GPU (as expected) and beyond.

In the following link ...

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/VGA_silencer_install/VGA_silencer_install2.h

tml#storytop
what are those dots around the GPU

Rubbing alcohol seems to work fine.
Just the raised portion of the GPU is what you need to clean.
Don't scrape over those 'white dots' or you will be minus a video card.
They
are electronic components such as resistors,etc.
When you apply the new paste, just a little dab will do it. It basically
just fills in the tiny voids that can trap air.
The more polished the mating surfaces are, the less heatsink paste is
required.
If they were perfectly polished, no paste would be required. Air is an
insulator.
If it is too thick, it will act as an insulator and slow down the heat
transfer.
Google the proper way to apply it.

Arctic Cooling Accelero S2 comes with
a thermal pad pre-attached to the heatsink.
All I have to do is clean the GPU surface and
attach the VGA cooler, right? No need to mess with
other thermal paste, right?

See Arctic Cooling Accelero S2 here ...
http://www.burnoutpc.com/modules/smartsection/print.php?itemid=264

Most people who are serious about cooling remove the sticky pad and use
paste. Heat transfer is much better.

Which paste is best?

 

[Roy Coorne]

Adam wrote:
My current setup is as follows ...

Asus A7V133 [rev 1.05. (with dot)] with VIA 4in1 driver v4.43
AMD Athlon XP 1600+
AGP Slot: Video - 128MB ATI Radeon 9800 Pro
PCI Slot 1: -----
PCI Slot 2: NIC - 3Com 3C905C-TX-M
PCI Slot 3: Sound - Creative Labs SB Live! 5.1
PCI Slot 4: USB Card
PCI Slot 5: -----
Operating System: Windows 98 Second Edition


The problem started creeping up last night ...
- bad pixels appear randomly on the screen
- the system freezes when I move the mouse
- something was mildly burning / overheating


I powered off the system overnight. Turned it back on this
morning.
It worked briefly. Then, the problem started up again.
On one reboot, I got the following message ...

"You have not connected the power extension cable to
your Radeon 9800 video card
Please refer to the "Getting Started Guide" for
proper hardware installation !!!"

After removing the video card, cleaning and reinserting,
the message (above) went away. But, I noticed that
the fan on the video card was not spinning. So,
my guess is that the video card is overheating.
Hopefully, this can be fixed somehow. Any ideas?

Also, I now get the following "warning" message ...

"The ATI Control Panel failed to initialize because
no ATI driver is installed, or ATI driver is not working
properly.
The ATI Control Panel will now exit."

And, the only display setting that works is 640 x 480
It will not take any other resolution.
Look at :
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/VGA_silencer_install/VGA_silencer_instal
l.html
Thanks for the link. Just what I need to
clarify my understanding about these VGA coolers.

After removing the fan and heatsink, what's the best way to
remove the residual thermal compound from the GPU?
Is there a good website with pictures and instructions?
That stuff is all over the GPU (as expected) and beyond.

In the following link ...
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/VGA_silencer_install/VGA_silencer_install2.h
tml#storytop
what are those dots around the GPU
Rubbing alcohol seems to work fine.
Just the raised portion of the GPU is what you need to clean.
Don't scrape over those 'white dots' or you will be minus a video card.
They
are electronic components such as resistors,etc.
When you apply the new paste, just a little dab will do it. It basically
just fills in the tiny voids that can trap air.
The more polished the mating surfaces are, the less heatsink paste is
required.
If they were perfectly polished, no paste would be required. Air is an
insulator.
If it is too thick, it will act as an insulator and slow down the heat
transfer.
Google the proper way to apply it.

Arctic Cooling Accelero S2 comes with
a thermal pad pre-attached to the heatsink.
All I have to do is clean the GPU surface and
attach the VGA cooler, right? No need to mess with
other thermal paste, right?

See Arctic Cooling Accelero S2 here ...
http://www.burnoutpc.com/modules/smartsection/print.php?itemid=264

Most people who are serious about cooling remove the sticky pad and use
paste. Heat transfer is much better.

Which paste is best?

