Build to tide me over, and perhaps build apon... - Page 5

Bios is 0219, shiped with the board. I haven't looked for a newer one yet...

I have it stable at 445 fsb, 4005Mhz, at a voltage of 1.320. Passed prime95 for a 2.5 hr test. There's an issue called vDroop, apparently a difference in input voltage, and actual voltage to the chip. I put the voltage in as 1.375V into the bios, it reports as 1.344V at boot, and under load it drops to between 1.312-1.328. Go figure...

Some very lucky peeps have gotten to 4G with 1.29 Volts.

Time for bed...

I couldn't find my packaging, so I went to OCZ's website... They say for the 1G stick of our memory, the timings are 5-5-5-15, @ 2.1V. The 2G sticks we I have said the timings should be 5-5-5-18. My mobo set it at 5-5-5-15 @ 1.8V. Did your mobo set your voltage at more than 1.8V?

At this point, I'm not sure the memory was my problem as I was fiddling with other stuff at the same time. I didn't know about the vDroop issue originally, so my voltages were a bit low.

Seems my processor is about average. Some can get to 4G with 1.28-1.29, then the voltages have to be boosted from there on up. With mine, I get to about 3.9G, then the voltages have to be boosted. I had it stable last night @ 4.05G at 1.328, so that's good. I dropped it back to 3.825 for my 24/7 as it runs at 1.27 (cpu-z) and passes prime95 with relatively low temps. I understand once you're past about 3.6 the returns for gaming are diminishing regarding temps and performance.

I see a lot of people think the limit for cpu voltage is about 1.45 volts, I got nowhere near 1.4, so there's still room to play.

When I did have problems, it was the first core. It runs a couple degrees higher than the second, and it was the first to give me round up errors in prime 95. I'll push it more later...

I'm just using the AI suite for temps. It shows my idle at 42 deg, and under load it goes to 62 deg. That's what most people are reporting. The Core Temp 0.97.1 shows the temps 10 degrees higher... I noticed it's the same with some of the posters in the string you linked.

I'll give it a look...

Yep. I'll be trying to push the fsb to the max soon, so I'll lower the multiplier. I need to figure out what some of the terms are though before. Like cpu vtt, pll, and the ratios like GBR I think it is? Some people have really dropped their cpu voltage by changing the ratios. Unfortunately, most of that talk comes from guys with the DFI board, and it has more options than the rampage.

I'm happy to know I can run it stable on air at 4.05G though, with reasonably low voltages. It's an amazing processor. I ran 3dMark06 though, and it only bumped the score about 1000 points.

I'll run it @ 3.825G for a while and see how it goes.

This string is kind of a mess, maybe I'll start an rampage overclock string. I could also put the overclock stuff in my work log. Besides, I mis-spelled upon in the title, it makes me cringe every time I check the string...

Disabled the first four, thanks... As for the "modify ratio", I don't see that anywhere.

Where would I find that?

Here's a pic of real temp/Asus Ai suite/Core Temp 0.97.1 for comparison.

The Asus Ai suite and real temp agree and appear to be correct based on idle and load temps, Core Temp is reporting about 10 degrees higher all the time.

In this shot, you can see the cpu is @ 3.825G, 1.264V, and the memory is set for 1066Mhz. It's been running prime95 torture test set on blend for over two hours with no errors. I think I can bump the voltage down a bit more and keep it stable.

My goal is to have settings for 3.825G that are stable and low voltage as possible, then 4G settings, and maybe 4.2G settings. Some are getting 4.4-4.5 on air, so depending on how it goes I might shoot for 4.4G settings as well. The real differences with benchmark suites may not be that different, but I expect game benchmarks will do better with the higher CPU speeds for CPU dependent games like CSS.

Looks like my video card just died. Had trouble booting, then I got into windows and lots of blue flickering horizontal lines. No problem in safe mode...

Good thing it's eVGA due to their support...

Grrr....

Okay, so my vid card is on the fritz. If the computer will boot, blue flickering lines across the screen, then it quits, and comes back all garbled. I didn't even get to futzing around with that...

So I contact Zipzoomfly, they just closed, so I fill in their RMA request online. Says up to two days for RMA, then I have to ship it to them, they'll test it and if it's faulty, they'll ship another if it can't be repaired... lol... I'll have to call them in the morning and try to arrange a cross ship.

Packing up the vid card, I see on the box eVGA printed, "Do not return this to the store, deal direct with eVGA support". So I call eVGA, there's multiple phone menus you have to navigate through. The final one has no category for rma requests, or bad cards. Only assistance in installation. Finally I just pick assistance with install, and the guy tells me I have to deal with the place I bought it. I tell him it says on the box not to do that. He's confused, I'm confused. So I ask him if blue lines and garbled image means a bad card, he says it's probably the power supply. ... I tell him it's a brand new PC power and cooling, so he says, it's probably the card. He refers me to their online rma request form, but he says within 30 days of purchase they won't exchange, you have to go to the store where you bought it...

...meh...

I hope Zipzoomfly gets me a new one quick so I can still have a UPC to mail in my $50 rebate form...

Anyway, I read eVGA's policies on replace/repair, and though I've heard they're great with support, the policy doesn't look that good. It's lifetime limited, but you have to pay shipping both ways and only ship the card. They decide what they send back, a refurb or repaired card, or new...

...but then I realize I have several desktops, I'll just pull my 6800 ultra and use that in the meantime.

Unfortunately, my 6800 ultra is an AGB card, not PCIE...

... double meh...


So it looks like I'll be out of commision for a bit.

