Screwed by Sapphire Warranty

[Zim]

Just before Xmas I bought an X800GTO2, the unlockable one with an R480 GPU. That thing OC'd stable to 540/600. However, not long after, the computer got damaged in a fall. There was nothing visibly wrong with the video card but it was dead, so I RMA'd it. You may have seen my previous post here about that. Turned out that Sapphire is based in the far east and they have a company (Althon Micro) who act as an agent for them in the USA. To RMA a video card you have to send the card to these guys AND pay $15. Anyway...

So I get a replacement card back. Is it a nice red PCB with an R480 GPU? No! It's a blue PCB with a R430 GPU. This thing can barely make 450/540. The guys at Althon Micro were pretty much brain-dead when I last dealt with them and I am not looking forward to fighting it out with them. However I'm pretty sure I have a good legal case against Sapphire and I'm in a mood to push them for an exact (or better) replacement.

BTW, just for interests sake, the 3DMark05 for my original card was 6600 when fully OC'd. The replacement is 5000 when pushed to the limit. That's about 25% slower.

Fraud is not condoned here

AnandTech Moderator

 

[Cuular]

Did you get a X800GTO2 in exchange? If so, then you have no base for any legal claim.

There is no implied overclocking ceiling or floor. If it runs at the speed that the X800GTO2 spec states, then you are pretty much out of luck.

 

[imhungry]

Does this one unlock at least?

 

[JBT]

Originally posted by: Cuular
Did you get a X800GTO2 in exchange? If so, then you have no base for any legal claim.

There is no implied overclocking ceiling or floor. If it runs at the speed that the X800GTO2 spec states, then you are pretty much out of luck.

agreed. Techincally you voided the warrenty anyways by OCing... Doesn't matter if OCing killed it or not.

 

[n7]

Wow.

So you voided your warranty by OCing your card, unlocking the extra pipes, & by killing the card by dropping your case.

And now you're angry they sent you a card back.

ROFL :roll:

Obviously, their warranty isn't the greatest. But you shouldn't have even RMAed in the first place.

 

[otispunkmeyer]

you RMA'd a GTO2 you got a GTO2 back......wheres the case?

oh wait, there isnt one. if you wanted a faster card you shoulda ponied up the cash and bought one

 

[mwmorph]

lol take it easy guys or it'll just turn into another geforcetony's first thread. As fro rmaing ti when it was clearly out of warranty and bitching that yuo got a slower card back, toughluck, you drove up the prices for the rest of us and now yuo want to drive it up somemore because you feel like you DESERVE a better card? I'm not even going to get into this one.

 

[TecHNooB]

Maybe you should look into one of those X1900XTs, I hear they're fast =)

 

[413xram]

GET REAL

 

[Capt Caveman]

Good legal case? Not after one of us forward's this thread to Althon Micro and Sapphire. Case closed.

 

[remagavon]

I don't think manufacturer's warranties cover components damaged by physical force.

 

[Keysplayr]

Zim, I don't know what your thinking that you believe the world is owed to you after you o/c the crap out of the card first of all, then physically damage it by dropping the PC. You should have never RMA'd that card, but since you did, you had better feel extremely lucky you have a working card at all now. Legal case my arse.

 

[Steelski]

Originally posted by: keysplayr2003
Zim, I don't know what your thinking that you believe the world is owed to you after you o/c the crap out of the card first of all, then physically damage it by dropping the PC. You should have never RMA'd that card, but since you did, you had better feel extremely lucky you have a working card at all now. Legal case my arse.

OMG...... Keys, Are you British .

but anyway, everyone is dead right. i had no case when an aftermarket cooler killed my card, you at least got a working card. sell it and get a different card if your that bothered.

 

[Zim]

Look guys, I take your points. But here are my points...

That card was originally sold with an enhanced GPU and enhanced memory. That's what the "2" in X800GTO2 was. Without those components it's basically just an X800GTO, a card that is $50 cheaper. I bought an X800GTO2 and ended up with a X800GTO.

The manufacturer supplied overclocking software with the card. It was designed to be overclocked. That was the whole point of the X800GTO2.

There was no apparent physical damage to the card, no cracks, no short outs, nothing. OK the computer was dropped, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the video card should stop working. Everything else worked fine. I had every right to RMA it.

My case is this: I bought an item which stopped working within its warranty period. I RMA'd it and received a replacement item of lesser value. The fact that both cards have the same model number is irrelevant since the manufacturer revised the specifications since I made my initial purchase.

 

[Bull Dog]

Forget the fact that you shouldn't have RMA'ed the card in the first place due to the fact that you killed it by subjecting it to extreme physical force.

You didn't receive a card of lesser value. You purchased a GTO^2 which, for all intents and purposes, is an overpriced GTO. You sent in a GTO^2 and they sent you a GTO^2 back. You have no legal case.

 

[Zim]

Originally posted by: Bull DogYou didn't receive a card of lesser value. You purchased a GTO^2 which, for all intents and purposes, is an overpriced GTO. You sent in a GTO^2 and they sent you a GTO^2 back. You have no legal case.

To be precise I originally bought an "X800GTO2 Limited Edition", and ended up with what they now call an X800GTO2. They are completely different cards.

And you are right to ignore the reason for RMA, because it's not the issue here. The story would be the same if my card had stopped working for no obvious reason.

