RMA - Items Tested, No Fault Found

[Aretak]

RMA number: 341635

Hi,

I've just received a notification on my MSI GTX 970 RMA that no fault has been found with the item. The details on the RMA page say that no unusual noise was noticed. Frankly, I'm baffled as to how this can be the case. I spent several hours on Thursday night testing it and swapping back and forth between it and my old card to check whether it was the 970 or another component making the noise, and it was definetly the 970, as the noise wasn't present without it in the system. I did think to make a video of the issue before sending the card in, so have evidence of the fault.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D7LWdrm0WM

Apologies for the appalling camera work (I can't really move my system much due to cable length, so poor lighting), but I think it gets the noise issue across. That's with the card under a fairly modest load, running the Sleeping Dogs benchmark with vsync enabled, although the noise was the same running a more stressful benchmark like Heaven.

I've had plenty of GPUs over the years, and indeed this very system has had five different ones inside it (including the 970). None of the others have made any sort of noise like the 970, using the exact same motherboard, PSU, etc. That includes the R9 270 I'm using at the moment, as well as a reference 4870, a VTX3D 7850 and an Asus 280X that have all been in the system at one time or another since June. As such, along with the actual testing I did in this case, I'm very confident that no other components in my system are at fault.

Basically, I reject the suggestion that the card is okay. Having had it right here in front of me just a week ago, it's frustrating to be told that I'm imagining things and I would like an explanation.

Thanks.

[Mick@SCAN]

Aretak,

I have personally tested the graphics card for you and here are my findings.
With the card installed with the latest Nvidia driver, the fans remain idle on the desktop, no audible noise is noticed.
Upon launching Heaven Benchmark I did not notice any audible sounds, bear in mind the card is in an open test bench and I am stood in front of the bench, there is also background noise as this is a work place.

Moving closer to the card I can pick up coil whine, this is while fans are not rotating, the noise is similar to the one recorded on the video you provided.
The fans then start to spin with the GPU temperature rising, the noise does not change. Once GPU load is stopped the fans remain spinning to cool the card but the noise immediately stops.

The engineers would not have detected the noise in the first instance as it was not detectable when standing a normal distance from the test bench, the noise would be even harder to detect with the card inside a Pc chassis.
Although this type of fault is subjective, three different staff member's have come to the conclusion that this would not be considered as a fault as the noise is not excessive.

However taking on board that the noise could seem louder in a different environment Scan are happy to replace the card on this occasion, however we would recommend that a different card is chosen as a replacement to avoid repeat of the problem.

I have sent you an email with further information.

Kind regards,