Toasted my MSI FX5600-TD128 Graphics card

[saro]

I replaced the stock heat sink with Cooler masters "cool viva". I had to tweak around to make it fit in my micor atx box. After spending 3 hours I managed to fit it in and now I find that there is no Video output coming out of the card. If I have the card plugged in, then even the M/B's VGA is not working and the machine is not booting !!

Have I just wasted 130$ down the drain ??

How do I figure out what is wrong and how to fix it ?

Help highly appreciated ..

thanks,
Saravanan

 

[Rik]

You need to carefully remove the heatsink and check that it hasnt shorted any of the components out, look at resistors, capacitors, and ic's for potential contact points. I work in the electronics trade and have seen plenty of similar problems so let me know if u need anymore help.


Hope u find this useful. Rik.

 

[saro]

I was under the impression that thermal pastes are supposedly "non-conductor" of electricity. But guess I am wrong. I used the paste that came with the coolmaster cool viva.

I removed the heat sink and cleaned it up and put the stock heat sink back but still the same result.


I have sent it back to MSI. Lets see if they can fix it ! I am having my fingers crossed !

 

[Rik]

Thermal paste is not an electrical insulator at all, if u wish to put your heatsink on your replacement card (keeping my fingers crossed for ya) then I suggest you use as little thermal paste as possible, if I was fitting it I would put the paste on the graphics processor and NOT the heatsink and put a thin, even spread. If you can figure out the exact area of the heatsink that contacts the processor then it'd be a good idea to cover the rest of the underside of it with electrical insulating tape.

Good luck. Rik.

 

[saro]

Thanks ! I will try that and keep you posted.

- saro