6800GT dying.. replace with 7800GS? or 6800GS? or help?

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CVSiN

Diamond Member
Jul 19, 2004
9,289
1
0
Originally posted by: BassBomb
how much amps on the 12V rail for the antec?

not sure bro dont have a multimeter to check what its really putting out on that rail.

its was brand new when i built this machine 2 years ago.. I thought antec was pretty decent at putting good power out for thier lifespan.. 2 years seems aweful short..
 

DidlySquat

Banned
Jun 30, 2005
903
0
0
Originally posted by: CVSiN
Hey guys.. Ive had my 6800GT PNY model since the release of the card..
recently its begun to artifact with no overclocking and casue system hangs and reboots.

well i have it underclocked with rivatuner and its playable at least now.. still with minor glitchs but no rebooting PC or lockups...

I didnt underclock it much and im wondering if underclocking it more might help even more and prolong the life of the card.
#1 if i keep card how low should i underclock to try to keep it stable?

This is a short term fix only...
which card would be the best for my beginning to show its age system?
ASUS K8N-E Deluxe MB
754 socket A64 3200
2 gigs of Kingston value ram
450 watt (forgot brand name) PS

Ive been goign back and forth on the 6800GS and the 7800GS from Evga

what boggles me the most is how are the stats on the 6800GT so close to that of the 7800GS yet the performance be so different?


What are your temps ? I also have the same card and recently moved it to a different case and noticed the temps are getting really high, like above 100C sometimes under load, an 70C idle. I don't remeber this ever happened with the old case which had a side fan next to the video card slot, but the new case doesn't have a side fan. The video card fan itself is working, but maybe it's not working as well as before cause like I said it used to run much cooler (like about 20C less than now both idle and load).
 

CVSiN

Diamond Member
Jul 19, 2004
9,289
1
0
Originally posted by: DidlySquat
Originally posted by: CVSiN
Hey guys.. Ive had my 6800GT PNY model since the release of the card..
recently its begun to artifact with no overclocking and casue system hangs and reboots.

well i have it underclocked with rivatuner and its playable at least now.. still with minor glitchs but no rebooting PC or lockups...

I didnt underclock it much and im wondering if underclocking it more might help even more and prolong the life of the card.
#1 if i keep card how low should i underclock to try to keep it stable?

This is a short term fix only...
which card would be the best for my beginning to show its age system?
ASUS K8N-E Deluxe MB
754 socket A64 3200
2 gigs of Kingston value ram
450 watt (forgot brand name) PS

Ive been goign back and forth on the 6800GS and the 7800GS from Evga

what boggles me the most is how are the stats on the 6800GT so close to that of the 7800GS yet the performance be so different?


What are your temps ? I also have the same card and recently moved it to a different case and noticed the temps are getting really high, like above 100C sometimes under load, an 70C idle. I don't remeber this ever happened with the old case which had a side fan next to the video card slot, but the new case doesn't have a side fan. The video card fan itself is working, but maybe it's not working as well as before cause like I said it used to run much cooler (like about 20C less than now both idle and load).

never more than 85C its in a Lian LI 3 window case with 8 fans +2 for power supply..the box stays very cool even with all the drives..

tried runnign it with case open no differnce its not getting hot.

 

duragezic

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
11,234
4
81
Its probably not your PSU. My cousin had a PNY 6800GT that did the same things as yours. It was overheating big time and slowing down and causing the comp to freeze up. For whatever reason he thought PSU maybe too so he goes and buys a Antec TP 480w yet the same thing happens in several machines.

Though to be sure its yours too, can't you try another AGP card or even a PCI card?

And finally, no dual channel isn't a requirement.It accounts for maybe 5%. But if you have 2GB, isn't that 4x512mb? That should be dual channel. Either way though, the difference is not big enough to prevent you from going to a 939 platform.
 

CVSiN

Diamond Member
Jul 19, 2004
9,289
1
0
Originally posted by: duragezic
Its probably not your PSU. My cousin had a PNY 6800GT that did the same things as yours. It was overheating big time and slowing down and causing the comp to freeze up. For whatever reason he thought PSU maybe too so he goes and buys a Antec TP 480w yet the same thing happens in several machines.

