Is my 4870X2 dying? ADVICE NEEDED

[wunkley]

Lo

I've started an RMA process with overclockers for my 4870X2 which I bought from here about 18 months ago, but before I send it back I want to gauge a few opinions. I don't want to go through all the hassle and cost of returning a card to be told 'it's not faulty' and then just be annoyed and have a mare.

(It's a powercolor card by the way, and apparently their UK warranty is non existant hence I'm going through ocuk for a possible replacement which they seem fine with.)

Anyway, problems are: Various graphical artifacts/ corruption on SOME 3D games and benchmarks. No corruption on desktop or anything else (yet).

Symptoms include:

1. Tiny green pixels/ dots that quickly flash around in some games eg. observed in GTA 4, Lock on Flaming CLiffs 2, Mass Effect 2, 3Dmark Vantage
2. Somtimes bigger green 'blobs' that flicker more slowly. There will be less of these and are usually more 'fixed' in place. Most observed in Lock On FC2.
3. Somtimes bigger red/ purpleish blobs appear. These seem most apparent in loading screens for games eg GTA4.
4. Sometimes texture corruption eg small 'squares' of missing texture/ white eg in Assassins Creed or flashing texture areas eg 3Dmark Vantage
5. Sometimes polygon/ texture weirdness - eg like weird lines coming off a tree (long thin triangle shapes) eg in Crysis Warhead. I used to see this effect years ago on my Nvidia 6800 when I overclocked it too far.


Things I've done/ tried:
1. I've tried catalayst 9.12 up to the latest 10.3 officials and a few of the latest betas. I've tried using normal ATI uninstaller, and tried driver sweeper and ccleaner, and even reverted my system via restore to about 5 weeks ago when I'm sure these issues were'nt happening.
2. Took the card out, cleaned and reseated
3. Made sure temps are all good. Case is well vented antec 900 and I use rivatuner auto fan settings for card fan control. Never gets above 76c when gaming and idles at about 50c.
4. Card is not overclocked at all. Never have and never felt the need with the 4870x2. I've tried underclocking the card and symptoms still there, though perhaps slightly less.

From research I've done it sounds like a memory chip or one of the cores might be starting to die?

Anyone have any advice/ experience of these symptoms with ATI cards (partic 4870x2?)

What's bothering me most is, problems only seem to be in SOME 3D GAMES/ BENCHMARKS.

NOTE: nothing has changed with my set up and the symptoms have been noticed for a few weeks only. Card has been fine and dandy up to now.

My other PC specs by the way are:

Win 7 64
Asus p5q pro MB
q9550 oc'd to 3.7ghz
4GB ocz ram
Power supply - Antec truepower trio 650w

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Sounds faulty to me. I would definitely RMA it.

 

[Razor Time]

Get it RMA'd asap.

 

[wunkley]

Cheers guys. I do plan on RMA'ing it tomorrow, but I just wanted to ask some opinions before I do.

Does anyone have any experience of what sort of replacement cards you get when RMA'ing to ocuk? The 4870x2 is now discontinued, so what am I likey to get as a replacement?

5970x2
5870?
Nividia equivalent?

Do OCUK go off current 'market value' or what the card was worth when you bought it? I bought the 4870x2 when it first came out for about £390, and at the time it was the fastest card going.

Looking at current benchmarks I certainly would't be happy with anything less than a 5870 (and the 4870x2 still beats that in some games).

 

[arc@css]

I expect you will get a 5870. (Don't know this for certain).

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Cheers guys. I do plan on RMA'ing it tomorrow, but I just wanted to ask some opinions before I do.

Does anyone have any experience of what sort of replacement cards you get when RMA'ing to ocuk? The 4870x2 is now discontinued, so what am I likey to get as a replacement?

5970x2
5870?
Nividia equivalent?

Do OCUK go off current 'market value' or what the card was worth when you bought it? I bought the 4870x2 when it first came out for about £390, and at the time it was the fastest card going.

Looking at current benchmarks I certainly would't be happy with anything less than a 5870 (and the 4870x2 still beats that in some games).

It should be an equivalent card. Most people I have seen on here who RMA'd through OcUK got some good replacements (cant remember exactly). It won't be a 5970, but a 5870 is likely. It wont be Nvidia either. I suspect there are people around here who could tell you what they got - or try searching through the 4870X2 RMA threads.

 

[wunkley]

It should be an equivalent card. Most people I have seen on here who RMA'd through OcUK got some good replacements (cant remember exactly). It won't be a 5970, but a 5870 is likely. It wont be Nvidia either. I suspect there are people around here who could tell you what they got - or try searching through the 4870X2 RMA threads.

I think I would be happy with a 5870. Thing is I was still really happy with the 4870x2. I wasn't even contemplating upgrading for another year yet, which is weird for me. Prior to this I've changed cards about every 12 months.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

I think I would be happy with a 5870. Thing is I was still really happy with the 4870x2. I wasn't even contemplating upgrading for another year yet, which is weird for me. Prior to this I've changed cards about every 12 months.

The 5870 is far better than the 4870X2. You will have DX11, a cooler, quieter and generally more efficient card. Imo it would be a very good upgrade for you.

