FUBAR Video card?

[SlitheryDee]

I had a problem with my computer yesterday which required me to clear my CMOS by removing the battery from my motherboard. To get to the battery I was forced to take out my video card. My video card HSF (XFX Geforce 6600GT AGP) has two pins attached to opposite corners which hold it down against the GPU die. If you were to apply pressure to one of the corners which do not have pins, then you'd find that the HSF is free to rock back and forth along this axis. This is what I inadvertently did while pulling my card from it's slot.

I noticed the movement and was concerned that I might have compromised the effectiveness of the thermal paste between the HSF and GPU. I removed the pins, cleaned both parts with 91% isopropyl alcohol, and smeared on some Antec Formula 5 Silver Thermal Compound (following Antec's instructions for CPUs).



After I reinstalled the card I found that I couldn't run any 3D applications (benchmarks, games, whatever) for more than 30 seconds or so before the computer would crash to a black screen, forcing me to do a hard reboot.

Sounded like a heat issue initially and I wondered if maybe I had applied so much thermal paste that it was acting as an insulator instead of it's intended function.

Does this look like too much?

After cleaning the die a second time I noticed that 2 of the corners appear slightly chipped. I believe that this happened when I removed the card from the computer.

Angle shot of GPU

Overhead shot

The chips are clearly visible in the pics.

My questions are:

Do the chips look like enough to kill the card?

Could it possibly be overheating due to a shoddy thermal pasting job? (obviously I'm hoping for this one)

All input would be appreciated.

Clean heatsink with chip marks



Update:

I took the suggestions of several people and reduced the amount of thermal paste that I used.

Before spreading

After spreading

The problems still persists, thus I think that I have effectively killed this card. I see no reason to look into advanced cooling solutions because there is no guarantee that they will solve the problem. I have received an RMA number from XFX and will be sending the card back. If they find that I have voided my warranty with my incessant tinkering then I will have the option to pay them to repair the card. Depending on the price, that may not be a bad option.

Anyways, thanks for all the help guys. I really appreciate it.

 

[CheesePoofs]

That looks like a bit too much thermal paste to me. You want a paper thing, almost see-through layer.

Those chips don't look good, but I have no idea what type of chip is needed to kill a card. I'd assume that if you can get 2d adn 3d graphics working at all (even for 30 seconds) then they shouldn't be too bad.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Also when I underclock the card to 300mhz core it seems to be able to run 3d apps without crashing.

Once again it sounds like a heat issue, but my temps in windows at stock clock speeds seem lower than before (mid to high 40s instead of low 50s). Of course I find myself unable to measure load temps because I can't put the damned thing under load without crashing.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Thanks for the input CheesePoofs. I'm not using the card right now (had to remove it for the pics), but I'll try an ultra-thin layer of paste next.

Anyone else have an idea?

 

[MDE]

That paste job should be fine, I'd rather have a bit too much than too little.

 

[Matt2]

If you underclock it and it works, I say definately a heat issue.

If the chips were sufficient to damnage the GPU, I don't see why it work underclocked but not stocl, I don't see how it would work at all.

 

[sharkeeper]

How is the heatsink attached to the gpu/card?

If the attachment is not secure the slightest gap will cause hotspots.

The core is chipped! Ugh! That is not good. (ok enough already I'm sure you know this!) HOWEVER usually if the chips on the core are damaging the whole thing is trashed. It looks like this is not the case. Make SURE the heatsink is securely affixed to the card and no gaps are present between the heatsink and gpu core. Use a bright light to check this.

You can look at the temps in the display properties as well. 60C is typical idle with 85C and up loaded (3D). Those are 6800U temps btw from what I recall.

 

[Bushman5]

that paste wasnt done properly id maby use a razor and smear it also why does the paste print on the HS look trwisted

 

[rise]

looks like a bit too much paste. i had an agp 6600gt with the reference cooler like that, i hated it. try using washers, one each side and paper/vinyl, whatever of course, to try to draw it tighter if you think its rocking too much.

that said, i remember a kid at dfi.street chipped his nv chipset a bit and it was rma time. he couldn't get a stable clock again.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Originally posted by: sharkeeper
How is the heatsink attached to the gpu/card?

If the attachment is not secure the slightest gap will cause hotspots.

The core is chipped! Ugh! That is not good. (ok enough already I'm sure you know this!) HOWEVER usually if the chips on the core are damaging the whole thing is trashed. It looks like this is not the case. Make SURE the heatsink is securely affixed to the card and no gaps are present between the heatsink and gpu core. Use a bright light to check this.