Though to be sure its yours too, can't you try another AGP card or even a PCI card?

And finally, no dual channel isn't a requirement.It accounts for maybe 5%. But if you have 2GB, isn't that 4x512mb? That should be dual channel. Either way though, the difference is not big enough to prevent you from going to a 939 platform.

yah i can play musical cards with my girls PC... she has a 939 A64 3200 with my old 5600Ultra in it.

no i have 1 1 gig simm and 2 512s 754s dont support DC.
so as long as it would work I may steal my girls MB/CPU and upgrade to a SLI setup..
wonder if i can send her out for a day somewhere LOL steal her stuff and replace with mine LOL
she would never know =P

she wont ever need that ability
 

CVSiN

Diamond Member
Jul 19, 2004
9,289
1
0
Well GF said no dice on swapping her 939 setup for my 754 of the same speed..
sooo
I need a cheap GOOD SLI setup..

anyone give some advice.. was looking at a 6800GS setup with ASUS A8N32 SLI with a 3200 for now... but even that is around 670 bucks..
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
66,648
15,031
146
My PMY 6800GT died last month, and took the AGP port on the mobo with it...Of course, since the receipt wasn't in my name, no warranty coverage. (A friend bought it for me as payment for some stuff I sold him) Didn't know the card was bad at the time, so just bought a new mobo, so I could use processor, RAM, and video card from the old set-up. I've replaced it with a XFX7800GS Extreme, and I'm HELLA disappointed in it's performance. Far Cry, BF2 both cause the card to crash repeatedly at stock settings, (never mind any kind of extra overclocking) So far, the only way I can get the card to run with any kind of stability, is to underclock it to the original factory specs of 375/1200. I'm working at increasing it slowly, hoping to find a sweet spot where it will run faster with out crashing. If I can't get better performance out of this thing, it's going back. I'll find a g800gt or 6800ultra on ebay or something. Maybe even a Radeon X850XT PE. IMO, the 7800GS just isn't worth the cost if you have a functioning card.
 

CVSiN

Diamond Member
Jul 19, 2004
9,289
1
0
that sounds like a defective card bro... RMA it... fireing squad and many other sites absolutly love the EVGA version of this card... got editors choice on several sites..
 

Zap

Elite Member
Oct 13, 1999
22,377
7
81
Originally posted by: CVSiN
yah but id need a new 939 chip as well to get a new MB..
Why do you need a new CPU?
Originally posted by: CVSiN
I need a cheap GOOD SLI setup..
And now why SLI?

You can get nice socket 754 boards with PCIe (even SLI if you swing that way). There are a few great overclockers in the $70-80 range and PCIe 7800GT cards have been found recently for as little as $240 NEW.
 

CVSiN

Diamond Member
Jul 19, 2004
9,289
1
0
Originally posted by: Zap
Originally posted by: CVSiN
yah but id need a new 939 chip as well to get a new MB..
Why do you need a new CPU?
Originally posted by: CVSiN
I need a cheap GOOD SLI setup..
And now why SLI?

You can get nice socket 754 boards with PCIe (even SLI if you swing that way). There are a few great overclockers in the $70-80 range and PCIe 7800GT cards have been found recently for as little as $240 NEW.

Where.. the best 754 boards are all discontinued.. and the ones that are still available like the DFI are only 1 slot solutions..
why waste the cash on a board im gonna have to upgrade again?
especially a board that has half the features i have now on my ASUS
the only companies making PCIE for 754 still are companies i dotn trust.. biostar DFi and a few others..
and most of the ones i find instock are very crappy boards overall.. lacking features that even my K8N-E had 2 years ago.

if you can show me a good SLI 754 solution in stock somewhere ill be open for suggestions..
but after searching for 3 days now..all ive found is 1x 16 slot 754 boards with either only 2 ram slots or just a stripped down bargain board with no features from an untrusted name.

i have yet to find any SLI ready 754 boards even exist.
 

Dribble

Platinum Member
Aug 9, 2005
2,076
611
136
There's no such thing as "dual channel" ram - to use dual channel you just need multiples of 2 ram chips (each pair of the same size/spec). If there's a 939 + A64 you can use then your choice is made - take that and find a nice PCI-E graphics card to use with it.
 

