Tom's Hardware > Forum > Graphic & Displays > Graphics Cards > WTF happened to my video card in this pic?

WTF happened to my video card in this pic?

Forum Graphic & Displays : Graphics Cards - WTF happened to my video card in this pic?

Tom's Hardware: Over 1.4 million members in 6 different countries available to answer all your high-tech questions. Sign up now! Its free!
Ask the community Add a reply
Word :    Username :           
 
extremepilot   05-09-2009 at 12:11:12 AM

Video card is EVGA 9600GT Superclocked.
Check this picture:
http://img4.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wtf1p.jpg
I am assuming the white material is a thermal compound. Well a few days ago my computer began locking up in games approx. 30 seconds after launching a game, but I can still hear audio in background. Assumed it's a video card problem. I suspected overheating. Set fan to 100% - no difference, still locking up. I suspect video card memory to be at fault. Tried 3dmark 06. After about two minutes, image freezes up. Suspecting memory to be the culprit. No other games to test with. Opened the case and took out video card, tried in different slot. No difference. Checked to make sure no overclock was applied to the GPU. No difference. Underclocked GPU. No difference. Removed CPU overclock (E8400), set it back to 3.0Ghz. No difference. Set BIOS defaults. No difference. Took out video card, took a closer look.
The white material in the first picture? Extended to the edges of video card, creeping from under the metal fan housing... but not noticeably. Took off the metal fan housing, removed all of the white material and the GPU thermal compound. Applied Arctic Silver 5:
http://img22.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wtf2lth.jpg
Noticed I applied some thermal compound on the wrong parts, removed, and applied where it should be. Made sure all areas that had the white material as well as the GPU have thermal compound, so I know I didn't miss any of them. Remounted the metal fan housing, moved it to squish some of the thermal compound around just a tad, and secured the metal case mount.
Turn on computer, same thing.
...any hints?

Add a reply
Sponsored Links
Register or log in to remove.
spathotan   05-09-2009 at 12:21:08 AM
- 0 +

Those white pads (or very thick, dense paste in your cards case) should NEVER be removed unless you plan on replacing it with pads. 99.9% of the time the memory chips will not even contact the heatsink when attached...hence the thick paste/pads.

 

This sounds like a common side effect of an overheated GPU. It only takes once to ruin it.


Message edited by spathotan on 05-09-2009 at 01:05:44 AM
------------------------------ http://valid.canardpc.com/cache/banner/547515.png
Intel Xeon X3370 @3.6ghz Under Enzotech Extreme-X,EVGA GTX 285 SC, 4GB Mushkin Ascent eVCI @ 1066mhz, Gigabyte P45 UD3P
 Reply to spathotan
extremepilot   05-09-2009 at 12:38:47 AM
- 0 +

Well... that's unfortunate. Too bad there's nothing I can do. Hey, at least I can use it for everything but gaming, right?

Reply to extremepilot
Kari   05-09-2009 at 12:42:31 AM
- 0 +

did you ever actually check the temps on the card before pulling it apart?

it might also be failing system memory, run memtest86+ for several passes to test it

Reply to Kari
extremepilot   05-09-2009 at 12:55:09 AM
- 0 +

Is there any program I can run inside of Windows to test the memory? I don't have any discs around. Also, I have two memory sticks, tried each one of them separately, in different slots, no luck, also tried diff. video drivers

Reply to extremepilot
spathotan   05-09-2009 at 01:05:07 AM
- 0 +

OCCT

Message quoted 1 times
------------------------------ http://valid.canardpc.com/cache/banner/547515.png
Intel Xeon X3370 @3.6ghz Under Enzotech Extreme-X,EVGA GTX 285 SC, 4GB Mushkin Ascent eVCI @ 1066mhz, Gigabyte P45 UD3P
 Reply to spathotan
extremepilot   05-09-2009 at 01:34:55 AM
- 0 +

spathotan wrote :

OCCT


Looks like a great program. Found 2129 errors with the GPU memory test:
http://img19.imageshack.us/my.php?image=gpumemtest.jpg
I ordered a new video card (GTX 260 216 stream processors), will try to sell this for parts

Reply to extremepilot
spathotan   05-09-2009 at 02:07:14 AM
- 0 +

2129 errors is absurd. Its amazing the card even displays an image.

------------------------------ http://valid.canardpc.com/cache/banner/547515.png
Intel Xeon X3370 @3.6ghz Under Enzotech Extreme-X,EVGA GTX 285 SC, 4GB Mushkin Ascent eVCI @ 1066mhz, Gigabyte P45 UD3P
 Reply to spathotan
Ask the community Add a reply
Tom's Hardware > Forum > Graphic & Displays > Graphics Cards > WTF happened to my video card in this pic?
Go to:

There are 925 identified and unidentified users. To see the list of identified users, Click here.

Forum map
Bestofmedia Forum ©
2000-2009 Bestofmedia Group
Page generated in 0.390 seconds
Please mind

You are about to answer a thread that has been inactive for more than 6 months.
If you still wish to proceed, please ensure that your posting is original and does not duplicate or overlap any prior responses to this thread.

Add a reply Cancel
Sponsored links
  • Ask the community now
  • Publish
Ad
Related Topics
See all relatives topics
They won a badge
Join us in greeting them
How do I win badges?