risk in flashing 9800np to pro?

[apac]

So after RMAing my gf4 ti4200 to newegg 3 times in 9 months (different problems with each one) they finally are out of stock and changed it to a refund. So now I've got 150 and figure its worth an extra 100 to upgrade to a sapphire 9800np from newegg.

So, now I've been reading a lot about flashing the BIOS to pro speeds, I'm always interested in tweaking my components for the hell of it . But just to be sure it's not a 50/50 chance of destroying the card, since I'm cursed with this stuff, how much risk is there in flashing?


My next question will be how to do it, so if anyone could provide a link, I'd appreciate it. I've already looked through ~10 pages on rage3d.com forums and haven't found a clear guide.

 

[ICMAN]

search the topic

 

[Regs]

If you have returned 3 separate Geforce's to newegg then I doubt any video card would work on your system.

 

[SickBeast]

i don't think you should try it. it is more than likely that the memory is rated for different speeds on each card. just overclock the core to pro speeds, and run the memory at whatever speed it is rated for.

 

[Viper96720]

These newer cards are more than fst enough at stock speeds. Why risk it since the video card don't throttle down if they overheat.

 

[nRollo]

You should probably just keep on destroying video cards and wasting other people's time and money. Who cares? If those chumps will take them back, you might as well break them. Maybe someday you'll hit on the magic tweak that will give you all the free performance you so richly deserve.

 

[apac]

WTF?

Ok, I didn't even know this thread was still alive. Here's the deal with my old video cards. This is directed at Regs and Rollo, who apparantly like to judge people as inherently bad.

When I built my system I bought a Chaintech 128mb GF4 Ti4200 to go with it. I never overclocked it. Right off the bat it had a problem of checkerboarding (I think is the term) like the similar Gainward models when running high resolution games. But the problem was intermittent and I didn't want to go without a computer for 3 weeks, so I ignored it. Finally around January I got sick of it and RMAed it.

The second one I got simply wouldn't work, for some unknown reason. I RMAed that one immediately. Finally I got the 3rd one, and it worked fine for about a week. At some point, although it worked to begin with, the fan shut off and apparantly the graphics chipset fried. I RMAed this one and they must have run out of stock, and therefore changed it to a refund.

Now that you have the facts, you can shut your holes unless you're giving me advice.



Thanks to those who gave me some advice. I may not touch it at all, I just wanted to know what the risks involved were.

 

[nRollo]

Now that you have the facts, you can shut your holes unless you're giving me advice.

My advice is that you have a professional check out your computer. The odds you got 3 defective video cards in a row are pretty slim.
How do I know this amazing knowledge?
I've installed about a 100 video cards and never had a defective one, for that matter, I can't remember ever getting one at the box shop I used to work at either.
I think you should play the lottery and hit some more longshots if this really happened and the fault was in the 3 consecutive vid cards.

<shuts hole and goes to bed>

 

[apac]

Sorry for being rash, it was late and I got really pissed when people started accusing me of wrongdoing when I've been dealing with these problems for so long.

Trust me, it's my luck. If you want to know I'm cursed with this sort of thing, when I built the computer I got a defective motherboard the first time and when I sent back the mobo and proc, I got a defective processor the second time.

I've come to the conclusion that chaintech just isn't a very reliable company.

Oh, and the fact that each problem was different implies that it's a problem with the card and not with my computer.

 

[rbV5]

Wow, relay a little personal story, and get flammed, LOL! Personally, I'd wait untill I've installed the card and run it before I start fiddling with it, and maybe there's a reason you can't get a clear method in 10 pages at Rage. That said, I've flashed my video cards, ide controller cards, and motherboards (even had a bad flash on my first NF2 ASUS board). Its your stuff, you know the risks.

 

[DieHardware]

Originally posted by: apac
Sorry for being rash, it was late and I got really pissed when people started accusing me of wrongdoing when I've been dealing with these problems for so long.

Trust me, it's my luck. If you want to know I'm cursed with this sort of thing, when I built the computer I got a defective motherboard the first time and when I sent back the mobo and proc, I got a defective processor the second time.

I've come to the conclusion that chaintech just isn't a very reliable company.

Oh, and the fact that each problem was different implies that it's a problem with the card and not with my computer.

More like bad luck for the vendor that has to deal with you.

I mean come on, three video cards? Two CPUs? And a bad motherboard?
apac think ESD. Say it with me E...S...D.....E...S...D........E S D !

 

[Regs]

Sorry for being rash, it was late and I got really pissed when people started accusing me of wrongdoing when I've been dealing with these problems for so long.

Cool your jets, lol. Im just saying you might have something else wrong other than bad luck with graphic cards!

 

[apac]

Lol, the distributor was newegg. Oh well, their customer service makes up for the bad parts. It was only 1 processor, by the way, but since the computer wouldn't post at all I couldn't be sure which one was the problem, so I sent back both.

I'm cursed. Last summer my parents went away for 5 days (I was 17) and I had planned to relax after working for the first 2 days. Well, on the third day I woke up to a nice river running down my driveway. It seems the water line on MY property broke, which meant I had no water for the last 3 days of my freedom and we had to pay about $2000 to replace it. Of course, this had to happen at the one time I cared about needing it.

Don't talk to me about bad luck I've got more stories than you can imagine.

 

[nRollo]

Diehardware:

Say it with me E...S...D.....E...S...D........E S D !

Are you saying Apac should wait till AFTER his installations for his electroshock therapy?!

I'm with you, tough to be Apac's vendor. You might recommend your competitors to him.

Apac, you should probably get your installations and upgrades done by techs at a store that sells the stuff.

 

[apac]

lol this was the second computer I built, so it's not like I'm a clueless idiot when it comes to building/upgrading. Ironically enough, the first computer went without a hitch. Too bad that one was for a friend hehe.

You guys are no help

 

[WobbleWobble]

My advice is that you have a professional check out your computer. The odds you got 3 defective video cards in a row are pretty slim.
How do I know this amazing knowledge?
I've installed about a 100 video cards and never had a defective one, for that matter, I can't remember ever getting one at the box shop I used to work at either.
I think you should play the lottery and hit some more longshots if this really happened and the fault was in the 3 consecutive vid cards.

<shuts hole and goes to bed>

I've had 2 bad video cards in a row (ATI Radeon 9500 Pro). One had scan lines, even on the BIOS screens and the other wouldn't boot. It worked on some machines and it didn't work on others (where as the first one booted on all motherboards I tried). Both were tried on different computers with different monitors. The third card works flawlessly, even in the computers where the 2nd card wouldn't let it boot.

Things happen and it's not always the user's/builder's fault. You guys should give Apac a break.

 

[rickon66]

Strange thing happen sometimes.