Burned Video Card Leads to ESO Withdrawls

Enemy-of-Coldharbour · August 2014

While playing last night the scent of burning electronics and a puff of smoke caught my attention as I lost my DVI signal. Well, that's never good. After unplugging my machine and opening the case I look and find one of my videos cards good and crispy. I was running 2x SLI NVIDEA GeForce GTX 480 1.5GB cards. Old, but effective, and never had any issues running ESO. Now it's on it's way back to Digital Storm in Fresno, CA for a repair/upgrade. I'll be replacing the two 480's with a single NVIDEA GTX 780 Ti 3GB overclocked. I would have done the upgrade myself, but it's liquid cooled with two radiators and needs to be re-plumbed for the single card. I should have it back by next Friday. It's going to be a long week.

It's been less that 24 hours since the incident and I'm already felling the 'itch'. All I can think about are things like my alt's horses are not getting fed and that I'm losing valuable research time. Additionally, I cannot manage my guild and have no way to contact my members to let them know why I'm not around. I never realized how much I had invested in this game until I was unable to play it. Addicted or obsessed, I may have an ESO dependency.

Pray for me...

smeeprocketnub19_ESO · August 2014

Our Father, Thou art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name...

Nestor · August 2014

Know anyone in RL with the game? At least you could log in and feed the animals and the research table.

They might have to chase you away from the keyboard with a stick though....:D

SG_Celerrimus · August 2014

I shall leave an offering at the shrine of Mara for you, good luck... I feel a slight portion of your pain since the servers are down.

On a side note, always remember to blow the dust out of your computer like once a month - every two months. Dust build up in your computer can lead to it over heating and even burning.

andre.roques.3b14_ESO · August 2014

You need to be something more than praying...like say, investing in some way of better cooling your case. Just a suggestion. I am truly sorry for your loss. it is times like these that we need to celebrate the life of the cards rather than mourn their loss.

SirenofEntropy · August 2014

Been there. Not with ESO, but with other games in the past. A dead video card can feel a bit like a dead kitten when you're really pining to play a particular game.

But, that's why I don't overclock my cards, and limit my fps to a cap of 60. I also don't play on Ultra settings even though I could probably get away with it with my Nvidia 660ti. I don't have the money to be buying a new one every few months.

Zanderscotxub17_ESO · August 2014

I use the 860m nividia in my laptop it was running 86- 91 c after nividia experience optimization it went down to 80 c stable. When you get yours back optamise it and a + NOW YOU CAN GET SHADOWPLAY on your new card.

DogFaceInBananaPatch · August 2014

I literally run one of my AC vents directly into the machine now when playing this game. This is the only game that waaaaay max's out my GPU when there's fire and cold effects; and also ghosts for some reason. I run MSI Afterburner while playing and it's a solid 76c during heavy combat (without AC being pumped directly into the case) but once a fire effect happens (or one of the effects mentioned above) my card goes to maximum overdrive and can reach ~105c.

Yes, it's pristine clean inside my case. Clean it five or six times a year.

I can play any other game without the GPU temp going over 80c (very heavy load).

I would of lost my video card if I didn't immediately catch this when I subscribed and I also run everything maxed (ultra or high, and everything ON). Doesn't matter if I put all the setting to the lowest possible either. The GPU will still run around 76c on the lowliest settings or the Ultra settings (shadows, max distance, grass, etc)... but once there's a spell effect my computer tries to explode.

So pumping direct AC air into my computer has resolved the problem and keeps the GPU to around mid-80's when there's a Ghost on screen (lol). Mid 80's is still a little too hot and I'm reducing the card's longevity but I no longer run the risk of the computer exploding.

...oh can you fix the Particle Effects ZoS? Please!

jrgray93 · August 2014

This is why I have two gaming PCs. A GTX 770 4GB / i7-4770k @ 4.6 GHz (soon to add another 770) and a GTX 760 / i3-4340 that I keep at work. Actually, my friend currently has my i3 build because his laptop died.

smeeprocketnub19_ESO · August 2014

jrgray93 wrote: »

This is why I have two gaming PCs. A GTX 770 4GB / i7-4770k @ 4.6 GHz (soon to add another 770) and a GTX 760 / i3-4340 that I keep at work. Actually, my friend currently has my i3 build because his laptop died.

that cpu is just overkill.

p_tsakirisb16_ESO · August 2014

smeeprocketnub19_ESO wrote: »

jrgray93 wrote: »

This is why I have two gaming PCs. A GTX 770 4GB / i7-4770k @ 4.6 GHz (soon to add another 770) and a GTX 760 / i3-4340 that I keep at work. Actually, my friend currently has my i3 build because his laptop died.

that cpu is just overkill.

