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andy497 · 04-26-2005, 09:33 AM

I finally got my gpu block in and started assembling last weekend. During the install I routed hose through a pci slot, and this area was difficult to seal from leakage. Nothing was plugged in or powered during this time, but a lot dripped along the back pane into the bottom of the case until I got this right. This I had to wipe up/hair dry and eventually wait for overnight to dry. As far as I can tell, the mobo and vid card never got wet, mainly just the case.

Now when I make it to windows, I have normal 2d, but anything 3d is garbage. Launching atitool is fine, but clicking the 3d window freezes the system for seconds at a time (cursor won't even move). The framerate reads under 1 fps (should be about 300), and the picture is garbage.

So here's where it gets interesting. I discovered as I heat the gpu up it gets back to normal. I can launch rivatuner (card is a nvidia 6800nu) and open the temp graph. Temps are very low. 30ish idle/load. Anyway, I declock my cpu, turn off my water pump, and watch the temps rise. This actually takes several minutes. I've got 3d windows open, e.g. rthldld(sp?) and atitool. They start as garbage which freezes my entire system. When the gpu creeps into the 50s however, they start literally thawing and the artifacts start going away. By the 60s (air cooled it ran at 75 C load), the framerate is coming back up and the artifacts are all but gone. Atitool artifact detect will run for seconds at a time without picking one up. Of course by this time my cpu is getting too hot and I'm approaching bluescreen.

At any time, if I switch my pump back on, like clockwork the artifacts come back and eventually the screen fills with garbage and freezes up.

So I'm hoping the dripping didn't corrode some trace on my vid card or mobo. Maybe it's just the thermal expansion between two bad contacts that's causing this behavior? I could try re-mounting the gpu block (swiftech mcw50), but I think the contact there is good given the temps.

I've pulled everything out several times, feeling for dampness, looking for corrosion or burns, and I can't find anything. I'm pretty sick of tearing it all apart. Tonight I'll try another vid card to at least see if it's that or the mobo.

04-26-2005, 09:33 AM	#1
andy497 Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: MI Posts: 34	adding gpu block ruins everything I finally got my gpu block in and started assembling last weekend. During the install I routed hose through a pci slot, and this area was difficult to seal from leakage. Nothing was plugged in or powered during this time, but a lot dripped along the back pane into the bottom of the case until I got this right. This I had to wipe up/hair dry and eventually wait for overnight to dry. As far as I can tell, the mobo and vid card never got wet, mainly just the case. Now when I make it to windows, I have normal 2d, but anything 3d is garbage. Launching atitool is fine, but clicking the 3d window freezes the system for seconds at a time (cursor won't even move). The framerate reads under 1 fps (should be about 300), and the picture is garbage. So here's where it gets interesting. I discovered as I heat the gpu up it gets back to normal. I can launch rivatuner (card is a nvidia 6800nu) and open the temp graph. Temps are very low. 30ish idle/load. Anyway, I declock my cpu, turn off my water pump, and watch the temps rise. This actually takes several minutes. I've got 3d windows open, e.g. rthldld(sp?) and atitool. They start as garbage which freezes my entire system. When the gpu creeps into the 50s however, they start literally thawing and the artifacts start going away. By the 60s (air cooled it ran at 75 C load), the framerate is coming back up and the artifacts are all but gone. Atitool artifact detect will run for seconds at a time without picking one up. Of course by this time my cpu is getting too hot and I'm approaching bluescreen. At any time, if I switch my pump back on, like clockwork the artifacts come back and eventually the screen fills with garbage and freezes up. So I'm hoping the dripping didn't corrode some trace on my vid card or mobo. Maybe it's just the thermal expansion between two bad contacts that's causing this behavior? I could try re-mounting the gpu block (swiftech mcw50), but I think the contact there is good given the temps. I've pulled everything out several times, feeling for dampness, looking for corrosion or burns, and I can't find anything. I'm pretty sick of tearing it all apart. Tonight I'll try another vid card to at least see if it's that or the mobo.