Arctic Silver

 

[Buffalo]

Adam wrote:
My current setup is as follows ...

Asus A7V133 [rev 1.05. (with dot)] with VIA 4in1 driver v4.43
AMD Athlon XP 1600+
AGP Slot: Video - 128MB ATI Radeon 9800 Pro
PCI Slot 1: -----
PCI Slot 2: NIC - 3Com 3C905C-TX-M
PCI Slot 3: Sound - Creative Labs SB Live! 5.1
PCI Slot 4: USB Card
PCI Slot 5: -----
Operating System: Windows 98 Second Edition


The problem started creeping up last night ...
- bad pixels appear randomly on the screen
- the system freezes when I move the mouse
- something was mildly burning / overheating


I powered off the system overnight. Turned it back on this
morning. It worked briefly. Then, the problem started up again.
On one reboot, I got the following message ...

"You have not connected the power extension cable to
your Radeon 9800 video card
Please refer to the "Getting Started Guide" for
proper hardware installation !!!"

After removing the video card, cleaning and reinserting,
the message (above) went away. But, I noticed that
the fan on the video card was not spinning. So,
my guess is that the video card is overheating.
Hopefully, this can be fixed somehow. Any ideas?

Also, I now get the following "warning" message ...

"The ATI Control Panel failed to initialize because
no ATI driver is installed, or ATI driver is not working
properly. The ATI Control Panel will now exit."

And, the only display setting that works is 640 x 480
It will not take any other resolution.

Look at :
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/VGA_silencer_install/VGA_silencer_instal
l.html


Thanks for the link. Just what I need to
clarify my understanding about these VGA coolers.


After removing the fan and heatsink, what's the best way to
remove the residual thermal compound from the GPU?
Is there a good website with pictures and instructions?
That stuff is all over the GPU (as expected) and beyond.

In the following link ...

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/VGA_silencer_install/VGA_silencer_install2.h

Rubbing alcohol seems to work fine.
Just the raised portion of the GPU is what you need to clean.
Don't scrape over those 'white dots' or you will be minus a video
card. They are electronic components such as resistors,etc.
When you apply the new paste, just a little dab will do it. It
basically just fills in the tiny voids that can trap air.
The more polished the mating surfaces are, the less heatsink paste is
required.
If they were perfectly polished, no paste would be required. Air is
an insulator.
If it is too thick, it will act as an insulator and slow down the
heat transfer.
Google the proper way to apply it.

Arctic Cooling Accelero S2 comes with
a thermal pad pre-attached to the heatsink.
All I have to do is clean the GPU surface and
attach the VGA cooler, right? No need to mess with
other thermal paste, right?

See Arctic Cooling Accelero S2 here ...
http://www.burnoutpc.com/modules/smartsection/print.php?itemid=264

The pad will work just fine. Although paste, such as Artic Silver might work
a 'little' better, I think you should just use the supplied pad and see how
it works. If more cooling is required, then you can go ahead and remove the
pad and its residue later and apply the fairly expensive Artic Silver. Heat
sink paste tests usually list Artic Silver among the best, but the
difference in performance between the cheap Radio Shack paste and the
expensive Artic Silver paste isn't much. Artic Silver may last longer,
though.

 

[Buffalo]

Adam wrote:
My current setup is as follows ...

Asus A7V133 [rev 1.05. (with dot)] with VIA 4in1 driver v4.43
AMD Athlon XP 1600+
AGP Slot: Video - 128MB ATI Radeon 9800 Pro
PCI Slot 1: -----
PCI Slot 2: NIC - 3Com 3C905C-TX-M
PCI Slot 3: Sound - Creative Labs SB Live! 5.1
PCI Slot 4: USB Card
PCI Slot 5: -----
Operating System: Windows 98 Second Edition


The problem started creeping up last night ...
- bad pixels appear randomly on the screen
- the system freezes when I move the mouse
- something was mildly burning / overheating


I powered off the system overnight. Turned it back on this
morning. It worked briefly. Then, the problem started up again.
On one reboot, I got the following message ...

"You have not connected the power extension cable to
your Radeon 9800 video card
Please refer to the "Getting Started Guide" for
proper hardware installation !!!"

