Never Watercool XFX HD7970 -> problem..

Well I'm dumbfound... this is my waterblock http://www.dvhardware.net/article53276.html. Now take a look at the PCB on this http://www.ekwb.com/news/233/19/New-revision-od-XFX-7970-cards-brings-compatibility-issues/
Clearly the Inductors are taller than the capacitors... yet on one of the images of your waterblock on the card here: http://www.aquatuning.de/product_in...-50-Serie---Edelstahl-geb-rstet---Silber.html
The capacitors are at the same height as the waterblock cover, so I have no clue on how you managed to fit it ontop of the Inductors O.o. well done i guess ^^ still gonna tell people to stay away from XFX.
 
krthush said:
So... finally I managed to fit a waterblock onto the XFX piece of crap card (soz for being so annoyed at them, but they literally wasted £400 of mine, when I should just gotta an asus reference card)...

For those who have no clue about what I'm talk about, let me give you a quick summary: few months ago the XFX HD7970 Black Edition Double Dissipation, used to use a reference PCB from AMD -> i.e. you would have been able to water-cool them. So I thought since they were being sold quite cheap, to get one of them and then overclock it to basically a GHz edition standard. Guess what?! XFX being they dicks they are, decided to change the PCB without warning anyone... even EKB's configurator was wrong.. So my waterblock would not fit on. After modding the waterblock and adding some passive ramsinks, I somehow managed to pull it all together!! LUCKY ME...

You would now wonder what my problem is... Well! I tried to overclock the card, and it seems like it wouldn't budge over its stock clocks, it would just immediately get artifacts and die. Now you may say I would have fitted the water block on badly.. but my temps barely go over 40 degrees, after like many hours of usage and even after raising the clocks. First problem: Any idea on how to actually overclock this card?

(on a side note, I suspect the reason XFX did the PCB switch, was so that they can lock the voltages/clocks, and purposely stop people from overclocking the card -> so we would get more expensive cards with higher clocks, but that's just me thinking XFX are dicks...)

But now an even more annoying and worrying problem is occurring.. AT STOCK CLOCKS, I've seen some very quick flashes of artifacts in-game, though small and barely noticeable, I have noticed them and it angers me. Any ideas on why this card is being such a nuisance? ;(

(Sorry for the hate on XFX, but so far my experience is that they aren't a very good company for the overclockers and watercoolers of the pcb world -> the warranty is broken even if you open the card up >.> )
Click to expand...

I have a XFX and that have PCB from AMD, and if you have check on XFX homepage when you buyed your card. You have seen the change of the PCB and when that will happen. And you can check the number whit the PIE linie, and you have been save.
 
enough blamin me :D
So any one have any ideas on how to back up a GPU bios, and if in case my bios switch fails, how to use the back up???
 
Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Its not at all funny to loose money on things like this, not to mention the aggrevation.

HOWEVER, Here I went about thinking it was plain common sense and knowledge to always test your parts for functionallity BEFORE choosing to void your garanties by modding the product?
Since EKB's configurator clearly led u to believe this fitted - U shouild also be able to get your money back for the block? But then again, U chose to mod even that...

It should be noted that XFX claims that their Black Series are the top 1% units - HANDPICKED for their tested results on performance...

I´ve had my 7770 running on 1150/1250 more or less 24/7 since the card hit the shelfs and for this reason alone, added the second card just before christmas - No issues this far...

Sorry to say it but im leaning towards suspecting that u somehow managed to destroy your card all by yourself.

Again. I feel for you bro - but i dont think its truly fair to put the blame on XFX for this one....
 
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ok to add my 2P into this I recently purchased 2 7950's from XFX the TDFC's to be exact and 2 of the Alphacool V2 blocks and they dont fit. even though the 7950 TDFC is on Alphacools compatibility list. And since I flushed them already I'm having a time getting them returned. So I sold my 7950's and now await 2 reference design HIS 7970's. they as well are on ALphacools list as compatible. And as these are a year old I'm pretty certian this time I have the right ones.

Now to add more to this it is not just XFX who did this. Most if not all brands are now using the newer pcb. I have looked and looked at PCB's til the cows come home and welp I found them all very similar if not identical.

Oh and another tidbit for the one who said XFX voids your warranty if you remove the stock cooler. Please go back and re-read the warranty. Its clearly says if you tell them first and register the card they will honor the warranty as it was given. They just need to know before hand so they can add notes to your account that the card has been modified so if or when you RMA the dont just say oops you took it off no warranty. XFX is behind the enthusiast market in this way but voltage locking well that shows they aint 100% behind it lol.,
 
Just curious...how many readers know what-in-the-hlll these guys are talking about??!!

If the vendor gave you wrong information that you can document then it should be relatively easy to get replacement hardware.

If YOU made a wrong decision...wus up w'dat??!!
 
"Voltage locking" for most graphic cards is probably one of the best policies a vendor can make for a GPU card owner...there would be many guys who bricked their card and have to shell out significant funds to replace them!
 
