Got ATI RMA# Should I tell them I use ATI Tool?

[yuyuthecat]

I am sending my faulty 1900XT back to the manufacturer and have the RMA#. The RMA tech told me that if they can't replicate my problem they will send my old card back. My concern is that the problem is not as obvious and it takes some patience and observation to notice it during gaming. Mostly it happens on new games like Oblivion or on 3dmark and after the card gets around 70c. Now if I use ATI Tool then it takes less time for it to show up during the Artifact scanning. The memory is bad on the card and when gaming it will show artifacts. All other hardware issues have been troubleshooted and have been isolated to the ram on the card. So how can I avoid having the manufacturer send me the card back since it is a little sporadic in nature?
http://images.dr3vil.com/files2/default/Web arti.jpg

[W2hCYK]

you could find another program that this happens in, but isnt used for overclocking.

dont tell them you use ATI tool, i would bet they void your warranty

[POGE]

Heres what you do. Make them notice. Break off a few resisters. Or give it a bath in water.

[W2hCYK]

hahaha smart! roflll... but then you must hope that they dont pcb check it...

[POGE]

No. Tell them that the resisters game that way. Its a flaw in craftsmanship, and they cover that.

[yuyuthecat]

Heres what you do. Make them notice. Break off a few resisters. Or give it a bath in water.

I was wondering about that. But I allready posted on the RMA ticket that the card works but shows artifacts on games. They told me to include a letter with the card explaining the problem. Are the resistors those square microsize pieces? I still don't know if I should do that.:shadedshu

[POGE]

The little teeny ones. ;)

[W2hCYK]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v347/Napalm_Fire/9800resistor.jpg

Theres some resistors. Pop them off. if you do the right number, it will work, but not properly.

[gR3iF]

hrhr

tell them u used ati tool stress test its a normal prog like 3d mark or aq3 or whatever

[ElAguila]

Just tell them it happens after gaming for a certain period of time. I am pretty sure they have utilities that can stress the card as much as your gaming does.

[atomicpineapple]

Whatever you do dont actually break anything off your card, specially if its from an area covered by the cooler, seeing as removing the cooler voids your warranty in a lot of cases (just as using a non stock/ non intel/AMD approved CPU HSF voids your warranty) they can then say 'oh this idiot took the cooler off, broke his card in the process and now he wants another 1, I dont think so'. If I was you I'd be straight with them and say that you noticed it artifacting in games so you searched for a GFX card testing program, and found ATITool with its built in scanning application, and used that.

[ElAguila]

You are probably going to dig yourself into a hole. Just be tell them that when gaming it starts to artifact.

[yuyuthecat]

You are probably going to dig yourself into a hole. Just be tell them that when gaming it starts to artifact.

I included the cover letter that the RMA dept needs explaining any old and new problems that may show up before shipping.

[zekrahminator]

If you don't want to pay shipping to ATI- buy yourself a Zalman VF-900Cu. If you want a new card, and really think your card is faulty- In the letter you're supposed to write to them, let them know that these problems occur in EXTENDED gaming, not just "oh I ran 3Dmark05 just fine". They're not THAT ignorant...and if they are you have every right to replace that stock cooler with something good, like the Zalman I pointed out earlier or the Arctic Cooling Accellero X2.

[yuyuthecat]

Everything worked out really well. They received my bad card on 7/3 and yesterday the new card arrived. Awesome service with no questions asked. They didn't ask for receipt or place or time of purchase. So I am happy I got rid of that used refurb and received a new one.:toast: