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Testing a graphics card

wingnuttzz

wingnuttzz

wingnuttzz

Associate
Joined
17 Dec 2007
Posts
652
Location
Edinburgh
Hi, i got myself a GTX280 that was said to have been removed from a watercooling loop and thus there was no cooler supplied with it.

So before i go and spend a stupid ammount of money on a new waterblock i obiviously want to the this card first.

Can i just install it in the computer and boot into the BIOS with it?? Surely that would hint at if it was working for not?

Or putting it in a second card and try using it for physX.

Or is it just going to get way to hot and destroy it.

Thanks, Grant
 
i would personally be happy with booting into bios/POSTing with it but turning it off the second i saw anything - like expected but more than 15 seconds id be uneasy.

You would be able to see if it had any obvious errors like the parallel lines or chequerboard caused by faulty memory.

But this is still a risk.
 
wingnuttzz said:
Or is it just going to get way to hot and destroy it.
Click to expand...

+1 - Make sure you record it :D

In all seriousness though you should be ok to plug it in and see if you get a signal from the monitor then turn it off.

Wouldn't class that as much of a test though as its not putting the card under any stress (bar heat of course)
 
doubt there will be much too see if i record it, lol.
Will give it a go after my lectures today, don't think i have much too close!
 
i wouldnt put power to a card that has no heatsink attached, and im presuming it wasnt cheap, can you not get a cheap after market cooler for it?
 
it was £60 quid, lol. I want to add it to my watercooling loop, but a new ek block is £80. Someone is selling a aquacomputer block for £40 and there are 2 ek blocks on a well known auction site.
But, its a lot of hassle and money to plum in another block into my watercooling loop to discover the card it dead.

Another problem i think i've found is obiviously because the card came with no cooler, it has no screws with it, and i gather the waterblocks come with all the screws needed bar the 4 that go round the GPU core :(
 
a GTX280 for 60 notes! Blimey!

Blocks should come with all the bits needed. I know EK blocks include everything as ive been through a ton of their stuff but not sure about aqua computer, only used their jazzy reservoirs.

If the card is duff then please send it to me so I can make a coaster out of it! :D
 
Surely when you power a card up such as this, it runs at full speed untill you get to the desktop where it throttles down.

I wouldn't even power it up without cooling.
 
mmm, this is annoying

I was told by the seller of the aquacomputer block that i needed the 4 screws for the GPU... Don't know about EK, but my EK motherboard and CPU blocks came with everything I needed for installation.

Don't know if i'm just going to have to risk buying the waterblock

Or is there anyone in the Edinburgh area with a cooler i can try ;) :P
 
Any pictures of these screws? Do you know what they look like?

There is a shop in weston called Nuts and Bolts, all they specialize in are just that, you got something similar near you?
 
I imagine there is something similar

I think they are M2 bolts, and i'm guessing the screws from my 9800gtx will the same so can just compare.

Going to just get a waterblock and take it from there.

If the card if knackered, will just have to buy another one ;)
 
Ha ha, i looked at that card as ive got a waterblock for it, thought it'd be a good cheap card but i bought a working one, i went and seen it working in game before i parted with my hard earned cash, didnt want to lose £60 over it!

If you're watercooling and want a 280 then you've got nothing to lose buying a waterblock.
 
i know, this 280 had better work, lol.

set-up is pretty "cool" now to be honest

S7300628.jpg


replaced the old panasonic hi-fi with a proper amp and speakers now :D
 
looks well nice man! i think im gna w/c my mobo. for the pure fact that a 3 fan rad and a 2 fan rad are only cooling the cpu! oh, and i replaced the logitech z-5500! got a yamaha amp, 5 sony speakers (2 front towers, center, and 2 bookshelf speakers for the rear and an active sub) :P you gonna try and push ur cpu further? sure u can do it! ive got 4.2 with only the cpu cooled.
 
tmaxxthomson said:
looks well nice man! i think im gna w/c my mobo. for the pure fact that a 3 fan rad and a 2 fan rad are only cooling the cpu! oh, and i replaced the logitech z-5500! got a yamaha amp, 5 sony speakers (2 front towers, center, and 2 bookshelf speakers for the rear and an active sub) :P you gonna try and push ur cpu further? sure u can do it! ive got 4.2 with only the cpu cooled.
Click to expand...

You've got to much money for not having a job :p

I can't push the CPU any further, bear in mind that my CPU if from one of the first batchs of the i7 CPU's and thus only a C0 stepping. And u've cheated using a 21x multiplier, i've got that 4ghz ovreclock on the the 20x multipler.
 
haha!! i get £350 a month for bein a student xD and yeah! i used the 21x why not? :P hardly cheating. haha. u got HT on? i think ill have to have stab at overclocking to 4.4ghz xD but focusing on the graphics atm! will defo have to sort out the cooling on the mobo lyk.
 
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