8600GTS malfunction - plz help! Thnx!

[VinoBob]

Hi all!

I'd like to ask some questions about troubleshooting. I've got a 8600GTS, and the card produces some errorneus phenomenon inordinately. Sometime right after startup the pictrue at the screen is fallen into pieces, some strange geometric forms like rainbowy rectangles are rendered( like an lsd trip or something) it looks like so, when a card is OC-d, and not stable, but not that much unstable, that the system should freeze or restart. So it wotks like this, BUT! only just restarting the computer seems to be solve the problem, cause right after the malfunciton dissapears, and looks so, if there didnt where any problem before, the card is fully stable, produces no error in any circumstances through a relalitvely long period of time, but randomly this phenomenon appears after a few days, and restarting again makes it disappear. What could be the problem source? I have misgivings, that something isnt right at loading the VGA BIOS, and if there is any wrong value loaded, then it reproduces this thing. I dont have any exact idea what it could be, but I thinking on such things, that the vram, or the gpu is undervolted or too high frequency is set...so such things like this. I tried to read BIOS data with Nibitor, but I couldnt, because it faild to start driver, as I wanted to select the device. ( error code 1275 )I dont know, if that is bacause of the x64 Vista( there is a x64 driver in Nibitors folder ), which I use, or just because Nibitor dosent support the latest nv driver. Someone help plz! Thnx!

 

[kyle2020]

It sounds like the card is nearing its death unfortunately. Can you RMA it? If not, Id start looking for a new card

 

[VinoBob]

It sounds like the card is nearing its death unfortunately. Can you RMA it? If not, Id start looking for a new card

I dont know.. the gpu and the ram seems to be normal, like on other cards. I stressed it, and even if its overclocked, seems to be fully stable, no errors, no artifacts.

I dunno if i could RMA it, this is an Asus card. Dont you know eventually if there is RMA for this card ? Its maximum 2 years old, cause after GPU - z the release date is 2007 april.

 

[Darren]

I dont know.. the gpu and the ram seems to be normal, like on other cards. I stressed it, and even if its overclocked, seems to be fully stable, no errors, no artifacts.

I dunno if i could RMA it, this is an Asus card. Dont you know eventually if there is RMA for this card ? Its maximum 2 years old, cause after GPU - z the release date is 2007 april.

It has nothing to do with Vista X64, Nvidia produce fantastic drivers indeed, replace the card. It isn't worth RMA'ing, isn't a fantastic card, the fact that its gone is a sign that "god" wants you to replace the antique with something capable of 2009 gaming. (I'm kidding, just replace the card with a ATI 4830 or Nvida 9800 GTX+, it isn't worth trying to fix a broken card)

 

[VinoBob]

why should I replace it, if it could be fixed? And Nibitor could have incompatibilities with Vista or with x64+Vista or the new nv driver, cause the WDM on Vista is a bit differenent then Xp, and if the isnt digitally signed, it cannot be run in kernel mode, that may cause problems like there it causes with ATT. And a new VGA driver can be also the reason, that Nibitor cannot read BIOS data, such problems are not unknow for those, who often donwloads the freshest drivers, and tweak toolz like riva tuner dosent work with them, cause it cannot identify the driver.

I saw many good cards, having just a little problem, and because of this thrown away, or cheap sold( actually i am to buy this card on low price, if it could be fixed somehow ) e.g. a 8800GTX, which DVI controller was blown away, but except that, the whole card was totally good, and bought for an old song, and put into an SLI config, where the other cards DVI output was worikng fine...

 

[VinoBob]

I got NvFlash from Darren ( thnx for it! ), and with that I could save the BIOS to a .rom file, and with NiBiTor, I could read BIOS data and taken some shotz, here the are:

http://img174.imageshack.us/my.php?image=8600gtsbiosadvinfowc6.jpg

http://img174.imageshack.us/my.php?image=8600gtsbiosbootsettingsti2.jpg

http://img223.imageshack.us/my.php?image=8600gtsbiosclocksle9.jpg

http://img223.imageshack.us/my.php?image=8600gtsbiostemprkx9.jpg

http://img223.imageshack.us/my.php?image=8600gtsbiostimingyw0.jpg

http://img223.imageshack.us/my.php?image=8600gtsbiosvoltagesmm3.jpg

I dont see anithing unusual, but if someone dose, please tell me. Btw I dont know, whats the default GPU voltage for 8600GTS, but if it dosent make a big risk, I'd like to pump up later the voltages a bit, to make the card more overclockable, so I someone knows whats the safe level of this, please tell me. Darren also posted me a list of BIOS-es now, I dont have any time to watch that, but in the afternoon I will.

I tested the card whole yesterday, and I saw no reason, to throw it in the garbage, is 100% stable, no blue screens, no errors, and quite good overclockable( 3DM06 ran looped on 756/1890/1134, I think after the shader clocks it could be clocked at 800 with more voltage and watercooling ). The only error it produces is as I described below, but I made the power on sequence yesterday several times, and it didnt happen. But today morning, as I started the machine, the sceen was corrupt again, and I had to press restart button 2 times, and it got well. It seem like the card would get this bug because it not warm enough, it need etc 5-10 seconds and a restart to act normal. In the afternoon I'll try to flash a fresh BIOS if I find some, but I dont have time for that now, and I dont wanna go bang at it, cause I'd like to do it carefully.

