My god what have i done to my gtx 780 ti?! Help

[Boonstick]

No obviously that would be nuts! Maybe it would be a nice video for RKJ to do, just hearing a straight up OC3D opinion on the matter of prepping, applying TIM, tinting and testing would be good. A lot of cards going under-water at the moment are going to be a Titan descendant though (780, 780Ti, BE)? Nearly everything is common sense and if you have any paying close attention to somebody else doing it right in the first place is always good.

JR

There already is one. XSPC water block on a Titan. I watched it when first installing my waterblock...

No need to make another one as, like tom says, it's all common sense really and that video covers all that you'll need

 

[Remmy]

Quote from a GPU vendor "Even if you damaged the card yourself, RMA it, if it is deemed the issue was caused by yourself, we will let you and offer you a chargeable repair".

It is not committing fraud by sending it back, don't be ridiculous. It does not anywhere explicitly state that for an RMA the goods must not be broken by the consumer but instead must be faulty of their own accord.

If a GPU vendor doesn't want to fix it, they won't. I was told the amount of RMA'd cards due to user error are quite small and as such they will sometimes just overlook the less serious issues.

Just for reference, I also spoke to Asus about this, now I usually don't get on with their RMA process but they replaced a broken Titan without question even knowing I had modded the BIOS.

I don't post here often but I don't really think much of the threatening tone you take.

TL;DR Even if OP knows he did the damage, sending a card back for RMA is not fraud - GPU vendors offer repair services within the RMA procedure.

I think he meant it's illegal if you lie to them about how it happened, which would be fraud.

 

[Seb.F]

That is understandable, but merely sending the card off is not.

 

[SuB]

Quote from a GPU vendor "Even if you damaged the card yourself, RMA it, if it is deemed the issue was caused by yourself, we will let you and offer you a chargeable repair".

It is not committing fraud by sending it back, don't be ridiculous. It does not anywhere explicitly state that for an RMA the goods must not be broken by the consumer but instead must be faulty of their own accord.

If a GPU vendor doesn't want to fix it, they won't. I was told the amount of RMA'd cards due to user error are quite small and as such they will sometimes just overlook the less serious issues.

Just for reference, I also spoke to Asus about this, now I usually don't get on with their RMA process but they replaced a broken Titan without question even knowing I had modded the BIOS.

I don't post here often but I don't really think much of the threatening tone you take.

TL;DR Even if OP knows he did the damage, sending a card back for RMA is not fraud - GPU vendors offer repair services within the RMA procedure.

It was suggested he do it by deliberately misleading the manufacturer, which is fraud. Sending it back and holding your hands up to what you've done is another story, but that is clearly not what was being suggested.

As a forum admin it sometimes requires a strong tone to get across that illegal activities on a company's forum, are not condoned.

 

[TheMadHatta]

It was suggested he do it by deliberately misleading the manufacturer, which is fraud. Sending it back and holding your hands up to what you've done is another story, but that is clearly not what was being suggested.

As a forum admin it sometimes requires a strong tone to get across that illegal activities on a company's forum, are not condoned.

Yeah I've been told to do similar thing like slapping stuff back together in the hope the company won't notice, but I don't think that's right. Last time I had an issue like this I called up EVGA and Asus, explained the situation to both parties asking what they suggest I do, which was to RMA. And that didn't even help cuz just my luck... basically DOA, which was why I sent that old mobo and GPU out for repairs in the first place but that's a different story lol

I was thinking about contacting EVGA 'till I read on their site regarding their warranties,

"There must be no physical damage to any component including the PCB, GPU/chipset, CPU Socket, or damage that is caused by:
inadequate or improper repairs carried out by any person or entity which is not authorized by the manufacturer to perform warranty services on its behalf;
negligence, accidents, modifications, defective installation or misuse and use of inappropriate spare parts;
fire, immersion in liquid, lightning, earthquake, inadequate ventilation, Acts of God, incorrect application of main voltage howsoever arising, or any other cause beyond the control of EVGA"

I found that act of god bit hilarious, I couldn't stop laughing when I first read it. But I figured I'd call up NZXT and see what they say and then call up EVGA. I really feel the lack of info and support out their regarding my whole experience is quite unfair. God awful manual, same goes for their kraken x40 manual. I don't even think they have a PDF manual for the g10 available, just like half the cases I'd like to own of their lol.

