EVGA GTX 285 Hydro Copper - Is this a joke or what?

[Alien Grey]

I bought an EVGA GTX 285 Hydro Copper and this is what I've got form EVGA.

I opened the box, that wasn't opened before i did it, and took the graphics card out of the bag to find that the card is wet from what I think is non-conductive coolant.



The next thing that I noticed was the missing 1/2" fittings that I need and that should be included in the box.



I have to connect the tubes to the top side of the card so all I have to do is to screw the fittings in the inlet and outlet on the top side.

Hmm... this doens't seem to be possible.



The opening for the fluid is only 10mm X 2mm and there are little pieces of plastic that block the already small inlet and outlet. If you screw one of the fittings in the block you don't have a 2mm opening anymore.



Is this what you get if you buy one of the EVGA top products?

[Jamesrt2004]

they have great support ring em up like wtf they will swap it for yoo

[Alien Grey]

I could do that.

But there are still a few problems.

How am I going to know what revision of the GTX 285 that they are going to give me so I could know what cooler would fit on it?

I thought it would be easier to buy one with the cooler already installed on the graphics card and the EVGA GTX 285 Hydro Copper looked like a good solution to avoid having a graphics card that isn't compatible with a full coverage block.

The EVGA GTX 285 Hydro Copper that they gave me is a different revision than the one on their website and the cooler that comes with the graphics card that they gave me isn't the same as the one on the website.

It's just a piece of crap that has cost me a lot of money.

[v0dka]

Just get a 5870 for half the money and double the performance?

[Onoff312]

Refund or replace it bro easy..

[Sadasius]

I agree with V0dka.....See if you can get a refund and get a 5870 for less and more power!

[millertime359]

I agree with V0dka.....See if you can get a refund and get a 5870 for less and more power!

Just get a 5870 for half the money and double the performance?

+2

They are out now, check Newegg. EK and Swiftech have already posted they will have waterblocks really soon for them. Gabe has even commented having the unisinks out too for the GPU only crowd.

IIRC, the Nvidia 300 series will be out early next year if your not an ATI guy. As fast as Gabe and Eddy are getting the blocks out for the 5870, I'm certain those blocks will be hot on the heels of Nividia's cards too.

[Bojamijams]

[Wolf132]

Ive had that problem using the stock backplates on nvidia cards where the waterblock holes dont extend far enough past the backplate. I had to use a dremel and cut the backplate to get the fittings to work.

[Alien Grey]

The EVGA GTX 285 Hydro Copper is on his way back to EVGA.

I'm going to wait for an answer from EVGA to see if they can give me one like the EVGA GTX 285 Hydro Copper on their website. When this isn't possible I'm going for a refund and wait for the GTX 380.

The reason I want a Nvidia graphics card and don't want an ATI is because I also use Linux and the support is a little better with Nvidia.

[Alien Grey]

Ive had that problem using the stock backplates on nvidia cards where the waterblock holes dont extend far enough past the backplate. I had to use a dremel and cut the backplate to get the fittings to work.

This would have been a little bit difficult with this card. I would also have to cut the PCB.

[punx223]

A-Grey,

Please send me your serial number and email to srobb@evga.com.

Also please include a contact number so that I can get in contact with you as soon as possible.

Thank you

[Sadasius]

Damn that's service!

[millertime359]

Damn that's service!

I knew there was a reason why i kept buying EVGA

[punx223]

I knew there was a reason why i kept buying EVGA

We are all glad to be of help guys.

[Alien Grey]

A-Grey,

Please send me your serial number and email to srobb@evga.com.

Also please include a contact number so that I can get in contact with you as soon as possible.

Thank you

I'm going to send you the serial number and give you all the information you need.

Thanks for helping to solve the problem.

[Mango31]

The first EVGA 280 GTX i got was DOA, the second one had also coolant in the plastic bag... I am not impressed either. I mean how difficult can it be to blow out the block after testing

Btw, RMA for the first one took 5 weeks (plus shipping half around the globe).

[Alien Grey]

The first EVGA 280 GTX i got was DOA, the second one had also coolant in the plastic bag... I am not impressed either. I mean how difficult can it be to blow out the block after testing

Btw, RMA for the first one took 5 weeks (plus shipping half around the globe).

I don't think I'm going to make it in five weeks. It took two and half months to RMA my G.SKILL memory that was also "Dead on arrival".

