Why do you think I killed my 3870?

  • Thread starter Thread starter KlausK
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K

KlausK

Today, I re-installed a Thermalright HS on my 3870 because I wasn't sure if
I applied thermal paste properly. I took out the HS, cleaned memory modules
and GPU with alcohol, attached memory HS's with thermal tape, and attached
the GPU HS after applying artic silver.

I re-installed the card and it displayed weird colors and garbage
characters. I couldn't get to Windows. I tried the card on another PC and it
didn't even generate video signal.

I was wearing an anti-static strap while working on the card, so static
electricity didn't kill the card. I remember I cleaned the GPU and mem
modules with too much alcohol. So, did alcohol kill it?
 
Today, I re-installed a Thermalright HS on my 3870 because I wasn't sure if
I applied thermal paste properly. I took out the HS, cleaned memory modules
and GPU with alcohol, attached memory HS's with thermal tape, and attached
the GPU HS after applying artic silver.

I re-installed the card and it displayed weird colors and garbage
characters. I couldn't get to Windows. I tried the card on another PC and it
didn't even generate video signal.

I was wearing an anti-static strap while working on the card, so static
electricity didn't kill the card. I remember I cleaned the GPU and mem
modules with too much alcohol. So, did alcohol kill it?
Click to expand...
Alcohol can seep into parts. Did you let it dry well enough? did you basically
soak the dang thing?
 
peter said:
Maybe its just a little drunk.....let it sober up
peter

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Click to expand...

"Too much"? How did you establish that you used "too much"?

I have seen the same thing before, I have gotten a working card
back after repeated cleaning of the mem chips. Be sure there is
no residue left bridging any contacts. This problem crops up when
applying heatsinks with (not so) diluted epoxy, from time to time.

You want to wait until the solvent has completely dried, between
tests. You might wait overnight, at least; it can take awhile.

Luck;
Ken
 
Alcohol can seep into parts. Did you let it dry well enough? did you basically
soak the dang thing?
Click to expand...

I can understand it when it comes to advance overclocking, but the
"obsession" of cleaning the chips is... well.. normaly this doesn't
have much real effect on the thermal perforamance. For a normalt user,
just getting the old stuff preatty much of with paper or something
should do the trick just fine....
 
KlausK said:
Today, I re-installed a Thermalright HS on my 3870 because I wasn't sure
if I applied thermal paste properly. I took out the HS, cleaned memory
modules and GPU with alcohol, attached memory HS's with thermal tape, and
attached the GPU HS after applying artic silver.

I re-installed the card and it displayed weird colors and garbage
characters. I couldn't get to Windows. I tried the card on another PC and
it didn't even generate video signal.

I was wearing an anti-static strap while working on the card, so static
electricity didn't kill the card. I remember I cleaned the GPU and mem
modules with too much alcohol. So, did alcohol kill it?
Click to expand...

Isn't this the same unit you said didn't go past 47C running normally with
your aftermarket cooler in a previous post?
 
KlausK said:
Today, I re-installed a Thermalright HS on my 3870 because I wasn't sure
if I applied thermal paste properly. I took out the HS, cleaned memory
modules and GPU with alcohol, attached memory HS's with thermal tape, and
attached the GPU HS after applying artic silver.

I re-installed the card and it displayed weird colors and garbage
characters. I couldn't get to Windows. I tried the card on another PC and
it didn't even generate video signal.

I was wearing an anti-static strap while working on the card, so static
electricity didn't kill the card. I remember I cleaned the GPU and mem
modules with too much alcohol. So, did alcohol kill it?
Click to expand...
What kind of alcohol did you use. The accepted alcohols are,
minimum 99% pure isopropyl alcohol, and 99.9% pure ethyl
alcohol. It's doubtful you have the latter as it's distribution
is tightly controlled in most places. A proper alcohol itself is not
harmful, even if you soak the board, but it may spread residues
of contaminants, so repeated cleaning and drying cycles may
be required. Using regular 70% rubbing alcohol is a no-no for
electronic circuitry. If you have used that, get some 99% pure
isopropyl alcohol at a drugstore. It's okay if it says rubbing
alcohol as long as it's 99% pure.
 
