Today, I re-installed a Thermalright HS on my 3870 because I wasn't sure if
I applied thermal paste properly. I took out the HS, cleaned memory modules
and GPU with alcohol, attached memory HS's with thermal tape, and attached
the GPU HS after applying artic silver.
I re-installed the card and it displayed weird colors and garbage
characters. I couldn't get to Windows. I tried the card on another PC and it
didn't even generate video signal.
I was wearing an anti-static strap while working on the card, so static
electricity didn't kill the card. I remember I cleaned the GPU and mem
modules with too much alcohol. So, did alcohol kill it?
Maybe its just a little drunk.....let it sober up
peter
--
DISCLAIMER: If you find a posting or message from me
offensive, inappropriate, or disruptive, please ignore it.
If you don't know how to ignore a posting, complain to
me and I will be only too happy to demonstrate... ;-)
"KlausK" <dinga@noone.com> wrote in message
news:47ad47d2$0$15196$607ed4bc@cv.net...
> Today, I re-installed a Thermalright HS on my 3870 because I wasn't sure
> if I applied thermal paste properly. I took out the HS, cleaned memory
> modules and GPU with alcohol, attached memory HS's with thermal tape, and
> attached the GPU HS after applying artic silver.
>
> I re-installed the card and it displayed weird colors and garbage
> characters. I couldn't get to Windows. I tried the card on another PC and
> it didn't even generate video signal.
>
> I was wearing an anti-static strap while working on the card, so static
> electricity didn't kill the card. I remember I cleaned the GPU and mem
> modules with too much alcohol. So, did alcohol kill it?
>
>
>
In article <47ad47d2$0$15196$607ed4bc@cv.net>, "KlausK" <dinga@noone.com> wrote:
>Today, I re-installed a Thermalright HS on my 3870 because I wasn't sure if
>I applied thermal paste properly. I took out the HS, cleaned memory modules
>and GPU with alcohol, attached memory HS's with thermal tape, and attached
>the GPU HS after applying artic silver.
>
>I re-installed the card and it displayed weird colors and garbage
>characters. I couldn't get to Windows. I tried the card on another PC and it
>didn't even generate video signal.
>
>I was wearing an anti-static strap while working on the card, so static
>electricity didn't kill the card. I remember I cleaned the GPU and mem
>modules with too much alcohol. So, did alcohol kill it?
>
>
>
Alcohol can seep into parts. Did you let it dry well enough? did you basically
soak the dang thing?
"peter" <peterk@nowhere.net> wrote in message
news:Efjrj.8844$Ly.980@pd7urf1no...
> Maybe its just a little drunk.....let it sober up
> peter
>
> --
> DISCLAIMER: If you find a posting or message from me
> offensive, inappropriate, or disruptive, please ignore it.
> If you don't know how to ignore a posting, complain to
> me and I will be only too happy to demonstrate... ;-)
>
>
> "KlausK" <dinga@noone.com> wrote in message
> news:47ad47d2$0$15196$607ed4bc@cv.net...
>> Today, I re-installed a Thermalright HS on my 3870 because I wasn't sure
>> if I applied thermal paste properly. I took out the HS, cleaned memory
>> modules and GPU with alcohol, attached memory HS's with thermal tape, and
>> attached the GPU HS after applying artic silver.
>>
>> I re-installed the card and it displayed weird colors and garbage
>> characters. I couldn't get to Windows. I tried the card on another PC and
>> it didn't even generate video signal.
>>
>> I was wearing an anti-static strap while working on the card, so static
>> electricity didn't kill the card. I remember I cleaned the GPU and mem
>> modules with too much alcohol. So, did alcohol kill it?
>>
>>
"Too much"? How did you establish that you used "too much"?
I have seen the same thing before, I have gotten a working card
back after repeated cleaning of the mem chips. Be sure there is
no residue left bridging any contacts. This problem crops up when
applying heatsinks with (not so) diluted epoxy, from time to time.
You want to wait until the solvent has completely dried, between
tests. You might wait overnight, at least; it can take awhile.
>Alcohol can seep into parts. Did you let it dry well enough? did you basically
>soak the dang thing?
I can understand it when it comes to advance overclocking, but the
"obsession" of cleaning the chips is... well.. normaly this doesn't
have much real effect on the thermal perforamance. For a normalt user,
just getting the old stuff preatty much of with paper or something
should do the trick just fine....
--
Clas Mehus
- "Den som har flest prylar när han dör vinner..."
"KlausK" <dinga@noone.com> wrote in message
news:47ad47d2$0$15196$607ed4bc@cv.net...
> Today, I re-installed a Thermalright HS on my 3870 because I wasn't sure
> if I applied thermal paste properly. I took out the HS, cleaned memory
> modules and GPU with alcohol, attached memory HS's with thermal tape, and
> attached the GPU HS after applying artic silver.
>
> I re-installed the card and it displayed weird colors and garbage
> characters. I couldn't get to Windows. I tried the card on another PC and
> it didn't even generate video signal.
>
> I was wearing an anti-static strap while working on the card, so static
> electricity didn't kill the card. I remember I cleaned the GPU and mem
> modules with too much alcohol. So, did alcohol kill it?
Isn't this the same unit you said didn't go past 47C running normally with
your aftermarket cooler in a previous post?
"KlausK" <dinga@noone.com> wrote in message
news:47ad47d2$0$15196$607ed4bc@cv.net...
> Today, I re-installed a Thermalright HS on my 3870 because I wasn't sure
> if I applied thermal paste properly. I took out the HS, cleaned memory
> modules and GPU with alcohol, attached memory HS's with thermal tape, and
> attached the GPU HS after applying artic silver.