 

[Phoenixdancer]

thats if they replace it with it.

Dont forget the 4870x2 is only worth £150ish now and OCUK know this.

This will most likely offer you a replacement card of the same current value... that is a 5770... meh you may be lucky

 

[wunkley]

thats if they replace it with it.

Dont forget the 4870x2 is only worth £150ish now and OCUK know this.

This will most likely offer you a replacement card of the same current value... that is a 5770... meh you may be lucky

That's what I'm worried about. Does anyone on here have info on ocuk policy? Surely they have to replace with a card of equivalent performance not depreciated 'market value' (and it's essentially 2 cards ie crossfire). If they try and fob me off with a single 5770, that's not going to wash, trust me.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

That's what I'm worried about. Does anyone on here have info on ocuk policy? Surely they have to replace with a card of equivalent performance not depreciated 'market value' (and it's essentially 2 cards ie crossfire). If they try and fob me off with a single 5770, that's not going to wash, trust me.

Still better than what you will get if you wait and the 4870X2 completely breaks.

 

[Phoenixdancer]

That's what I'm worried about. Does anyone on here have info on ocuk policy? Surely they have to replace with a card of equivalent performance not depreciated 'market value' (and it's essentially 2 cards ie crossfire). If they try and fob me off with a single 5770, that's not going to wash, trust me.

OCUK is a company, they cont care about a cards performance.. its all about market cost.

they did it with me and so did Sc*n...

You have had 18 months use of it and ocuk see it as money and will offer something for that current value.

if your very lucky they may replace with a 5850 :/

 

[wunkley]

Hmmm. I sent a webnote earlier asking (amongst a few other things) "what card might I get as a replacement, given that the 4870x2 is discontinued?"

Don't know if they selectively chose to ignore that particular question, but they did.

What's the consensus then? Should I RMA it or not? I'm going to be mightily ferked off if:

a) they find nothing wrong themselves, I'll then be £shipping x2 + £10 fee + vat out of pocket, and still have a card that doesn't work properly in many games

b) they do find the card at fault but offer me something woefully inadequate as a replacement.

I can't take the stress man

 

[wunkley]

In case anyone is interested - I RMA'd the card last week and OCUK tested it and found it faulty.

So, they've now sent it off to Powercolor to be 'repaired or replaced'.

I was hoping OCUK would just replace it, now Powercolor are involved it will take 'up to 28 working days' apparently, and god knows what the outcome is going to be.

Do I really want them to 'repair' it. Can you repair a knackered graphics card? I'm now worried.

Ideally I'd like a 5870 as a direct replacement. Anyone any experience of Powercolor RMA?

 

[ard-tullaich]

I had the same problem with a 4870x2 they will not offer you a 5870 not a cat in hells chance the best they could offer me was 2 cheap 5570's and mine was only 8 month old or a partial cash refund. Didn't even offer me a 5850. I tried everthing they wern't budgig bought the 4870x2 on thier advise for my config at that time.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Yes, I have noticed more and more that retailers are sending them back to the GPU providers.

I doubt they will "repair it" - it is an unlikely outcome, but OcUK have to tell you that to cover themselves.

I still doubt you will get a 5870, but am interested what the outcome will be.

 

[wunkley]

I had the same problem with a 4870x2 they will not offer you a 5870 not a cat in hells chance the best they could offer me was 2 cheap 5570's and mine was only 8 month old or a partial cash refund. Didn't even offer me a 5850. I tried everthing they wern't budgig bought the 4870x2 on thier advise for my config at that time.

Hi Mate

1. Was this with Powercolor or with ocuk themselves?
2. How much was the partial cash refund?
3. When was this?

 

[ard-tullaich]

Hi Mate

1. Was this with Powercolor or with ocuk themselves?
2. How much was the partial cash refund?
3. When was this?

Hi there it is a gainward. Never asked about the refund i wasn't wanting refund. The quote was about 4 weeks ago. Luckily i fixed it myself . It was the screws on the display port had worked there way loose and the dvi cable was pushed home right got no idea how it happened . I was on the phone for an hour trying to get a better deal than they were offering talked to managers as well still no joy. Havn't had much luck with overclockers when i bought my pc from them last year A powers supply i ordered was not fitted .I had paid for the corsair 950 and they sent me a 650w when i offered to return the power supply they wanted the hole pc back . So in the end i just took a refund Because they said it would be a 2 week turn around.

 

[wunkley]

Hmm. I'm bracing myself for a long wait and several 'arguements' to be honest. From what I've heard Powercolor aren't the best when it comes to customer services.

As such I've bought myself an nvidia GT240 for £60 to tide me over, as I'm desktop PCless at the moment. Will be interesting to use nvidia for a while, (been ati for 2 yrs now).

My rationale for getting the GT240 is to use as a dedicated physx card once I get my main ati back/ new one/ whatever. Just found out that Mafia 2 will use physx.

 

[harryohh]

From some threads I've seen they won't offer you anything near the standard of the 4870 X2.

Good choice with the GTS 240.At least it'll be of some use when/if you get a 4870x2 like replacement.