CVSiN

Diamond Member
Jul 19, 2004
9,289
1
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Originally posted by: Dribble
There's no such thing as "dual channel" ram - to use dual channel you just need multiples of 2 ram chips (each pair of the same size/spec). If there's a 939 + A64 you can use then your choice is made - take that and find a nice PCI-E graphics card to use with it.


dual channel is a specific type of ram.. look it up.. and the chip must support it as 754s do not..
only 939s+ do.. on the AMD side.

There is one exception, though: the Athlon 64 processor. On this processor family the memory controller is embbeded in the CPU, not in the chipset. Therefore with this CPU the use of DDR Dual Channel configuration depends on the CPU, not on the motherboard. Socket 754 Athlon 64 processors aren't capable of this configuration. So if you have this kind of CPU you can't use DDR Dual Channel. Socket 939 Athlon 64 processors have an embbeded Dual Channel memory controller, thus allowing this processor to use this configuration.
 

Zap

Elite Member
Oct 13, 1999
22,377
7
81
Originally posted by: CVSiN
the only companies making PCIE for 754 still are companies i dotn trust.. biostar DFi and a few others..
and most of the ones i find instock are very crappy boards overall.. lacking features that even my K8N-E had 2 years ago.
Well, you don't sound as if you'd be happy with socket 754 even if the perfect board bit you on the nose. If you want to use your video card dying as an excuse to move to socket 939, by all means go ahead. Part of a worthy upgrade is perception and in your case that will only be satisfied with socket 939 at this point in time. No sweat, I'm typing this message on a socket 939 setup so I certainly know the appeal. I just mentioned PCIe for socket 754 since your existing CPU is socket 754 and this would enable you to move to a PCIe video card when you replace your dying AGP card. If you want to spend more on socket 939 and SLI to feel better, do it. Most of the rest of us did. :eek:

BTW, dual channel RAM is not a specific type. It is marketing speak for a matched pair of modules. You can take a "dual channel kit" and use the sticks separately, or together in a single channel setup like socket 754. You can also take two identical RAM sticks purchased individually and run them in dual channel configuration. You are correct about dual channel support being limited by the memory controller on the A64 CPU (and thus socket) but that doesn't have anything to do with any specific type of RAM besides a matched pair of DDR.
 

CVSiN

Diamond Member
Jul 19, 2004
9,289
1
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Originally posted by: Zap
Originally posted by: CVSiN
the only companies making PCIE for 754 still are companies i dotn trust.. biostar DFi and a few others..
and most of the ones i find instock are very crappy boards overall.. lacking features that even my K8N-E had 2 years ago.
Well, you don't sound as if you'd be happy with socket 754 even if the perfect board bit you on the nose. If you want to use your video card dying as an excuse to move to socket 939, by all means go ahead. Part of a worthy upgrade is perception and in your case that will only be satisfied with socket 939 at this point in time. No sweat, I'm typing this message on a socket 939 setup so I certainly know the appeal. I just mentioned PCIe for socket 754 since your existing CPU is socket 754 and this would enable you to move to a PCIe video card when you replace your dying AGP card. If you want to spend more on socket 939 and SLI to feel better, do it. Most of the rest of us did. :eek:

BTW, dual channel RAM is not a specific type. It is marketing speak for a matched pair of modules. You can take a "dual channel kit" and use the sticks separately, or together in a single channel setup like socket 754. You can also take two identical RAM sticks purchased individually and run them in dual channel configuration. You are correct about dual channel support being limited by the memory controller on the A64 CPU (and thus socket) but that doesn't have anything to do with any specific type of RAM besides a matched pair of DDR.

you get the wrong impression bro.. I'd love it if there was a good 754 sli board out there.. but i havent found anything worth a darn out there...
I dont really want to spend that much money with Vista less than a year away..
and i really dont want to spend alot on a card right now either for same reason..
Vista is gonna change things drastically and i already am goign tio have to upgrade everything for it..

if you can post a good 754 board ive missed ill grab it..
the ASUS one has been discontinued.. the onyl decent one id even trust at all is the DFI.. and there are quite a few neg reviews on it as well.. I usually only buy ASUS for AMD and Intel for Intel... after some really horrible quality experiences with MSI, Shuttle, Biostar and ABIT.. (man i used to love Abit.. but they have really been slacking)

 

Zap

Elite Member
Oct 13, 1999
22,377
7
81
Originally posted by: CVSiN
I'd love it if there was a good 754 sli board out there.. but i havent found anything worth a darn out there...
...
Vista is gonna change things drastically and i already am goign tio have to upgrade everything for it..