>
> I re-installed the card and it displayed weird colors and garbage
> characters. I couldn't get to Windows. I tried the card on another PC and
> it didn't even generate video signal.
>
> I was wearing an anti-static strap while working on the card, so static
> electricity didn't kill the card. I remember I cleaned the GPU and mem
> modules with too much alcohol. So, did alcohol kill it?
>
>
>
What kind of alcohol did you use. The accepted alcohols are,
minimum 99% pure isopropyl alcohol, and 99.9% pure ethyl
alcohol. It's doubtful you have the latter as it's distribution
is tightly controlled in most places. A proper alcohol itself is not
harmful, even if you soak the board, but it may spread residues
of contaminants, so repeated cleaning and drying cycles may
be required. Using regular 70% rubbing alcohol is a no-no for
electronic circuitry. If you have used that, get some 99% pure
isopropyl alcohol at a drugstore. It's okay if it says rubbing
alcohol as long as it's 99% pure.
"KlausK" <dinga@noone.com> wrote in message
news:47ad47d2$0$15196$607ed4bc@cv.net...
> Today, I re-installed a Thermalright HS on my 3870 because I wasn't sure
> if I applied thermal paste properly. I took out the HS, cleaned memory
> modules and GPU with alcohol, attached memory HS's with thermal tape, and
> attached the GPU HS after applying artic silver.
>
> I re-installed the card and it displayed weird colors and garbage
> characters. I couldn't get to Windows. I tried the card on another PC and
> it didn't even generate video signal.
>
> I was wearing an anti-static strap while working on the card, so static
> electricity didn't kill the card. I remember I cleaned the GPU and mem
> modules with too much alcohol. So, did alcohol kill it?
>
Maybe vodka would have a negative effect on electronics, but the standard
'cleaning alcohol' a.k.a. isopropanol, isopropyl alcohol, propan-2-ol - call
it what you will, the clear stuff that can be bought from any chemist for
about £5 per 500ml - is absolutely inert to electrical components. You can
safely use as much as you like, it doesn't even have to dry out.
In the past I've had a couple of RAM modules that seemed dead - bathing them
in isopropanol and cleaning the contacts brought them back to life.
One possibility is that some of the thermal compound you used or that was
previously on the chips was electrically conductive, *like your arctic
silver* and some of that ended up where it shouldn't. So, make sure it's
isopropanol you've got and give the whole board a thoroughly good clean, use
plenty of alcohol, then clean the pci-e contacts just to be on the safe
side. I'll bet it's a bit of arctic silver causing the problem.
"Augustus" <no_one@nowhere.net> wrote in message
news:xWmrj.18527$w57.15364@edtnps90...
>
> "KlausK" <dinga@noone.com> wrote in message
> news:47ad47d2$0$15196$607ed4bc@cv.net...
>> Today, I re-installed a Thermalright HS on my 3870 because I wasn't sure
>> if I applied thermal paste properly. I took out the HS, cleaned memory
>> modules and GPU with alcohol, attached memory HS's with thermal tape, and
>> attached the GPU HS after applying artic silver.
>>
>> I re-installed the card and it displayed weird colors and garbage
>> characters. I couldn't get to Windows. I tried the card on another PC and
>> it didn't even generate video signal.
>>
>> I was wearing an anti-static strap while working on the card, so static
>> electricity didn't kill the card. I remember I cleaned the GPU and mem
>> modules with too much alcohol. So, did alcohol kill it?
>
> Isn't this the same unit you said didn't go past 47C running normally with
> your aftermarket cooler in a previous post?
No. That one is my 1st 3870. I recently got this 3870 and was testing it in
my 2nd PC. I attached the same Thermalright HS and it hit 60C although my
main & 2nd PCs are pretty similar, so I thought something was wrong.
"Dr.White" <w@sted.coma> wrote in message
news:c7KdnSD7BdSggjPanZ2dnUVZ8sOonZ2d@eclipse.net. uk...
>
> "KlausK" <dinga@noone.com> wrote in message
> news:47ad47d2$0$15196$607ed4bc@cv.net...
>> Today, I re-installed a Thermalright HS on my 3870 because I wasn't sure
>> if I applied thermal paste properly. I took out the HS, cleaned memory
>> modules and GPU with alcohol, attached memory HS's with thermal tape, and
>> attached the GPU HS after applying artic silver.
>>
>> I re-installed the card and it displayed weird colors and garbage
>> characters. I couldn't get to Windows. I tried the card on another PC and
>> it didn't even generate video signal.
>>
>> I was wearing an anti-static strap while working on the card, so static
>> electricity didn't kill the card. I remember I cleaned the GPU and mem
>> modules with too much alcohol. So, did alcohol kill it?
>>
>
>
> Maybe vodka would have a negative effect on electronics, but the standard
> 'cleaning alcohol' a.k.a. isopropanol, isopropyl alcohol, propan-2-ol -
> call it what you will, the clear stuff that can be bought from any chemist
> for about £5 per 500ml - is absolutely inert to electrical components. You
> can safely use as much as you like, it doesn't even have to dry out.
>
> In the past I've had a couple of RAM modules that seemed dead - bathing
> them in isopropanol and cleaning the contacts brought them back to life.
>
> One possibility is that some of the thermal compound you used or that was
> previously on the chips was electrically conductive, *like your arctic
> silver* and some of that ended up where it shouldn't.
After posing the message, I took a good look at the card and saw residue of
artic silver on several parts of the board.
Why do you think I killed my 3870? 
Linear Mode
