Weird artifacting on my 9800 Pro...

[mcnbns]

Yes, after making a nice little GPU block and redoing my water cooling setup I am more than slightly dismayed to have learned that my precious video card might be damaged.

You see, I have a Sapphire 9800 Pro 128MB that I flashed to a 9800 XT (that has been working flawlessly for 6 months with an SLK-700 strapped to it). Disliking the constant need to dust out a massive copper heat sink, I decided it might be beneficial to water cool that beast. Being a cheap bastard I took it upon myself to fashion a GPU block from some copper and a 3/4" brass cap. Ever since trying this water block on the video card I have gotten weird artifacts, even at stock (stock XT and/or Pro) clock speeds. The card is volt-modded, but for the purposes of this particular experiment I put the voltage down to stock.

Upon examing said video card under a large magnifying glass and fluourescent light combination that my father uses for fine electronics work, I found no apparent physical damage to the card (other than a perfect VGPU mod and a removed shim).

As I write this message there is a small rectangle of artifacts that follows my cursor wherever it goes. If it weren't so terribly annoying and a clear sign of malfunction it might be cute.

I apologize for the length of my post and my sarcasm. If this was posted in an innappropriate section, please move it, moderators.

Attached is an image showing the extent of the artifacting even at stock speeds. I'll check this card over again, but I don't have a lot of hope at this point.

If you have any suggestions that might help me, please toss them out. I'd really love to know if there's a way to fix this. Is there a "I'm completely screwed" emoticon?

[STEvil]

got airflow still? try bumping vagp up to 1.7v

[don_vercetti]

tbh it sounds like the core has been crushed. try attaching the air cooling you had, as you know that works, and see what happens. Maybe the block isn't making good contact with the core. Although in that case, it means you may have fried it, which means you're screwed.

[enzoR]

cracked core. im pretty certain. take a look...

[mcnbns]

VAGP is at 1.7V already. I think the stock cooler right now is making good contact, but the last time I tried the water block it only contacted about half the core. I turned the comp off pretty quickly.

I'm going to check the core right now and report back later. Thanks for your help, guys.

At least I'll have an excuse to go PCI-e now. :/

[mcnbns]

I just uninstalled my drivers and it doesn't artifact in Windows anymore. It's barely useable in 2D and won't even run 3D, but it doesn't artifact anymore. WTF.

As soon as I install drivers it will artifact again. It's weird because it will artifact in Windows, but at the Shut Down screen when it goes to that blue "Welcome Screen" type thing it stops artifacting. I'm going to shut down again and see if the voltage does anything funky during that time.

EDIT: It doesn't artifact while playing video without the drivers, either.

[mcnbns]

It has a chipped core all right. I just looked at it under a huge magnifying glass and there is the smallest bit of the core missing on a corner.

It's still kind of intriguing that it wouldn't artifact without drivers, but one can't really do anything without drivers.

Thanks for all your help, everyone. I guess it's time to upgrade....