Warning: GeCube 9800Pro "Extreme"

malkor · May 21, 2004, 10:21 AM

I recently purchased two of these cards. They are called "extreme" because they come with stock clocks of 400 core 350(700)memory.

One card has Samsung chips, the other has Hynix chips. The Samsung card works flawlessly. The Hynix card has problems. Occasionally will boot with display corruption, one inch vertical lines with smaller black horizontal bars within the vertical ones. Tried all the troubleshooting., swapping cards from machine to machine, drivers, etc.

Went for an RMA (GeCube won't deal directly with end customer so I had to take it to the shop for them to RMA it for me). I have now been told by GeCube that they contacted ATI and the Hynix card has the wrong BIOS, and the clock speeds are too high. They are going to reflash to the original ATI BIOS, thus reducing the clock speeds to 380/340. UNBELIEVABLE!!

They sell an "Extreme" edition card with their own custom bios for higher clock speeds, it doesn't function properly, so they shaft the customer by returning a card with lower speeds, thus no longer being an "Extreme" card. To boot, they blame ATI for this decision, telling me that ATI has instructed them to reflash the card. In fact, telling me that they will send it to ATI for repair. Lies and very cheap and poor treatment of customers.

Be warned of these "Extreme" cards. If it works, great. If it doesn't, you will no longer have the card you thought you purchased.

malkor · May 21, 2004, 11:38 AM

OK, I'm ranting now, but get a load of this e-mail I just received from GeCube:

Quote:

Dear Sir,

Thanks for your effort and response.

As I mentioned in previous mail, ATI's FAE told me and they found your card
(which is with hynix memory) seems
with wrong core and memory clock, so if they send back your card I think ATI
will flash its bios back to the original setting, and check if it got any
problem.

So, I afraid I can not guarantee will ATI flash the bios or not, it almost 100%
depends on ATI. Anyway, if you got a original ATI bios in the future, I think
you still can use some kind of over clock utility to change the core and memory
clock if you want to do so. However, we hope you can be careful when you doing
over clocking.

Can you believe this? Not only do they try to put the responsibilty for me being shortchanged on ATI's shoulders, but they go on to suggest i can overclock the card, thereby voiding my warranty entirely.

Being shortchanged is one thing, but being treated like a fool.....well, you get my meaning.

Total charlatans.

Jalle64 · May 21, 2004, 03:27 PM

Here Here!

Zardon · May 21, 2004, 03:34 PM

If all these facts are correct im disgusted, ive informed ATI about this and pointed them in the direction of this thread.

malkor · May 21, 2004, 03:45 PM

Cheers Zardon,

All true. I still have have all of the emails (headers and all) exchanged between GeCube and me. I hope ATI finds it as disgusting....

Zardon · May 21, 2004, 03:54 PM

Have you any more details, the store you bought it in - the cost etc, your location please?

Zardon · May 21, 2004, 03:55 PM

actually if you can forward me ALL the emails you have had with these guys to zardon@driverheaven.net ill look into it and see what we can do.

malkor · May 21, 2004, 04:02 PM

I'll get that together as soon as I can. I live in Taiwan actually. Although I can speak some Chinese, I'm not at the point where i can read it, so I can't really say waht the name of the store is. i do have the receipts with phone number, address and name (in Chinese). I paid $7500NT (about $215 U.S.) each.

I'll forward those e-mails to you shortly.

Appreciate it.

Zardon · May 21, 2004, 04:10 PM

ive passed on what I can to ATI, im just not sure how much we can do if the company are taiwanese, but I certainly dont like the "buck passing" im seeing here. How ATI handle it, is really their call.

If you get me the email correspondence and everything gathered together I will try emailing them as the owner of this site and try and apply some pressure. im certainly not happy with the situation from what ive read so far. No company wants bad PR on a site that gets 20million+ hits a month.

If I feel they are ripping people off ill be making sure i let as many people know as possible.

malkor · May 21, 2004, 04:16 PM

E-mails forwarded.

Again, cheers Zardon. I'm not expecting ATI to really do much here, not their fault at all. I'm sure they won't appreciate the buck-passing though.

I am considering civil action against the vendor if I don't receive a card as advertized or a full refund. Unfortunately, the real dogs here are GeCube, but my recourse is only through the retailer.

Again, thanks for the time my man.

mike2h · May 21, 2004, 04:23 PM

it really is good to see somebody go above & beyond! thx for the great site!!

malkor · May 26, 2004, 06:20 PM

Well, here's an update.

