ATI X1800 XL woes!

[dvothecc]

Hello eveybody, like the title says I am having no luck with my new ATI built X1800 XL that I bought a couple of days ago.

After seeing some reviews and users experience with the card I decided put the X850XT aside for a second system and buy one of these new X1800 XL's.

Once I got it the first thing I did was remove the stock cooler to install a modified cpu cooler and noticed that the memory ic's are 2ns not 1.2/1.4ns like others are reporting. So right of the bat I wasn't too happy but not writting it off just yet. So after installing the card and loading new drivers(5.11 cats), I though i'd do some benching first but half way throught 3dmark05 it locked up Didn't know what to think so I tried running 3dmark05 again thinking it was a one time glitch(maybe) but after resetting my computer and running it again it lockup again WTF?? I could'nt beleive it, my X850XT ran flawlessly just before this card.

So I uninstalled the drivers and reinstalled them and still no luck . I should mention this is all on STOCK settings! No overclocking whatsoever!

So today I decided to format my drive and reinstall windows with only windows updates(SP2), 5.11 cats, 3dmark05, 3dmark03 and other nessesary drivers and thats it. I gained some confidence for the card over night thinking a reformat would do it but no I was wrong same lockups and lost all confidence in the card!

Please could someone help me!! Should I go back to the store and get an exchange? What should I do??

[DilTech]

I'd take it back and exchange it.

[SADS]

i had probs with the 5.11 cats try the 5.10s

5.11s resulted in glitches n blue screens so i went back to 5.10s
lots of safe mode me reboots for me this evening

[deathman20]

2.0ns ram?!?! Ya man take that back it should be 1.4ns, reference design at least. Guess one had 1.6ns ram.

[dvothecc]

I'd take it back and exchange it.

Looks like thats what I'm gonna do.

i had probs with the 5.11 cats try the 5.10s

5.11s resulted in glitches n blue screens so i went back to 5.10s
lots of safe mode me reboots for me this evening

Just tried the 5.10 cats but it would'nt even want to install, it gave me some error saying that the INF driver file could'nt be found for my card... downloaded the drivers twice from two different sites and got the same error. My card is a staburn one!!

2.0ns ram?!?! Ya man take that back it should be 1.4ns, reference design at least. Guess one had 1.6ns ram.

I am definetly cheesed about about getting 2ns ic's but they are the least of my worries right now as I cant even get the card to work right at stock settings! I was thinking if I exchange the card for another one it would probably have the same 2ns ic's as its probably from the same batch of cards. Is there a way of reading the code on the box to see what ic's i'd be getting???

[MRBIGSHOT]

i was going to say the reg 5.10's dont support the x1's you need either the 5.10 hotfix or 5.11's. i would bring the card back if i were you, not because of the ram but because of the lockups. i would think its getting enough power cause its not to much more than a x850 and you have a stong ps.

[ahmad]

Did you remember to hook up the PCI-E power connector?

I would like to know how you determined it was 2.0ns? Do you have the part number from the chips? The x1800XL does come with a 500MHz memory clock, so 2.0ns would just do it. But I think thats cheap. ATI partners have shipped the x1800XL with 1.4ns (Sapphire for example).

Its also very likely that the after market cooler is not making contact with the core and hence the lock ups are due to overheating. I suggest you try again with the stock cooler. Who knows? It might just be better than what you have.

[dvothecc]

Did you remember to hook up the PCI-E power connector?

I would like to know how you determined it was 2.0ns? Do you have the part number from the chips? The x1800XL does come with a 500MHz memory clock, so 2.0ns would just do it. But I think thats cheap. ATI partners have shipped the x1800XL with 1.4ns (Sapphire for example).

Its also very likely that the after market cooler is not making contact with the core and hence the lock ups are due to overheating. I suggest you try again with the stock cooler. Who knows? It might just be better than what you have.

Yes of course I had the PCI-E power connected.

When you look at the ic's the last two numbers of the code is the speed rating. I have seen pictures from reviews sites of the 1.2ns and 1.4ns equipped cards so I do know where to look. I understand them trying to save money with the 1.4ns ic's but 2.0ns even though thats the speed the card is rated for is just not right as they where advertising with the the review cards much different. This happend to me last year during 6600GT days, they were reviewed with 1.6ns ic's but when I bought one they had 2.0ns ic's but oh well what can you do about it?

With my cooler it was getting great temps around 45c load but I still did try the stock cooler at the end before I put it back in its box for the return but still no go had lockups and the card ran hotter aswell so im sure that didnt help.

[deathman20]

Did you remember to hook up the PCI-E power connector?

