Graphics Card Issue

[marshalex]

I've just sent a powercolour HD 4870 OC back to novatech after it arrived faulty but the nature of the fault has puzzled me. Upon putting the card into the PCI-E slot there was a 5mm gap between the expansion slot and the top of the card (shown in this image). i checked the card in my case (CM 690) and there was a gap in there also. Is this something anyone has seen before as i'm wary that i may be sent another card with the same issue

[kalniel]

Er, you're not seating the card correctly.

Ensure any card retainers are out of the way, that nothing's in the slot, then push down firmly!

[ABCx86]

From the picture it looks like you just needed to push the card in more TBH.

Did the little clip at the right side of PCI-e slot click into place?

Did you push the card in as evenly as possible?

[Domestic_Ginger]

A little wiggle does the trick for me!

Check the clip on the other side of the pci port is not locked stopping teh card fitting in.

-too slow again

[marshalex]

well i tried the same thing with my GTX260 and it went in straight away with no moving at all. what got me was that i lined the 2 cards up and the PCI-E connector for the 4870 stuck out loads compared to the GTX260. No amount of wriggling/pushing and checking made the card go in. Was the same situation for both cases I tried it in. numerous attempts to reseat the card didn't work and there was nothing blocking it as my GTX260 went straight in every time, therefore it must be something wrong with the card. pushing the card in simply started bending the board

[k4p84]

You can always take the pci bracket off to see if the card will actually seat on the PCI-e slot.

I have had issues in the past where the part of the bracket that goes past the motherboard to locate in the tray would not locate. Took a lot of wiggling to get it to go in.

[marshalex]

You can always take the pci bracket off to see if the card will actually seat on the PCI-e slot.

I have had issues in the past where the part of the bracket that goes past the motherboard to locate in the tray would not locate. Took a lot of wiggling to get it to go in.

the card seats in the PCI-E slot and clips in at the back but from comparing it to my 260 the PCI bracket seems set too high and i don't think i should have to be taking a brand new graphics card apart to make it fit. lining the PCI brackets up of the 2 cards it shows the 4870 PCI-e connector sticking out further as shown here

[Zak33]

I think that WOULD have fitted .. it's not mis-made. But the metal bracket would have been snagging on the case of the edge of the motherboard.... stopping that end of the card fitting into the PCI-Express slot properly.

I had this issue with a 4890 too. I just could NOT get it into my Sugo case, because to make it go I needed to put that metal bracket into the gap between motherboard and case FIRST and push down from there, but I couldn't because it needed slipping under the edge of the case at the same end before being pushed in.

Bending the bottom of the pci bracket (the bit that is at the back of the case once it's fitted) with pliers was my only option. It worked.

But beacause these cards are two slotters.. they need two pieces of metal locating in the gap first. It's damn hard sometimes.

[marshalex]

I think that WOULD have fitted .. it's not mis-made. But the metal bracket would have been snagging on the case of the edge of the motherboard.... stopping that end of the card fitting into the PCI-Express slot properly.

I had this issue with a 4890 too. I just could NOT get it into my Sugo case, because to make it go I needed to put that metal bracket into the gap between motherboard and case FIRST and push down from there, but I couldn't because it needed slipping under the edge of the case at the same end before being pushed in.

Bending the bottom of the pci bracket (the bit that is at the back of the case once it's fitted) with pliers was my only option. It worked.

But beacause these cards are two slotters.. they need two pieces of metal locating in the gap first. It's damn hard sometimes.

i've done all of that and I still cant get it to go in. the card is definately seated in the pci socket as pushing down bends the board and the fins on the pci bracket are in the slots in the back of the antec 300 but not all the way down and are not catching on anything. like i said my gtx260 fitted in no problems at all but having tried everything to get this card into 3 different cases (tried it in my old thermaltake case and still wont go in) i still cant get it to fit

[pav]

i've done all of that and I still cant get it to go in. the card is definately seated in the pci socket as pushing down bends the board and the fins on the pci bracket are in the slots in the back of the antec 300 but not all the way down and are not catching on anything. like i said my gtx260 fitted in no problems at all but having tried everything to get this card into 3 different cases (tried it in my old thermaltake case and still wont go in) i still cant get it to fit

Sometimes I've had to bend and angle the bottoms of the backplates so they go into the bottom groove slots at the back correctly. Your card maybe snagging there, and simply needs the bottoms of the silver backplates bent outwards slightly perhaps.

[GoNz0]

looks like it was also catching the blanking plate to the side of it, shame you were so quick to send it back, you may get charged for it now.

[marshalex]

after examining it again the card is definately not catching anything at all. trying to push the pci plate further into the slots (which i can see the card going further into) only seems to bend the motherboard which suggests that it is the card which is faulty. the PCI-e connector slot is not straight (there is a white line on the pcb which follows the card and it moves away from the heatsink the closer it gets to the PCI backplate. i could understand if it didn't fit into 1 case but for it not to fit properly in 3 different cases with 3 different mobos does suggest it is the card. the notch after the front most connector doesnt sit snugly on the PCI-e slot either, having a gap between the 2, which was not seen on any of my other cards. i'm still adament there is something wrong with the card as i didn't have any problems seating my gtx 260 in the same case/board (which had exactly the same angle on the pci slot fins), and seeing as the GTX 260 was bigger that would be more likely to catch on something, which it didnt.

[marshalex]

got my RMA result yesterday and found out that the card was faulty, apparently there was something wrong with the PCB, wasn't overly bothered what exactly as got my refund and purchased an Asus 4870 dark night to replace it just need the PSU and HDD to arrive and am in business!