Thanks in part to the attention and effort of this site's owner, Zardon, my card was replaced. Just received it today.

Pretty strange, the card is a 9800XT pcb with one of those funky L-shaped heatsinks with a cap, 128MB Hynix 2.8ns memory and I assume more than likely with an R360 core. Same BIOS as before, default clocks of 400 core 350 memory (actually 398.25 core, 351 memory). Haven't completely tested it, but so far seems to be working fine.

Zardon went above and beyond what I was expecting when I posted this. Just want to thank him for his unexpected attention and assistance in this matter. Very much appreciated. Great to keep companies honest.

Time to put this card through the ringer.

**Roadee** · May 26, 2004, 08:41 PM

I am glad that you were able to recieve some help in your situation. I hope that the card works out fine for you.

Vegemietian · May 29, 2004, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by malkor
Well, here's an update.

Thanks in part to the attention and effort of this site's owner, Zardon, my card was replaced. Just received it today.

Pretty strange, the card is a 9800XT pcb with one of those funky L-shaped heatsinks with a cap, 128MB Hynix 2.8ns memory and I assume more than likely with an R360 core. Same BIOS as before, default clocks of 400 core 350 memory (actually 398.25 core, 351 memory). Haven't completely tested it, but so far seems to be working fine.

Zardon went above and beyond what I was expecting when I posted this. Just want to thank him for his unexpected attention and assistance in this matter. Very much appreciated. Great to keep companies honest.

Time to put this card through the ringer.

Is the card working fine? I was about to buy one of those Gecube radeon 9800pro Extreme cards until i saw this thread. They are $80 cheaper than any other brand card for a 9800pro so im really tempted to get one anyway. Maybe i should see if i can get one that only has Samsung memory.

Let me know if it is going great.... if you dont respond - ill just assume your playing too much farcry to visit the forum

Zardon · May 29, 2004, 03:18 PM

Im glad I could help enjoy your board

malkor · May 29, 2004, 03:35 PM

Yeah, cheers Zardon. Been meaning to send you a note.

Vegemietian, the board's working fine. Not a hitch. I don't know if the problem was so much that it was Hynix memory, just the whole package wasn't functioning well.

The replacement has hynix memory, a different pcb and what is I am sure an R360 core. Works great. The samsung board never gave me a problem from the start.

I would say if the GeCube board is less money, go for it. Just make sure you know what the store's return policies are and test it thoroughly within that time frame. It's a great deal, a card sold with stock clocks close to that of a 9800xt at half the price.

And damn, they haven't released Far Cry yet where I am. Scheduled for May 30 release.

pr0digal jenius · May 30, 2004, 02:58 AM

all release dates i see are "0day"

malkor · May 30, 2004, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pr0digal jenius
all release dates i see are "0day"

?????

A little off topic, but I live in Taiwan . Notice the release date, May 30. Many games don't get released here for months after the US/European release dates. Some never get released here, like Max Payne 2.New games here on average cost about $25-$30 US. Cheap. Ordering from the US or even Australia is just too expensive.

May 30 now!! Hitting the stores tomorrow!!!

May 21, 2004, 10:21 AM	#1
malkor DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 123 Rep Power: 0	Warning: GeCube 9800Pro "Extreme" I recently purchased two of these cards. They are called "extreme" because they come with stock clocks of 400 core 350(700)memory. One card has Samsung chips, the other has Hynix chips. The Samsung card works flawlessly. The Hynix card has problems. Occasionally will boot with display corruption, one inch vertical lines with smaller black horizontal bars within the vertical ones. Tried all the troubleshooting., swapping cards from machine to machine, drivers, etc. Went for an RMA (GeCube won't deal directly with end customer so I had to take it to the shop for them to RMA it for me). I have now been told by GeCube that they contacted ATI and the Hynix card has the wrong BIOS, and the clock speeds are too high. They are going to reflash to the original ATI BIOS, thus reducing the clock speeds to 380/340. UNBELIEVABLE!! They sell an "Extreme" edition card with their own custom bios for higher clock speeds, it doesn't function properly, so they shaft the customer by returning a card with lower speeds, thus no longer being an "Extreme" card. To boot, they blame ATI for this decision, telling me that ATI has instructed them to reflash the card. In fact, telling me that they will send it to ATI for repair. Lies and very cheap and poor treatment of customers. Be warned of these "Extreme" cards. If it works, great. If it doesn't, you will no longer have the card you thought you purchased.

