MSI R9 280x

[iwajabitw]

Hey guys, I am a cruncher over in the DC forum here and wanted to get some expert advice on this card. It was a untested buy off an auction site for $30. I figured it was worth the fans and heatsink Twin Frozr even if it didn't work. So, I got the card in and hooked it all up. Only had 640x480 screen at 4bit color through TeamViewer. When I plugged the monitor in on DVI I lost it all, nothing. So it has the little bios switch and I flipped that, nothing. So I pulled the heatsink off and found lots of TIM running off the GPU, cleaned it up, and fired it briefly, chip got hot so I shut it down. It looks great, no heat tarnish on the back off the board. I was wondering if you guys thought a bios update could save it, or is it just bad. Doesn't matter either way but if there is a chance to add it as a second card and flash it, I may try it. But it will be my first gpu bios flash so I don't want to make a mistake. Any help is appreciated. This is the card, I have 3 others working properly in Crossfire together, one with an Asus 280x.

https://us.msi.com/Graphics-card/R9-280X-GAMING-3G.html#hero-overview

 

[Shmee]

Possible that a cleanup plus baking it could help. A bios flash might help as well. What ports does it have and which ones are working?

 

[iwajabitw]

Possible that a cleanup plus baking it could help. A bios flash might help as well. What ports does it have and which ones are working?

I only used the DVI port. As soon as I plugged into it seams like that's when the card went blank. Its a secondary card in Crossfire. Device manager only recognized it as and HD7900 series, not a 280x series, but I could get no proper resolution out of it installing drivers over and over through remote desktop from my main rig. So I decided to plug a spare working monitor into it and that's when it went black.

 

[Red Hawk]

Did you try installing the driver once the card was in? I had an issue reinstalling a 270X recently where it gave me 4 bit color and 640x480 when I first started up the PC after putting it in. The issue went away when I installed the driver.

 

[iwajabitw]

Did you try installing the driver once the card was in? I had an issue reinstalling a 270X recently where it gave me 4 bit color and 640x480 when I first started up the PC after putting it in. The issue went away when I installed the driver.

Sure did, original MSI disk and some more recent versions. Used the cleanup utility between each version. It's a head scratcher unless the cards actually shot.

 

[crashtech]

Sounds like a clapped out miner to me. My 280x purchases have been 1 for 3, oddly I have had better luck with 7970's, which makes no sense at all.

 

[iwajabitw]

Sounds like a clapped out miner to me. My 280x purchases have been 1 for 3, oddly I have had better luck with 7970's, which makes no sense at all.

I thought the same thing about it being a miner card, except that when looking at the back of the chip side of the card, it's not heat tarnished. Really looks like it was never used.

 

[crashtech]

Well I don't know, the dead ones I've received looked fine, too, just sayin. I'm real gun shy about 280x's now.

 

[iwajabitw]

If it never works, I only have a few bucks in with a nice Twin Frozr heat sink and fan!

 

[crashtech]

If it never works, I only have a few bucks in with a nice Twin Frozr heat sink and fan!

See now I had a 280x with bad fans that would have made a good fit for that. Seller would not partial refund though, so it had to go back.

 

[iwajabitw]

See now I had a 280x with bad fans that would have made a good fit for that. Seller would not partial refund though, so it had to go back.

That seems weird, he could have just gave you enough back to cover new fans. Some people.

 

[crashtech]

Yeah, I've had a couple real winner sellers lately. Dumb br**d tried to say the fans falling apart was normal for a lightly used unit. I even made a YouTube video to show her. These dumb sellers think that they are going to get away with crap, and ebay takes like four minutes to find in the buyers favor. That works against you as a seller, though, too. I've been burned a couple times by buyers, but at least I have the brains to grin and bear it and not be a stubborn moron.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Hope my pair of 7950 cards I sold you are still holding up...

 

[crashtech]

Hope my pair of 7950 cards I sold you are still holding up...

Yeah, they are plugging away, no sweat Larry!

Edit: Sorry to everyone about my off topic rant, lol.