You can look at the temps in the display properties as well. 60C is typical idle with 85C and up loaded (3D). Those are 6800U temps btw from what I recall.

The heatsink is attached by 2 rather flimsy-looking plastic pins with springs to keep tension. I may look into replacing them if I can find some better ones.

Heatsink

You can see the black pins on opposite corners which are to be pushed through 2 holes in the PCB and lock the HSF into place. Also notice the 2 marks on the copper plate which correspond to the chips on the die.

 

[tenub]

A much to much thermal grease.

 

[NokiaDude]

First off, you put waaayy to much thermal grease. The heatsink already makes good contect with the core, thermal grease is there to fill the microscopic imperfections. Second, you chips a side of the core, which effectly has turned the card into trash.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Originally posted by: NokiaDude
First off, you put waaayy to much thermal grease. The heatsink already makes good contect with the core, thermal grease is there to fill the microscopic imperfections. Second, you chips a side of the core, which effectly has turned the card into trash.

One vote for FUBAR then?

 

[Matt2]

if the card is still under warranty, just RMA it. Better safe than sorry.

 

[ericlala]

just try again with paste the size of 1/4 of a piece of rice, otherwise, rma.

 

[TSCrv]

Originally posted by: MDE
That paste job should be fine, I'd rather have a bit too much than too little.

no no no,... for optimal performance thermal pate should only be ONLY 15 or so molecules thick... thats visable but jsut barely

all i can say is that u lucked out buddy... i chipped and old socket A like that and it died...


my suggestion is make it look like it came from the factory, (aka apply grease perfectly) and RMA THAT SUCKER!!! once you chip something and bend the very soft copper face (and sometimes aluminum) of the heatsink your pretty much screwed, if you cant RMA it you have a few choices, one being a new heatsink, and another to try repairing it and having a very high possibility of screwing it up more....

my suggestion, a new razor is sharp enough that you can slide across the HS to cut off any portruding imperfections that were created when the chip happened...... (only do if you cant RMA)

if all else fails send it to some1 that has a lot of experience with modding cards, hardware wise it is. and has a lot of experience with solving heat problems

GL buddy, (this is y i never liked socket As)

 

[SlitheryDee]

I took the suggestions of several people and reduced the amount of thermal paste that I used.

Before spreading

After spreading

The problems still persists, thus I think that I have effectively killed this card. I see no reason to look into advanced cooling solutions because there is no guarantee that they will solve the problem. I have received an RMA number from XFX and will be sending the card back. If they find that I have voided my warranty with my incessant tinkering then I will have the option to pay them to repair the card. Depending on the price, that may not be a bad option.

Anyways, thanks for all the help guys. I really appreciate it.

 

[Sforsyth]

Originally posted by: SlitheryDee
I took the suggestions of several people and reduced the amount of thermal paste that I used.

Before spreading

After spreading

The problems still persists, thus I think that I have effectively killed this card. I see no reason to look into advanced cooling solutions because there is no guarantee that they will solve the problem. I have received an RMA number from XFX and will be sending the card back. If they find that I have voided my warranty with my incessant tinkering then I will have the option to pay them to repair the card. Depending on the price, that may not be a bad option.

wait a minute tHAT IS THE SAME PICTURE !

Anyways, thanks for all the help guys. I really appreciate it.

some one siad 1/4 of the size of a grain of rice, that picture looks like the first one you took, seems to me from what other people are saying that it's still to much

 

[SlitheryDee]

Originally posted by: Sforsyth

Originally posted by: SlitheryDee
I took the suggestions of several people and reduced the amount of thermal paste that I used.

Before spreading

After spreading

The problems still persists, thus I think that I have effectively killed this card. I see no reason to look into advanced cooling solutions because there is no guarantee that they will solve the problem. I have received an RMA number from XFX and will be sending the card back. If they find that I have voided my warranty with my incessant tinkering then I will have the option to pay them to repair the card. Depending on the price, that may not be a bad option.

wait a minute tHAT IS THE SAME PICTURE !

Anyways, thanks for all the help guys. I really appreciate it.

some one siad 1/4 of the size of a grain of rice, that picture looks like the first one you took, seems to me from what other people are saying that it's still to much

It's less than it looks like. I remembered that suggestion and actually used a grain of rice for a rough comparison. After I spread it out I could literally see the nvidia logo through it although it didn't show in the picture.

 

[DanDaMan315]

What a good movie.

 

[Powermoloch]

Just rma it as soon as possible...while you have the chance =/