If the PCI-E power cord isn't connected it won't even boot the computer, so it has to be connected. Trust me, get get some next text at bootup saying, give me more power, plug me in. Did it once on accident after I reseated my card.

[cantankerous]

that is horrible my friend. A BBATI equipped with 2.0ns ram? That is pathetic. You would think a BBATI card would follow their own referenc design to a T and have 1.4ns ram equipped. I really hope you payed a lot less for that card compared to say a sapphire as we know those have 1.4ns ram. I was very lucky I suppose that my BBATI has 1.4ns ram though it too is starting to act up. I am deathly afraid ill RMA this card and get one with 2ns ram now.

[dvothecc]

UPDATE.

I went back to the store and got a replacement without any problems. Got home installed it and this one runs like it should . Ran 3dmark05 a few times in a row without any lockups or artifacts, so far this card is running much better than the last one

I will do some more testing making sure it runs flawless at stock settings before I get into overclocking as that is what I truely bought it for

[perkam]

THOU MUST GIVE RESULTS !!! (05 )

AND UPDATE YOUR SIG !!!! (X850 in there )

Perkam

[cantankerous]

did you check what ram was on your replacement card?

[dvothecc]

THOU MUST GIVE RESULTS !!! (05 )

AND UPDATE YOUR SIG !!!! (X850 in there )

Perkam

Okay okay I got some results, and I must say I am very happy so far!!

did you check what ram was on your replacement card?

Oh and I checked my memory and I got 2.0ns ic's again but that dosen't seem to matter...im not complaining!!

[drunkenmaster]

i remember back when the x800's came out , they came with various mem ratings but when people checked samsung site basically they saw that it was identical memory but was rated at certain speeds at certain voltages, but was all from same waifer.

the only difference is luck of good waifer, middle/edge of waifer and so on but you get that anyway with any ic's. its how samsung always seem to have done stuff, and as can be seen, his stuff is running 747Mhz but supposedly only 2ns. hitting same speeds as other people with supposedly much better memory.

samsung probo skip a couple rounds of speed binning when they are only gonna rate stuff at 2ns compared to 1.2, but you'll probably have same luck of getting whatever speed no matter what its rated at.

[Kunaak]

what brand is it? so people know what brand to avoid... 2.0 NS just isn't acceptable, when the reference design is 1.4 or so... I'd be pissed the moment I see that and just return it right then.

[dvothecc]

i remember back when the x800's came out , they came with various mem ratings but when people checked samsung site basically they saw that it was identical memory but was rated at certain speeds at certain voltages, but was all from same waifer.

the only difference is luck of good waifer, middle/edge of waifer and so on but you get that anyway with any ic's. its how samsung always seem to have done stuff, and as can be seen, his stuff is running 747Mhz but supposedly only 2ns. hitting same speeds as other people with supposedly much better memory.

samsung probo skip a couple rounds of speed binning when they are only gonna rate stuff at 2ns compared to 1.2, but you'll probably have same luck of getting whatever speed no matter what its rated at.

Hmmm interesting...i'll try to take a picture of one of the ic's and post it if anyone's going to be interested.

what brand is it? so people know what brand to avoid... 2.0 NS just isn't acceptable, when the reference design is 1.4 or so... I'd be pissed the moment I see that and just return it right then.

ATI built X1800XL.

[mR Yellow]

Hmmm interesting...i'll try to take a picture of one of the ic's and post it if anyone's going to be interested.


ATI built X1800XL.

Dvothecc, plz post a pic of ram chips.
I want to see it with my own eyes.

And while u at it of the core aswell.
Thanx

[perkam]

Okay okay I got some results, and I must say I am very happy so far!!


Oh and I checked my memory and I got 2.0ns ic's again but that dosen't seem to matter...im not complaining!!

750mem is avg for 1.4ns ram on the XL, there's no way he has 2.0ns ram now...

Perkam

[mR Yellow]

750mem is avg for 1.4ns ram on the XL, there's no way he has 2.0ns ram now...

Perkam

Thats why i asked for a pic
He might be reading the chips wrong lol

[dvothecc]

Thats why i asked for a pic
He might be reading the chips wrong lol

Here you go...

[dvothecc]

Should have put the pics in a new post, wasent thinking...

[Kenshin]

Nice score dvothecc !!

[Kenshin]

I recived my x1800xl card today!!! it`s a connect3d and i have 1.4ns memory... havent tried it out yet.. iam waiting for my cpu..

[deathman20]

Here you go...

Ouch man that does suck, 2.0ns ram eek, i'd make sure that it doesn't work at default Then again its doing really well, wonder if it was mislabled.