Ha. Nah is just normal..... Great OC for 4770K tbh.

FYI I have an i7 4820K overclocked at 5Ghz.

Armitas · August 2014

OP If you have any native graphics on your mother board you can use that in the meantime or ask around work or you friends if they have a spare card. Someone always has a graphics card laying around somewhere.

RedMiniStapler · August 2014

cgipervert wrote: »

It's been less that 24 hours since the incident and I'm already felling the 'itch'. All I can think about are things like my alt's horses are not getting fed and that I'm losing valuable research time. Additionally, I cannot manage my guild and have no way to contact my members to let them know why I'm not around. I never realized how much I had invested in this game until I was unable to play it. Addicted or obsessed, I may have an ESO dependency.

Pray for me...

you got itch that you can't scratch eh? i think there's cream for that

and about the addiction part, I say you kick your addition while this happened! give yourself forced 7 days of break from the game. at first you might sweat or twitch continuously, might even get irritable and punch your annoying neighbor in the face. But once you get rid of your addiction, you'll feel much happier.
I hear it's easy to relapse though, so careful!

Fleymark · August 2014

Feel for you, OP, I really do.

Back in the spring of 2000 I had a week off the girlfriend was out of town and was dead broke so I had nothing to do that week but feed my full blown EQ addiction. And myself if I could make it to the fridge on a bathroom break. It was glorious. Nothing but time, no ball and chain to keep me from playing 20 hours a day for a week.

Except on the 3rd or 4th day my diamond monster voodoo card fried on me. I frantically tried to "fix" the problem because I was in complete denial that my card was dead. Then had like a day of complete withdrawals. I think I wound up borrowing money so I could go buy a new card and salvage my week of bliss. LOL

As addictive as that game was, I bet I would have had an anurism if there was research and horses to feed.

jrgray93 · August 2014

smeeprocketnub19_ESO wrote: »

jrgray93 wrote: »

This is why I have two gaming PCs. A GTX 770 4GB / i7-4770k @ 4.6 GHz (soon to add another 770) and a GTX 760 / i3-4340 that I keep at work. Actually, my friend currently has my i3 build because his laptop died.

that cpu is just overkill.

Not at all! I do video encoding as well as gaming. You'd also be surprised what the raw IPC of Intel can do with games like this.

I actually have it @ 4.6 under 65C with only an H60 cooler because I delidded it xD

Venereous44 · August 2014

Condolences..

Yeah, gaming interruptions are the worst. I usually try to make the most of them by working in an upgrade... but yeah, the down time will have me jonesing big time.

I'm a novice over clocker.. haven't had the stones to go liquid cooling. My rig is already a hassle to work on, so much crap in such little space.. and its a full tower and weighs at least 60lbs. I couldn't imaging dealing with plumbing on top of everything else.

Is anyone running full mineral oil submersion? That's supposed to be the pinnacle of liquid cooling and seems like it would be fairly easy to custom design a case for that. I'm thinking used aquarium sump. It would have to miserable to do any work on your system though like that.

smeeprocketnub19_ESO · August 2014

Venereous44 wrote: »

Condolences..

Yeah, gaming interruptions are the worst. I usually try to make the most of them by working in an upgrade... but yeah, the down time will have me jonesing big time.

I'm a novice over clocker.. haven't had the stones to go liquid cooling. My rig is already a hassle to work on, so much crap in such little space.. and its a full tower and weighs at least 60lbs. I couldn't imaging dealing with plumbing on top of everything else.

Is anyone running full mineral oil submersion? That's supposed to be the pinnacle of liquid cooling and seems like it would be fairly easy to custom design a case for that. I'm thinking used aquarium sump. It would have to miserable to do any work on your system though like that.

it's honestly cheaper and I would say effective enough to just buy a kit.

Venereous44 · August 2014

yeah, but then the plumbing is in the way and it has way too many points of failure IMO. And it wouldn't be nearly as efficient as full submersion which is cooling every thing on the system at once.

