Computer Hope
Hardware => Hardware => Topic started by: Kurtiskain on May 31, 2010, 06:22:48 PM
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Hi guys,
So I don't know if this is really a huge issue as i think it to be, but my HD 4870 1GB GDDR5 card squeals quite loud when it is processing extremely high frame rates.
For example when I load the WoW main menu to log in, I get 800-1200 FPS, and the whine is very noticeable from outside the case, with the covers ON and with 5 case fans, cpu fan, and 2 fans on the graphics card itself. The problem is definately not my graphics card fans because I have them controlled to riva tuner at 100% at bootup, and you cannot even hear them (It is a special Accellero Twin turbo silent, so that is good :) )
Also I get a louder squealing when I run ATi tool, and run the artifacts tool, I get 3000+ FPS in there and the squealing is almost frightening.
Should I be worried about it? The card is almost a year old now.
Kurtis
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If it's just under a Year i'd exercise the warranty immediately...
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If it's just under a Year i'd exercise the warranty immediately...
The problem with that is i have had the stock cooler changed to the Accellero cooler...So that would void my warranty, right?
I have no actual problems with the card, no artifacts, no crashes never have.
I have read other forum posts stating that is it fine it is just the charge across the caps (which I could believe as the card is very power hungry, 500W PSU minimum) , I have also read some others that say the caps could be failing.
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Did you keep the stock cooler ? ?
If not...try and locate one.
It may be worth it...
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Did you keep the stock cooler ? ?
If not...try and locate one.
It may be worth it...
Yes I do still have it, but I left out the reason i had changed the cooler was that in the early stages of its life, eg 2-3 weeks of being in my case, one of the fan blades was attacked by a sata power connector that fell out of place during movement, and a blade snapped off. not entirely my fault but it isn't the companies either, so I don't see why they would take it back.
so no RMA available for me :(
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You never know...til you ask.
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Sounds like (excusde the pun) capacitor squeal.
You may or may not be able to RMA the card for that, it depends on your manufacturer's returns policies. I've known many cards to exhibit this annoying problem, it doesn't necessarily mean the card is failing but on the other hand, occasionally it does.
If it were me, I'd try and RMA the card - regarding the cooler and warranty status, again it depends on your manufacturer. If installing the cooler has left scratch marks or anything on the card (not knocking your installation skills, the screws for aftermarket coolers often do leave marks), locating a stock cooler won't help with that, so it depends whether the manufacturer's warrantry covers removing the cooler and how rigorously they follow that policy.
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Squealing Capacitors (http://www.overclock.net/overclock-net-folding-home-team/476207-squealing-capacitors.html)
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I get 800-1200 FPS,
What? Is this bullet velocity? ???
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FPS = frames per second in this case, not feet per second.
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Squealing Capacitors (http://www.overclock.net/overclock-net-folding-home-team/476207-squealing-capacitors.html)
Thanks for that link :)
Helped clear up any fear in my head.
So I guess the only real option is to run everything with v-sync on?
What? Is this bullet velocity? ???
Haha i wish my computer moved that fast :D
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60+ is good, anything higher than that you won't notice. Anything lower than 30 is considered unacceptable...
How many frames per second is acceptable?
(http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/97101-13-frames-acceptable)
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Thanks for that link :)
Helped clear up any fear in my head.
So I guess the only real option is to run everything with v-sync on?
Take a look at the link contained in the 1st post of the link I provided before. Go ahead, be afraid.
Squealing caps is not good, they are not designed to vibrate and produce noise. If continued to be overstressed, I guarantee you that they will fail earlier than intended. It's like running a tire rated at 120mph at 150mph; no way to tell when it will fail, but it will fail earlier than the designer intended.
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Take a look at the link contained in the 1st post of the link I provided before. Go ahead, be afraid.
Squealing caps is not good, they are not designed to vibrate and produce noise. If continued to be overstressed, I guarantee you that they will fail earlier than intended. It's like running a tire rated at 120mph at 150mph; no way to tell when it will fail, but it will fail earlier than the designer intended.
Hmm well I didn't really expect the card to last further than 2 years, I have it overclocked 24/7 and I am usually gaming on it.
I guess I'll just leave V-Sync on :)
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60+ is good, anything higher than that you won't notice. Anything lower than 30 is considered unacceptable...
How many frames per second is acceptable?
yep... anything over the refresh rate of the monitor is pretty much useless. Without Vsync you get tearing, and with vsync it cannot show more then the refresh rate number of frames anyway. so having 1200fps according to a game is no better then having 120fps unless you have a super ultra monitor that can somehow refresh at 1200Hz, which seems rather unlikely.
I've played through entire SNES games on an emulator at 12-20fps, so the whole <30 rule is completely subjective.
it's also completely time-based- the original Doom, for example, was artificially capped at 30fps. Nowadays that is considered "choppy" with games that have textures that are thousands of times more detailed and geometry that is equally more detailed, not to mention shaders and other fancy stuff. It's more a case of gamers being spoiled with high frame rates to the point of becoming "used" to them then it is an actual objective viewpoint on framerates.
In fact- if I may yet reintroduce the entire doom thing- some people, when switching from a 386 to a 4867 and playing doom on the new computer, found that the increased smoothness (higher framerate) was actually giving them motion sickness! and this was probably switching from 12-15fps to 25-30fps.
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If it's just under a Year i'd exercise the warranty immediately...