First I've got to ship it to my hardware dealer in Belgium. From there it has to go to the Netherlands. From the Netherlands to who knows what other countries around the globe before it's going to arrive at EVGA.

[Alien Grey]

Here's a little update about my RMA for the EVGA GTX 285 Hydro Copper.


The EVGA support isn't as good anymore as you guys think.

They're trying to give me for my money.

Also the dutch company that has to ship the EVGA GTX 285 Hydro Copper to EVGA refuses to do it. They think that they and EVGA don't have to honor the EU law and that I can't ask for a refund till EVGA confirms that the graphics card is bad.

This is going to be difficult if they don't ship it to EVGA.

I'll be back when I've got some more interesting news on this case.

But hey I'm an optimistic guy and I don't mind that it's going to take a very long time before I see a solution for my problem with this graphics card. I can always ask a Nvidia GT 300 graphics card when they are available.

[Roger_D25]

Thanks for keeping us posted on this matter A-Grey, its greatly appreciated! With that said it sounds like the retailer you bought the card from is the real problem, they are the ones holding back the whole process (unless I'm misunderstanding things)? I don't know anything about EU law but why can't you just ship the card directly to eVGA (it would be much faster I imagine although I bet you would have to pay for the shipping yourself this way)? I would happily pay a bit extra for shipping to get the process moving faster given how frustrating it is just waiting around for this retailer or eVGA to get off their butts! I sometimes take it for granted how easy RMA's are because all of the hardware companies I deal with are based here in the States (at least their headquarters are) which makes RMA's much faster and easier to deal with! In anycase A-Grey I feel for you man, it would totally suck!

[veedubfreak]

Here's a little update about my RMA for the EVGA GTX 285 Hydro Copper.


The EVGA support isn't as good anymore as you guys think.

They're trying to give me for my money.

Also the dutch company that has to ship the EVGA GTX 285 Hydro Copper to EVGA refuses to do it. They think that they and EVGA don't have to honor the EU law and that I can't ask for a refund till EVGA confirms that the graphics card is bad.

This is going to be difficult if they don't ship it to EVGA.

I'll be back when I've got some more interesting news on this case.

But hey I'm an optimistic guy and I don't mind that it's going to take a very long time before I see a solution for my problem with this graphics card. I can always ask a Nvidia GT 300 graphics card when they are available.

This is why you always pay using a credit card. If they give you , you just call the CC and dispute the charges. You did not receive what you ordered. As the card sent to you was different from the one you ordered/defective.

[avddreamr]

This is why you always pay using a credit card. If they give you , you just call the CC and dispute the charges. You did not receive what you ordered. As the card sent to you was different from the one you ordered/defective.

x2, but I imagine that evga will step up to the plate.
But, maybe you can make a banana split... I hope it works out for you.

[Alien Grey]

Thanks for keeping us posted on this matter A-Grey, its greatly appreciated! With that said it sounds like the retailer you bought the card from is the real problem, they are the ones holding back the whole process (unless I'm misunderstanding things)? I don't know anything about EU law but why can't you just ship the card directly to eVGA (it would be much faster I imagine although I bet you would have to pay for the shipping yourself this way)? I would happily pay a bit extra for shipping to get the process moving faster given how frustrating it is just waiting around for this retailer or eVGA to get off their butts! I sometimes take it for granted how easy RMA's are because all of the hardware companies I deal with are based here in the States (at least their headquarters are) which makes RMA's much faster and easier to deal with! In anycase A-Grey I feel for you man, it would totally suck!

Let me explain how things go in Belgium.


I order the stuff I want at a mail order company that's called MPL Mutlimedia Postorder Lijn in Belgium. They have to order the stuff from the distribution companies. For the EVGA GTX 285 Hydro Copper it was a company in the Netherlands.


What I did was from the moment I opened the box and discovered that it wasn't what I expected it to be, I mailed Geert the manager of MPL and wrote to him that EVGA gave me instead of the graphics card that I expected. I also wrote about the soaked card and missing parts and all the other problems that come with the graphics card that EVGA has send to me.

He told me that I should send it back to him because the graphics card was DOA and he has to send it back to the company in the Netherlands who should ship it back to EVGA.


I have to send it back if I want a full refund within 8 days after purchase. I did that so no problem here.

At MPL they have to send it back to the company in the Netherlands. They did that the same day or the day after they received it. Still no problem here.