After removing the video card, cleaning and reinserting,
the message (above) went away. But, I noticed that
the fan on the video card was not spinning. So,
my guess is that the video card is overheating.
Hopefully, this can be fixed somehow. Any ideas?

Also, I now get the following "warning" message ...

"The ATI Control Panel failed to initialize because
no ATI driver is installed, or ATI driver is not working
properly. The ATI Control Panel will now exit."

And, the only display setting that works is 640 x 480
It will not take any other resolution.

Look at :

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics.../VGA_silencer_install/VGA_silencer_install2.h

Arctic Cooling Accelero S2 comes with
a thermal pad pre-attached to the heatsink.
All I have to do is clean the GPU surface and
attach the VGA cooler, right? No need to mess with
other thermal paste, right?

See Arctic Cooling Accelero S2 here ...
http://www.burnoutpc.com/modules/smartsection/print.php?itemid=264

The pad will work just fine. Although paste, such as Artic Silver
might work a 'little' better, I think you should just use the
supplied pad and see how it works. If more cooling is required, then
you can go ahead and remove the pad and its residue later and apply
the fairly expensive Artic Silver. Heat sink paste tests usually list
Artic Silver among the best, but the difference in performance
between the cheap Radio Shack paste and the expensive Artic Silver
paste isn't much. Artic Silver may last longer, though.

PS: Don't forget to remove the protective tape from the pad before
installing the heatsink.

 

[Adam]

Adam wrote:
My current setup is as follows ...

Asus A7V133 [rev 1.05. (with dot)] with VIA 4in1 driver v4.43
AMD Athlon XP 1600+
AGP Slot: Video - 128MB ATI Radeon 9800 Pro
PCI Slot 1: -----
PCI Slot 2: NIC - 3Com 3C905C-TX-M
PCI Slot 3: Sound - Creative Labs SB Live! 5.1
PCI Slot 4: USB Card
PCI Slot 5: -----
Operating System: Windows 98 Second Edition


The problem started creeping up last night ...
- bad pixels appear randomly on the screen
- the system freezes when I move the mouse
- something was mildly burning / overheating


I powered off the system overnight. Turned it back on this
morning. It worked briefly. Then, the problem started up again.
On one reboot, I got the following message ...

"You have not connected the power extension cable to
your Radeon 9800 video card
Please refer to the "Getting Started Guide" for
proper hardware installation !!!"

After removing the video card, cleaning and reinserting,
the message (above) went away. But, I noticed that
the fan on the video card was not spinning. So,
my guess is that the video card is overheating.
Hopefully, this can be fixed somehow. Any ideas?

Also, I now get the following "warning" message ...

"The ATI Control Panel failed to initialize because
no ATI driver is installed, or ATI driver is not working
properly. The ATI Control Panel will now exit."

And, the only display setting that works is 640 x 480
It will not take any other resolution.

Look at :

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/VGA_silencer_install/VGA_silencer_instal

l.html


Thanks for the link. Just what I need to
clarify my understanding about these VGA coolers.


After removing the fan and heatsink, what's the best way to
remove the residual thermal compound from the GPU?
Is there a good website with pictures and instructions?
That stuff is all over the GPU (as expected) and beyond.

In the following link ...

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/VGA_silencer_install/VGA_silencer_install2.h

The pad will work just fine. Although paste, such as Artic Silver
might work a 'little' better, I think you should just use the
supplied pad and see how it works. If more cooling is required, then
you can go ahead and remove the pad and its residue later and apply
the fairly expensive Artic Silver. Heat sink paste tests usually list
Artic Silver among the best, but the difference in performance
between the cheap Radio Shack paste and the expensive Artic Silver
paste isn't much. Artic Silver may last longer, though.

PS: Don't forget to remove the protective tape from the pad before
installing the heatsink.

Do you mean the two strips of 3M tape?

Okay, I'll try the supplied thermal pad first.

 

[Buffalo]

Do you mean the two strips of 3M tape?

Okay, I'll try the supplied thermal pad first.

