Connect3D x800GTO blowing up??

[nerdcorerocks]

Hi guys. I was one of those people who bought a Connect3D x800GTO from Newegg.com a little after Thanksgiving last year. I was also one of those people who got the versions that did not unlock the extra 4 pipes. Well here is my issue. I have been overclocking it whenever I play games (545/540ish) and then left at default speeds otherwise until now. A couple of weeks ago, I noticed a solid green texture in Day of Defeat:Source. I hoped it was just a fluke. A few days ago, I noticed weird graphic artifacts in certain parts of WoW (the map, looting bodies, talking to NPCs). Now, it is just completely messed up. When I play any modern game like DOD:Source or Pirates Vikings and Knights:Source the graphics are completely messed up.

I am going to attatch a few screenshots. I hope someone looks at them and gives me an idea whats wrong. I know that my video card is not overheating. When I took these pictures, the x800gto never reached past 55 celcius. I don't think it's my power supply? It has worked fine up until now. It's a 550 Watt Rosewill (I know it's not the greatest brand), but I haven't had any problems with it. Here are the numbers for it: +3.3V 30A, +5V 45A, +12V1 18A, +12V2 16A, -12V 1A. I took the stock heatsink/fan off of the x800gto and replaced it with some Valman one that was good at the time. Ummm....it's not a ATI driver issue either, since I rolled back the drivers (deleting all the new one's properly with drive cleaner pro) to the version circa two Thanksgivings ago, and that didn't help.

Did it just burn out from being overclocked sometimes? Should I RMA it (have a warranty for almost another year), or is it fixable? Let me know what you guys think and I'd greatly greatly appreciate it. Thanks!!!

Stefan K.

 

[enforcerfx]

Have you seated the Zalman cooler properly? It might be your powersupply going on you. If you can, either find a friend and pop yours in his and see how it goes, or try to find a replacement Powersupply and test that. With you replacing the stock cooler with a aftermarket one, there is a good chance the warranty has now been void being that you tampered with the hardware on the device. Keep fideling around with it. You could be getting unaccurate temps from your program. Pop open the side panel of your case, and touch the underside of the video card(not where the fan is). If its hot to the touch, then its a good chance its overheating. If its not, the only other option is that it could be the powersupply, but check the seating of the cooler.

Hope it works out for you

 

[dragonsprayer]

try a dual fan slot cooler aimed at the ram - zalman may not properly cool the ram - since there is not heat sink on the ram u have only air to cool the ram. You might try a slot cooler to move air from the opposite side of the card, but if the problem occurs at boot up too then the card is most likly damaged.

The artifacts you have i have seen after smashed cards - i suspect if you have this immediately after boot from cold then your card is damaged.

try to reinstall the heat sink for service, they can tell if its not properly installed. if that does not work ebay as broken - people pay alot money for junk on ebay!

 

[nerdcorerocks]

well there are ramsinks on my video card, so it isn't the cooling that is the problem. and yes, it definitely does this immediately after a cold boot. i guess my card randomly pooped out. i can reinstall the old heatsink, i have all of the parts in a little box. why do you say they can tell if it's not installed right? if i install it exactly how it came, how does that work?

 

[dragonsprayer]

I am guessing --they can tell by alignment of pads the condition of pads and the type of thermal grease. they might also tell by marks or scre tightness - u make sure u make it look just like new! Good luck!

A ati tech told me once "we can tell if the heatsink has been removed" the above is what i guess they can tell by!

Warpedystems "the need4speed"