MWave's ads regarding to 3Dfx V3500 card...be aware

[Dean_Jen]

Couple days ago MultiWave has post an item on their web site about a V3 3500 video card for $45(can't recall the exact price). I placed an order on that one right after I know this.

Since Mwave is nearby my house, I usually go pick the components up. And they do have good service. However, I think this time it is a bit controversial.

What happened today was that I went to pick up the card, expecting that it'll be a V3500(TV-in, TV-out, and LCD output with a convertor). However, what I actually "received" was a V3 3000(I can tell by the 6ns memory) instead. The price was like $42 or something($50.36 total, subtract $5 handling fee and that gets me $42 before tax). I told the clerk about this, but she said this was all they had.

This card is for a friend of mine(who only needs a V3 chipset), so I took this deal.

The 2nd thing is a minor glitch, but I feel that I should say it out. I have a V3 2000 myself as well, and there are 3 capacitors at the end of PCB board(not the metal contrainer). This one only has 2, and the space for the 3rd capactor is empty, but my observation tells me that it may be "pulled" off...which means that this video card may be in damage or something...

Fortunately it works out just fine. Besides, my friend only plays games occassionaly and he needs good 2D quality(he didn't get his 22" Viewsonic for nothing.). So he's okay.

THe last controversial thing is the receipt. Like I mentioned above, when I placed the order, it was a V3500 card. At that time I verified my order online it was stated as V3 3500. However, after today I went online and checked my online order again(Mwave has a small database of all your orders), it became V3 "2000"(strange, is it?) instead.

The card I got is V3 3000...according to the memory chip(before I installed) and BIOS screen.

It may be my lack of effort on printing the receipt out when I just ordered(usually I only copy down the order Number and I'll give that to the clerk for verifying)... So for those who have heard about this, be aware.

And as I type now, MWave is advertising it as V3 2000 for $45, while my receipt shows a V3 2000 for $42, and while the actual card is a V3 3000, and the previous ad stated it as a V3 3500.

Confusing...

 

[Killrose]

Very confusing and disturbing. I love Mwave and have bought near 2k worth of stuff from them. I hope they are'nt going to sh!t!!

 

[Dizway]

why don't you dispute it or something? i don't get it, you just let them get away with that?

 

[mikeford]

I wonder if your board is really a V3 2000 that has had its firmware flashed with the V3 3000 code?

I think some boards may work if this is done, but run hot etc. due to the overclocking.

 

[Kingofcomputer]

first, 3500 doesn't mean 3500TV.
powercolor makes one with 3500TV's core/mem speed and calls it something 3500.
they never say it's 3500TV,
could be they misthought it's the powercolor something 3500.

 

[jdhughes92109]

I had the same problem. They said it was a whitebox, which was fine by me. They are advertising it as a 3500, which should include TV features, but it doesn't have TV features on it. I believe they sent me a 3000. It even looks like they pulled it from another system. BUT, they did send along the drivers on a cd recordable disk (almost makes me feel like I'm buying from egay (eck!)).
I called they 1-800 number to figure this out. They told me I needed to call customer service, not sales, and that they couldn't transfer me so I should call back on the non-800 number. The funny thing tho, was I call the customer service number and they answer as sales. Then they transfered me to customer service!! (still makes me laugh!). Waited, waited, and waited. Got someone who then told me I got the right card. They were selling 3500's without TV features and that I should have known this b/c they didn't list TV features on their web page (which is basically true). BUT, I have never heard of a 3500 without TV features, and since their website descriptions of product are generally non-informative, I figured the model/part number was enough. The customer rep didn't seem to think this was logical. I told them I thought that they should have labelled it NON-TV if the model they were selling deviated from the standard part number/model. Again, she didn't agree. SO, I then asked for a shipping RMA w/ their shipping account b/c I didn't feel like spending almost half the cost of the product in shipping two directions. she said no. So i told her when they'd like the card back, send me a shipping account #, until then it will sit under my desk nice and secure (and my credit card isn't paying).

I'm still not convinced there are 3500's without TV options. Is this true? And if it is, shouldn't they have said this was a "special" model unlike the majority of the 3500's, which almost invarably have TV features(in fact I've never seen one that didn't have it).

Flaming Mad at Mwave, and will NEVER buy from them again.
(I wish there was a way to tell if the card had been "pulled" or was new as they said, anyone?) :disgust:

 

[cheapbastich]

I got screwed by them too- I have always heard good things about
mwave on the forums (on all the ones I visit), but now won't ever touch
them again....... dammit, I can't afford the time and money this cost
me.

 

[Dean_Jen]

that's why I kind of regret not printing out the original receipt...

Evidence is everything...I can't just go there and argue without a smoking gun.

it's not the V2K with V3K bios. I can check the memory timing and it is -6. If it is V2K, then it'll be -7.

I know OEM V3K has no TV out and sometimes even comes with 300MHz RAMDAC(instead of 350MHz). But honestly, I haven't heard about the "real" 3Dfx V3500 without the TV option... Taiwanese company has released some V3 2K or 3K(PowerColor or whatever), but I don't think they've got V3 3500TV.

 

[Groch]

The OEM 3500 with no TV functions does exist. Here is an article from 1999 describing it. http://pc.ign.com/news/8821.html . It is real confusing, but it's obviously more 3dfx's fault than anyone else, and we can't do much to them right now.

 

[jdhughes92109]

they didn't call it an OEM. They called it a "whitebox", which means it doesn't have retail packaging, b/c it was purchased in bulk. whitebox DOES NOT mean it is missing retail features. OEM may imply the absense of retail features, but whitebox absolutely does not imply this. They should have been more responsible in their labeling of the product, especially given the fact that no one sells 3500's without the retail features.