problems (artifacts) w/ brand new PNY 6800gt

[PreemO]

just installed a pny 6800gt less than a week ago, but first thing i noticed when running some benchmarks were hints of green 'snowflake' artifacts. it didn't show up oddly on another benchmark, so i didn't think much of it. now after installing and playing NFSU:2 i get artificats almost regularly as well as erratic jagged polygons, almost always leading to my system to freeze, then reboot itself. needless to say, i've been reading around the feedback of owners of PNY 6800gt cards and apparently their card isn't exactly good workmanship. which causes me to wonder, is should i RMA and get another PNY card which may in the fail on me in the future? or RMA it, then ebay it, hopefully getting either an eVA or BFG 6800gt instead? any input or help would be much appreciated

sytem specs:
p4 2.8c
512 PC 3200 DDR
ABIT IC7
Antec TrueBlue 480W PSU

NOTHING is OC'ed, both the GPU and CPU

 

[df96817]

What kinda temps you getting, idle and under load?

 

[PreemO]

idle: 51
load: max is 72, this is when running RTHDRIBL, but quickly exiting out of a game, i've never gotten more than 62

 

[Chudilo]

RETURN the Piece of crap PNY AS SOON AS YOU CAN!

I had multiple problems with their cards 4400TI originally died after about 3 months of usage .. no overclocking or anything. I had the little green dots everywhere then 3d objects started messing up and monitor started turning off periodically
.. after 2 weeks of struggling with their tech support, they sent me a replacement for the card a 5600FX..
I though ough great a free upgrade.. ... WRONG. Slower card .. died about 2 months after(no overclocking or anything, card running at normal temperatures, in an ASUS motherboard).. got a third replacement (and upgraded my system) System would not boot with the card in it.. Any other card boots fine.. PNY ..no way. REquested replacement with a different card.. Even though the request had Plese send a 4400 they have sent a 5600 twice in a row... I got fed up because my new rig was not working for almost 2 months... so I sold the freaking thing on EBay and gotten myself a 6800 from a respectable manufacturer.. no problems ever since.

 

[ScrewFace]

I agree. Send it back and go with MSI. I had a MSI GeForce4-Ti4400 AGP 4x and it served me well for over a year overclocked to 330/325. MSI all the way!

 

[Killrose]

Make sure you have the latest chipset drivers for your motherboard. I had some polygon problems when using AA/AF and as soon as I up-graded my chipset drivers, they were gone and I got a huge increase in peformance.

I went from a 9700pro with no problems to a 6800 with problems, and as soon as I up-dated my nForce2 chipset drivers, the artifacts dissapeared.

 

[Chudilo]

Polygon problems maybe.. not the little colored dots.. that means the Memory is fried... RETURN IT ASAP!! Go with a respectable manufacturer.

 

[JBT]

My PNY has been great. Runs 420/1140 no problem. They have 3 year warrenty's now insteadoof their crappy lifetime thing they had before. So far its been great. Of course I probably would have with a different manufacturer but I got my card on that 30% mistake at CompUSA when the cards were first released. $301 shipped and got it back in July hehe w00t.

 

[PreemO]

well good news. i called tech support the other day, and received a call bright and early this morning. Updated chipest drivers, and redid some voltage settings for AGP slot (1.55 to 1.5) as well as some other bios settings for my ABIT IC7 mobo. also found out my AGP aperture was set at 128mb, DOH! everythings works perfectly, no artifacts yet...which is good considering i just got NFSU:2 and it would crap its way out after 5 mins of gaming

 

[Chudilo]

Just you wait and see, I was initially able to get rid of the artifacts too by setting the AGP speed back to 4x.. I give it 2-3 months until you start seeng them again .. And guess what? it won't be so easy this time around.