Graphics Problem with my GTX280 leads to espionage thriller!

I dont know if anyone has experienced this but i had the over heating bug with my XFX GTX280. basically this causes the card to sit at around 70-75c at idle on stock fans, with fans set to 100% you can expect 60-65. you can google this and find numerous threads on the subject.

just loading crysis causes the thing to hit 105 before the opening video has even finished.

the airflow in my case is pretty good, i have a front intake, a side intake and two exhausts, all 120mm. in desperation i fitted an old 80mm to the other side of the hard drive cage, all this did was slow down the rise in temperature, it still hits 105 before you can load the level in crysis. i know these cards run hot but please dont try and tell me this is anywhere near normal.

so i have to rma the card, this is where it gets interesting......

thing is i bought this card on ebay from a guy called propellerhead100 (he has 2045 sales and a 97.8 rating) it was listed as a new card.

anyways when i'm looking at xfx returns policies (which i've heard arent too great in the uk) i come across an rma form.

ftp://www.xfxsupport.com/public/other/EU_RMA_TC.pdf

look at the bottom of the second page, powered by propellerhead support services! (propellerhead100 is the name of the ebay seller). also the address is in preston, exactly where my card came from.

more searching through the sellers comments revealed this site(by this time i'm on a mission):

http://www.videocardshop.co.uk/product.asp?prodid=GX-280N-ZDF9&gclid=CNmn_qLwrJkCFRMFZgod9S5wJA

"All our video cards are either new graphics cards or graded (refurbished) graphics cards............All the items are backed by a 12 month warranty." (taken from the about me section at the upper left hand corner of the page).

the address at the bottom of the page is the same again - caught red handed.

ok so they are selling them £5 more expensive at the online store so i was happyish. it seems that this propellerhead services deal with the UK end of xfx's customer services and as a result they sell refurbished/end of line cards. i deduce that they have a lot of GTX280s at the moment because they are clearing the lines for the 55nm GTX285.

in any case im sure if i have any arguments from 'propellerhead100' i'll just quote his own site at him and demand my (tested) replacement.

i hope you've enjoyed my investigation - it certainly filled my afternoon!

 

and explains wonderfully why the 8800gtx I got from him last year was a brick that beeped.

 

and what happened? you got your money back i hope??

 

So that's what they build McDonald's restaurants from!

 

you'd think huh. no returns policy and TBH it's always a risk you take when sourcing gear from ebay. I've had a lot of really good luck with it the past, e6600 for 40 quid etc. so it kind of weighs out. Just finished upgrading another system so I'm going to stick it in that to test it (even though I know it'll still be naffed I'm ever the optimist). Beeps tell me it's an onboard memory issue. So at the minute it's an 80 quid paperweight!

 

and by the way good investigating! wished I had done that myself now. Oh, and would anyone like to buy a mint 8800gtx. Works like a charm. Honest guv.

 

LOL! nice try

well he got back to me today:-

"if you are confident the card is faulty you can return it to me and i can get the card tested through the manufacturer and will replace if so , if they find nothing wrong with the card there is nothing else i can do and you would need to take the card back"

hmm, i do hope he's not going to try and screw me here, i think i'll take a few screen shots of the card overheating just in case.

EDIT: Just got an email with an RMA form for tthe videocardshop.co.uk, i love being right

 

I would have done the same thing but I was away with work and so didn't get to the card until 3 months later when I got back home. By then it was too late really to get back to them and I was sure the original item description said no returns. Live and learn and all that.




It's in the original box as well mind if that helps

 

Hmmm, I'm pretty sure you can't say no returns, if the card is described as working (or there is a lack of wording to say otherwise) then he is in breach of the contract of sale he has with you that says the good must match the description given.

If he sold it as untested, then that's fair enough, if not then you have a case for him to refund you/get you a new card.

EDIT: Also if you paid by paypal then you could have taken up a dispute with them.

Good investigation work crompers!

 

I know, but, the card arrived at least months before I installed it and if someone got in touch with me 3 - 4 months after I sold it on ebay the first thing I would say is that it must have just broke and you're chancing your arm there fella. Anyway, like I said, live and learn and apologies to crompers for nearly hijacking his thread.



I'll knock a fiver off because of it.

 

i see your point of view, but i would probably have tried anyway. i dont like people getting away with my money!

will fill the form in and sent off today and post the outcome (probably in three months time :S

 

actually according the sale of goods act if you sell an item as 'untested' it must work or it can still be returned for refund. You can only sell an item as faulty if you specify that it IS faulty - untested dosn't cut it.

 

email received an hour ago:

"hi

your card has been tested and a replacement will be sent out tommorrow


cheers"

Result! just goes to show if you dont ask you dont get. i just sincerely hope this new one works.

 

Hey, Well Done Sherlock

I have bought from These guys a few times before and it seems to me they dont try to hide anything, otherwise all the names etc would be completely different, ALL you have managed to do is read an address of a website and of a RMA form , which by your post does state Powered by Propellerhead also, what amazing powers of deduction you have, not to say alot of free time.

But thanks for making me chuckle......

 

Great researching. I live in the US and purchased an 8800gt alpha dog from xfx when those were still hot lol and it too was overheating and causing the whole system to lock up. XFX support isn't that great to begin with, i did get a new card though but after that day i told myself i would never buy an xfx product again. Glad it worked out for you!

 

my what a constructive and well mannered post

 

Apparently you're an extreme XFX fanboy or work for XFX from reading the last post and on DriverHeaven forums.

Your attitude can be left at the door next time, or don't bother to come back.

 

the plot thickens! thanks for that

 

I thank you for your post , Work for XFX, I wish, i would have better cards in my system than i presently have, XFX / NV fanboy, i guess you could say i fall into that category, i am not ashamed of it.....lol

As for attitude, i was merely pointing out that its not difficult to do what was done....as nothing was hidden from what i could see from the posts.....so espionage thriller was a bit of an overkill......and as for your wish of me not to come back, if expressing an opinion in a non violent, non insulting way and without use of vulgarities ( Although maybe just a hint of sarcasm, after all we brits do it so well) is not permitted then maybe, just maybe i will do as you wish. thanks again for your post

 

clearly there is a degree of humour in the title, i'm just trying to inform people what they are buying and who from