Now I remember why I always loved dealing with Alienware. I had one card go bad, called them, and two days later FedEx showed up with an upgrade replacement card.

I was going to fiddle with the settings on the card tonight, but I never got the chance unfortunately...

Stay tuned.

The card was registered when I received it, before I installed it...

When you go to submit an RMA for return, you get this...

If you did not purchase this product directly from EVGA, you must first try to contact your vendor for a replacement. If this is not possible, you may request a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA), but all requests will be subject to the following terms:
-Your product must still be under warranty
-Customers may be required to pay for associated shipping costs (including shipping the defective product to EVGA and return shipping for the replacement product).
-EVGA does not offer any form of cross-shipping.
-All RMA returns must be handled via shipping. EVGA does not allow for any products to be dropped off or picked up.
-When sending in your video card(s) for replacement, ship ONLY the bare video card(s). DO NOT send in any of the accessories that came with the original packaging.
-Once EVGA has received your video card(s), please allow up to three (3) business days for your replacement to be shipped.
-EVGA reserves the right to decline any application for an RMA number.

Doesn't sound like the outstanding support and service I understood was the main reason to buy eVGA...

Just called ZZF, and they won't cross ship, and they won't accept video cards for refund so I can't just order another to save time...

Looks like the new box will be out of commission for a week at least.

Okay... eVGA to the rescue.

I was told to rma it to ZZF by eVGA, but today I received an email from eVGA support. There is an "advanced" RMA program available to new customers to purchase, and you get a discount if you choose that program when registering the product. Luckily it was still available to me at the discount as I had yet to sign in to my account with the new reg.

For $16.99, eVGA is cross shipping a new 8800gtx to me standard overnight, and that will include a shipping label to return the defective product. Depending on how long it takes them to process, I should have a new card in two to three days.

I was told yesterday by eVGA support to rma the card to ZZF, but that would take a week+ turnaround, and I'd have to pay shipping for the defective return, so it's a better deal to go direct with eVGA.

Only thing I don't know is if I'll receive a new card as a replacement or possibly a refurb, but it sounds like it should be a new card under the lifetime warranty.

Seems the support rep I talked to that told me to rma to ZZF wasn't aware of the advanced RMA program.

On a second note, my Zalman fan controller lost one of the channels a couple days ago, that's been rma'ed to Newegg for a replacement. I like the product and will cover it in my worklog once I get the hardware returned.

I hear that, but all my old cards are AGP and won't work in this rig.

Hopefully, in the next six months the 8800gtx will become my cheap spare. It was only $289 after rebate...

Yeah, eVGA has come through. The rma process was easy, just had to scan in the receipt and upload online, everything else was pretty much automated from my registration of the card.

As for the lemon, I was kind of relieved as I was OC'ing the processor. Suddenly, the machine wouldn't boot into windows, so I though it was the processor. Finally did safe mode though, and it worked fine, but rebooting into windows brought the artifacts...

Never thought I'd be relieved to have a bad vid card.

I was getting ready to pull the card, and tried to boot it again, now the card is working fine... Guess a day of cooling off resolved it, temporarily at least.

Now I have to decide whether to continue with the RMA or cancel it and wait and see if it was just a one time anomoly. It has a lifetime warranty, so I can exchange it later if needed...

Anyone opinions on whether I should go ahead with the rma and possibly get a refurbed card?

Edit: Nevermind... I called tech support and they assured me the exchange would be a new card. They also said that this issue could come back after long use of the card, so they wanted me to go ahead with the exchange.

At least it's working at this point so I can use it until the replacement comes.

Did a quick oc to ultra levels since the card is going back just to see. E8400 @ 3.825G, 8800gtx core:625, memory:1000Mhz, shaders: 1600. 3dMark06: 13,204

Seems I'm having more than my share of issues with the build your own thing.

My vid card is bad, but the replacement was pretty painless. I'm not really happy I have to pay shipping for the return, but if you're buying eVGA, I'd recommend that when you register your product that you consider their "advanced RMA" program. For $16.99, I was able to purchase standard overnight shipping on any RMA's. The way it works is once your RMA is approved, they ship the exchange overnight, and in the box is a shipping label to return the bad part through ups ground. If I didn't buy this when registering, it would have cost $39.99 to buy the program.

The Zalman fan controller I bought had a bad diode in the first channel. Depending on the speed of the fan, it either glows blue, or red when it gets to the highest speed. The first channel diode would glow red, but the blue light didn't work. The second channel dial didn't change the fan control. I've RMA'ed that part through Newegg.com, it'll take a couple weeks to get an exchange.

Finally, I bought a Doublesight DS-263N monitor through Buy.com. No dead pixels or stuck pixels, but there's a split in the lcd layer that allows backlighting to bleed through. I used their web based email form to send pics in for an exchange rather than RMA'ing through Buy.com as Buy.com has a horrible return policy, and they're out of stock so the exchange would take two weeks at the minimum. I've resent all the information to Doublesight and got a confirmation that it was received this time, but they're waiting on their engineering department to make a decision on an RMA. The flaw is major, and is in the center of the screen, so if they don't think this is bad enough for an exchange, I wouldn't recommend anyone deal with this company.

The first pic shows the flaw at the pixel layer, you can also see the reflection of the flaw on the outer lens of the monitor in this pic.



The second image shows the location of the flaw. The glow on the sides is due to window light in the room.



I'm hoping Doublesight gets back to me by monday, as that's the last day I have for an exchange with Buy.com. If they don't, I have an RMA approval from Buy.com and I'll ship it back.