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Nvidia 6800GT + NvSilencer problem.

Associate
Joined
14 Dec 2005
Posts
563
Location
Dublin
I got a second hand 6800GT card that had a NvSilencer on it. I think it's a revision 2 cooler as it has funny little squishy grey pads for the memory chips.

The card is running at stock speeds. My system spec doesn't really matter as I've tried the card in 3 different configs and get the same problem. Using a 480 watt Antec PSU.

I get pc lockup problems in games, that I *think* is due to overheating memory chips on the graphics card?

Basically, I'd play BF2 and after a random period of time, weirdness happens. Trees go purple, or else the game just all of a sudden will lock up the entire pc, with coloured garbled lines and boxes and stuff all over the screen. This happens in CS Source too except the coloured screen lockup weirdness is green :) CS also shows polygon stretching too (if it doesn't just suddenly lock up).. when you see long lines going all over the place across the screen. It's happened in lots of other games too.

OpenGL games seem to be ok(generally just ID games), I have yet to have the pattern lockup problem on one of those. Generally it's just stuff start looking weird, blackened textures in Quake 4. I can play OpenGL games for hours and not even see any kind of problem occur.

If I get a lockup, and then reboot, the screen is perfect. No corruption in the bios/bootup screen ever, and windows is always perfect. Temps for the GPU idle around 45 degrees and gets to about 52/53 under load. (partly why i'm presuming its a memory overheating problem.)

I tried reattatching the cooler, but I wasn't entire sure what to do with those grey squishy pads for the memory.. Do I apply thermal paste to those, or do I leave them clean? If I was to replace the pads, what would I use?

Thanks :)
 
Soldato
Joined
17 Jun 2005
Posts
6,507
Location
Near Brighton
ermm well assuming that the cooler has ram heatsinks with the gpu 1, so its just 1 big hs, like the rev1 is, then you would take the pads off and just use thermal paste. Sounds like something is overheating, but then why in some games n not others. Down load ati tool and do artifact for test, do that for quite a while say 10 mins and see if it finds any and what temp the core gets to. Also tried uninstalling and re installing drivers?
 
Associate
OP
Joined
14 Dec 2005
Posts
563
Location
Dublin
Yeah, It can't really be a software problem at this stage. Tried numerous driver releases, windows re-installs and used the card on two other motherboards and another PSU.

It's the revision 2. I think the revision 1 had problems with the copper cooling tops for the memory making bad contact with the chips, so the pads were added for revision 2. If I remove them, there'd be a couple of milimetres distance between the copper cooler base and the ram chips.

It looks like this..

Ati Tool has been testing for 20 minutes now, with zero errors so far. The max temp the GPU core got to was 61 degrees, which it stayed at after about 5 minutes. The external GPU temp got as high as 51 degrees.

The temp sensor only reports the GPU temp, right? Could the ram be running a lot hotter than that and the sensor wouldnt know?
 
Soldato
Joined
17 Jun 2005
Posts
6,507
Location
Near Brighton
Right well the gpu is fine, was just using that to eliminate it. External gpu temp or ambient, 51 isnt that high, mine runs about that although i water cool so it doesnt matter.

It could be the ram, im not too sure tho, maybe wait for someone else to reply

do you know the person you bought it off, or was it from an auction site?


hmm those pads do look like its to eliminate the problem with ram contact, i fitted a rev 1 my self but never had any problems.
 
Associate
OP
Joined
14 Dec 2005
Posts
563
Location
Dublin
I bought it from someone on a message forum. He sorta stopped posting soon after rather conveniently :rolleyes: I think he was selling his pc off though..

Would you reckon those pads work on their own, or do they need thermal paste on them? from the look of it, he had put some paste on them...
 
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