KlausK said:
Today, I re-installed a Thermalright HS on my 3870 because I wasn't sure
if I applied thermal paste properly. I took out the HS, cleaned memory
modules and GPU with alcohol, attached memory HS's with thermal tape, and
attached the GPU HS after applying artic silver.

I re-installed the card and it displayed weird colors and garbage
characters. I couldn't get to Windows. I tried the card on another PC and
it didn't even generate video signal.

I was wearing an anti-static strap while working on the card, so static
electricity didn't kill the card. I remember I cleaned the GPU and mem
modules with too much alcohol. So, did alcohol kill it?
Click to expand...


Maybe vodka would have a negative effect on electronics, but the standard
'cleaning alcohol' a.k.a. isopropanol, isopropyl alcohol, propan-2-ol - call
it what you will, the clear stuff that can be bought from any chemist for
about £5 per 500ml - is absolutely inert to electrical components. You can
safely use as much as you like, it doesn't even have to dry out.

In the past I've had a couple of RAM modules that seemed dead - bathing them
in isopropanol and cleaning the contacts brought them back to life.

One possibility is that some of the thermal compound you used or that was
previously on the chips was electrically conductive, *like your arctic
silver* and some of that ended up where it shouldn't. So, make sure it's
isopropanol you've got and give the whole board a thoroughly good clean, use
plenty of alcohol, then clean the pci-e contacts just to be on the safe
side. I'll bet it's a bit of arctic silver causing the problem.

Good Luck.

Dr.White.
 
Augustus said:
Isn't this the same unit you said didn't go past 47C running normally with
your aftermarket cooler in a previous post?
Click to expand...
No. That one is my 1st 3870. I recently got this 3870 and was testing it in
my 2nd PC. I attached the same Thermalright HS and it hit 60C although my
main & 2nd PCs are pretty similar, so I thought something was wrong.
 
Dr.White said:
Maybe vodka would have a negative effect on electronics, but the standard
'cleaning alcohol' a.k.a. isopropanol, isopropyl alcohol, propan-2-ol -
call it what you will, the clear stuff that can be bought from any chemist
for about £5 per 500ml - is absolutely inert to electrical components. You
can safely use as much as you like, it doesn't even have to dry out.

In the past I've had a couple of RAM modules that seemed dead - bathing
them in isopropanol and cleaning the contacts brought them back to life.

One possibility is that some of the thermal compound you used or that was
previously on the chips was electrically conductive, *like your arctic
silver* and some of that ended up where it shouldn't.
Click to expand...

After posing the message, I took a good look at the card and saw residue of
artic silver on several parts of the board.
 
Maybe vodka would have a negative effect on electronics, but the standard
'cleaning alcohol' a.k.a. isopropanol, isopropyl alcohol, propan-2-ol - call
it what you will, the clear stuff that can be bought from any chemist for
about £5 per 500ml - is absolutely inert to electrical components. You can
safely use as much as you like, it doesn't even have to dry out.

In the past I've had a couple of RAM modules that seemed dead - bathing them
in isopropanol and cleaning the contacts brought them back to life.

One possibility is that some of the thermal compound you used or that was
previously on the chips was electrically conductive, *like your arctic
silver* and some of that ended up where it shouldn't. So, make sure it's
isopropanol you've got and give the whole board a thoroughly good clean, use
plenty of alcohol, then clean the pci-e contacts just to be on the safe
side. I'll bet it's a bit of arctic silver causing the problem.

Good Luck.

Dr.White.
Click to expand...
You keep telling people to bathe the electronics in alchohol. Do you forget
that alchohol is flamable?
 
After posing the message, I took a good look at the card and saw residue
of artic silver on several parts of the board.
Click to expand...

