If you're in the market for an X1900, get a PowerColor for lifetime warranty.

[5150Joker]

PowerColor is now offering lifetime warranty for their cards so if you don't want to deal with a BBA card that only has a 1 yr warranty, get this as an alternative.

Link: http://www.powercolor.com/news_lifetime_warranty.htm

This was much needed since one of the best things about buying an nVidia card is that vendors like BFG and eVGA have lifetime warranty.

 

[Avalon]

This was a much needed move. Let's hope we can see other ATI brands start to offer similar warranties as well. Good stuff.

:thumbsup:

 

[larciel]

are these 'lifetime' as in forever? or lifetime of a product cycle?

I've seen PNY pull a 'lifetime' warranty trick on their video card . *they told me it was 'lifetime of a product' . if your video card has passed certain point, it's out of warranty by them.

 

[itrfuzzylogic]

That's basically the reason I spent $500 on a X1900XT, .

 

[5150Joker]

Originally posted by: larciel
are these 'lifetime' as in forever? or lifetime of a product cycle?

I've seen PNY pull a 'lifetime' warranty trick on their video card . *they told me it was 'lifetime of a product' . if your video card has passed certain point, it's out of warranty by them.

Good question, here's what it says on their page:

For our retail Graphics Card products purchased on or after January, 24, 2006, PowerColor will provide a lifetime warranty to the original purchaser of each retail product that the product will not suffer, in material or workmanship, from any defect that adversely affects the performance of the product. This lifetime warranty is valid for the life of the retail product, as so long as the original purchaser owns the product, based upon the following conditions:

* PC Lifetime Warranty applies to all X1900 series retail Graphics Card
* Product must be with no physical damage to the PCB, GPU/chipset, or components
* Product must in retail package and have been registered with PowerColor.
* Offer is only valid in the USA and Canada .

So I'm guessing the bolded part means it's as long as the original owner has the card.

 

[akugami]

It could mean the retail life of the product...

 

[nib95]

This still sucks for me, as the warranty is only applicable to the US and Canada.

 

[Auric]

Originally posted by: akugami
It could mean the retail life of the product...

Yeah, don't base a decision on this before getting it clarified in writing from the company. Worst case is it means while the product is still available for sale and/or order in the retail channel (i.e. not discontinued). Best case is it means for the life of the company, which I expect is less than the end-user's lifetime. In any case, it is pretty much at their discretion anyway since the reason for failure would be impossible to prove in practice. Really non-moving parts either fail immediately or "never" if run within spec (assuming well designed). The fan may fail but there is no guarantee it would be replaced as it has a limited lifespan regardless of defects. Even if a claim was accepted, it surely costs the user shipping and perhaps even a service fee -which as time goes on becomes a larger percentage of the replacement value of the card. In short, you are better getting the lowest price possible to begin with and perhaps using a credit card to buy it which includes some purchase protection to extend the warranty.

 

[Aries64]

Originally posted by: Avalon
This was a much needed move. Let's hope we can see other ATI brands start to offer similar warranties as well. Good stuff.

:thumbsup:

VisionTek has always offered a Limited Lifetime Warranty for their top-shelf ATI-based videocards. Typically, a LLW covers defects in materials and workmanship as long as the original purchaser owns it. Documentation proving this is usually required.

However, paraphrasing VisionTek's LLW:

"VisionTek Products LLC, (?VisionTek?) is pleased to warrant to you, the original purchaser of the hardware products included in this package (?Products?), that the products of its manufacture will be free from defects in material or workmanship for the lifetime of the product when given normal and proper usage; provided that the products:

* Were not damaged while being installed
* Were not damaged by software or hardware by someone other than VisionTek or by motherboard incompatibility/design
* Were operated in accordance with VisionTek specifications, instructions or any tech support directions
* Were not damaged by tampering, user error, disaster, misuse, abuse, power supply, power application, alteration, repair, modification, a fix or replacement by someone other than VisionTek."

So, here we also find the ambiguity of "the lifetime of the product" verbage. Again, rather open to interpretation, eh? "When given normal and proper usage" does not specifically state but obviously alludes to overclocking voiding the warranty. Here is a link to VisionTek's LLW:

http://www.visiontek.com/

 

[prozac26]

It's good to see that. With Lifetime warranties, more people will buy it without hesitation.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: 5150Joker

Originally posted by: larciel
are these 'lifetime' as in forever? or lifetime of a product cycle?

