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Sarge
Title: The Self-Titler
Joined: Aug 14 2010
Posts: 598
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My Radeon 6870 tried to catch on fire this weekend. Like a jackass, I tried to just move it over a slot, and it did the same thing. I'm hoping somebody with a bit of hardware knowledge can help me out.
Where the card goes into the motherboard, there is a long set of pins and a short set of pins. I'm assuming the short set is for power, because that is where it started to melt. I think I see a diode there too.
I just want to get my computer up and running. I'm hoping to find some sort of $50-75 solution, maybe a Radeon 6600 series. If anyone has a recommendation or anything else really, let me know. I'm also wondering if those slots on the motherboard are toast or not. I do have one more open, but I'm still curious.
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GPFontaine
Joined: Dec 06 2007
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 11244
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Melting is bad. I suggest you definitely do not use that card any longer.
You want to replace a 6870 with a 6600 series card?
Why?
First up. If you just want the system to run, you can get a cheaper card for $20-$30. If you want to play games, a 6870 is a mid to high end card. Why drop down to a budget card?
Also, a 6870 should be under warranty right? What brand? How old?
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Sarge
Title: The Self-Titler
Joined: Aug 14 2010
Posts: 598
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| GPFontaine wrote: |
First up. If you just want the system to run, you can get a cheaper card for $20-$30. If you want to play games, a 6870 is a mid to high end card. Why drop down to a budget card?
Also, a 6870 should be under warranty right? What brand? How old? |
My 6870 is XFX, just about 18 months old. I got it through Ibuypower, and didn't get any extra coverage. I'd like to have a halfway decent card so that I can keep games running, but I can probably hold out until I get a new system in 6 months or so. As long as I can run games like Skyrim or Dead Space 2, I'll be just fine. What are these $20 alternatives? And I'm assuming they draw power from the slot? I'm not a pro at this, I just have a sort of idea of what is going on inside my computer.
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Beach Bum
Joined: Dec 08 2010
Location: At the pants party.
Posts: 1777
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Personally if I was replacing it I'd stick with the same series just to prevent any possible, however unlikely, settings/driver issues. I have to imagine if you went with a 6600 that it could handle both those games if my 6 or 7 year old dual 512mb 3850s can manage both of them in mid to high settings in 1080p.
As to power, you'd have to check the details on the card you were buying to see if it drew power from the slot because most of them tend to require being plugged in by a cord directly to the power supply from my experience. Of course it has been 6ish years since I last bought a video card so that might have changed.
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Sarge
Title: The Self-Titler
Joined: Aug 14 2010
Posts: 598
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Bump. What are these super-cheap replacements?
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Hacker
Banned
Joined: Sep 13 2008
Posts: 3129
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GPFontaine
Joined: Dec 06 2007
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 11244
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| Sarge wrote: |
| GPFontaine wrote: |
First up. If you just want the system to run, you can get a cheaper card for $20-$30. If you want to play games, a 6870 is a mid to high end card. Why drop down to a budget card?
Also, a 6870 should be under warranty right? What brand? How old? |
My 6870 is XFX, just about 18 months old. I got it through Ibuypower, and didn't get any extra coverage. I'd like to have a halfway decent card so that I can keep games running, but I can probably hold out until I get a new system in 6 months or so. As long as I can run games like Skyrim or Dead Space 2, I'll be just fine. What are these $20 alternatives? And I'm assuming they draw power from the slot? I'm not a pro at this, I just have a sort of idea of what is going on inside my computer. |
http://xfxforce.com/en-us/help/support.aspx
You have 2 years of warranty. Contact XFX and get that replaced.
| Quote: |
| During the duration of the limited hardware warranty, XFX or its authorized representative will repair any XFX-branded hardware products returned to us that prove to be defective in materials or workmanship. If XFX or its authorized representative is not able to repair the product, we will replace it with a comparable product that is new or refurbished. |
They will not cover an electrical problem caused by your electric lines, but they will cover manufacturer's defect. So if it failed to handle electricity correctly that was properly delivered, it is the card's fault. If you had a surge, they won't cover it.
The $20-$30 cards are just crap cards that you can buy to get the monitor up and running. Not for gaming.
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The Opponent
Title: Forum Battle WINNER
Joined: Feb 24 2010
Location: The Danger Zone
Posts: 3495
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I would be wary of the motherboard as well since it started melting near the slot. If you can, get an expert on motherboards to check it.
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 I'm not a bad enough dude, but I am an edgy little shit. I'll do what I can. |
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GeorgeTaylor
Title: Miss Madness 99
Joined: Sep 09 2012
Posts: 225
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LeshLush
Joined: Oct 19 2009
Location: Nashville, TN
Posts: 1479
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If that was a bot, this is now my favorite spam bot of all time.
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username
Title: owner of a lonely heart
Joined: Jul 06 2007
Location: phoenix, az usa
Posts: 16127
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welcome to the boards George Taylor
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| Klimbatize wrote: |
| I'll eat a turkey sandwich while blowing my load |
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