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BFG RMA question

Baking a graphics card! There's hope!

I would like to post my experience, after following this thread.

I currently own an 8800 GTS OC2. Artefacts appeared all over the screen, red dots, garbled display at POST, non-booting into Windows. The card still powered up, but I could not get a display on the screen.

17th July - Contacted BFG RMA, via their web contact form. Did not get a response for nearly a week.

22rd July - Instead I decided to phone their US number (I which I was apprehensive about) but after 10 mins so, I was given an RMA number, after providing a proof of purchase.

23rd July - I was then sent this email:

Your proof of purchase has been entered. Your RMA has been setup, so at this time we would ask you to please hold on to your product. Once we have a product available, one will ship to you with a prepaid label to return the defective unit.

Your replacement will be the same model and the time frame is 10-30 business days.

Since then I was waiting and waiting. In fact at one point, I phoned two or three times, and was told the same thing, by the same grumpy, "couldn't care less" tech guy. 10 - 30 business days.

For nearly a month, I had to make do with a PCI nVidia Vanta card just to do the tasks I needed to do on my PC. On a Windows 7 machine, this was like hell. :mad:


16th August - The nail in the coffin:

This email has been sent to inform you that BFG RMA number xxxxxxxx, originally created on Jul 22nd 2010, has been cancelled.

BFG Technologies, Inc. is winding down and liquidating its business. Unfortunately our
major supplier would not support our business. As a result we are cancelling your RMA
without being able to repair your product. We apologize for the inconvenience.

If you have already sent your product it, it will be returned to you.

------------------------------------------------------

However -- on the same day that I recieved this email, I came across this:

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1421792 - Holy crap! Dead video card resurrected!

A process of resurrecting a dead video card by "baking" it in the oven.

Given the sudden absence of warranty for my 8800 GTS, I had no fear.

I removed everything - heatsink, plastic shroud from the card.

With the GPU core face down, and the card propped up by aluminium foil, I placed the card into a baking tray and placed it in the oven. After 10 minutes on Gas Mark 6, I removed the card and fitted everything back.

The result: I have a working video card again, no hiccups, no temp issues, nothing.

I was completely shocked, although the principle behind it makes sense.

--------------------------------------
If any of you have moderate issues with your graphics card (red dots, artefacts) this may be worth a try. With no warranty, there's nothing to lose!!!
 
I had the same mail, but my story is a little more unfortunate. I did my 1st RMA at the start of July and did get a replacement card from BFG.

I orginally had a BFG 8800GT which like yours had colour artefacts over the screen, I sent it off and they sent me back a 9800GT replacement.

The 9800GT never worked, just a blank screen, contacted them and they set up a new RMA for me but I never got another replacement, just a couple of phone conversations with the dumb ass you got and then the dreaded mail to say its all over.

Last night I tried the baking trick as a last resort but the card is still dead.

The point is that if I had of baked the 1st card it may have solved the issues, from reading it seems to sort out the artefact issue, now I will never know, time to start saving for an upgrade.
 
lol baking the card!

After my RMA has been cancelled I got an email from BFGtech support suggesting I try installing an older driver version that I could remember the card working with.

Right...except it was working fine with the latest drivers anyway and all the dots and things appear during boot up before windows has loaded.

Anyway, off to bay to see if I can get a fiver for it rather than just chucking out or cluttering the place.
 
I would like to post an update to my previous "recipe" ;)

My 8800 GTS OC that I baked has died again, this time for good it seems. I have tried to gently underclock the card, but to no avail, red dots all over the place. I tried re-baking two or three times in between, but that only lasts for a few days.

For those who have got their cards working -- well done, but this seems to be a TEMPORARY fix.

GeForce 5600 AGP - broken (same red dot symptoms)
GeForce 6800 GT AGP - working but can't use (PCI-E mobo now)
GeForce 8800 GTS - broken

No more nVidia cards for me. Saving up for a Radeon HD 5870 now, along with a GPU watercooling kit. :rolleyes:

Back to using a PCI nVidia Vanta card as a stand-in.:mad:

Good luck peeps...
 
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Funnily enough, since then I have got the 8800 GTS working again.

I underclocked the card using NiBiTor, flashed the speeds to the BIOS, and voila! It actually runs cooler, and better - but it was probably all for nothing as I've just installed a AMD Radeon HD5870 in the last couple of days. :D

Although it is an XFX, who also have a dodgy warranty too! But at £285, I'm not complaining....
 
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