May 21, 2004, 03:27 PM	#3
Jalle64 DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: May 2003 Location: Sweden Posts: 231 Rep Power: 0	Here Here! __________________ Stalin were so old that he was standing there Le(a)ni´n!

May 21, 2004, 04:23 PM	#11
mike2h DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: norcal Posts: 6,483 Rep Power: 91 System Specs	Zardon it really is good to see somebody go above & beyond! thx for the great site!! __________________

May 26, 2004, 08:41 PM	#13
Roadee Never forgotten Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Rest In peace, Joe. Posts: 2,198 Rep Power: 69	I am glad that you were able to recieve some help in your situation. I hope that the card works out fine for you. __________________ We are born naked, wet, and hungry. Then things get worse.

May 21, 2004, 03:34 PM	#4
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 179	If all these facts are correct im disgusted, ive informed ATI about this and pointed them in the direction of this thread.

May 21, 2004, 03:45 PM	Thread Starter #5
malkor DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 123 Rep Power: 0	Cheers Zardon, All true. I still have have all of the emails (headers and all) exchanged between GeCube and me. I hope ATI finds it as disgusting....

May 21, 2004, 03:54 PM	#6
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 179	Have you any more details, the store you bought it in - the cost etc, your location please?

May 21, 2004, 03:55 PM	#7
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 179	actually if you can forward me ALL the emails you have had with these guys to zardon@driverheaven.net ill look into it and see what we can do.

May 21, 2004, 04:02 PM	Thread Starter #8
malkor DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 123 Rep Power: 0	I'll get that together as soon as I can. I live in Taiwan actually. Although I can speak some Chinese, I'm not at the point where i can read it, so I can't really say waht the name of the store is. i do have the receipts with phone number, address and name (in Chinese). I paid $7500NT (about $215 U.S.) each. I'll forward those e-mails to you shortly. Appreciate it.

May 21, 2004, 04:10 PM	#9
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 179	ive passed on what I can to ATI, im just not sure how much we can do if the company are taiwanese, but I certainly dont like the "buck passing" im seeing here. How ATI handle it, is really their call. If you get me the email correspondence and everything gathered together I will try emailing them as the owner of this site and try and apply some pressure. im certainly not happy with the situation from what ive read so far. No company wants bad PR on a site that gets 20million+ hits a month. If I feel they are ripping people off ill be making sure i let as many people know as possible.

May 21, 2004, 04:16 PM	Thread Starter #10
malkor DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 123 Rep Power: 0	E-mails forwarded. Again, cheers Zardon. I'm not expecting ATI to really do much here, not their fault at all. I'm sure they won't appreciate the buck-passing though. I am considering civil action against the vendor if I don't receive a card as advertized or a full refund. Unfortunately, the real dogs here are GeCube, but my recourse is only through the retailer. Again, thanks for the time my man.

May 26, 2004, 06:20 PM	Thread Starter #12
malkor DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 123 Rep Power: 0	Well, here's an update. Thanks in part to the attention and effort of this site's owner, Zardon, my card was replaced. Just received it today. Pretty strange, the card is a 9800XT pcb with one of those funky L-shaped heatsinks with a cap, 128MB Hynix 2.8ns memory and I assume more than likely with an R360 core. Same BIOS as before, default clocks of 400 core 350 memory (actually 398.25 core, 351 memory). Haven't completely tested it, but so far seems to be working fine. Zardon went above and beyond what I was expecting when I posted this. Just want to thank him for his unexpected attention and assistance in this matter. Very much appreciated. Great to keep companies honest. Time to put this card through the ringer.

May 29, 2004, 03:18 PM	#15
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 179	Im glad I could help enjoy your board

May 29, 2004, 03:35 PM	Thread Starter #16
malkor DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 123 Rep Power: 0	Yeah, cheers Zardon. Been meaning to send you a note. Vegemietian, the board's working fine. Not a hitch. I don't know if the problem was so much that it was Hynix memory, just the whole package wasn't functioning well. The replacement has hynix memory, a different pcb and what is I am sure an R360 core. Works great. The samsung board never gave me a problem from the start. I would say if the GeCube board is less money, go for it. Just make sure you know what the store's return policies are and test it thoroughly within that time frame. It's a great deal, a card sold with stock clocks close to that of a 9800xt at half the price. And damn, they haven't released Far Cry yet where I am. Scheduled for May 30 release.

May 30, 2004, 02:58 AM	#17
pr0digal jenius Delete Me Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 14,648 Rep Power: 0	all release dates i see are "0day"