RMA'ing a graphics card process

[brendan_20]

If I want to RMA my gpu, do I send them it back then they send a replacement meaning I need to live without a GPU for a week (or so) or does it work differently.

The card is Zotac GTX 1070 Ti mini and has terrible coil whine even when capping the fps and using headphones

 

[t53186]

Looks like you will have to wait https://www.zotac.com/us/page/product-warranty-policy

 

[photonboy]

1) go to Zotac site and find RMA exact process and follow instructions
2) usually involves contacting Tech Support first to see if they can solve at which point if not they give you an RMA number to use, but again the Zotac site should explain this in detail.

3) box up card, send it in and wait (likely at least three weeks).

*some companies offer CROSS-SHIPPING on some products but that's not common and I'm quite sure Zotac does not though EVGA does for some countries. It also usually involves paying for a new product up front then they automatically reimburse you when they receive your product in the specified time (like 4 weeks).

**unfortunately the COIL WHINE may be an issue with every card in that model as it seems fairly common for that mini. So replacing it may or may not help. I guess you can only try.

You might even try DOWNCLOCKING which I know is undesirable but sometimes a small change in clock speed has a big change in coil whine as its tied to the resonant frequency of specific circuits which might be limited to specific power conditions.

 

[brendan_20]

Guess I'll just need to live with it. Also could it just be certain games?

 

[photonboy]

Guess I'll just need to live with it. Also could it just be certain games?

Certain games?
Yes. Sort of. It's going to vary by the POWER DRAW and due to how resonance works (think crystal glass and opera singer) there tends to be one or more RANGES of power where coil draw is obvious.

Actually it's probably not simply power but the frequency of some circuits as I remember coil whine at "800FPS" in an intro screen with no VSYNC to cap the FPS but the temperature was pretty low so power draw was too. But some part of the circuits in the graphics card (not the GPU itself) was operating at a higher frequency due to the REFRESH rate in this case likely but it's complicated... again some COMBO of power/frequency etc causes a part of a circuit to resonate at a frequency causing air to be pushed to your ears (acts as a speaker).

Anyway, basically there's probably not much you can do aside from capping the FPS. For example, let's say you tweak a game, VSYNC OFF and end up at 80FPS average with coil whine. If you have a 60Hz monitor then cap with VSYNC ON you'll limit to 60FPS which is less power draw etc which would potentially reduce or eliminate the whine.

Sometimes drawing MORE power produces less whine too.

 

[brendan_20]

Okay and last question sorry, is coil whine bad? Like will it degrade the GPU overtime or something ?