There is usually a light protective tape covering and protecting the thermal
pad from contamination until you are ready to use it. It should peel off
easily.

 

[Buffalo]

There is usually a light protective tape covering and protecting the
thermal pad from contamination until you are ready to use it. It
should peel off easily.

Your thermal pad may have a plastic cover on it or tape.
Read the instructions at their site. It explains what to remove and how to
install their product.
Additional Information tab and then Installation Instructions.
It mentions using the double sided tape etc.
http://www.arctic-cooling.com/vga2.php?idx=125&data=3&disc=

 

[Adam]

There is usually a light protective tape covering and protecting the thermal
pad from contamination until you are ready to use it. It should peel off
easily.

Oh, this packaging has a plastic cap covering
the entire block that rests on the GPU block.
So, there's nothing touching the thermal pad.

Thanks for the precautions though.

 

[Adam]

Your thermal pad may have a plastic cover on it or tape.
Read the instructions at their site. It explains what to remove and how to
install their product.
Additional Information tab and then Installation Instructions.
It mentions using the double sided tape etc.
http://www.arctic-cooling.com/vga2.php?idx=125&data=3&disc=

Great! The installation instruction sheet comes in
the box but it's nicer to have it in PDF format.

 

[GMAN]

Adam wrote:
My current setup is as follows ...

Asus A7V133 [rev 1.05. (with dot)] with VIA 4in1 driver v4.43
AMD Athlon XP 1600+
AGP Slot: Video - 128MB ATI Radeon 9800 Pro
PCI Slot 1: -----
PCI Slot 2: NIC - 3Com 3C905C-TX-M
PCI Slot 3: Sound - Creative Labs SB Live! 5.1
PCI Slot 4: USB Card
PCI Slot 5: -----
Operating System: Windows 98 Second Edition


The problem started creeping up last night ...
- bad pixels appear randomly on the screen
- the system freezes when I move the mouse
- something was mildly burning / overheating


I powered off the system overnight. Turned it back on this
morning. It worked briefly. Then, the problem started up again.
On one reboot, I got the following message ...

"You have not connected the power extension cable to
your Radeon 9800 video card
Please refer to the "Getting Started Guide" for
proper hardware installation !!!"

After removing the video card, cleaning and reinserting,
the message (above) went away. But, I noticed that
the fan on the video card was not spinning. So,
my guess is that the video card is overheating.
Hopefully, this can be fixed somehow. Any ideas?

Also, I now get the following "warning" message ...

"The ATI Control Panel failed to initialize because
no ATI driver is installed, or ATI driver is not working
properly. The ATI Control Panel will now exit."

And, the only display setting that works is 640 x 480
It will not take any other resolution.

Look at :
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/VGA_silencer_install/VGA_silencer_instal
l.html


Thanks for the link. Just what I need to
clarify my understanding about these VGA coolers.


After removing the fan and heatsink, what's the best way to
remove the residual thermal compound from the GPU?
Is there a good website with pictures and instructions?
That stuff is all over the GPU (as expected) and beyond.

In the following link ...

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/VGA_silencer_install/VGA_silencer_install2.
h

tml#storytop
what are those dots around the GPU

Rubbing alcohol seems to work fine.
Just the raised portion of the GPU is what you need to clean.
Don't scrape over those 'white dots' or you will be minus a video
card. They are electronic components such as resistors,etc.
When you apply the new paste, just a little dab will do it. It
basically just fills in the tiny voids that can trap air.
The more polished the mating surfaces are, the less heatsink paste is
required.
If they were perfectly polished, no paste would be required. Air is
an insulator.
If it is too thick, it will act as an insulator and slow down the
heat transfer.
Google the proper way to apply it.

Arctic Cooling Accelero S2 comes with
a thermal pad pre-attached to the heatsink.
All I have to do is clean the GPU surface and
attach the VGA cooler, right? No need to mess with
other thermal paste, right?

