Getting New Graphics Cards... Is There a "Break-In Time" Before I Should Install Water Blocks?

Status
Not open for further replies.

earwicker7

In Runtime
Messages
345
I just ordered a pair of HD7970s, which I plan on watercooling (I already have my current HD5970s watercooled, so I just need to get new water blocks). Since I have to disassemble the cards (and therefore violate the warranty) to put on the water blocks, I'm going to run the cards on air for a while to make sure the cards don't have any defects. Can anyone tell me how long I should run them before I assume they are "safe"?
 
You only void the warranty if they know you did it ;)

Literally speaking, they don't know you put them under water unless there is a sticker you must break/cut or if you say "Oh hey I had these cards water cooled, can I still get them replaced?".

If there are no warranty stickers over the screws or shroud then you can put them under water day 1. Just install the cards, install the drivers, test to make sure they are ok and working, then pull them out and put the water blocks on.
 
Well, from my experience with breaking apart my previous cards, it is very obvious because the thermal tape that is all over the card "tears" when you pull the card apart. Unless you can color match the company's thermal tape (possible, but a pain in the butt) and replace it in the exact same manner as the 7 year old Chinese kids who build them do it, it's going to show.
 
When you RMA they don't go in to detail. Trust me when I say, I have RMA'd tons of things with aftermarket coolers that have been OCd. The reason I am running an i5 right now is because I managed to RMA my burnt one that was phase change cooled, OCed to 4.8 under sub-zero, and took a huge power surge which also fried my RAM and motherboard. Got a shiny new one in 4 days after I had already bought an i3 to tide me over. I sent a 7950GT to XFX once that was dead and it had my modded bios on it and was volt modded (solder). Still got a replacement lol.

From my experience, if you are worried about warranty or RMA then you probably shouldn't do water.
 
Most cards I have dealt with recently have a small, very easy to break warranty sticker on the cooler and runs to the PCB. I have broke that sticker many times on cheaper cards by just touching it -.-

Most manufactures don't go into detail, they just put the card on a machine that checks all electrical paths, and powers up the card to see how it is working. Very rarely will they pull a heatsink to check anything as it's time consuming, and pointless. But if they notice any physical abnormal damage such as PCB damage, or pins broken, or something that shouldn't be there that has to be human caused, then they don't bother, they just reject you.
 
Lol didn't realize I posted in the wrong thread hahaha.

Anyways, I have never had an ATI card have any kind of stickers or warranty warnings on it. Either way like was said, they don't look that far in to it.

As far as overclocking, 7970s overclock real well and keep cool. I don't think you have too much to worry about.
 
my MSI 6870 has 1 sticker that is half off and the card never really heats up haha... What brand are the 7970's?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom