BFG RMA Process Question

[Chromatik]

Has anyone had any recent experience with the BFG RMA process? I got an 8800GTX OC2 two days ago and can't play any game for more than 15 minutes before my system hard locks.

I called BFG last night and was told that I could process an RMA but they would not cross ship due to the availability and the expense of the card (I get to pay shipping too). I asked what happens if they don't have any of these cards available and was advised that they almost certainly have refurbs available but probably not new ones.

I just upgraded from a BFG 6600GT OC so that should tell you how long I've been waiting for a new card. I didn't wait almost 3 years and pay over $600 for a refurb card. If I wanted that I would have gone to ebay. End of rant.

Has anyone who has had recent experience with the BFG RMA process (GeForce 8800 series) received a new or refurbed card? I am just trying to figure out what to expect.

 

[MarcVenice]

Beh getting a refurbed one kinda sucks. You have ruled out ALL other options though, meaning you are 100% sure it's the videocard? It would suck to get a refurbed 8800gtx and then have the same problem occur. Did you check temps and such, updated drivers, made sure that your overclock isn't messing things up etcetera?

 

[TheKub]

You cant return it?

 

[Chromatik]

Originally posted by: MarcVenice
Did you check temps and such, updated drivers, made sure that your overclock isn't messing things up etcetera?

Yeah I did. I did cleaned out my computer last weekend (dust=heat) and also did a format and fresh install of the OS. I also bought a new PSU for the card upgrade so it would have enough juice. Latest drivers, DirectX version etc. System ran fine with the 6600GT. When I swapped cards out I used driver cleaner through safe mode to kill the previous drivers. System specs are as follows:

AMD Athlon X2 4800+ 939 (stock clock with Zalman 9700NT)
BFG NForce 4 Ultra (Stock)
2 GB (2 x 1GB) Corsair XMS DDR400 3-3-3-8
SoundBlaster X-Fi Platinum
2 X WD 320GB SATA2 Drives
PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad

For kicks I also used Riva tuner to downclock the GPU core and memory to Nvidia reference (575mhz Core, 1800mhz Memory). This seemed to buy me more time but ti still crashed after about 45 minutes

 

[Chromatik]

Originally posted by: TheKub
You cant return it?

I got it from Tiger Direct because there was a low price on it. I'm going to try to return it first but everyone I have talked to has said they unofficially don't do returns. As they will find a reason to deny the return even if its not really a reason.

 

[MarcVenice]

Put the ram at 4-4-4-12, give it 0.1v extra. Try playing games again.

Since downclocking it bought you extra time it might be heat though. Use rivatuner and put the FAN on 100%, then play games, and see what happens. Also have rivatuner log your temperatures! Check the temperatures every 5 minutes, by alt-tabbing out of the game.

 

[JAG87]

Originally posted by: Chromatik

Originally posted by: TheKub
You cant return it?

I got it from Tiger Direct because there was a low price on it. I'm going to try to return it first but everyone I have talked to has said they unofficially don't do returns. As they will find a reason to deny the return even if its not really a reason.

dude, your product is malfunctioning. call them and flame them. they have to give you at least 7-14 days return poilcy, and its not like you are returning for refund anyways, all you want is a replacement.

note to you: dont buy from tigerdirect, ever. even if they are cheaper.

 

[TheKub]

Originally posted by: Chromatik

Originally posted by: TheKub
You cant return it?

I got it from Tiger Direct because there was a low price on it. I'm going to try to return it first but everyone I have talked to has said they unofficially don't do returns. As they will find a reason to deny the return even if its not really a reason.

Some times it pays to spend a few more $$$ at a more reputable company, after all TigerDirect isnt exactly known for their customer service. Well, they are known for their customer service... Just not in a good way.

 

[Chromatik]

Yeah, I had a poor experience with them a few years ago but thwe price was about $100 less than Newegg and I figured i'd give it another go. Lesson painfully learned. Tiger Direct FTL

I'll try tweaking my RAM timings and voltage like MarcVenice suggested and also up the GPU fan speed. If that doesn't work I'll lean on TD as much as possible. Why can't things just work?

 

[apoppin]

if you got it two days ago, RMA it thru TigerDirect ... tell then you need a replacement

http://www.tigerdirect.com/sec...outus/legal.asp#return

Every third party product you buy from TigerDirect.com is backed first by the product manufacturer's warranty. TigerDirect.com's 30 day limited warranty against defects, may also apply. TigerDirect.com's 30 day limited warranty is a defective exchange policy that provides for either repair or replacement (at our sole discretion) of merchandise that has been confirmed as defective by either the manufacturer or TigerDirect.com. Leased merchandise is not eligible for this warranty. Due to licensing and copyright laws, we do not accept returns on software once a package has been opened. Defective software will be exchanged for the same title only according to TigerDirect.com's limited 30 day warranty described above. Hardware confirmed as defective by the product manufacturer or TigerDirect.com will either be exchanged or repaired at our sole discretion within the first 30 days of ownership only. After 30 days the product manufacturer warranty is the only warranty in effect. Terms and conditions may vary by product or manufacturer. TigerDirect.com will assist customers whenever possible in gaining satisfaction with product manufacturers. For assistance or to exchange a defective product please call 800-800-8300. Products returned for exchange must be in new condition, original packaging and include all disks, registration cards, packing materials and other accessories and be received within 30 days of the invoice date. We reserve the right to refuse for return or charge a restocking fee for damaged or incomplete returns. No returns will be accepted without an RA number issued by TigerDirect.com or when the product manufactures or distributors return policies supersede ours.

*insist* ... be polite ... but it is your right!

and let us know what happens

 

[TheKub]

Have you ran the old card with the new PS and the clean OS install??

 

[Chromatik]

Originally posted by: apoppin
if you got it two days ago, RMA it thru TigerDirect ... tell then you need a replacement

*insist* ... be polite ... but it is your right!

and let us know what happens

Will do. Just sucks that it has to be this way

Originally posted by: TheKub
Have you ran the old card with the new PS and the clean OS install??

Yeah, it ran fine. The only difference I can figure is that the 6600GT doesn't require any external power connectors where the 8800 requires the two PCIe connectors