See Arctic Cooling Accelero S2 here ...
http://www.burnoutpc.com/modules/smartsection/print.php?itemid=264

The pad will work just fine. Although paste, such as Artic Silver might work
a 'little' better, I think you should just use the supplied pad and see how
it works. If more cooling is required, then you can go ahead and remove the
pad and its residue later and apply the fairly expensive Artic Silver. Heat
sink paste tests usually list Artic Silver among the best, but the
difference in performance between the cheap Radio Shack paste and the
expensive Artic Silver paste isn't much. Artic Silver may last longer,
though.

You call $5 for a tube of arctic silver expensive?

 

[Buffalo]

Great! The installation instruction sheet comes in
the box but it's nicer to have it in PDF format.

According to the instructions on the site, the heatsink actually has a paste
on it rather than a thermal pad.
Either way, I hope you get it installed easily as it sounds a bit
complicated.
Best of luck.

 

[Adam]

According to the instructions on the site, the heatsink actually has a paste
on it rather than a thermal pad.
Either way, I hope you get it installed easily as it sounds a bit
complicated.
Best of luck.

Yeah, for all I know, it might actually be thermal paste (not pad).

So far, the hardest part has been to remove those two pins holding
the stock heatsink to the video card. The part ahead that
worries me is not having clearance for the height of the parts.
I don't want to have to grind away at the VGA cooler and
ruin the pre-applied thermal paste.

 

[Roy Coorne]

Adam wrote:
My current setup is as follows ...

Asus A7V133 [rev 1.05. (with dot)] with VIA 4in1 driver v4.43
AMD Athlon XP 1600+
AGP Slot: Video - 128MB ATI Radeon 9800 Pro
PCI Slot 1: -----
PCI Slot 2: NIC - 3Com 3C905C-TX-M
PCI Slot 3: Sound - Creative Labs SB Live! 5.1
PCI Slot 4: USB Card
PCI Slot 5: -----
Operating System: Windows 98 Second Edition


The problem started creeping up last night ...
- bad pixels appear randomly on the screen
- the system freezes when I move the mouse
- something was mildly burning / overheating


I powered off the system overnight. Turned it back on this
morning. It worked briefly. Then, the problem started up again.
On one reboot, I got the following message ...

"You have not connected the power extension cable to
your Radeon 9800 video card
Please refer to the "Getting Started Guide" for
proper hardware installation !!!"

After removing the video card, cleaning and reinserting,
the message (above) went away. But, I noticed that
the fan on the video card was not spinning. So,
my guess is that the video card is overheating.
Hopefully, this can be fixed somehow. Any ideas?

Also, I now get the following "warning" message ...

"The ATI Control Panel failed to initialize because
no ATI driver is installed, or ATI driver is not working
properly. The ATI Control Panel will now exit."

And, the only display setting that works is 640 x 480
It will not take any other resolution.
Look at :
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/VGA_silencer_install/VGA_silencer_instal
l.html

Thanks for the link. Just what I need to
clarify my understanding about these VGA coolers.

After removing the fan and heatsink, what's the best way to
remove the residual thermal compound from the GPU?
Is there a good website with pictures and instructions?
That stuff is all over the GPU (as expected) and beyond.

In the following link ...
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/VGA_silencer_install/VGA_silencer_install2.
h
tml#storytop
what are those dots around the GPU
Rubbing alcohol seems to work fine.
Just the raised portion of the GPU is what you need to clean.
Don't scrape over those 'white dots' or you will be minus a video
card. They are electronic components such as resistors,etc.
When you apply the new paste, just a little dab will do it. It
basically just fills in the tiny voids that can trap air.
The more polished the mating surfaces are, the less heatsink paste is
required.
If they were perfectly polished, no paste would be required. Air is
an insulator.
If it is too thick, it will act as an insulator and slow down the
heat transfer.
Google the proper way to apply it.

Arctic Cooling Accelero S2 comes with
a thermal pad pre-attached to the heatsink.
All I have to do is clean the GPU surface and
attach the VGA cooler, right? No need to mess with
other thermal paste, right?