The installation videos out there don't really cover anything regarding TIM, heck I had to dig to find out I might wanna use something other than AS5 and it took 'till this thread to find out tinting is important for a GPU, heck there's only even one thread if u search google regarding the screws being to short for a lot of cards, and one that has a solution. I was thinking of removing the rubber washers on the screws but if it wasn't for jinkster mentioning on that thread here on oc3d to remove the same washers off the spacers, there would be no way I could fit the g10. I was originally trying with a corsair cooler and without removing those spacers, at least on the 780 ti without the ACX plate, it wouldn't be doable without putting bend on the PCB.

Hopefully when they release a backplate for the 780 ti that will help those that want a sturdier mount. You could easily just ditch the spacers and or foam on the NZXT back plate or possibly ditch the whole NZXT back plate with the right screws of course I think that would take you out of the support circle for NZXT not that there really is one though

I've been handling closed loop CPU cooling set ups for ages without ever having a single issue with various CPUs but thanks to the sheer amount of differences between cards and their variants and lack of info for mounting on them with the g10 this feels like straight uncharted territory. And by differences I'm talking options for mounting and proper cooling not just reference cards with possible hit or miss heatsinks on the VRAM and or VRM if someone did or did not know what they were doing.

I'm not trying to make an excuse or reason for why I botched my job but I can't help feel like we could use a bit more support regarding the g10, running it with all the compatible coolers, and trying them on the most common VGAs people will probably encounter issues with and will have no issue with when it comes to the installation.

Just for reference heres the thread I mentioned, http://forum.overclock3d.net/showthread.php?t=60054

 

[SparkleDJackson]

What the deuce is tinting

 

[TheMadHatta]

What the deuce is tinting

U tolling me? *kappa*

It's basically pre applying your TIM to both contact points so that you get the TIM to I guess you could say soak into the micro valleys or what have you on the heatsink and processor to lessen the break in period, there's a mini guide for it in AS5s manual on their site, I've read it's a must for any TIM for GPUs, originally I only considered it when applying the as5 I've been using for years now on CPUs lemme grab you a link or quote in the form of an edit to this post

Sorry for the lack of punctuation guys I'm gonna be ranty today thanks to sleep deprivation due to poor timing on my part and construction being done at my place...

"Tinting the Heatsink and Metal cap:
Why tint the heatsink and metal cap? Simply put, it will lessen the break-in period. If the break-in period is reduced you will achieve maximum performance in less time (To learn more about the break-in period for your Arctic Silver's product please see page 6).
Here is the list of things you will need to tint your heatsink and metal cap:
Your new thermal compound
 An old credit card or a piece of hard
plastic with a straight edge
 Coffee filter or lens cleaning cloth."
"Determine what area on the base of the heatsink will contact the CPU cores once the heatsink is mounted.
Squeeze enough thermal compound onto the center of this area to create a small mound. By working the plastic tool (old credit card) back and forth in all directions (See green symbol in photo HS1) you will smooth out the compound and work it into heatsink. This will ensure optimum filling of the microscopic valleys in the metal where the CPU cores will contact the heatsink.
DO NOT smooth or apply the compound with your bare finger, you will contaminate the surface (skin cells, and body oil again). After you have thoroughly worked the thermal compound into the surface of the heatsink, remove the excess compound by wiping it away with a coffee filter or a LINT FREE cloth. DO NOT use any solvent or fluid to clean the surface or you will reverse what you just accomplished. Notice that the base of the heatsink is slightly discolored even after the entire compound would seem to have been removed. The discoloring you see is the thermal compound inside the microscopic valleys of the heatsink. Now tint the surface of the metal cap the same way."