Now comes the problem the graphics card arrives at the company in the Netherlands that has to ship the card to EVGA and what do they do? - Nothing. It was still there yesterday.


Can I blame MPL for the problems with this RMA? - I don't think so.

They have been very helpful and always send a copy from the mails that they send to EVGA or the company in the Netherlands so I always know what's going on.


Let me tell you that I've been discussing the problems with someone from EVGA till I've got sick of repeating the same things and why they don't have to send me a replaced graphics card that is exactly the same as the one that they've send me earlier because I can't and won't use it with my watercooling setup. I was tired of repeating the same things that I've send a copy of the mails to David at MPL and told him that I didn't want to answer the questions anymore from the guy at EVGA.

David continued the discussion with the guy from EVGA. The guy from EVGA claimed that it was possible to use 1/2" fittings with the Innovatek cooler that came with the card. He also claimed to have a picture of it.

I tell you, the last time I checked my mail I didn't find that picture in my Inbox and neither did David from MPL.

All that the guy from EVGA gave us was bull.

I asked the guy from EVGA to give me a graphics card like the one that you can see on their website. http://www.evga.com/articles/00464/http://www.evga.com/articles/00464/

This is what I ordered and wanted and not some other graphics card flashed with an EVGA GTX 285 Hydro Copper BIOS and a crappy Innovatek cooler that doesn't fit on the graphics card. http://www.webshop-innovatek.de/shop...r-Edition.html

But never did he gave me an answer on that question why he couldn't or wouldn't want me to give the graphics card that I ordered.

So I asked for a full refund because I didn't want the same graphics card anymore because it wasn't the one that I ordered.

David from MPL told EVGA that it would be better to give them a creditnote with the amount of money instead so they could give me a full refund.

We didn't hear anything anymore from EVGA but we've got an answer back from the company in the Netherlands that they couldn't do that and didn't want it to do.

David wrote to EVGA:

We remind you that “hidden defects” are subject to the European warranty law and legislation regarding hidden product defects, and the customer (consumer) is entitled to receive full reimbursement of all costs involved or replacement by a product that does meet the stated specifications if the product is not as advertised within the first 6 months of delivery.

Under EU consumer warranty low the manufacturer is carrying the burden to prove the customer’s wrong doing during the first 6 months after invoicing of an article to the end user – as all defect occurring within the first six months are automatically considered production errors.

This warranty can NOT be limited by any disclaimers that are not compliant to the law.

After the first 6 months the burden of proof will transfer to the end user. Hidden defects such as this one are NOT limited by such period.

That's when the company in the Netherlands said that they don't have to do that because EVGA is an American company and they don't have to follow the EU law.

Maybe EVGA that is an American company doesn't have to do that but the company in the Netherlands has to do it. Because the last time that I checked the Netherlands was still an European country.


And that's when I've got mad and wrote the company in the Netherlands to stop writing bull and find a solution for my graphics card problem.

I didn't hear from them again but I think that they understood what I wrote to them and wouldn't like to see their company name in this thread.

[Roger_D25]

Thanks very much A-Grey for clearly explaining the whole situation, I have a much better understanding now of what the problem is! Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place, its like you have no control over the situation no matter what you do (especially since it seems like you have done everything you could do)! You didn't mention the name of this company in the Netherlands or what the business is but I don't understand what they have to gain by not supporting you by shipping your card back to eVGA (I assume its because they don't want to loose money)? Its very surprising that ever after receiving that message from David at MPL their still refusing to help out (I wonder if eVGA is telling them to do nothing or if their making this decision on their own)? Most companies are willing to loose a little money in order to have a happy customer (along with that customers future sales) so it makes no sense to me. Its not even my card or problem and its frustrating me so I can't imagine how you must feel, what a bummer! Please continue to keep us updated if you can because I'm very interested in how this all works out!

[Alien Grey]

The company in the Netherlands is a hardware distributor. I won't tell their company name because I want them to give the chance to fix the problem but I will if I don't see a solution that can satisfy me.

They don't want to loose money neither does EVGA but they don't care that I loose my 523 Euro on a crappy graphics card.

So if I don't see a solution that can satisfy me I'm going to edit my post and put their company name instead of the company from the Netherlands and it doesn't matter to me if this is going to be bad for their business because they don't really care that EVGA gave me for my money.