See Arctic Cooling Accelero S2 here ...
http://www.burnoutpc.com/modules/smartsection/print.php?itemid=264

The pad will work just fine. Although paste, such as Artic Silver might work
a 'little' better, I think you should just use the supplied pad and see how
it works. If more cooling is required, then you can go ahead and remove the
pad and its residue later and apply the fairly expensive Artic Silver. Heat
sink paste tests usually list Artic Silver among the best, but the
difference in performance between the cheap Radio Shack paste and the
expensive Artic Silver paste isn't much. Artic Silver may last longer,
though.

You call $5 for a tube of arctic silver expensive?

The best is just fine, isn't it!

And with Arctic Silver you are on the safe side!

 

[Adam]

Adam wrote:
Adam wrote:
My current setup is as follows ...

Asus A7V133 [rev 1.05. (with dot)] with VIA 4in1 driver v4.43
AMD Athlon XP 1600+
AGP Slot: Video - 128MB ATI Radeon 9800 Pro
PCI Slot 1: -----
PCI Slot 2: NIC - 3Com 3C905C-TX-M
PCI Slot 3: Sound - Creative Labs SB Live! 5.1
PCI Slot 4: USB Card
PCI Slot 5: -----
Operating System: Windows 98 Second Edition


The problem started creeping up last night ...
- bad pixels appear randomly on the screen
- the system freezes when I move the mouse
- something was mildly burning / overheating


I powered off the system overnight. Turned it back on this
morning. It worked briefly. Then, the problem started up again.
On one reboot, I got the following message ...

"You have not connected the power extension cable to
your Radeon 9800 video card
Please refer to the "Getting Started Guide" for
proper hardware installation !!!"

After removing the video card, cleaning and reinserting,
the message (above) went away. But, I noticed that
the fan on the video card was not spinning. So,
my guess is that the video card is overheating.
Hopefully, this can be fixed somehow. Any ideas?

Also, I now get the following "warning" message ...

"The ATI Control Panel failed to initialize because
no ATI driver is installed, or ATI driver is not working
properly. The ATI Control Panel will now exit."

And, the only display setting that works is 640 x 480
It will not take any other resolution.
Look at :

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/VGA_silencer_install/VGA_silencer_instal
l.html

Thanks for the link. Just what I need to
clarify my understanding about these VGA coolers.

After removing the fan and heatsink, what's the best way to
remove the residual thermal compound from the GPU?
Is there a good website with pictures and instructions?
That stuff is all over the GPU (as expected) and beyond.

In the following link ...

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/VGA_silencer_install/VGA_silencer_install2.
h
tml#storytop
what are those dots around the GPU
Rubbing alcohol seems to work fine.
Just the raised portion of the GPU is what you need to clean.
Don't scrape over those 'white dots' or you will be minus a video
card. They are electronic components such as resistors,etc.
When you apply the new paste, just a little dab will do it. It
basically just fills in the tiny voids that can trap air.
The more polished the mating surfaces are, the less heatsink paste is
required.
If they were perfectly polished, no paste would be required. Air is
an insulator.
If it is too thick, it will act as an insulator and slow down the
heat transfer.
Google the proper way to apply it.

Arctic Cooling Accelero S2 comes with
a thermal pad pre-attached to the heatsink.
All I have to do is clean the GPU surface and
attach the VGA cooler, right? No need to mess with
other thermal paste, right?

See Arctic Cooling Accelero S2 here ...
http://www.burnoutpc.com/modules/smartsection/print.php?itemid=264
The pad will work just fine. Although paste, such as Artic Silver might work
a 'little' better, I think you should just use the supplied pad and see how
it works. If more cooling is required, then you can go ahead and remove the
pad and its residue later and apply the fairly expensive Artic Silver. Heat
sink paste tests usually list Artic Silver among the best, but the
difference in performance between the cheap Radio Shack paste and the
expensive Artic Silver paste isn't much. Artic Silver may last longer,
though.

You call $5 for a tube of arctic silver expensive?

The best is just fine, isn't it!

And with Arctic Silver you are on the safe side!

The following link ...
http://www.arctic-cooling.com/p_vga2.php?idx=125&data=3
says ...

"Thermal Compound
We ship our coolers with the ARCTIC MX-1 thermal compound.
This compound hardens during the first 200h while
the performance improves steadily. With heating up
the paste / heatsink the process can be shortened.
The performance is even from the beginning good enough to
cool your CPU reliable."