Artcic Silver can be an issue if liberally applied. See if you can clean it
out . You might get lucky.
 
GMAN said:
You keep telling people to bathe the electronics in alchohol. Do you
forget
that alchohol is flamable?
Click to expand...

Well, I used rubbing alcohol to clean gpus and mem modules because 3rd party
cooler makers (eg, Zalman, Thermalright) recommend using alcohol.
 
You keep telling people to bathe the electronics in alchohol. Do you
forget
that alchohol is flamable?
Click to expand...

Alcohol, especially at 99% purity, evaporates very quickly. Obviously,
it's not applied when equipment is powered up.
 
GMAN said:
You keep telling people to bathe the electronics in alchohol. Do you
forget
that alchohol is flamable?
Click to expand...

Most good solvents are, just don't smoke while you work.

Luck;
Ken
 
After posing the message, I took a good look at the card and saw residue
of artic silver on several parts of the board.
Click to expand...
Get a 3/8" natural bristle paint brush, and cut the bristles to about
1/2" in length. Then using 99% pure isopropyl alcohol lightly scrub
the Arctic Silver residues lightly. Flush with alcohol before it dries
again. The only issue with alcohol is that is may cause labels to
become unglued.
 
GMAN said:
You keep telling people to bathe the electronics in alchohol. Do you
forget
that alchohol is flamable?
Click to expand...

Yes I always keep telling people to bathe all their electronics in gallons
of alcohol, all the time. All the time, you hear? I must OWN an isopropanol
*factory* the way I've been going off.

Since all bottles of isopropanol I've ever purchased have got a great big
****ing 'FLAMMABLE' symbol on them, you would have to be a ****tard not to
take reasonable precautions when using it. Although IMO it's not dangerous
enough to warrant static discharge precautions. It's the cheapest, safest
and best solvent available for electronics jobs.

Dr.White.
 
Well, I used rubbing alcohol to clean gpus and mem modules because 3rd party
cooler makers (eg, Zalman, Thermalright) recommend using alcohol.
Click to expand...
Agreed, i use it too, but i do suggest that before applying any heat sink
compound or before reinstalling and turing on your system, you allow the
alchohol to completely dry up first before turning the system on. You could
sometimes have some liquid still sitting beneath a leg or two of a memory chip
or GPU or whatever and when you turn the power on, alchohol, as is any liquid
is conductive and could immediately short out a card.

I usually take my wifes hair dryer and switch it to very low or no heat and
blow dry the card very well before applying the new compound and ram sinks and
cooler.
 
Alcohol, especially at 99% purity, evaporates very quickly. Obviously,
it's not applied when equipment is powered up.
Click to expand...
Sure, but if some got behind a chip or something on the board,it may not have
evaporated yet and it can short something out.

The proper stuff to use would be a good circuit board cleaner spray the the
old bluewash or blubath, cant remember the name but those are safe and meant
for circuit boards.
 
Yes I always keep telling people to bathe all their electronics in gallons
of alcohol, all the time. All the time, you hear? I must OWN an isopropanol
*factory* the way I've been going off.
LMAO!!!!!


Since all bottles of isopropanol I've ever purchased have got a great big
****ing 'FLAMMABLE' symbol on them, you would have to be a ****tard not to
take reasonable precautions when using it. Although IMO it's not dangerous
enough to warrant static discharge precautions. It's the cheapest, safest
and best solvent available for electronics jobs.

Dr.White.
Click to expand...


I agree its probably the best household item most of us have around to use in
a pinch and it use it too. But just make sure its dry before plugging it back
in and turning it back on. a hairdryer on low heat, high air is good. Run it
for 10-20 seconds or so before reapplying the HS compound and ramsinks.

A good circuit board cleaning spray, made for this very thing for removing
gunk, grease, solder flux residue would be better. But for poor people,
alchohol is the bomb!

lmfao................
hides.........................
 
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