Well, isn't like there's any choice for socket 754 SLI, AFAIK only Epox makes one. ;) As for brands and quality, I think seriously the most reliable boards I've seen are Intel branded, but they were overpriced and underfeatured, and though reliable I've seen them have compatibility issues. Basically no brand is 100% guaranteed to have all perfect products. I have an Asus board in the garage that is mysteriously dead and a two month old Asus board in my HTPC that has some compatibility issues. DFI... been hearing about compatibility issues ever since it came out. I don't think you should rule out a brand just because you have a poor perception of them unless there is a reasonable amount of negative user experiences. Also, people with problems tend to get very vocal about them - you never hear from people saying "well, my board always worked like it should." Lots of problem reports may be an indication of how popular it is and not how prone it is to failure.

I have owned four socket 754 boards (Biostar, Epox, ECS, Chaintech) and they have all worked fine. Some overclock better than others, but none has failed.

As for Windows Vista, I'm not going to upgrade to it until there's a damn good reason. C'mon guys, it's an OS. Don't get all orgasmic over it like a Mac guy gushing over OSX. It's not like it is a killer app or the newest game from ID or Blizzard. An OS exists for me to click on what I need to click on to run my apps and games. An OS is not an end unto itself.

If you seriously are going to get Vista ASAP after it gets released, then do not dump money into hardware now, not even socket 939, until Vista comes out and you know what hardware it really supports and needs. Just keep that video card underclocked and limp along for now and put your upgrade money into short term CDs. The bank down the street from me is offering 4.85% on a 4 month CD - great rates are to be had these days.
 

CVSiN

Diamond Member
Jul 19, 2004
9,289
1
0
Originally posted by: Zap
Originally posted by: CVSiN
I'd love it if there was a good 754 sli board out there.. but i havent found anything worth a darn out there...
...
Vista is gonna change things drastically and i already am goign tio have to upgrade everything for it..

Well, isn't like there's any choice for socket 754 SLI, AFAIK only Epox makes one. ;) As for brands and quality, I think seriously the most reliable boards I've seen are Intel branded, but they were overpriced and underfeatured, and though reliable I've seen them have compatibility issues. Basically no brand is 100% guaranteed to have all perfect products. I have an Asus board in the garage that is mysteriously dead and a two month old Asus board in my HTPC that has some compatibility issues. DFI... been hearing about compatibility issues ever since it came out. I don't think you should rule out a brand just because you have a poor perception of them unless there is a reasonable amount of negative user experiences. Also, people with problems tend to get very vocal about them - you never hear from people saying "well, my board always worked like it should." Lots of problem reports may be an indication of how popular it is and not how prone it is to failure.

I have owned four socket 754 boards (Biostar, Epox, ECS, Chaintech) and they have all worked fine. Some overclock better than others, but none has failed.

As for Windows Vista, I'm not going to upgrade to it until there's a damn good reason. C'mon guys, it's an OS. Don't get all orgasmic over it like a Mac guy gushing over OSX. It's not like it is a killer app or the newest game from ID or Blizzard. An OS exists for me to click on what I need to click on to run my apps and games. An OS is not an end unto itself.

If you seriously are going to get Vista ASAP after it gets released, then do not dump money into hardware now, not even socket 939, until Vista comes out and you know what hardware it really supports and needs. Just keep that video card underclocked and limp along for now and put your upgrade money into short term CDs. The bank down the street from me is offering 4.85% on a 4 month CD - great rates are to be had these days.


Vista is gonna be different than any OS so far.. all the game Devs are already onboard.
and are already developing games for Vista only...
the thing that Vista is doing is pushing minimum hardware way up.. and keeping it semi unified.
which is gonna make writing games muich easier.
the thing is.. that these games will not be running at all on previuous OSs at all like they have in the past..

this is why Vista is a huge deal for gamers...
if you dont have it you dont play flat out..

as for favoring different boards.. well in the last 10 years of being Desktop Support and an IT consultant.. Ive had more failures with DFI/Shuttle/Biostar than any other brand hands down...