Source: http://www.arcticsilver.com/pdf/appmeth/int/vl/intel_app_method_vertical_line_v1.1.pdf

 

[Mysterae]

Edited to correct my understanding - it's applied then wiped off, not completely cleaned off. I get it, but don't do it.

 

[TheMadHatta]

Wy not it helps with arctic silver on my CPUs I love it and I've met ppl that swear by it, I've actually read u need to tint the GPUs regardless of the TIM because of how quickly it heats up or needs to set in? I can't quite remember the exact reason but others have told me to tint GPUs as well, why would you recommend against doing so?

I use those hard plastic trading card covers since I can use a fresh one every time so its perfectly clean then basically disposable like the cloths I use then just lint free cloth the surfaces well so there's nothing left over...


Also I read something about using a tooth burns very gently with alcohol or arctic lean to clean the resistors or what have you surrounding the GPU to get rid of excess left over TIM, does this sound like a terrible idea? The only other method I've found to clean those things is a tooth pick in place of the tooth brush with alc or arcticlean. (Need opinions)

 

[Remmy]

One of the main reason it's often done on GPUs is that they are generally much bigger than the IHS of a CPU, so the TIM wouldn't spread out enough because it's a bigger IHS, and GPU blocks tend to exert less pressure than a CPU block.

I never bother doing it on CPUs though because the pressure spreads out the TIM fine. When I used a CM Hyper 212+ I had to tint the bottom of the heatsink because it had big ridges between the exposed heatpipes and the rest of the block. It's called direct contact heat pipes I think.

 

[TheMadHatta]

One of the main reason it's often done on GPUs is that they are generally much bigger than the IHS of a CPU, so the TIM wouldn't spread out enough because it's a bigger IHS, and GPU blocks tend to exert less pressure than a CPU block.

I never bother doing on CPUs though because the pressure spreads out the TIM fine. When I used a CM Hyper 212+ I had to tint the bottom of the heatsink because it had big ridges between the exposed heatpipes and the rest of the block. It's called direct contact heat pipes I think.

Awesome thanks for the input, it always sounded like the tinting was just a lil' helpful trick of what have you and never fully necessary but I'm gonna see how it applies to my busted GTX 780 it as I make sure I perfect the mounting before I attempt anything like this on my working one

 

[SparkleDJackson]

Making a positive out of a negative

 

[TheMadHatta]

Always gotta stay positive specially when life is tough enough for some people, gotta stay optimistic, I've actually learned a ton from frying this GPU and it gives me the perfect too to make in my opinion one of the best g10 closed loop cooled GPU setups thanks to the ACX base plate.

As I see it now once I feel comfy installing the g10 with my x40 onto a GTX 780 I'll have one of the best VRAM and VRM cooled closed loop 780 it set ups u could want, had it only been an msi 780 it since that back plate base plate combo looks like it has more potential. But I've got a 780 classified back plate that I'm gonna be chopping and fitting with thermal tape for the back of the GPU, then the 4 posts or parts that stick out towards the GPU on my base plate just needs to have 2 of them shaved back a bit and everything that needs cooling will have thermal padding to the plate directly to heat sinks on the plate which I will be cooling with an arctic f9 pro fan and thanks to the internal drive bay fan on my switch 810 case I can have the air pushed and pulled right from mother heats is straight out the case. The only thing I could imagine making this better would be using a 120mm fan adapter to cool the plate with a pci mounted intake blowing on that fan for more air flow assisting, and then rocking say the corsair h110 or one if the other 280mm closed loop setups out there.

I won't be shaving down the plate of course 'till I hear back from evga regarding what are the options they can give me for my situation.

When I get back to the base plate real of thinking would it be smart to give them a good quick wipe with my wet cleaning cloths? Or would that make it worse? Also I've seen people ask if putting TIM on thermal pads helps, and considering the question never being answered and just basic logic it doesn't sound like the smartest idea. What do you think?

