RMAing a GFX card from an SLi system...

[Legless]

I've seen a lot of people with problems when RMAing a gfx card back to a manufacturer that no longer makes the card, and was wondering what happens if you have an SLi system...

What happens if they've discontinued your gfx card, and send you a replacement of a similar specced card? Obviously it's not going to work in your SLi rig with the other card if their not the same specs...

Would they be willing to accept your 2nd (other) card, and replace both cards so that you can still run SLi, or is that upto you to sort that out?

I only ask, as i've not seen anyone post such replies with regards to RMAing a card from an SLi system for a discontinued gfx card range, and how they'd get around the mismatched pair of cards?...

 

[MeatLoaf]

It depends what you RMA, if you RMA'd an 8800 or 8600 then you'd get the same back

However if you were to RMA a 7800GT or any other older card you get a better card back. It would be up to you to sort yourself out then as i cant see them having both cards back for one faulty one.

On the bright side if you sent one a 7900GTX off you'd prolly get an 8800GTS back in return which would be quicker than the previous pair of 7900GTX's

 

[mrthingyx]

It depends what you RMA, if you RMA'd an 8800 or 8600 then you'd get the same back

However if you were to RMA a 7800GT or any other older card you get a better card back. It would be up to you to sort yourself out then as i cant see them having both cards back for one faulty one.

On the bright side if you sent one a 7900GTX off you'd prolly get an 8800GTS back in return which would be quicker than the previous pair of 7900GTX's

Not necessarily.

You have to remember a manufacturer is not obliged to send you anything unless they really don't have a defensible position - anything received is more of a good-will gesture than anything else i nsuch circumstances (mercifully, quite a few manufacturers subscribe to this). However, I've noticed a couple of people upset that manufacturers aren't sending them 8800-series cards when RMA-ing 78xx-series hardware... remember that the 8800-series probably costs a lot more to make than the 7xxx series, so if a manufacturer has any *** of the previous generation knocking about, it's what you're going to get. And - IMHO - that's pretty good going, regardless.

Remember, most warranties will stipulate like-for-like: a 7xxx series card has more in common (surprise surprise) with another 7xxx series card than it does a 8xxxx series card.

What does this have to do with SLi? I suppose it's a warning as much as anything else: there is no guarantee that a warranty-exchange card will be the same as the one in an existing SLi rig that did not break... but the manufacturers have no obligation to ensure that your SLi rig will work as it did prior to any breakages. As such, it is up to you to sort it out: after all, they have replaced the faulty graphics card, have they not?

However, if the system was purchased from an OEM as an SLi rig, you may have more wiggle room as the system was sold as an SLi rig and is no longer continuing to function thus as a result of no-fault hardware failure. Beyond that...

 

[ACESHIGH]

Would they be willing to accept your 2nd (other) card

Unless your 2nd card is also faulty, it wont be accepted as an RMA

or is that upto you to sort that out?

It is up to you to sort yourself out to run SLI or sell cards or whatever if SLI is no longer viable.


Infact even if you have 2 faulty cards there are many reasons why even if you RMA both you may not get 2 cards to SLI as replacements.

Imagine sending in 2x 7800GTX cards for RMA...

1) Manufacturer fixes one & returns it & other has to be replaced & ships back say a 8600GTS in its stead.

2) Manufacturer has to replace both 7800GT card but has 1x 7950GT from old stock & sends this card to you. The 2nd card also needing to be replaced is done so with an 8600GTS. Again you have no SLI.

 

[LoadsaMoney]

One of the drawbacks of SLi, the manufacturer only has to send equal or better performing, so if you return say an old 7800 and they don't have any left, then they will send you either a newer card thats around the same performance, or if they can't, a better one, you can kiss goodbye to your Sli im afraid if they can't supply another card thats the same as the one your sending back, and if its an old card thats been out of production for a long time then its highly unlikely they can anyway.

 

[simonnance]

i guess thats one advantage of crossfire... it works on two inequivilant cards.

 

[MystaEB]

Since when?

 

[jaykay]

They made the second card now a physics card if in crossfire. So you can have a faster card for the graphics and anb alright card for physics.

 

[LoadsaMoney]

Yeah, its just a shame theres absolutely nothing using the HAVOK physics yet, so your 2nd card will just be sitting there with its fan spinning.