Clock setting of G400 MAX screwed up?

[Clevor]

I just picked up a 4X AGP G400 MAX on Ebay and when I take a look in the MatroxTweak utility it says the card is running at a 99% clock setting. When I press the 'default' button it doesn't move.

So I take a look in MGA Tweak and it says the card is running at a 291.6 PLL for a 145.8/194.4 Core/Memory clock. Is this supposed to be the factory setting??? Or did the previous owner screw up the card?

My old 2X AGP G400 MAX was running default at around 300 for a 150/200 clock.

The BIOS is 2.1-35. If I try to set the setting to 100% using MatroxTweak, it doesn't hold the setting. After testing and then selecting 'apply', then 'permanent', I look at the clock and it is back at 99%.

[Greebe]

I suppose it is possible that the crystal which sets the timebase could have drifted a bit.

Give PowerStrip a whirl and see if that does the same.

[Clevor]

I checked Powerstrip, it says the card is running 194 mem clock default. Matrox suggested I use the recover.zip file to restore the BIOS but it doesn't help.

Another funny problem is the Matrox Tweak utility doesn't work to overclock the card. I 'test', then click 'permanent' but the clock goes back to 99%.

If I use Powerstrip to overclock the card back to 150/200, I get openGL corruption of my 3D games (can't start them) so I can't use that.

I have to use MGA Tweak to manually set the card to 300 PLL everytime I boot. Is is supposed to save settings or something? I click the save settings box but everytime I boot, the clock is back to 194.

Anybody else have a problem with an underclocked G400 MAX from the factory, or know how the card was messed up this way?

I tried overclocking the card but it will only do 155/210 or so, so I have to leave it at 150/200 for leeway. As you know, the card needs all the help it can get with present games so it's unacceptable to run the card even a bit underclocked.

[Greebe]

Many a Max can't do better than 155/210

Did you do anything to improve it's cooling?

[Clevor]

>Many a Max can't do better than 155/210

>Did you do anything to improve it's cooling?

No, the cooling was stock.

I have a lot of experience overclocking Voodoo5 and Geforce cards, so I have a lot of neat heatsinks and stuff, but I was afraid of voiding the warrantee. Which brings me to a question:

When I received the card from this guy on Ebay, the stock Avid heatsink was sliding around the chip on a grey pad of some sort. I thought all the factory heatsinks were affixed with a white thermal epoxy? I figured the guy must have been running at aftermarket heatsink, and replaced the stock heatsink before selling it. So I removed the thermal pad and put Arctic Silver on.

Did any of the G400 MAXs come from the factory with a 'dry', translucent grey thermal pad? If they did, well, I guess I just voided my warrantee, since I can't hide the fact Arctic Silver is on there now (it stains the chip and is impossible to remove completely).

[K6-III]

One can remove ASII completely. Just use laundry detergent as prescribed on www.arcticsilver.com

[Greebe]

They don't come with a grey thermal pad, they come with a black thermal wax type pad that once the chip heats up. melts and binds the two together.

The warranty wasn't transferable in the first place... only the original owner can claim it.

To remove any silicone based HS compound just use acetone or denatured alcohol or brake cleaner wetted on a rag to remove.

>Laundry detergent... now that's a gas! LOL

Note: Acetone/brake cleaner will eat into plastics commonly found in connectors and what not... don't get any one these.

[Clevor]

"The warranty wasn't transferable in the first place... only the original owner can claim it. "

Well, Matrox was nice enough to RMA the card for me, and they know I got it on Ebay. Didn't even ask for proof of purchase. I just sent it back today.

I am duly impressed. Reminds me of 3dfx and their toll-free tech support and limited lifetime warrantee (no other similarities implied!).

[Wombat]

I'm pretty sure that the warranties ARE transferable. At any rate, it's a 3 year warranty, and no G400 has been out for 3 years yet (although it feels like it's starting to get too close).