 

[Darren]

It might be less problematic to locate the exact bios that correlates to your specific 8600 GTS manufacturer rather than attempting to edit a bios that may not be compatible. The voltage varies from manufacturer, but it typically ranges from 1v-1.8v

An additional bios database can be located at mvktech's website.

http://www.mvktech.net/component/option,com_remository/Itemid,26/func,selectfolder/cat,4/


You haven't specified what you require from the 8600 GTS, I'm sure you feel a deep pride within fixing this card, but if you are a gamer these cards do not run games well, I would almost call them terrible.

 

[VinoBob]

Man whatta heck? There are loads of Asus Nv cards BIOS-es, but aint no 8600GTS, thats the only that is missing. I only want to try to flash a newer release of this BIOS, if there is such, and after that it solvses the problem, I'd try to adjust the GPU voltage a bit. I'd only set it for 3D level a bit higher, and in 2D is'd tweak the clock down. Its olny a little modification, there are many users, who moded their vga bios successfuly so. I know this card isnt a GTX295, but I dont wanna play with it so hardly. Actually I sold my game config, cause I dont have any time for gaming, but in a few weeks I start modding a game, and for the fisrt part of that, I need a better card, then my 8400GS. This 8600GTS I could buy cheaper, then a new 8400, if I sell this card, I have to piece the recieved money only with a few boxes, 2-3 beers price or so, so I think it could be a good deal. I tested it on 756/1890/1134( this was the maximum stable clock ), clear sky bech ran on default setting in 1280x1024 avg 29 fps at day, at night 49fps , and in rain 56fps. The 3DM06 socre is ~7600, so if I'd managed to clock it to 800, it could be enugh to start the basics of the mod with this. Certainly after a relative higher poligon count in a scene I willl be need a better card( I'am waiting for an rv740, I hope I'll get some at good price in the end of march or in april), but in the beginning of the level editing and UI scripting this will do its work fine.

 

[3870x2]

currently selling an 8600GTS unused, and a 4850. If you have some credentials, talk to me.

 

[Darren]

rv740 is ages away, I have a rule, I don't wait for technology.

There are plenty of cheap graphics cards for $99-150 that could run any game full detail for the next two years. Heck my crappy 9600 GT gets between 60-80 FPS with full detail, 4x AA, 8 AF @1440x900 on Grid, Tombraider: Underworld, COD:WAW etc. Check my spec.

The Intel E8400 is overkill for gaming, and if you've cooled down on gaming to start scripting its definately not needed.

BTW, we have a rule where you have to declare your specification. Go to "private messages" at the top left hand corner and then click "edit system spec"

Edit:

I get just under 10k in 3D Mark 2006 @ 1440x900


Edit 2:

You'd be better off buying a cheap E5200 or AMD equivalent and a ATI 4830/4850 or 9800 GTX+ opposed to skimping on the GPU and going all out CPU!

4 GBs of ram would be nice too

 

[VinoBob]

Nope, rv74a is coming in march, and accoring to the rumors its performace level will be between 4830 and 4850, and the price around 100$ ( my tipp is a bit less cause of GT200b ). So if thats true, there will be a significant fall in the rv7xx prices during march, and so then I'll buy a second hand 4830/50 or if there wil be some from the rv740 chips on the second hand market for a good price, than I'll try that. Untill then I dont need a power VGA, it's capacity would be unused and its value would be just descend. I'll wait untill the prices getting stable, and then I'll replace this 8600GTS. Hopfully I can sell thiscard with no loss on it, or I'd gain some money with it if I'd repair it, so the cange at the right time for the right card wont be much expensive. Ya know I'm doin this for a time now, and didnt spent much money on the machine, and its a quite good rig, everithing is watercooled( except the PSU ) and quiet( its only one huge(37cm) fan on the radiator at low rpm, with 0% noise). I've bought the components at a dead bargain, if I'd bought them in a store, or even at normal second hand price, they where 3x-5x more expensive.
I was thinkin to buy a 5200 as well, but I obtained a low price E6400,what is so hard overclockable, that I didnt saw something like that among the E6xxx series. Its only drawback is that is very hot at higher frequencies, so I need to lap it as I have a little spare time for that. Then it could be easy stabilized at 3.9-4Ghz with 1,5V, but I dont need that much frequency for 24/7, only for rendering, so it will be set on 3,6Ghz ~1,3-1,35V.

Ok I'll fill that form soon.

 

[VinoBob]

I falshed tha latest BIOS I fond here http://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/4387/Asus.8600GTS.256.071018.html, and it seems so, it has solved the problem, aint no checked pattern, no cold bug yet, after 2 days. the only problem is, that this flash created another: one dvi port is out of work. The other one is working fine, so the card is useble. At the first time, I thought that the flash was unsuccessfull, cause that port went wrong, which was in use, there was no sign on the cable, then I switched the cable to the another port, at with it is worikng fine. I hope it was not because that port was used, cause I need to flash one more time, as I want to bump the GPU oltage a bit. Btw nibitor couldnt flash the original nv .bin BIOS file, so I had to transform that into a .rom with nibitor. I dont know if it could be the reason, why the DVI port went wrong.