Sapphire 9800 Pro dying!

[ChrisR]

My sapphire 9800 Pro 128 Mb has been fine since I bought it 6 months
ago. This morning I turn on the computer and after 5 minutes I notice
an odd electrical/pcb smell. Quickly I rip off the computer case and
track the smell to the CPU area of the 9800 Pro. Its very hot, for
whatever reason, but the HSF units is working. Before I can shut the
machine down the montior goes into standby. I kill the power to the
machine, take the card out, check it. Looks fine, HSF fine and in good
thermal contact with GPU die. I reset the HSF with Arctic silver III
and pop the card back in. Windows loads, but the colours are screwed up
and games have all sorts of texture problems. Shit.

I bought this card via Ebay a while back, I don't think the seller will
be of any help now.....anyone know what sapphires position on this is?

Thanks
Chris.

Winxp
Nforce2
1gig DDR
AthlonXP 2400
Audigy

 

[First of One]

Most warranties extends only to the original purchaser. Though it doesn't
hurt to call Sapphire and try to RMA it.

I hope you at least got a good deal buying the 9800Pro off eBay...

 

[ChrisR]

It was half the price of buying one locally in this country at the time,
which is why I risked it. I've never had a vid card go bad before, I
guess this was just good timing.

 

[OCZ Guy]

Did you notice alot of dust on the Heatsink, fan ?, if so get some
compressed air and give it a gooooooooooood blow out, the dust will
affect the heatsinks effictiveness and the fans.

Whats your case cooling like how many fans and where ?

See ya.

It was half the price of buying one locally in this country at the time,
which is why I risked it. I've never had a vid card go bad before, I
guess this was just good timing.

HELLO NURSE.

 

[ChrisR]

Well, the card is only 7 months old, and I clean the HSF now and again,
so no. If I had to guess, I would say perhaps a regulator on the card
failed and cooked the GPU through excessive power. Its the only reason
I can think of given the HSF is working and was in good thermal contact
with the core which was still approaching meltdown. All this happened
at boot time, which is when components usually fail.

 

[patrickp]

My sapphire 9800 Pro 128 Mb has been fine since I bought it 6 months
ago. This morning I turn on the computer and after 5 minutes I notice
an odd electrical/pcb smell. Quickly I rip off the computer case and
track the smell to the CPU area of the 9800 Pro. Its very hot, for
whatever reason, but the HSF units is working. Before I can shut the
machine down the montior goes into standby. I kill the power to the
machine, take the card out, check it. Looks fine, HSF fine and in good
thermal contact with GPU die. I reset the HSF with Arctic silver III
and pop the card back in. Windows loads, but the colours are screwed up
and games have all sorts of texture problems. Shit.

I bought this card via Ebay a while back, I don't think the seller will
be of any help now.....anyone know what sapphires position on this is?

Thanks
Chris.

Winxp
Nforce2
1gig DDR
AthlonXP 2400
Audigy

Unfortunately, Chris, if you do have an effective warranty on the card
(quite possible) you may have voided it by replacing it the thermal
grease with Arctic Silver - improvement though that should be. :-(

patrickp

(e-mail address removed) - take five to email me

 

[OCZ Guy]

Just dont tell em will they even know or care ?

Unfortunately, Chris, if you do have an effective warranty on the card
(quite possible) you may have voided it by replacing it the thermal
grease with Arctic Silver - improvement though that should be. :-(

patrickp

(e-mail address removed) - take five to email me

HELLO NURSE.

 

[First of One]

Take a look at this pic:

http://daxin.netfirms.com/ati/RadSinks.jpg

Are the two highlighted small heat sinks present on your card?

 

[ChrisR]

Yup, my card has those sinks. I'm guessing this is a good thing, having
heatsinks on hotspots?

 

[First of One]

Aff. However, this means the failed component probably lies elsewhere.

FYI, newer 9800 Pro boards have a slightly changed PCB layout, the most
prominent feature being a low-profile VGA connector. Such cards don't have
those heat sinks, supposedly due to better power regulation.