X1900XTX artifacting, not OC'd

I just installed athermalright HR-03 HS, along with a 92mm fan blowing directly on the heat pipes. I just ran 3dMark 06, at the stock speeds and during the last 2 tests, it artifacts like crazy.

I am monitoring my temps during this process (with rivaTuner) and during idle, the core is at ~35C while at full throttle it barely reaches ~50C. In addition to the 92mm fan, I also have an intake fan 92x40 (it's really thick) that blows on the card as well.

I used AS5 on the core, made sure not to spill any anywhere. What could be causing this? I have the HS mounted as tight as possible... maybe it's too tight? If i loosen it any more, it does not make contact with the core and the temps go waaaay up. I was really careful with it, so i doubt I really damaged it. I've installed aftermarket HS' on almost all video cards i've owned, so I feel pretty comfortable doing it by now... What do you guys think?

Guess just make sure its all good and connecting properly. Reseat the card in the slot and making sure the cards not being exessively stressed in the slot (form it being heavy).

I would try re-seating the heatsink....

Got an infrared thermometer that you can use to check the temp on the VRM of the card?

Which two tests? If it is the canyon test, change the mip-map quality level to medium or high. I thought I had the same "problem" as well.

Are you able to play games without a hitch?

Thanks for the replies guys. A few more thoghts:

I have reseated the card into the slot at least 10 times

I have reseated the HS, reapplied AS5 at least 10 times I even installed it the other possible way (however it didn't fit due to my CPU cooler).

I don't have any thermometer to check the VRM of the card. I assume that's the part that's covered by the red HS? If so, it does get really really hot when touching it. I don't know why its temp would all of a sudden sky rocket after new HS install I even have an additional 92mm fan (the thick one) blowing on the front of the card.

As far as 3Dmark 06, the last two test are.... well i don't remember. I know the very last one is the one with all the snow. I think i remember there being a canyon in the second to last one . You're right, I did have all my mip-map quality set to high performance. I'll try that when I get home.

I actually haven't had a chance to fire up any games since I got this HS.


One more thing to think about... I was looking @ my video card while it was sitting on my desk, and it looks rather warped. I'll have to take a picture to exemplify this, but it somehow looks like instead of laying flat it lays like a very wide parabola. Maybe my eyes were just getting tired, but I'll get a picture when I get home.

Thanks guys.

PCB's don't deform easily (especially the small ones like VC's). I have a Zalman VFxxxAlUc on my card, and it is running with no problems.

Super Nade said:

PCB's don't deform easily (especially the small ones like VC's). I have a Zalman VFxxxAlUc on my card, and it is running with no problems.

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Maybe my glasses were on crooked

dreIU said:

Maybe my glasses were on crooked

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Sure. That too. Also, please post the $200 check you wrote up for me.


Did you play any games yet? Games are a more sureshot indication of any problems. 3DM use their own algorithims to use the rendering capabilities of a card. Most of it is non-standard. So, sometimes, there could be a few problems.

I'll get home around 5 tonight, so i might try to fire up a game then. I'll be sure to change the mip map qual to high as it should be. I'm booked pretty much all weekend, so i might not get to it til next week.

I really don't want to have to buy a new one...

Just checking

Is your FSB overclocked?
Are you using fixed freqency for PCI etc.?

I have seen high PCI/AGP freqency caused a TI4600 the same trouble like you have...permantly.
So make sure you use fixed freqency for everything else if you overclocked your FSB.

#18 said:

Just checking

Is your FSB overclocked?
Are you using fixed freqency for PCI etc.?

I have seen high PCI/AGP freqency caused a TI4600 the same trouble like you have...permantly.
So make sure you use fixed freqency for everything else if you overclocked your FSB.

Click to expand...

My FSB is overclocked and 24+ hours stable... this should have nothing to do with my video card artifacting right after i put a new HS on it.

I'm not sure about fixed frequency for PCI... i never touched that, i had no reason to. So it's at default value, my guess is that it's fixed.

Can you post a pic of your card? Did you check that all the memory have heatsinks on them? Might also want to put some air movement across the VRM if you can.

dreIU said:

My FSB is overclocked and 24+ hours stable... this should have nothing to do with my video card artifacting right after i put a new HS on it.

I'm not sure about fixed frequency for PCI... i never touched that, i had no reason to. So it's at default value, my guess is that it's fixed.

Click to expand...

Usually PCI freqency raises as FSB raises if you don't set a fixed value for it.

FSB stability has nothing to do with if the video card can handle the higher PCI freqency. If it can't, then that could fry a video card into artifacting fest. Which I have seen with my own eyes several years ago.

Thus ever since, I always have PCI frequency fixed at original which will never change at all as I change FSB, in order to avoid damaging the video card.

I am not saying your artifacting must be the same case, but it is one of the things could cause artifacting and it would be permantly.
Check your BIOS for PCI frequency.

yeah, my pci freq is definitely fixed...

TTP said:

Can you post a pic of your card? Did you check that all the memory have heatsinks on them? Might also want to put some air movement across the VRM if you can.

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I will post a pic when i get home.. the VRM gets fresh air from the 92x40mm fan.

was the cooler the only thing that got changed? Was it ok before the change?

Are you sure you're running the right amount of volts for whatever clock you have it set at?

posrx7 said:

was the cooler the only thing that got changed? Was it ok before the change?

Are you sure you're running the right amount of volts for whatever clock you have it set at?

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cooler is the only thing that changed... was running like a charm before, a little hot of course, but it ran super smooth. I haven't even tried to overclock it after the HS swap, so the volts shouldn't be an issue, right?

dreIU said:

cooler is the only thing that changed... was running like a charm before, a little hot of course, but it ran super smooth. I haven't even tried to overclock it after the HS swap, so the volts shouldn't be an issue, right?

Click to expand...

If youre running super low volts & stock clock, it would be.

You could try changing back to the stock cooler, if it still does it, it doesn't have to do with the cooler... In any case, might be good to try reseat it, then try again.

argh... well thanks for the help guys. I'm just gonna order an x1950xtx, i really don't have time for this. any word on when the DX10 ati cards will be out?