If I want water cooling I bought finished card with waterblock, I'm sorry because AMD no EVGA. In loop out of box, for 1h. First 59min you look and admire and 1min for installation.
 
S_I_N said:
Oh and another tidbit for the one who said XFX voids your warranty if you remove the stock cooler. Please go back and re-read the warranty. Its clearly says if you tell them first and register the card they will honor the warranty as it was given. They just need to know before hand so they can add notes to your account that the card has been modified so if or when you RMA the dont just say oops you took it off no warranty. XFX is behind the enthusiast market in this way but voltage locking well that shows they aint 100% behind it lol.,
Click to expand...

That isn't correct...
XFX offers different warranties depending on your location. What you say is ONLY true for USA and Canada. In Europe, no AMD company allows you to remove the cooler and keep you warranty. Infact, XFX are even helpful enough to put stickers over the screws that say: 'Warranty void if removed'...

This warranty offered by XFX to its Resellers is limited to the repair and/or replacement, at XFXs discretion, of defective or nonconforming Product, and XFX shall not be responsible for the failure of the Product to perform specified functions, or any other non- conformance caused by or attributable to: (a) any misapplication, modification or misuse of the Product; (b) failure of Customer to adhere to any of XFXs specifications or instructions; (c) neglect of, abuse of, or accident to, the Product; or (d) any associated or complementary equipment or software not furnished by XFX.
Click to expand...

As the OP talks in £... I feel I'm right to assume he isn't from the US, and so the warranty is voided.

Try not to impolitely undermine people when it's you that hasn't researched fully.
 
Thanks James for defending me, ye I'm from the UK, and I've talked to XFX in person about it (before I opened the card up) and they themselves said that they won't warrant me opening the card - but since I was so sure by the review websites and the EK configurator, I opened it up X(.

About the water-block it self, I am not using an EK waterblock, I am using a XSPC razor waterblock, which is very similar if not better in terms of allowing for a wider variety of PCBs ^^ hence how I managed to take it apart and fit it on. I could have returned the waterblock (I can even return it now), as soon as I realized the problem, but since I could still use it with small modding, I did. It's not the waterblock thats the issue here, its the card I'm angry at.

So moving onto the voltage locking, IMO with such a high price, I assure you most of these cards are for enthusiasts (otherwise they would just be buying a pre-made computer to avoid the hassle). So they should allow for voltage control, and so what if the card dies? The company doesn't have to warrant for that, its the users fault, and he should know consequences of that before he starts messing around with voltages. But ATM, I just discovered my card's locked at 0.85v, which IMO again, is far too low for 7970s...

The major mistake I made was buying a card which was rumored to be reference and also said to be not very good just out of the box. I should have just payed a few more quid and got a proper solid reference card from sapphire or asus -> no probs watercooling or overclocking.
 
The reason I'm considering it, is that even at stocks settings the card rarely but still, gets artifacts on some of my games...

(I've heard that this happens for some people, even with the stock cooler >.> So I going to assume that its not my water-block installation that's the problem.)
 
What are YOU lol-ing about? You do know the difference between a CPU and a GPU of course!

update/05-02-13
Found that my PCB version is compatible with the manufacturer's water blocks that am thinking of purchasing, however the cards run so quietly and stay cool when overclocking even to 1200 MHz and a memory clock of 1600MHz on stock DD BE fans.

A company that could "reasonably future proof" a modifiable water block would get more enthusiasts to water cool their GPU's!
 
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Hello guys,

I just got a XFX 7970 GHz Edition double D 3GB GDDR5 (from Newegg USA in March'13)
The part # is: FX-797G-TDFC Ver A.1 (with the 2 DVI ports).
I really need to LC it cuz i live in a very hot country.
Now it seems that EK doesn't support it.
What about Watercool with their Heatkiller GPU-X³ 79X0 XFX Edition HD 7970/7950 Non-Reference Design Full Coverage Water Block???
It can be found here: http://www.frozencpu.com/products/20018/ex-blc-1455/Heatkiller_GPU-X_79X0_XFX_Edition_HD_79707950_Non-Reference_Design_Full_Coverage_Water_Block_15022.html?tl=c357s1395b180
Thanks for your feedback.
 
welcome to the OC3D forums.

different partners have different non-reference PCB, so i'd fugure it'll be a crap-shoot
at best on water block matches for non-reference boards.. watercool is a great
mannie, if you email them or contact them through their website, they do return
messages. i'd left them one email and 48hrs later they'd given me a lot of great
information abut a product of theirs i own..

in the future, you'll want to make your own topic as you can get full membership
help, instead of specialized when you post within someone else's thread.
 
Thanks airdeano for your prompt reply.
I didnt think of starting my own thread since this one is dealing with the exact same issue i'm having.
Anyways, i'll def contact watercool and see what they have to say.
Thanks again.
 
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