My wife is an attorney and an arbitrator for the BBB. She says it's a no brainer. However, like any legal case, I would have to have the stamina to push it all the way.

 

[sindows]

How do you have a legal case? The GTO2 comes STOCK with 12/16 pipes and 400/980 clocks. What did you get back? A 16pipe card with 400/980 clocks. How was this card "designed" to be overclocked? You can't "design" an overclock onto silicon. Either it can go faster or it can't. Period.

 

[xtknight]

What if they ran out of limited editions?

Anyhow I think your claims are ridiculous. They never said you could overclock your card to any set level. You got back a card that performs at stock just like the other one did. And by human error at that. Consider yourself lucky. Don't bother bringing upon a lawsuit, it's a win-lose situation (for the company and you, respectively). Take that money for the lawsuit and spend it on a 7900GTX SLI setup. You will be happier in the long run.

OK the computer was dropped, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the video card should stop working. Everything else worked fine. I had every right to RMA it.

How do you know? If you knew so much about everything that could potentially damage the video card and/or GPU, why did you even RMA it? You should be smart enough to fix it yourself then. Or maybe it was just coincidence the card stopped working after it was dropped. Somehow I doubt it.

I realize you're getting flamed a lot for this incident but take a serious look in the company's perspective. Don't take it personally, but would you want to deal with a zealous customer who RMA'd something because they broke it?

 

[Bull Dog]

Originally posted by: Zim

Originally posted by: Bull DogYou didn't receive a card of lesser value. You purchased a GTO^2 which, for all intents and purposes, is an overpriced GTO. You sent in a GTO^2 and they sent you a GTO^2 back. You have no legal case.

To be precise I originally bought an "X800GTO2 Limited Edition", and ended up with what they now call an X800GTO2. They are completely different cards.

And you are right to ignore the reason for RMA, because it's not the issue here. The story would be the same if my card had stopped working for no obvious reason.

My wife is an attorney and an arbitrator for the BBB. She says it's a no brainer. However, like any legal case, I would have to have the stamina to push it all the way.

Oh? And the cooler on your Blue PCB GTO^2 doesn't say "Limited Edition"? :disgust:

Its all here for anyone to see.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102674

 

[McArra]

Nonsense... I want a 7900GTX just because I'm stupid and smashed my 7800GT throwing it from the everest :S

 

[Keysplayr]

Originally posted by: Zim
Look guys, I take your points. But here are my points...

That card was originally sold with an enhanced GPU and enhanced memory. That's what the "2" in X800GTO2 was. Without those components it's basically just an X800GTO, a card that is $50 cheaper. I bought an X800GTO2 and ended up with a X800GTO.

The manufacturer supplied overclocking software with the card. It was designed to be overclocked. That was the whole point of the X800GTO2.

There was no apparent physical damage to the card, no cracks, no short outs, nothing. OK the computer was dropped, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the video card should stop working. Everything else worked fine. I had every right to RMA it.

My case is this: I bought an item which stopped working within its warranty period. I RMA'd it and received a replacement item of lesser value. The fact that both cards have the same model number is irrelevant since the manufacturer revised the specifications since I made my initial purchase.

So you think the card would have stopped working if you did not drop the computer? If the card worked before the computer was dropped, but not after, guess what......

 

[Zim]

I feel that some of you are missing the point. Imagine this scenario...

You buy a video card specifically for overclocking because it has great components . A month later it craps out and you receive a replacement with completely different components. The card does the stock performance levels and little more. This is not a card you would ever buy.

Are you saying that you would be prepared to swallow this? "Que sera sera"?

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Zim
I feel that some of you are missing the point. Imagine this scenario...

You buy a video card specifically for overclocking

Show me where it said that in the specifications anywhere. There is no clock speed floor-ceiling range listed. It doesn't matter if it ships with overclocking software. The overclocking software is so you can see how far that chip can go. If it can't go any further, then too bad. Do you think Corsair sues Samsung every time they get UCCC chips that can't fit their speed-bin for XMS boards?

 

[sindows]

You buy a video card specifically for overclocking because it has great components . A month later it craps out and you receive a replacement with completely different components.

So if I buy a X800 PRO VIVo and managed to unlock it and overclock until I reached X800XTPE speeds and somehow the card dies because I dropped my computer...

I should rma the card back and expect to the company to A)replace the card even though I FLASHED it and OVERCLOCKED it which are both against the conditions of the warrenty and B)expect a X800XTPE in return?

:disgust:

If your wife is an attorney, please have her read the condtions for the warrenty(I'm sure shes well versed in reading legal mumbo jumbo). I'm sure she'll fine something about "no overclocking" and no "changing the bios."

 

[Zim]

Originally posted by: xtknightShow me where it said that in the specifications anywhere. There is no clock speed floor-ceiling range listed. It doesn't matter if it ships with overclocking software. The overclocking software is so you can see how far that chip can go. If it can't go any further, then too bad. Do you think Corsair sues Samsung every time they get UCCC chips that can't fit their speed-bin for XMS boards?

What if Samsung started shipping chips to Corsair where none of them reached XMS levels? Do you think Corsair would just say "oh well, no more XMS then"? No. Corsair has expectations as to the quality of the chips they buy, and if they got a batch of memory chips where none could reach XMS levels, you can bet that they would be sending at least some of them back.