MSI 290X Lightning help

[Ofan]

Hi guys, just looking for some advice really.

Recently put a 290x Lightning underwater. Foolishly and for the first time ever I didn't run the card with the cooler on first to make sure it was all ok, dunno why, just didn't.

When I took the cooler off the top of the die was pretty scratched. I'm not new to removing the coolers of cards and always do it painfully slowly and gently so I can guarantee it wasn't down to my efforts that the die surface was blemished.

Whilst a little alarming, they didn't look deep so I carried on fitting the block but I've never seen a die like it on a new card - to be honest that isn't the problem but I will include a picture just for the sake of it (I hope it resizes properly on my phone).

The main issue is the coil whine on this card, I have never known anything like it, it's ferocious! I have given it a few weeks to burn in and it shows no signs of lessening, it screeches in windows, is audible in games and benches and I can hear it from several feet away. I have had other 290x's and this is totally not usual for the card, not at this level anyway. It's making my teeth itch.

My question is: - What are my odds of getting it RMA'd seeing as how I have taken the cooler off and put it underwater and the die came with all those marks on it? Do folks think it's likely to be something they would knock it back on?

I can't be bothered tearing my loop down and sending it away just to have it sent back with a refusal, Id rather just buy a headset and run the card at 1.4v 24/7, hopefully killing it dead by the time the next gen AMD cards come out and I can replace it lol.

Thing is, it's a brilliant overclocker, gets me 14500 catzilla 1080p score, 48000p score on Vantage and 5600X score on 3d Mark 11, is there any chance that if I really load the card up with volts and give it right good sustained beasting that the whine could settle in? I have had whine that is not so bad go on other cards after a "burn in period" but so far this card has resisted.

 

[Excalabur50]

TBH I don't think your chances of refund are good as you have no way to prove you didn't make the scratches, and to me it looks like whomever you bought it off MAY? have sent you a refurbished card as new, strange a die being that scratched from the factory but stranger things have happened, as to the coil whine can you borrow another powersupply and see if it still does it as sometimes it can go with a different PSU.
Otherwise just put up with it till you buy a new card

 

[Ofan]

Thanks for the reply.

The card whines with an enermax 1250w 85+ revolution AND a corsair rm 1000. Both good power supplies. The screeching is the same on both of them.

I got it as brand new from Overclockers UK. I don't know how to tell a refurb card, but the wrapping all looked perfect, everything was sealed and fingerprint less.

I though it would be the die scratches that would scupper me, I damned if I do and damned if I don't - I would never have known about the scratching if I had not taken the cooler off, but by actually finding out about the damage I make it untenable lol.

The card goes like the blazes so there are no performance issues, I haven't even reached max overclock and it's nearly 20% faster than my other 290x cards. I just can't help but shake the feeling that despite its performance that I have been palmed off with a ringer

Guess it's time to invest in some good headphones lol, at least it stops the dog from pestering me, it seems to upset him and make him stay in a different room

 

[Ofan]

So, it turns out the mentalist coil whine stops totally when i disable audio over hdmi, is that a common thing? It might just be coincidental but I never heard coil whine on any other cards until I started running through hdmi. However that could just be constructive superstitious thinking/false assumption.

Hmmmmmmm, curious.

 

[NeverBackDown]

So, it turns out the mentalist coil whine stops totally when i disable audio over hdmi, is that a common thing? It might just be coincidental but I never heard coil whine on any other cards until I started running through hdmi. However that could just be constructive superstitious thinking/false assumption.

Hmmmmmmm, curious.

That shouldn't be happening.. I have never heard of that causing it before. Either way i'm sure something is faulty. I doubt it'll get worse though if you never use audio over HDMI in the future anymore

 

[Ofan]

Me either, this build has been nowt but trouble, ive got a power supply that went a board that seems to have permanent turbo llc on and a "brand new" gpu with a battered die that looks like like its been roughly introduced to a pot and that wails like a demented mouse when I run audio over throught it lol

Might rename the rig Nostradamus or Frankenstein or something lol

 

[NeverBackDown]

Me either, this build has been nowt but trouble, ive got a power supply that went a board that seems to have permanent turbo llc on and a "brand new" gpu with a battered die that looks like like its been roughly introduced to a pot and that wails like a demented mouse when I run audio over throught it lol

Might rename the rig Nostradamus or Frankenstein or something lol

If you bought all this then take it back and get a refund an just rebuy newer parts. I never trust RMAs because they tend to just send the card back. I'd rather get a whole new product to be safe.

 

[Ofan]

Cant afford new kit for a while, I had been saving for yonks, I don't trust RMA either and this is my rig whilst everything else (including other rigs) are in bits. Can't go without any rig at all man, id end up in a loony bin.

The board I can live with, just have to wrangle the voltages. The card, well, it just needs to live till I can get another, probably around the time the new amd cards are out,.

I fully agree with you that if I rma a lightning ill get something refurbished or ill get the lite edition (LE card) which would be a downgrade.

I'd rather just not run audio over hdmi and slap 1.4v through the card till it goes to silicon heaven

I wont get another full fat lightning at the price i paid for this one, certainly not from that retailer as i got one of the last 2 before they went and that was quite a while before xmas and im way past 14 days, 30 days, any amount of days tbh

This is the problem with buying parts as you save, you end up sitting on some for quite long periods