[SOLVED] Artifacting GTX 1080, what's next?

[JessicaOn4k]

Long story short, about a month ago, I replaced my GPU cooler (gtx1080 Turbo) for the NZXT g12. 200$ down the road, my temps were much much better overall. Yesterday, I opened my computer and was greeted with a bunch of horizontal 1" white lines all over my screen. In my roomate's PC, the computer displayed a black screen! SO, I disassembled everything and found several (heat marks?) all over the memory and vrams. I'm new to all this tech talk, so I might be wrong on this. Underclocking the card did nothing . As this is a very expensive card, i really don't want to accept defeat. What's next to do? Reflow? Thanks for the help, you're the best!!

Specs:
NZXT H510i
i3 6100
Gtx 1080
500W Corsair GPU (new from Newegg)
16gb RAM (Kingston 2x8gb)
Asus MAXIMUS IX HERO

 

[Unolocogringo]

It may be dead.
Did you install memory heatsinks or a memory cooling plate when you installed the G12?
If not you probably fried the memory chips with no active cooling.

 

[punkncat]

I find myself curious about this.

What was going on previously with the stock cooling that would have you decide to add an AIO and cooling block to a 1080 on a system running a 6th gen i3? Even in that case I can't see heat being that big an issue.
Was there something going on with GPU temps before you added that?

No offense intended, but whomever is recommending you do this aren't exactly looking out for your interests...

 

[Phaaze88]

GDDR5 and R5X memory fall in the scenario of 'heatsinks help, but are not necessary if system airflow is good'. Can't do without heatsinks with R6 and R6X memory.
I've been running my 1080Ti on a G12, with no memory heatsinks, for well over a year(June 2020) now with no memory related issues. It is in a H500P Mesh though.

several (heat marks?) all over the memory and vrams

Can you post some HD pics of these marks? Someone may know what they are?
The images can be posted via imgur.com

 

[JessicaOn4k]

Here is a photo of what I believe may be heat damage:

https://imgur.com/a/kABOqfy

View: https://imgur.com/a/kABOqfy

I installed the g12 because my GPU temperatures were constantly above 85 degrees while gaming (info from GPU-Z). A friend of mine suggested that for longevity and overall performance, it was better to keep the card cool as much as possible. At the time of installation, I did not use any thermal pads on the card, just the g12 with its water cooler and fan combo. Ironically, this attempt at lowering the heat might have actually caused the damage.

As this card was purchased USED on eBay about 3 months ago, I really have no idea what this card went thru. Guessing it had been under a lot of stress as the temperatures were very abnormal from the start. Reached out to the seller a few days ago and surprisingly, he replied! Told me the card was used for gaming and always worked fine.

After doing some research online, someone suggested that the card might have been "baked" in the past prior to sale. If that's the case, would it really have lasted 3 months?


Thanks for all the help so far

 

[DSzymborski]

What exact PSU was this? There's no Corsair 500W PSU that I'd have used with this, at least that I can think of.

 

[JessicaOn4k]

I am using a VS500 PSU by Corsair. Don't think PSU is the problem, as I get a black screen (not artifacts like in my PC) when GPU is installed in a computer equipped with an RM650. I'd just like to clarify that this card only requires a 8pin connector.

 

[rcald2000]

Hello JessicaOn4k. I unfortunately have no suggestions to resolve your potential water block issues. Although I will ask you if your GPU is the ASUS GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Turbo. To my knowledge, that card has a AIB "reference cooler on it. I personally used to have the EVGA GTX 980 Ti SC reference cards, and the stock fan curve would have the cards at a constant 84C, per design.

Even though I don't have an answer to your direct question, I did want to offer advice on what you might do to hold yourself over while troubleshooting your GPU problems.

If it were me: I would definitely create a Nvidia Geforce NOW account. GeForce NOW connects to digital PC game stores so you can stream your own library of games. While some game launchers aren't compatible with the platform (e.g. Riot, Blizzard Activision), there are many games that are: https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce-now/games/

There is a paid account (~$10) as well as a free one. The one major caveat is that you must have solid internet for this to work well. If memory serves, I believe 25 mbps downstream is the minimum requirement, but 50 mbps is recommended. Also, wired Ehternet connection is preferred, followed by 5 GHz wi-fi, with 2.4 GHz being the least optimal connectivity for the service. Also, the service is limited to 1080p 60 Hz gameplay, unless you pay for the premium $20 a month service, that provides RTX 3080 service with up-to 1440p 120 Hz. I've been playing on this service since it was first introduced in beta, many years ago, and it's honestly very good. For now, consider creating a free account tonight and see if it fulfills your needs. The free account has the performance of an RTX 2080 Super, so you should be pleased with the performance, if you can live with the 1080p 60 FPS limitation.

Also, down the road, you might consider a platform upgrade: Normally upgrading from a core i3-6100 to a core i7-6700K would be a logical upgrade, except that particular i7 chip costs $200 used on Ebay right now, but has the performance of a modern $100 CPU (e.g. ryzen 3 3100 or intel i3-10100). Don't buy either of those examples I just referenced. On a super tight budget I'd try to find a used (w/ BIOS already updated) B450 chipset motherboard from a friend or fellow gamer <$60), and possibly an open box Ryzen 5 3600 which I see selling on Ebay US for $180.

Sorry for all your PC problems. Sounds like a nightmare.