I've seen PNY pull a 'lifetime' warranty trick on their video card . *they told me it was 'lifetime of a product' . if your video card has passed certain point, it's out of warranty by them.

Good question, here's what it says on their page:

For our retail Graphics Card products purchased on or after January, 24, 2006, PowerColor will provide a lifetime warranty to the original purchaser of each retail product that the product will not suffer, in material or workmanship, from any defect that adversely affects the performance of the product. This lifetime warranty is valid for the life of the retail product, as so long as the original purchaser owns the product, based upon the following conditions:

* PC Lifetime Warranty applies to all X1900 series retail Graphics Card
* Product must be with no physical damage to the PCB, GPU/chipset, or components
* Product must in retail package and have been registered with PowerColor.
* Offer is only valid in the USA and Canada .

So I'm guessing the bolded part means it's as long as the original owner has the card.

or maybe the original owner clause is a restriction on the 'valid for the life of the retail product' clause, so that both have to be true.

this thing looks like it has more holes than swiss cheese.

CFO to CEO: doesn't look like we're going to make our quarterlies
CEO: what can we do?
CFO: well we do have all those warranty liabilities...
CEO: guess it's time to declare the end of the retail life of the product

 

[Piuc2020]

What is it with nvidia partners having not only lifetime warranties but double lifetime warranties and even warranties that cover overclocking?

What is the deal with that?

 

[mooncancook]

too late for me as i bought a BBA. but from exp if a card works during the first day then it wound't fail in years... provided you don't do something stupid. nevertheless bad move for ATI and definately something to look out for the next time around.

 

[Zebo]

This lifetime warranty is valid for the life of the retail product,

Sounds like a one year warranty to me tops.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Piuc2020
What is it with nvidia partners having not only lifetime warranties but double lifetime warranties and even warranties that cover overclocking?

What is the deal with that?

i believe xfx has the double, which basically warrants not only the original purchaser but also whoever buys from the original purchaser, as long as they're each registered with xfx. that makes the xfx very attractive to someone who buys the latest stuff and then resells. but it also has the 'product lifetime' language in it, which they don't define.

the evga warranty purportedly applies as long as there is no physical damage to the pcb, gpu, etc. but technically overclocking an burning out the chip might be physical damage. so who knows.

none of these warranties are written with any particularity as to what exactly is and is not covered and exactly what determines a 'product lifetime'.

bfg at least tells you exactly how long the warranty is without doubt.

now, last warranty thread i got flamed for not emailing the companies and asking specifics. turns out someone on another board emailed and got a vague answer about the lifetime being for a while.
link to the other board

eVGA's RESPONSE
The lifetime warranty applies to the lifetime of the card, and the lifetime of that card won't be ending anytime soon. There will be an end of life notice posted when that time comes. That will probably be years down the road.

XFX has responded to my inquiry. They said:

"The lifetime warranty covers for the life of the card. Using your example, if the video card goes out of production, it will be replaced with another comparable card.

Sincerely,
XFX Technical Support

 

[Zebo]

So what's BFG's?

I would think they all have an out . Basically if they don't want to warranty product they won't - they can always claim PSU, Software imcompatability, overclocking etc. You could sue them and of course they'd pay up rather than show up for $500 measley dollars. Ah hell I invalidate my warranties day I get them - so do most of you - so we should'nt even be worried about it. _ it's "as is."

 

[Fistandantilis]

Does it matter where you buy the card from, does OEM or retail make a difference?

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Fistandantilis
Does it matter where you buy the card from, does OEM or retail make a difference?

often OEM means that the warranty is only good through the reseller. retail the warranty is from the manufacturer. this isn't always the case. in particular, western digital OEM hard drives have a 3 year warranty from WD, while their retail drives have only a 1 year warranty.

 

[Washoe]

Regarding PowerColor's Lifetime Warranty, I noticed the following on their Lifetime Warranty Description page:

Product will be upgraded or distributed on a first come first serve basis at the sole discretion of PowerColor if products had been phased out or have limited availability for the PC Lifetime Warranty Program.

Is this a way of calling the warranty 'lifetime of the product' like what larciel suggested?

 

[orangat]

It sounds a little ambiguous. I'd call or email Powercolor before buying one.

Why hasn't ATI got the same manufacturers as Nvidia? I'd like to see ATI cards from Gainward, BFG, EVGA etc.