Now this is an interesting one ...

[Cosmo]

Sit children, and let me tell you a tale of mixed graphics card fortunes ...


Recently, i bought myself a Geforce 6800 standard, great card, and i decided i'd try to mod it up to 16 pipes and 6 vertex units. Now, it seems to be fine, because i don't get any artifacting.

But ...

I do have some bizzare issues. Seemingly, when i go inside the case, without even touching the card (i think last time i went in there to clean the dust off my heatsink) i'll return to windows and be presented with bizarre flashing textures. Fair cop you'd think, the card is knackered with the extra pipes. However, if i unplug the molex and then plug it back in again, it works absolutely fine with no artifacting whatsoever until i go into the case again ...

I thought perhaps it was the PSU, as this 400W only pushes 17A on the 12V rail, and after looking at the 12V rail it dips down to 11.6 on a few occasions, and generally hangs around the 11.8 mark. I understand that's low, but i've had no other stability problems. Now, if anyone thinks it might help to grab myself a new PSU, could you reccomend any cheap and good ones ? i really can't afford to shell out £70 for an expensive Antec or OCZ PSU. Initially i was looking at a Hiper one, but i've been told they're rubbish ... however anything is better than what i've got ...

Thanks for your help guys.

[Xaneden]

Almost sounds like a short circuit for a moment?

And as far as PSUs go, no one will ever reccomend you a cheap one.

[Nox]

Its pretty easy to fix actually - don't go in the case Does sound like a short circuit or dodgy connection somewhere tho. Does it happen if you move the case or just if you take the side off?

Nox

[Xaneden]

As Nox said, if the only time this occurs is when you open the case, just follow your current routine and reboot etc when you have to go into the case.

The only thing I would suggest you do, is check for any components/wires that are touching the case.

[Cosmo]

It seems to only happen when i actually go inside the case.

Another thing i did was measured the 12V rail with the card spazzing out and the card at normal, and it didn't seem to be any different. No real difference when the card is modded up as opposed to when it isnt either. The only real thing to note though is that if i go into the case etc when the card isn't modded up, this doesn't happen.

I'm pretty sure the pipes aren't damaged though, considering i can use it for seemingly as long as i want as long as i don't go inside the case ... very bizzare ...

Only thing i'm slightly concerned about is that i go lanning alot, although currently i just plan to unmod the card for the weekends considering i can't be going in an out and arsing around with molex connectors all weekend. I moved the card onto the other power rail from my PSU and i've yet to do any case work, so i'm not entirely sure if the molex on the other rail was the problem. I know for a fact that at least one of them is dodgy from a hard drive incident i had, with one of the molex's the drive would keep powering itself off as the BIOS looked for it, hopefully that isn't one of the ones i'm using

[Xaneden]

Sounds a bit dodgy.

[Cosmo]

Sounds a bit dodgy.

Damn right, although it seems pretty stable apart from this issue.

I'm torn between my love of safety and my love of pushing stuff ...

[Xaneden]

lol indeed.

Did you have this problem before you modded the card? Because if not, it is the card causing the short circuit. Maybe thats the reason your card was not released as an Ultra model, because 1 or 2 of the pipelines were damaged, and thus caused a short circuit.