Fails Journey; lifetime warranty XFX GPU issues solved

[Failhorse]

<Update below>


Three years ago i bought a new computer. Put it together myself, and life moved forward in 200fps glory.
Then like everything else. The years passed and I reentered shit FPS realm.

Computers get older. Dust finds it's way into every nook and cranny. Hardware slowly fails. You know normal stuff.
Never in my life have I ever tried to recoup a lifetime warranty on a random piece of hardware. But looking at computer hardware today, I see know point in really upgrading.
It's a waste of money. Especially considering November will bring dramatic price drops, and I'd be throwing cash down a well.
Where I sit, I need a totally new box anyway. I-5 lynnfield. 12 GB of ddr3 ram but a Mobo that lied about being able to handle it. I could go on.
Moving to next gen stuff, isn't all that expensive, and i'd love to have a ssd. (without having to justify transfering all the data, reinstalling windows, and finding all the product codes for the random shit i own.)

But i bought this little guy for 199 bucks 2009 black friday.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814150447

At the time it was either in the top of the 3 tier of cards, or the bottom of the 2nd. Not cheap, but not the most expensive. Also had dx11 which was really just starting to come out.
OK anyway.

I've never really registered stuff correctly for warranties and whatnot. When I bought the stuff to make this computer I did. Shocker. Registered online in a timely manner. Kept all receipts, boxes, even the shrink wrap they came in. Wasn't chancing this. Never really shelled out money for computer gear before I always had a friend who got me stuff by doing some things.

Moving on again.

My video card currently sits idle at 75c. A far cry from the 40 it should be. I have no obstructions, no dust, no crap in the way. My CPU is sitting at 40. And I never had my comp shut down for no reason before. I throw an airflow meter at the ins and outs of the GPU (it's in one of those shitty plastic cases.) To my surprise I'm getting 33CFU (cubic feet a minute) Says normal is about 60. So i jack the speed to 90% of whatever... 33CFU. Better yet, temp goes up by 9 degrees. Fan speed faster, heats up video card.

So I did my do diligence. Probably went a bit farther than most people. What normal person has an airflow meter?

Hit the XFX website and put in a ticket. We'll see what happens. It has a lifetime warranty on parts and labor. I know exactly what is wrong with the damn thing. ( Less it being new gel or anything that requires opening the plastic case. After all that would void the warranty. And probably be a really simple fix. But they want you to open the damn thing just so it gets voided.)

But if you ever wondered whether those lifetime warranty claims are valid. Watch this thread. I will update ASAP.

[Hatred]

alright you peaked my interest ... keep me informed ... i know companies will fight tooth and nail not to send you your 5$ lulz

[Rologton]

I have no idea what 90% of the shit you said means, but I admit to being very curious...

[Saber]

Well it got discontinued somehow so it can't be that good.
Right?

[Failhorse]

I am shocked. In a good way. I generally don't fare well waiting on people. Especially with electronic communication. In my work life, everything is phone or Skype. Shit needs to get done. I still had a work related matter that required a functioning video card. Big meeting coming up and something I needed to render in Premier Pro.

About an hour after putting in the support ticket I decided to just call. Opening the case would most likely solve my problem. But doing so would void the warranty. So I called. WIthin 30 seconds I spoke to a human being. Moreover, I spoke to an American. I explained all from my first post. Assumed the heat sink gel was probably cashed. Why waste time and money on shipping and waiting.... Customer service said to go ahead and open it. They even explained the known issues with the card and possible solutions of replacing the fan and heat sink. Finished the call and got to work.

Upon opening


Not only was the gel caked. But whomever assembled it tightened the heatsink down hard. So hard, in fact, all the gel oozed out the edges. Can't really tell from the picture but 85% of the chip itself had no sign of gel on it.

Threw some new gel on it. Gently tightened. Reassemble. Run a few programs, peaking at 65c.

The moral of the story. Register you products within 30 days. Also, pick companies with true customer support. XFX was amazing. I didn't have my serial number handy. No problem. I didn't have half my profile on their site filled. No problem. I impatiently called after an hour with a support ticket... No fucking problem. A real person, quickly, answering questions. Who does this anymore? Who has customer service in the US?

[Repoman]

I am shocked. In a good way. I generally don't fare well waiting on people. Especially with electronic communication. In my work life, everything is phone or Skype. Shit needs to get done. I still had a work related matter that required a functioning video card. Big meeting coming up and something I needed to render in Premier Pro.

About an hour after putting in the support ticket I decided to just call. Opening the case would most likely solve my problem. But doing so would void the warranty. So I called. WIthin 30 seconds I spoke to a human being. Moreover, I spoke to an American. I explained all from my first post. Assumed the heat sink gel was probably cashed. Why waste time and money on shipping and waiting.... Customer service said to go ahead and open it. They even explained the known issues with the card and possible solutions of replacing the fan and heat sink. Finished the call and got to work.

Upon opening


Not only was the gel caked. But whomever assembled it tightened the heatsink down hard. So hard, in fact, all the gel oozed out the edges. Can't really tell from the picture but 85% of the chip itself had no sign of gel on it.

Threw some new gel on it. Gently tightened. Reassemble. Run a few programs, peaking at 65c.

The moral of the story. Register you products within 30 days. Also, pick companies with true customer support. XFX was amazing. I didn't have my serial number handy. No problem. I didn't have half my profile on their site filled. No problem. I impatiently called after an hour with a support ticket... No fucking problem. A real person, quickly, answering questions. Who does this anymore? Who has customer service in the US?

My credit union has customer service in the USA. o.o

[VoltySquirrel]

Sounds like a company that know how to treat it's customers. Cool.