The RV870 Story

The Call:

My love/hate relationship with AMD PR continued last year. But lately, it’s been far less hate. Let’s rewind back to the Summer of 2009. I’d been waiting for AMD to call for weeks.

We all knew that the RV870 was going to launch sometime before the end of the year, and we’re normally briefed on new GPUs around a month or so before we get hardware. The rumors said that the launch had been pushed back, but just like clockwork I got a call in June or July of last year. It was my old friend, Chris Hook of AMD PR.

This time he wanted me to come to a press event on a carrier off the coast of California. Sigh.

It’s not that I have anything against carriers. It’s just that all I cared about at that time was the long awaited successor to the RV770. The RV770 was the GPU that unequivocally restored my faith in ATI graphics, an impact shared by others last June. But that’s not how the game is played I’m afraid. AMD promises its management and its partners that they can fill a room (or carrier) up with important press. We get promised access to engineers, useful information and free drinks.

And now "The Rest of the Story"
Source: http://anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3740&p=1

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Asus mobo bad or something else?

Well I am going to post this here in the hopes that someone has some how come across this amazing incredible crazy problem before. lol

I have, well its in my sig below. Maximus II Formula, 4870x2, ATI x700, 1996 Matrox PCI Video Card, DDR2 1000 memory, 24" Dell Monitor... I dont know where to begin really. Heres the amazing problem...

Three weeks ago I was browsing the OCZ website when all of a sudden I heard a funny sound, like a low volume POP but not sure where it originated, maybe from the monitor or maybe from the mobo or maybe from my 4870x2, then my video went blank at that exact moment. I tried everything to get the video to come back on, three PCIe vid cards, changing PSU's, changing memory etc. But the only way to get video from my maximus ii formula was to put in a very old PCI 1996 Matrox video card, well as you know that wont work very well on a 24" monitor. So, I figured my PCIe slots somehow just up and died... So RMA time

Now fast forward three weeks later and well the replacement board is here... same rev but muuch newer serial number. And I have the same problem again. LOL, no digital video what so ever comes from the system with the maximus ii formula. ONLY analog works.

Its going to get VERY interesting now... The x700 I have works on the DVI port ONLY if I use the DVI to VGA adapter, but it DOES NOT WORK on the DVI port using TWO different DVI cables (one is $200 so a absolute killer cable). Now if I try the DVI cable on my AMD rig Abit NF-M2 nView GeForce 6150/nForce 430 chipset system the DVI works and I have video (but is it analog or digital signal, that is the question). So my Monitor is ok "I THINK"... but maybe not

The x700 DVI port works flawlessly on my AMD rig, and so does the built in DVI port. But not when on my Maximus II Formula. On my MaxIIForm I ONLY get analog video to make it to my Dell monitor NO MATTER WHAT VIDEO CARD IS USED. lol

I tried my Ultra x3 1000 watt PSU AND my PCP&C 610 Silencer and both have the same results, so its not a power issue. No DVI video while on my maximus mobo, just very weird. Same exact problem on two identicle motherboards. The first mobo ran flawless since I got it last Sept 2008 so it cant be a incompatibility.

Whats going on here? Do I have a computer gremlin? Am I sitting on an old indian burial ground and the ghosts are pissed at my loud gaming and cant sleep anymore? What the heck is going on here?

Anyway, I now have no clue what to do. I dont know if my 4870x2 is bad, I dont know if my Dell Monitors DVI port is bad or if I won the lotery and got another MaxIIForm that has the same exact problem (one in a million chance). I have run out of trouble shooting ideas. My best guess is my 4870x2 is bad, but why would that affect all the other DVI port based video cards that were sitting in a box on a shelf in another room? LOL, Skorp cratchs head in disbelief here...

The only thing left is to check my 4870x2 in my AMD rig, but that is INCREDIBLE AMOUNTS OF WORK but I have nothing else to check unless I am missing something... I have a water block on it that takes precise screw tightening procedures, lol, not to mention the large amounts of work to remove the perfectly cut TIM pads which I have no more of AND not to mention I would have to cut another hose in order to close the gap between my CPU and Reservoir. Then I would have to re-install the original air cooler OMG. Need I say more?... An entire weekend for me to say the least... And ask Paul, probably a full week or more for me... LOL

Any ideas anyone at all?... Please help In almost 20 years of computing I have never seen anything like this and Im sure I am just missing something OR I am missing lots of brain cells as I am getting older...

Thank you. Oh and by the way, I am currently running on this maxIIform using my ATI x700 using a VGA cable to the VGA port on my Dell monitor and all is well. The fan is dieing very soon so I have limited time to solve this issue, and NO the fan/sink cannot be removed because my brother used REAL adhesive on it and now the sink/fan is permanent, lol... Jeez .... But system runs great...

SkOrPn

Welcome aboard a New Moderator, CozaMcCoza!

Hello everyone, I just wanted to be the first to welcome aboard a new Moderator here at the planet. CozaMcCoza, has been inducted into the realms of Moderation and has been a valued member here for a very long time. So now we will use his talents to help moderate the site, he has been fair, has never bragged about himself, and just seems like an overall nice guy.

Please welcome him to the staff of planetamd64, Im sure he will do his very best to fit right in.... although I think he's already accomplished that a long time ago...

WELCOME ABOARD COZA...

Now don't get too happy... lol

SkOrPn