[phontain]

See, I've got this BFG 6800 GT AGP card and a Gigabyte Sinxp 1394 mobo. The problem is that as soon as I put this combination together all hell started breaking loose. When I first booted I couldn't even see the post screen, all I saw was random colors and numbers. Once it got to the XP splash screen it cleared up some but started showing artifacts all over the place.

So I take out the 6800 and try it in another computer, with the same results to a different degree. I call BFG, and with their super customer service powers they get a new one to me within a week. Too bad this one does the same thing, but worse, in 3 seperate computers. Trying to run a game is completely out of the question, all I can see is a plethora of artifacts for about 10 seconds and then it hangs.

So I call BFG again and they say "If it won't even show a post screen, it's no good, send us the card using this here prepaid UPS label and we'll test a new one then send it to you." Once again the new one gets here in no time and with this one the post screen looks good, but once I get to the splash screen it goes nuts again.

I don't know what the hell to think. I'd like to blame my mobo, but my old Radeon 9200 which I've been reverting to works fine, can run games fine and all. That and the fact that 2 other completely different computers do the same thing with every one of these cards I've tried. But how could I have gotten 3 different defective cards from a company who actually makes a profit?

Any suggestions?

[Lazaredz]

Try the 6800 in other computers. Make DAMN SURE its the card and then call BFG and RMA it again. Any 6800 they are sending you at this point is a refurb and it sounds like you have been getting the bottom of the barrel. Complain ALOT (don't be rude) but make sure they know exactly what you think. Tell them you don't want another refurb card (as they OBVIOUSLY cannot do that correctly) and they might just bump you up a level to make up for it (7600????)

Good luck.

[Justin3]

I would try updateing the motherboard bios, and maybe clearing the Cmos.
But if it does the same thing in other computers maybe is some wrong with the card design itself.

[phontain]

Originally Posted by Lazaredz

Try the 6800 in other computers. Make DAMN SURE its the card and then call BFG and RMA it again. Any 6800 they are sending you at this point is a refurb and it sounds like you have been getting the bottom of the barrel. Complain ALOT (don't be rude) but make sure they know exactly what you think. Tell them you don't want another refurb card (as they OBVIOUSLY cannot do that correctly) and they might just bump you up a level to make up for it (7600????)

Good luck.

Well so far the claim has been that they're sending me new cards, not refurbs. At this point I don't see any other possible cause for the problem than the cards themselves though, so I guess I will just have to see if they can get me something that does work.

[phontain]

Well I talked to tech support again, this time I was lucky enough to actually get a hold of the guy who tests these cards, and he told me that the last card I sent back had perfect benchmarks. So he asked me what my 12v was running at, which is ~11.50v and he says that's too low, it should be at least 11.8v or so and that I should be looking at my power supply as the cause.

[WoodButcher]

That sucks, The power supply is one of those things that most people take for granted. In the short time I've been playing with PCs' and following the tech forums I've seen many people chase their tail for days only to find it was the power supply that was weak. Why is it manufacturers can seem to understand 1.5v, 3v, 5v, and 12v mean just that? They cheap out for $2 in parts in a PSU they will sell for twice the cost. It's no wonder so many products today are sold as generic, no one is willing to put their name on the junk they sell.

[mistawiskas]

Are the mobos an AGP 3.3v or 1.5v that you're trying these cards in?
Sounds like you're attempting to put a 1.5volt card into some 3volt AGP mobos.

[MSP]

So the power was insufficient in all three PCs you tested? Seems far fetched, but feasible I suppose.