XFX 6600GT Overheating Problem?

[waratt]

Hi all. I just picked up my XFX 6600GT replacement card yesterday and tested it using the software called "Real-time HDR IBL", which stands for Real-Time High Dynamic Range Image-Based Lighting. From what I read, this software is used to test DX9 vga cards by putting a lot of stress on them. And I noticed the temperature rising when the software was running.

Here what I have got:


1.

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I got this white stripe on the lower left of the application window and the temperature is like 85C.

2.


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I did not OC it at all and its idle temp was already like 57-58C. But when HDR IBL was running I saw the temp rising to 85C and still kept gradually going up. The ambient temp at the time of testing was like 25C.

I did not have any problem when running 3DMark2001SE, but did notice of some kind of "flashing corrupt graphics" when running the 3DMark03 and 05. All have the current update.

My case is a Coolermaster Cavalier T-01 or something (the one with a moving dial). I am using Forceware 67.66 video driver and the Nvidia chipset driver version 5.10. I have tried most of Forceware versions as well as a few chipset versions. But the results I got were even worse.

I am suspecting it's got a problem about overheating but not very sure about it.

So, what do you guys reckon about this GFX card's problem? Thanks a great deal in advance for your input.

EDIT: PS. sorry for the picture quality as I used my phone digital camera to take the screen shots.

[po3tik_one]

Which version of the xfx cooler are we talking about? the original reference style one? or the updated rev 2 cooler they're shipping out now?

[waratt]

Originally Posted by po3tik_one

Which version of the xfx cooler are we talking about? the original reference style one? or the updated rev 2 cooler they're shipping out now?

Thx a lot for your input. My one is, I think the Version A.4 as showing on the box. Basically, it has the shiny chrome looking HSF, whose picture can be downloaded from http://www.xfxforce.com/pinetechnotes/Fan%20Update.pdf

BTW, my PC specs are:

Mobile AMD Athlon 2600+ @ 2400 MHz (12X200) at 1.65 V with temps around 45C idle - 52.5C full load. Ambient would be around 25C.
DFI Lanparty Ultra B
1GB of Corsair 3200XL RAM
Windows 2000 Pro
DX9c
36GB Western Digital Raptor.
Enermax 550 Watts PSU with one power cable solely connecting the GFX card.

[po3tik_one]

I've seen a mate's 6600GT raise temps to 90 on load


Going by the drivers the temperature's threshold is a bit higher than a 6800GT (iirc). So I'm sure these cores can take it.


Are you noticing any common stuttering issues when playing games?

[waratt]

Originally Posted by po3tik_one

Are you noticing any common stuttering issues when playing games?

I have not done any gaming just yet. I still feel hesitant to do so as the last one dead-froze when I was doing very well in conquering other nations (I was playing Rise of Nations: Throne and Patriots, btw. ). That pissed me off quite a great deal bexause I lost everything I had owned.

So, this time I just wanted to put some good tests before I started ddoing gaming.

Yeah, my experience on the card was as described above. Since I have not had many problems with video cards before, that makes me feel unsure if this card looks like a defect, and that'd be why I wanted to ask for you guys' opinions if it's a dud or not.

Thx a lot.

[Annihilator69]

80 is huge..

My 6800nu has never even gone past 62'c with stock cooler overclocked

[po3tik_one]

You're very correct Annihilator69 the 6600GT seemed to run hotter than my 6800GT.


Waratt - Put your card through hell mate (benchmarks, plenty of games) and see what happens. My mate's card had to be RMA (because he's card happened to be one of the dodgey one's that came from taiwan)


He had plenty of freezing during gaming and the card randomly crashes too when it was idling in the desktop.


We tried a different power supply as well to properly determine that it was the card and not the power supply giving him grief.

[waratt]

Originally Posted by po3tik_one

Waratt - Put your card through hell mate (benchmarks, plenty of games) and see what happens. My mate's card had to be RMA (because he's card happened to be one of the dodgey one's that came from taiwan)

He had plenty of freezing during gaming and the card randomly crashes too when it was idling in the desktop.


We tried a different power supply as well to properly determine that it was the card and not the power supply giving him grief.

My last one was just like your friend's one. This replacement card I am testing has never crashed my system but only produced artifacts in 3DMARK03, 3DMARK05 and this HDL IBL.

Given only 7 days, I have to make a decision whether it should be a DOA or not and I do not have many games installed on it now.

So, in you guys experience if a card shows artifacts but does not crash, like my case, is it normal?

Also, I tried changing the freq. in Rivatuner and in Detonator but to no avail. I kept saying it failed to pass the freq. or something. Why did I get such a problem?

Thanks a lot mate.

[waratt]

What are good programs to stress test this XFX 6600 GT AGP to show if it's defective or not?

Thanks a lot in advance.

[DirtyDogLives]

I too had a XFX 6600GT and it was a dud. Out of the box with stock settings it ran at 75'C idle and got to 90'C + under load. artifact like crazy. tried abbsolutely everything under the sun to get it to work. nothing did. eventually got a refund and bought a Leadtek 6600GT TDH and it has been going great since day one with stock drivers and software. Just recently replaced the HSF with a Zalman VF700cu and modified the ramsinks to fit. It runs at 39-40' C idle and 55'C under load overclocked at 600/1200mhz (stock is 500/900) so I'm pretty happy with it

Check out this thread for details and pics.
http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=1133

[waratt]

Originally Posted by DirtyDogLives

I too had a XFX 6600GT and it was a dud. Out of the box with stock settings it ran at 75'C idle and got to 90'C + under load. artifact like crazy. tried abbsolutely everything under the sun to get it to work. nothing did. eventually got a refund and bought a Leadtek 6600GT TDH and it has been going great since day one with stock drivers and software. Just recently replaced the HSF with a Zalman VF700cu and modified the ramsinks to fit. It runs at 39-40' C idle and 55'C under load overclocked at 600/1200mhz (stock is 500/900) so I'm pretty happy with it

Check out this thread for details and pics.
http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=1133

Thanks a lot. I reckon that your case looks nice, which makes me think I gotta learn how to tidy up on the inside on my case, too.

[Submariner]

Info on my Chrome, Version 4, XFX:

Stock heatsink, 50C idle, 63C after playing Farcry for an hour, 78C using Real-time HDR IBL. Seems alright to play games, no problems, but a bit hotter that I would like and a fairly noisy fan, in a quiet computer system.

Replaced the stock HSF with a Zalman VF700cu heatsink at 7volts (very quiet), 56C load using Real-time HDR IBL. I had to modify the metal spacers (Zalman call them nipples "A" ) by filing off about 1mm, so that the Zalman heatsink would make proper contact with the core.

My conclusion is that XFX are running the stock fan too slow to make it quieter and the heatsink is too small. Also I think some of the heatsinks are not making proper contact with the GPU core and those XFXs get very hot. IMO they need to bring out a version 5 with a better HSF.

http://www.daionet.gr.jp/~masa/rthdribl/