gainward gf4 gayness

[blockers]

Hi all.

Spec:
xp1700
NF7-S (v2.0)
Gainward gf4 ti4200
Levicom 450watt
PC-60

I have the gay gainward gf4 (the one with the checkerboard effect - something wrong with a capacitor makes the screen have an acid trip.) This problem appears to be heat related, in my steel case it was find, happening once every 3/4months, bareable. But now with my PC-60 and levicom 450watt it happens about 8 times a week, at least everytime i wake up turn on computer, and try and play a game it breaks.

I found the best solution to this problem is to warm up my case, i have the levicom on 'low' fan speed, this makes it run better, i.e not as many breaks. But felt the PSU and the grill on the back of it was actually warm to touch.

Is this ok to have running for ages and ages? or will the heat significantly reduce the life of the PSU?

Will

p.s hopes this makes some sense, i am a bit ill and a bit confused.

[Agent]

You can RMA it to gainward for free iirc.
I think Scan was the company dealing with the RMA's, although im not 100% sure.

There is a gainward rep that posts on here somtimes, hopefully he'll see this and reply for you

[SilentDeath]

I have the gay gainward gf4 (the one with the checkerboard effect - something wrong with a capacitor makes the screen have an acid trip.)

its much much much more likely to be the mem chips being too hot, have they got mem sinks? overclocked? touch em while its on (ground self first!) to see how hot they are. if it was a capacitor, just get another one of the same F and rating and replace it, or rma the card.

[blockers]

I think i read some where that it was a capcitor, can you still RMA them!? i emailed gainward and good a bit of a snooty reply back. They have the TT cooler thing on.

O yes, that would be anything the void the warrenty...*slaps myself*

[streetster]

it has heatsinks on, and it is known that certain gainward ti4200s have a problem with the capacitors - i dont think soldering on a new one would have any difference - and it would also invalidate the warranty just RMA to gainward will and you can borrow my gf2 if you want

mark


edit :: curse my slow typing

[Agent]

Originally posted by |SilentDeath|
its much much much more likely to be the mem chips being too hot, have they got mem sinks? overclocked? touch em while its on (ground self first!) to see how hot they are. if it was a capacitor, just get another one of the same F and rating and replace it, or rma the card.

Is defo a capacitor. Its a known issue.

[Austin]

http://www.overclockers.com/tips00230/

There you go. You could try underclocking the card but I'd just RAM it down Gainward's throat and then warn everyone else never to buy Gainward products ... been pretty pants since the GF3 IMHO.

[SilentDeath]

as the aritcle says, they send back defective cards sometimes aswell... smd soldering isnt too hard, but ud need to know what capacitors to use and if there good enuf...

[liquid-fix]

I unfortunately have the same card and the same problem, but they really have useless customer relation and i cant seem to get anything done about it, i've just been putting up with it. I dont have the problem too bad at the moment though.
Fix

[shiato storm]

what wrong with this world when you buy something and it doesn't work- no one claims responsibility ...
what? like they're gonna get a faulty card back and send a good one out. not as if they're losing millions over this!! clearly doesn't happen in ALL cards just a few...so why don't they say sorry and correct their mistake - everyone makes them, and then everyone will see that they're not gonna fob their customers off and in turn will gain even more customers on the strength of their acts of good will...

...if only...

[Andy]

Originally posted by liquid-fix
I unfortunately have the same card and the same problem, but they really have useless customer relation and i cant seem to get anything done about it, i've just been putting up with it. I dont have the problem too bad at the moment though.
Fix

Anything i can help with, mail - andy@gainward.net and any RMA issues i should be able to point to the relevant person. My apologies about this, we have had some changes in our RMA procedures resulting in one or two delays, please let me know if there are any issues i can help with.

Rgds

Andy

Andy Davies
Gainward UK LTD

[Agent]

Cheers Andy

[blockers]

Well first id like to say, thanks Andy, i just sent you an email.

Secondly, it seems my computer isnt without a sense of irony. It has been on all day, then i was just about to reply, saying that the question i was asking wasnt about the card itself. But then once the 'Reply' page had loaded the card broke. LOL

Anyway, i was just wondering if the life of the PSU can be signficantly damnaged if it is warm to touch....?

Will

[streetster]

if the PSU would be damaged by having the fan setting on 'low' surely levicon wouldn't have allowed the user to set it to low .. the cheiftec PSU i have sitting on a desk next to me is warm to the touch - not hot, just mildly warm... the PSU will be fine

mark

[Anders]

Nice one. I posted about this exact same problem a while back. I had no idea what to do next since I had e-mailed Gainward twice and received no reply at all. I will e-mail Andy now (I hope that is ok).

[Skii]

Komplett replaced mine with a Creative one - it was nice to have a card that finally worked without pink screening , but my Creative card is nowhere near as fast as my Gainward was