9700pro error

[Gaspode]

hi,

I have used an Ati 9700pro for nearly 2 years now and recently switched to the 3.8 cats and a week later I started to get screens like this:


http://12monkeyz.com/inv/uploads/post-1-1067364120.jpg

I get it on bootup, in bios, in windows Xp and and in any game I play (D3D or OpenGL).

My comp is this:
Shuttle SN45G
1 gig Crucial 3200
17" Hitachi TFT
Maxtor s-ata 120gig hd
Windows XP pro

now - I strongly suspect that being in the Shuttle and the rise in temperature has led to my card being tipped over the edge.
I think it is permanently damaged and I am mighty peeved about it as it has been so reliable and makes games look so damn nice.

Does anyone think that I can salvage it with a bios flash?
and if so how will I be able to get the correct bios for the card.
It is an early Saphire although it hasn't their logo on it or any clue that is it their prodcut apart from the driver cd rom that came with it.
It was OEm from overclockers UK and, I think, amongst the first batch of 9700pros that were made.

The card looks identical to the one which was reviewed here at Techwarelabs:

http://www.techwarelabs.com/reviews/video/ati_radeon9700p/r9700card.JPG

http://www.techwarelabs.com/reviews/video/ati_radeon9700p/index_2.shtml

2 minor differences are:

mine says PN109-94200-11 and the memory chips are Samsung 220 - not 226.

I am desperate to try and breath this wonderful card back to life and would really appreciate peoples input/help.

thanks for reading.

Gas

[Jason425]

yep those 3.8's are crap.. i don't see how a bios flash would fix it. Try switching drivers? Tell ati that they suck for ruining your card. Tell us what happens.

[Gaspode]

I think the card is permanently damaged now - I have tried Ati drivers 3.4 - 3.6 and all of them gets the same problem.

As for Ati - I will be e-mailing them telling 'em just that - see if and how they respond - I expect denial.

Gas

[Jason425]

If all else fails, send them a nasty e-mail telling them you'll never buy an ATI product again because of this. I am questioning that myself.

[eviltechie]

3.9 is out
should fix this

[Jason425]

yea i DL'ed 3.9 and my card isn't dead yet.. think it's too late for him though aparantly.. i'd try getting them anyway

[Gaspode]

quick update:
the problem seems more random now - in UT and d3d it comes and goes whereas opengl it's continuous.

on the desktop it comes n goes

I have tried unclocking but it doesn't seem to have made any difference.

As I have nothing to lose I think I'll attempt to remove the heatsink and put some arctic silver on - also maybe change the on board fan to something with more poke.
I would like to somehow cover the memory chips.

Gas

[Jason425]

pennies could go on the memory chips.. i'm having a weird problem with my card just giving out while the rest of the comp still runs *games still make sounds, etc* but the picture goes away.. my comp is so weird.

[eviltechie]

gaspode, have you got 3.9 yet?

[Jason425]

I think he did, and that's why the problems changed.. turns out call of duty, the game with the problem, is bugged with ati cards. I turned the graphics quality do "recommended" instead of all the way up, the problem was solved.

[Gaspode]

gaspode, have you got 3.9 yet?

no - my 9700pro is out of any pc now and put to one side - I have tried it in 3 different pc's and all show the same problem but in various degrees of extremity.

Only thing is that they are all based on Nforce2 mobo's.

I do have another system recently built based with an ECS mobo so I will try it in there.

Some obeservations:

When I play Unreal Tournament in OpenGL the corruption is at it's worst.
Even when I close down UT the desk top is also badly corrupted.
However - if I change to D3D mode the corruption stays away and if it does come is not so severe.
Also pressing F9 in game creates a screen shot and forces UT to do a 'pre cache' which clears the screen of all corruption.

This is running under 3.5 cats.

My own Shuttle is put to one side and I am working off my girlfriends Shuttle on a 9500non-pro.

I am getting a 2nd paw 9800pro and it is a Hercules - the ram chips all have heatsinks and the fan looks a little more substantial.

Another thing that will make a difference in the cramped Shuttle is a different hardrive.
I was using a Maxtor s-ata 120gig but it failed last week.
I will be getting a Samsung hd - apperently runs quieter and cooler.
And I will have no need to have the s-ata interface card in the pci slot so that removes a barrier between the gafix and internal fan.

3.6 cats will be used in the revamped system - I am now very wary of new grafix drivers.
Let's be honest here - since 3.1 cats there has not been really any significant increase in real world speed for all the new cats.
Considering the speed at which 3.9's came out I think that the 3.8's were flawed but no one will admit that.

Gas

[Gaspode]

OK
tried the 97 in the ecs mobo system and got relics in bios - practically just after boot up - and when I took the card out is was a lot cooler than it had been in the nforce2 mobo's.

didn't have a lot of time to experiment last night - so I think I will try her again in the ecs system and try changing voltages etc.
(if I can see the screen that is - the corruption was pretty bad)

Gas