 

[Silverstone-Z]

the only thing that bugs me is the fact that the old TIM is so caked or was on the last gpu, wtf would be the best way of cleaning it, i wouldnt dare touch it with those wet and dry cloths from the pix...

how would you have cleaned the caked TIM guys?

also its awesome to know i should tint, i wanted to but since no one anywhere in all the googling i did...

Might sound crazy... but after letting the part sit for a while without power, I'd use a rubbing alcohol-dampened toothbrush to get all around the die. As long as you don't get crazy with things and don't plug it back in directly after this, no harm should occur. To those that may say, "Oh my gads, THA STATIC, BRO," multiple victim GPUs, mobos, and automotive PCBs escaped unharmed.

 

[Andrew LB]

^^^^

I had to register just because I came across this thread on google and am amazed at some of the bad information given out in this thread.

First of all, NEVER use rubbing alcohol on computer components or electronics in general. Rubbing alcohol typically is only 70% iso alcohol, meaning the rest is WATER... yes H2O. Some store sell 90%, but that still means 10% is water. And that's just BAD. You might think everything is dry because you visually confirm it evaporated, but the water is left behind and can puddle in the very thin gaps between chips and the PCB and bridging those gaps when power is applied.

You should only use a cleaner that leaves no residue AND will fully dissolve the Ester Oil found in products like Arctic Silver 5. Iso alcohol has issues with dissolving Esters mainly due to them being so closely related (esters are made from iso alcohol reacted with an acid).

The best stuff to use is a product made by CRC called QD Contact Cleaner. Comes in a spray and can be found at home depot. Wipe up as much of the thermal compound first, then give it a spray and wipe with a lint free cloth or a paper coffee filter. This stuff is so safe that you can actually spray the whole card down with the stuff to clean it. But... it's not cheap.

for a more reasonably priced product, i'd recommend going to the hardware store and buying some Denatured Alcohol and use that. DA contains Methyl Alcohol and Ethyl Alcohol which is great for cleaning surfaces that need to be super clean. I have yet to encounter a thermal compound material that DA didn't clean. It also leaves no residue. If you do find a residue it's because there is still thermal crap needing to be removed, so clean it again.

I've seen people recommend nail polish remover as a ghetto method, but keep in mind that it's basically Acetone with water and scent added. You CAN use Acetone, but just don't get the stuff on clear plastic like Plexi, poly-carb, lexan, etc. It will ruin it. I've used acetone many times and it works great. Just don't have a cigarette in your mouth while using it. your day will be ruined worse than frying that $700 graphics card.

 

[MadShadow]

Andrew, I'm sure rubbing alcohol will be fine as long as you don't go pouring it all over your PC components. People have been using it for years without problems.

 

[barnsley]

^^^^

I had to register just because I came across this thread on google and am amazed at some of the bad information given out in this thread.

First of all, NEVER use rubbing alcohol on computer components or electronics in general. Rubbing alcohol typically is only 70% iso alcohol, meaning the rest is WATER... yes H2O. Some store sell 90%, but that still means 10% is water. And that's just BAD. You might think everything is dry because you visually confirm it evaporated, but the water is left behind and can puddle in the very thin gaps between chips and the PCB and bridging those gaps when power is applied.
.

Never had a problem with rubbing alcohol personally. tend to stick to dedicated thermal paste remover usually though as its cheaper. People tend to recommend things if they do it and it works for them. Have you ever done it? Or do you just know about the content of said rubbing aloohol?

 

[Davva2004]

I only use 99% isopropyl alcohol as a cleaning agent. Virtually water free, dissolves everything and evaporates without trace. And it's cheap.

 

[SuB]

lol, joined, necro'd and told a lot of well informed people that they're giving bad advice. Way to make an introduction.

Rubbing / isopropyl alcohol has been a recommended product for this kind of thing for quite literally, years. It's nice that you're well informed of it's contents, but I've yet to run into anyone that's had an issue.

Personally for cleaning things now I use the Articlean stuff because it's absolutely amazing, and it smells nice!

 

[barnsley]

Personally for cleaning things now I use the Articlean stuff because it's absolutely amazing, and it smells nice!

The lemonish stuff? I love it too!