Full submersion as far as I understand you wouldn't have to do anything if you built a shell sump that you could literately sink your existing system into. Obviously the commercially available units are a single case...(and ridiculously expensive) but I don't see why you couldn't sink an existing computer into a circulating sump of oil with an old automotive AC radiator. If the sump was big enough you probably wouldn't even need the radiator.. just a pump for circulation. it would just have a larger foot print over a single case that could achieve the same. But it would save you about 10K.

smeeprocketnub19_ESO · August 2014

Venereous44 wrote: »

yeah, but then the plumbing is in the way and it has way too many points of failure IMO. And it wouldn't be nearly as efficient as full submersion which is cooling every thing on the system at once.

Full submersion as far as I understand you wouldn't have to do anything if you built a shell sump that you could literately sink your existing system into. Obviously the commercially available units are a single case...(and ridiculously expensive) but I don't see why you couldn't sink an existing computer into a circulating sump of oil with an old automotive AC radiator. If the sump was big enough you probably wouldn't even need the radiator.. just a pump for circulation. it would just have a larger foot print over a single case that could achieve the same. But it would save you about 10K.

submerse the parts in oil? But what if you wanted to switch out cpus, or even the heatsink on the cpu, or the video card etc

I didn't even know that was possible.

Venereous44 · August 2014

Yeah, it sounds like a messy nightmare... but it definitely works.. this is the pinnacle in liquid cooling. Mineral oil is non-conductive... so you liquid cool everything at once... pretty hardcore really.

But I guess it wouldn't be worse that working on a car.. at least the oil would be clean and it stays clear.

smeeprocketnub19_ESO · August 2014

seems like you would have to do it with new equipment otherwise you'd also get dust in there, which can't be good.

Venereous44 · August 2014

Here is a link to one of the units for sale..http://www.pugetsystems.com/submerged.php

if you just google "mineral oil PC cooling" you can find all sorts of stuff

dust wouldn't be a problem unless there was enough to clog the pump.. but yeah, one would think that if did all of this you would clean the thing first before putting it in.. or splurge for new

They're reaching new overclocking limits with this setup

Enemy-of-Coldharbour · August 2014

I called Digital Storm today to check on my computer. The technician said they might get to it by the end of the week and I might have it back by the end of the following week. That's a lot of might's. Looks like I'll be ESO free for three weeks! I'm hating life right now. At least I'll have all those wonderful hireling mats waiting for me! Not much to do now except actually getting work done around the house and catching up on my anime.

AlexDougherty · August 2014

cgipervert wrote: »

I called Digital Storm today to check on my computer. The technician said they might get to it by the end of the week and I might have it back by the end of the following week. That's a lot of might's. Looks like I'll be ESO free for three weeks! I'm hating life right now. At least I'll have all those wonderful hireling mats waiting for me! Not much to do now except actually getting work done around the house and catching up on my anime.

They might get around to it by the end of next week?? Not sure how busy they are, but they shouldn't have taken your computer if their not starting it this week.

staxjax · August 2014

DogFaceInBananaPatch wrote: »

I literally run one of my AC vents directly into the machine now when playing this game. This is the only game that waaaaay max's out my GPU when there's fire and cold effects; and also ghosts for some reason. I run MSI Afterburner while playing and it's a solid 76c during heavy combat (without AC being pumped directly into the case) but once a fire effect happens (or one of the effects mentioned above) my card goes to maximum overdrive and can reach ~105c.

Yes, it's pristine clean inside my case. Clean it five or six times a year.

I can play any other game without the GPU temp going over 80c (very heavy load).

I would of lost my video card if I didn't immediately catch this when I subscribed and I also run everything maxed (ultra or high, and everything ON). Doesn't matter if I put all the setting to the lowest possible either. The GPU will still run around 76c on the lowliest settings or the Ultra settings (shadows, max distance, grass, etc)... but once there's a spell effect my computer tries to explode.

So pumping direct AC air into my computer has resolved the problem and keeps the GPU to around mid-80's when there's a Ghost on screen (lol). Mid 80's is still a little too hot and I'm reducing the card's longevity but I no longer run the risk of the computer exploding.

...oh can you fix the Particle Effects ZoS? Please!

You forgot to tell us what your GPU is...

Super_Sonico · August 2014

smeeprocketnub19_ESO wrote: »

Our Father, Thou Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name...

Go to church.