ASUS MSI ABIT and INTEL all seem to be better boards..
and workmanship..
 

CVSiN

Diamond Member
Jul 19, 2004
9,289
1
0
Originally posted by: RussianSensation
754 PCIe board and X850XT for $170 on Newegg is a quick fix.

sorry hate ATI =p
Nvidia and NF4 SLI only..
 

Fern

Elite Member
Sep 30, 2003
26,907
174
106
So has your objective changed in the last week?

I'm getting a bit confused reading as this thread has progressed. First you indicated you wanted just a "short term fix only", then seemed to express concern about any big upgrade before Windows Vista.

Now you're on about getting a complete upgrade with skt 939 and SLI?

Fern
 

CVSiN

Diamond Member
Jul 19, 2004
9,289
1
0
Originally posted by: Fern
So has your objective changed in the last week?

I'm getting a bit confused reading as this thread has progressed. First you indicated you wanted just a "short term fix only", then seemed to express concern about any big upgrade before Windows Vista.

Now you're on about getting a complete upgrade with skt 939 and SLI?

Fern

yah the more i thought about it and looked at our wonderful for sale forum..
i realized at least get the 939 SLI going..
I just bought a Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe with a premium heatpipe on it..
and looking to get a 3500 64 in there as well.. total price of upgrade so far 300 bucks.. (MB/proc)
so 500 bucks or maybe a bit more for a total solution.

i just relazied that a 300 dollar card... or even a 200 dollar 6800GS just wasnt worth it
at least with the SLI 939 i can upgrade for a while.. 754 was dead..
 

mwmorph

Diamond Member
Dec 27, 2004
8,877
1
81
Originally posted by: CVSiN
Originally posted by: Fern
So has your objective changed in the last week?

I'm getting a bit confused reading as this thread has progressed. First you indicated you wanted just a "short term fix only", then seemed to express concern about any big upgrade before Windows Vista.

Now you're on about getting a complete upgrade with skt 939 and SLI?

Fern

yah the more i thought about it and looked at our wonderful for sale forum..
i realized at least get the 939 SLI going..
I just bought a Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe with a premium heatpipe on it..
and looking to get a 3500 64 in there as well.. total price of upgrade so far 300 bucks.. (MB/proc)
so 500 bucks or maybe a bit more for a total solution.

i just relazied that a 300 dollar card... or even a 200 dollar 6800GS just wasnt worth it
at least with the SLI 939 i can upgrade for a while.. 754 was dead..


Debatable. Depends on how fast 939 is phased otu when Socket AM2 comes out.
 

CVSiN

Diamond Member
Jul 19, 2004
9,289
1
0
Originally posted by: mwmorph
Originally posted by: CVSiN
Originally posted by: Fern
So has your objective changed in the last week?

I'm getting a bit confused reading as this thread has progressed. First you indicated you wanted just a "short term fix only", then seemed to express concern about any big upgrade before Windows Vista.

Now you're on about getting a complete upgrade with skt 939 and SLI?

Fern

yah the more i thought about it and looked at our wonderful for sale forum..
i realized at least get the 939 SLI going..
I just bought a Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe with a premium heatpipe on it..
and looking to get a 3500 64 in there as well.. total price of upgrade so far 300 bucks.. (MB/proc)
so 500 bucks or maybe a bit more for a total solution.

i just relazied that a 300 dollar card... or even a 200 dollar 6800GS just wasnt worth it
at least with the SLI 939 i can upgrade for a while.. 754 was dead..


Debatable. Depends on how fast 939 is phased otu when Socket AM2 comes out.

even then i mean seriously.. there are chips in the 939 family all the way up to the FXs.. they arnt going anywhere any time soon.. there is plenty of performance to be had on this chipset especially with SLI...

not too worried about it..
i bought 754 as a impuse buy.. and I had seen the writing on the wall.. and truth be told there is still alot of performance you can get outa a 754 AGP system... only problem is your very limited to what chips are available and what cards for AGP are left..