ARCTIC COOLING MX-1 Thermal Compound
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100401

Do I still need to get Arctic Silver?

 

[Roy Coorne]

Adam wrote:
Adam wrote:
My current setup is as follows ...

Asus A7V133 [rev 1.05. (with dot)] with VIA 4in1 driver v4.43
AMD Athlon XP 1600+
AGP Slot: Video - 128MB ATI Radeon 9800 Pro
PCI Slot 1: -----
PCI Slot 2: NIC - 3Com 3C905C-TX-M
PCI Slot 3: Sound - Creative Labs SB Live! 5.1
PCI Slot 4: USB Card
PCI Slot 5: -----
Operating System: Windows 98 Second Edition


The problem started creeping up last night ...
- bad pixels appear randomly on the screen
- the system freezes when I move the mouse
- something was mildly burning / overheating


I powered off the system overnight. Turned it back on this
morning. It worked briefly. Then, the problem started up again.
On one reboot, I got the following message ...

"You have not connected the power extension cable to
your Radeon 9800 video card
Please refer to the "Getting Started Guide" for
proper hardware installation !!!"

After removing the video card, cleaning and reinserting,
the message (above) went away. But, I noticed that
the fan on the video card was not spinning. So,
my guess is that the video card is overheating.
Hopefully, this can be fixed somehow. Any ideas?

Also, I now get the following "warning" message ...

"The ATI Control Panel failed to initialize because
no ATI driver is installed, or ATI driver is not working
properly. The ATI Control Panel will now exit."

And, the only display setting that works is 640 x 480
It will not take any other resolution.
Look at :
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/VGA_silencer_install/VGA_silencer_instal
l.html

Thanks for the link. Just what I need to
clarify my understanding about these VGA coolers.

After removing the fan and heatsink, what's the best way to
remove the residual thermal compound from the GPU?
Is there a good website with pictures and instructions?
That stuff is all over the GPU (as expected) and beyond.

In the following link ...
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/Graphics/VGA_silencer_install/VGA_silencer_install2.
h
tml#storytop
what are those dots around the GPU
Rubbing alcohol seems to work fine.
Just the raised portion of the GPU is what you need to clean.
Don't scrape over those 'white dots' or you will be minus a video
card. They are electronic components such as resistors,etc.
When you apply the new paste, just a little dab will do it. It
basically just fills in the tiny voids that can trap air.
The more polished the mating surfaces are, the less heatsink paste is
required.
If they were perfectly polished, no paste would be required. Air is
an insulator.
If it is too thick, it will act as an insulator and slow down the
heat transfer.
Google the proper way to apply it.

Arctic Cooling Accelero S2 comes with
a thermal pad pre-attached to the heatsink.
All I have to do is clean the GPU surface and
attach the VGA cooler, right? No need to mess with
other thermal paste, right?

See Arctic Cooling Accelero S2 here ...
http://www.burnoutpc.com/modules/smartsection/print.php?itemid=264
The pad will work just fine. Although paste, such as Artic Silver might work
a 'little' better, I think you should just use the supplied pad and see how
it works. If more cooling is required, then you can go ahead and remove the
pad and its residue later and apply the fairly expensive Artic Silver. Heat
sink paste tests usually list Artic Silver among the best, but the
difference in performance between the cheap Radio Shack paste and the
expensive Artic Silver paste isn't much. Artic Silver may last longer,
though.


You call $5 for a tube of arctic silver expensive?

The best is just fine, isn't it!

And with Arctic Silver you are on the safe side!

The following link ...
http://www.arctic-cooling.com/p_vga2.php?idx=125&data=3
says ...

"Thermal Compound
We ship our coolers with the ARCTIC MX-1 thermal compound.
This compound hardens during the first 200h while
the performance improves steadily. With heating up
the paste / heatsink the process can be shortened.
The performance is even from the beginning good enough to
cool your CPU reliable."

ARCTIC COOLING MX-1 Thermal Compound
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100401

Do I still need to get Arctic Silver?

Not necessarily.