I'm afraid my 6970 may actually be dying :(

[sfelock]

So here's how the story goes:

Today, while doing some light weight gaing, the fan on 1 of my 2 6970 cards ramped up. I have Sapphire TRIXX software installed to help the cards mitigate the higher temps while serious gaming. I thought it sounded as though it ramped up a bit high. So I swiftly exited the game and noticed the fan never ramped down to normal speed. However the second card ramped down just fine. I thought it was a glitch in the system to I rebooted but it immediately ramped up to 100%. I opened my AMD suite and noticed, while it was in fact recognized, it was marked as disabled with no way to enable it. So I took to more intensive measures. I shut down and opened the system up. I swapped cards in the PCIE lanes to see if it was the lane or the card. Upon boot I found the same issue. So I repeated my tests, this time removing one of the cards. Booted with the same result. I then repeated the process only moving the card to my other PCIE lane, same result. One last time I repeated the process, this time switching cards and placing it in the original lane, success, this card didn't ramp up. Just to be sure, I tried it in the other PCIE lane with the same results, iot was in fact the card and not the motherboard. I began searching online for answers but none of them seemed to point to why my card would be ramping up like it is, and why it would be showing as disabled in the software suite. I have checked that my drivers are up to date, as is my software suite. I have tried both the stable version and the beta version, both with the same results.

Now just to clarify, I have also tried using different (and NO) software to control the fan speed within the card, I have pretty much exhausted any means of testing these cards available to me. Also, at no time during this rather odd event did I ever lose graphic display, the card in question was hooked as my primary card that was feeding my displays.

EDIT: Oh yea, the card in question is an XFX Radeon HD 6970, I have just submitted a support ticket with them, as the cards carry a *lifetime* warranty, given that XFX doesn't feel the *life* of my card is over.

 

[Kushiro]

Have you tried stripping and cleaning the card as of late?

What about temps? Have you tried running a benchmark with HWinfo or similar running the background? If you have then do the VRM, GPU etc look ok?

 

[sfelock]

Have you tried stripping and cleaning the card as of late?

What about temps? Have you tried running a benchmark with HWinfo or similar running the background? If you have then do the VRM, GPU etc look ok?

The cards were actually both stripped and cleaned as of late November when I transplanted them into the compo rig. As far as the monitoring goes, most of it is not even being detected within AIDA64. Even Sapphire TRIXX and MSI Afterburner aren't showing anything.

It's a very baffling issue.

 

[Kushiro]

Did you make sure to use the correct thickness thermal pads? The fan cable insterted properly?

Since your not getting any artifacts/crashing there is hope that it is not the card itself dying.

 

[sfelock]

Did you make sure to use the correct thickness thermal pads? The fan cable insterted properly?

Check, check, and check.


It's run fine for the last 2 months, actually getting quite a bit of use over that time due to some changes in my work schedule.

 

[sfelock]

In fact, over the past 2 months, thermals have been on point.

 

[Kushiro]

I see. The other thing is. Have you oiled the fans at all? Though I guess it would be a better idea to get in touch with XFX before doing so. I'm thinking if the software side is clear then the fan might just be dying or something.

 

[sfelock]

Haven't done anything to that extent. I have however made contact with xfx support. Was just seeing if anyone had a possible answer in the meantime. Praying the *lifetime* of my card has not been exceeded.

 

[AlienALX]

Haven't done anything to that extent. I have however made contact with xfx support. Was just seeing if anyone had a possible answer in the meantime. Praying the *lifetime* of my card has not been exceeded.

In their eyes the lifetime is how long they still make and sell it, so about five minutes (see also PNY).

But good luck dude

 

[sfelock]

In their eyes the lifetime is how long they still make and sell it, so about five minutes (see also PNY).

But good luck dude

Yea, I've all but written the card off. As troubling as it is, since it still technically "works". But the severe fan ramping has me weary so I've pulled it indefinitely so it doesn't take any other hardware down with it.

