Can You UnVoid Your GPU Warranty?

[yutubemedia]

Im installing a Arctic cooling Accelero Plus GPU cooler on my Sapphire ATI 5870 card, I know once you do that it voids my warranty, but if something went wrong and I wanted to return it, Is it possible to just re connect the original plate to it and make it look like I never opened? Or will they 100% know for sure I opened it?

Thanks

 

[acer0169]

They'll know.

Normally on GPUs they have either a couple of stickers that rip and have the word "void" across them, or they have painted screws.

In my GTX 260s I've noticed they have the painted screws, which means when you take the card apart the paint (that was wet when teh card was put together) is now all chipped and often comes completely off if you take the card apart more than a couple of times.

There's few ways you can "unvoid" a GPU.. but after saying all this, it all depends on how strict the brand is. I've voided warranties before and had no issue sending it back as they just never checked and sent a replacement straight the way.

Best not to try and unvoid, you could do more damage painting screws or putting stickers all over it yourself

 

[yutubemedia]

They'll know.

Normally on GPUs they have either a couple of stickers that rip and have the word "void" across them, or they have painted screws.

In my GTX 260s I've noticed they have the painted screws, which means when you take the card apart the paint (that was wet when teh card was put together) is now all chipped and often comes completely off if you take the card apart more than a couple of times.

There's few ways you can "unvoid" a GPU.. but after saying all this, it all depends on how strict the brand is. I've voided warranties before and had no issue sending it back as they just never checked and sent a replacement straight the way.

Best not to try and unvoid, you could do more damage painting screws or putting stickers all over it yourself

hmm, well i would only be taking it off once, and there is no sticker on the outside, probably on the inside, but, if i were to re attached the screws, and send it to them, the only way they would know if paint is missing on the screws is if they unscrewed it, there by making it seem like they did it....? you know? But i have a feeling i could get away with unvoiding it if i hide it well...

 

[acer0169]

Not completely sure how the screen paint works.. it might change colour when broken over 24 hours or something so they can see the colour.. I dunno.

But yeah.. the sticker is hard to fake. Once it's broken you can't re-seal or anything like that.. just depends why you're sending it back I guess.

If you send it back because it's burnt out or something they will probably open it to see if you're using their cooler or a third-party one.. but if you send it back because of a firmware issue or something like that.. you might just get a replacement without any questions

 

[yutubemedia]

Not completely sure how the screen paint works.. it might change colour when broken over 24 hours or something so they can see the colour.. I dunno.

But yeah.. the sticker is hard to fake. Once it's broken you can't re-seal or anything like that.. just depends why you're sending it back I guess.

If you send it back because it's burnt out or something they will probably open it to see if you're using their cooler or a third-party one.. but if you send it back because of a firmware issue or something like that.. you might just get a replacement without any questions

okay, I see. Well, I have a feeling I can get away with it and RMA it if something goes wrong, i talked to someone who had a sapphire card, broke it by OC it to much with a 3rd vga cooler, and they replaced it asap

 

[jitpublisher]

hmm, well i would only be taking it off once, and there is no sticker on the outside, probably on the inside, but, if i were to re attached the screws, and send it to them, the only way they would know if paint is missing on the screws is if they unscrewed it, there by making it seem like they did it....? you know? But i have a feeling i could get away with unvoiding it if i hide it well...

You may think you can hide it, but people who make these can tell instantly. But, it is still up to someone in the RMA department to say yeah or nay to you getting a new card. All you can do is send it back, and try, not that I condone your dishonesty in any way shape or form. That is okay though, I believe what goes around comes around. So if you do get a new card out of this, I am sure someday somewhere down the line you are going to get screwed over double and you would be well deserving. If they say no, well that is a risk you take if you want to mess with it.

 

[rubix_1011]

I have sent back EVGA cards that had waterblocks on them. They replaced without question...even after I told them they had a waterblock. (failure wasn't due to WC leak...power surge killed the card and PSU).

 

[yutubemedia]

so you have the card and want to upgrade the cooler but might send it back if you do not like it or mess up the cooler upgrade.?

yes, But only if it breaks, not if i dont like it, only if something wrong with the gpu happens down the line

 

[yutubemedia]

I have sent back EVGA cards that had waterblocks on them. They replaced without question...even after I told them they had a waterblock. (failure wasn't due to WC leak...power surge killed the card and PSU).

thats different, EVGA says in their policy that they allow 3rd party cooler, same with XFX, sapphire does NOT

 

[rubix_1011]

thats different, EVGA says in their policy that they allow 3rd party cooler, same with XFX, sapphire does NOT

OC, cooler change, BIOS flash...this is why I buy EVGA and not any other brand. They are fine if you change of these things...they will still replace your card via RMA.

 

[rubix_1011]

As long as you register EVGA hardware when you get it, you can pretty much do about anything to them to break it...and they will replace it.

 

[yutubemedia]

thats different, EVGA says in their policy that they allow 3rd party cooler, same with XFX, sapphire does NOT

OC, cooler change, BIOS flash...this is why I buy EVGA and not any other brand. They are fine if you change of these things...they will still replace your card via RMA.

i know but i didnt know this at the time i bought my card, otherwise i woulda bought XFX 10 fold

 

[yutubemedia]

send your sapphire back and exchange for evga or xfx..

CANT, No return policy with newegg.com. ONce you order thats it. besides its already opened

 

[yutubemedia]

can you overclock it.?
now that you say it's a done deal once bought, just swap the cooler then..
just live with it do or die and save up for another card in the future..

Alright, I got it! Yaya, But now as i mentioned earlier it didnt come with any voltage regulator or RAM heat sinks, so heres a screen shot of it:

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/1567/rimg0070c.jpg
and
http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/2614/rimg0069w.jpg



So now Am I able to use the heat sticky pad things from the case in the first picture? Or like is it required? Because all I have is the massive gpu cooler,

 

[yutubemedia]

have to take a look in the morning US ESTime.

nevermind, I just ordered the actual kit, paid $30 for overnight shipping . so now i will just have to install that, you might see my 250 questions in the forum tomoroow about it.

I have literally spent all day disassembling this GPU 5870. It was at least for me harder than actually building a computer. That was not to bad my first time building a pc, but this was hard, so many questions and cautions, not many videos on it either, especially my particular card. So now comes the task 2 morrow of installing everything else. So....youll probably see a hundred questions in the forum tomorrow from me, LOL.

BUT thanks for your help, I know im a noob, but im learning!