 

[Thelosouvlakia]

I think that XFX honors their lifetime warranty (after the card isn't in production) with refurbished B-grade units, which actually isn't that bad, I remember one guy getting a refurbised 6790 that was a great overclocker, so yeah

 

[AlienALX]

I think that XFX honors their lifetime warranty (after the card isn't in production) with refurbished B-grade units, which actually isn't that bad, I remember one guy getting a refurbised 6790 that was a great overclocker, so yeah

So they tray bake all of their returns, them ship them out to customers. At least they have older stock.

^That is true BTW. There used to be some guy running a website called Videocardshop.co.uk and the only product he sold was either new XFX or baked XFX. I bought a GTX 280 and it lasted about four months.

 

[Thelosouvlakia]

So they tray bake all of their returns, them ship them out to customers. At least they have older stock.

^That is true BTW. There used to be some guy running a website called Videocardshop.co.uk and the only product he sold was either new XFX or baked XFX. I bought a GTX 280 and it lasted about four months.

They don't actually bake the cards Reballing most probably!! But yeah might be worth it

 

[AlienALX]

They don't actually bake the cards Reballing most probably!! But yeah might be worth it

They do bake the cards.



^ that is a "reflowing" oven. It's basically a convection oven used to reflow broken solder contacts. When a GPU dies it is usually down to the solder. A few years ago we switched from lead based solder to ROHS solder which is lead free and made up of tin. Tin is brittle, solder on the GPU balls fails. They then bake the card in a reflowing oven and use it as a replacement.

http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews245099.html

Read that and most notably -

Absolutely chronic & useless company orderd a xfx hd 6970 for £266.00 i got it opened it some second hand old dirty 6970 in a brand new box

I too ordered a GTX 280 from the same company and I too received a card that had been reflowed.

The company in question only stocked XFX products and unless they were new they were baked.

 

[sfelock]

Ah, good info gents! I am however a bit afraid that since I pulled the card apart, to paint the I/O plate, and subsequently change the main thermal paste which was rather dry and crusty, that they may nullify my warranty, even though they state on the warranty page, you may wish to use aftermarket coolers so long as it is return with the stock cooler in place.

My fear is they will blame me for the "damage" they find despite the fact that it's run at par for 2 months with not even the slightest aspect of thermal issue on any parameter.

 

[Kushiro]

Painting the I/O plate is a bit of an inconvenience. Though I've found that XFX warranty support is generally a bit more lenient and are willing to overlook some minor things (whether they do that with the replacement you are shipped is a different story )

 

[sfelock]

well gents, to whomever has followed this thread, or cares.

After a bout of back and forth with XFX, mostly questions trying to figure out if I really had tried everything, XFX requested my card be sent for inspection and testing. Today, I received an email from XFX. They had my card less than a day and ordered a replacement be shipped. So Yes, they overlooked my minor mods and rendered the card dead and sent replacement. Now, I haven't any details about the new card other than it is an r7 370. It appears to be 4gb based on the model number they included in the shipping invoice, but I am not certain.

New problem, I now have a 6970 and r7 370, neither of which will work with the other in crossfire...bom bom bom.....and no budget to buy another 370 at this time. So anyone with any performance comparisons on the 370 please feel free to drop your knowledge, as I am clueless on the new AMD cards.

 

[jimma47]

Ah that's a shame. Can't help you with any information but if you were set on Xfire then you could see what's on offer (either 6970 or 370) and depending on which one you go for either sell the old card or the new replacement to fund it.

May not be much market for 6970s atm tho.

 

[sfelock]

Ah that's a shame. Can't help you with any information but if you were set on Xfire then you could see what's on offer (either 6970 or 370) and depending on which one you go for either sell the old card or the new replacement to fund it.

May not be much market for 6970s atm tho.

Yea, there really isn't. My only option would be to purchase another 370. It would be kind of silly to go with an older card over a new card. A little googling reveals the 370 is better, not by much but enough.

 

[barnsley]

I think you could crossfire it with a 270x 4GB. That said the 370 might be based on the 285X.