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VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11

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ylee at pobox

Jan 17, 2009, 10:22 PM

Post #1 of 27 (3138 views)
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VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11

Robert McNamara <robert.mcnamara [at] gmail> says:
> [A]t least one Myth dev (who knows quite a bit moer about myth than
> the average user) has a permanently *physically damaged* card as a
> result of testing VDPAU.

!!! Tell us more.

--
Frontend: P4 3.0GHz, 1.5TB software RAID 5 array
Backend: Quad-core Xeon 1.6GHz, 6.6TB sw RAID 6
Video inputs: Four high-definition over FireWire/OTA
Accessories: 47" 1080p LCD, 5.1 digital, and MX-600
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ryan.goat at gmail

Jan 18, 2009, 5:09 AM

Post #2 of 27 (3061 views)
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Re: VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11 [In reply to]

On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 1:22 AM, Yeechang Lee <ylee [at] pobox> wrote:
> Robert McNamara <robert.mcnamara [at] gmail> says:
>> [A]t least one Myth dev (who knows quite a bit moer about myth than
>> the average user) has a permanently *physically damaged* card as a
>> result of testing VDPAU.
>
> !!! Tell us more.
>

Yes please explain how that is possible. I don't want to call you a
lier, but it is inconceivable for software to "physically damage" a
hardware device (corupting firmware or overclocked hardware situations
both don't apply).

--
_____________
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robert.mcnamara at gmail

Jan 18, 2009, 8:49 AM

Post #3 of 27 (3064 views)
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Re: VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11 [In reply to]

On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 5:09 AM, ryan patterson <ryan.goat [at] gmail> wrote:
> On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 1:22 AM, Yeechang Lee <ylee [at] pobox> wrote:
>> Robert McNamara <robert.mcnamara [at] gmail> says:
>>> [A]t least one Myth dev (who knows quite a bit moer about myth than
>>> the average user) has a permanently *physically damaged* card as a
>>> result of testing VDPAU.
>>
>> !!! Tell us more.
>>
>
> Yes please explain how that is possible. I don't want to call you a
> lier, but it is inconceivable for software to "physically damage" a
> hardware device (corupting firmware or overclocked hardware situations
> both don't apply).
>
> --
> _____________
> Ryan Patterson
> _______________________________________________
> mythtv-users mailing list
> mythtv-users [at] mythtv
> http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>

One of the devs (who can speak up if he desires) now has a card which,
following testing with VDPAU, will only display absolute corruption
when trying to access the hardware responsible for PureVideo/VDPAU, in
both windows and Linux. Power cycling/moving to new hardware/new
OS/etc. all yield the same result. Basic UI display is still
functional for him IIRC. In similar reported cases people are seeing
corrupted display as early as the BIOS (although in the one case I'm
speaking of he hasn't seen that).

nVidia was not able to provide an answer as to why this happened.
There are several others with similar/same issue on the nvnews Linux
forum. I don't claim it is an epidemic, but it has happened, and in
more than one case. Software damaging hardware is more commonplace
than you might think if the software has a bug that drives the
hardware beyond its physical specifications. Worth bearing in mind
for those using trunk.

Robert
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beww at beww

Jan 18, 2009, 9:47 AM

Post #4 of 27 (3048 views)
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Re: VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11 [In reply to]

On Sunday 18 January 2009 06:09:09 ryan patterson wrote:
> On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 1:22 AM, Yeechang Lee <ylee [at] pobox> wrote:
> > Robert McNamara <robert.mcnamara [at] gmail> says:
> >> [A]t least one Myth dev (who knows quite a bit moer about myth than
> >> the average user) has a permanently *physically damaged* card as a
> >> result of testing VDPAU.
> >
> > !!! Tell us more.
>
> Yes please explain how that is possible. I don't want to call you a
> lier, but it is inconceivable for software to "physically damage" a
> hardware device (corupting firmware or overclocked hardware situations
> both don't apply).

Perhaps the video card got tossed across the room?

I have certainly felt like doing that on occasion.

Monitors used to get blown up by driving them beyond their capabilities. The
only way I can think of to damage a card would be by over-heating somehow.
--
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mkh01 at earthlink

Jan 18, 2009, 11:23 AM

Post #5 of 27 (3043 views)
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Re: VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11 [In reply to]

On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 10:47:14AM -0700, Brian Wood wrote:
> On Sunday 18 January 2009 06:09:09 ryan patterson wrote:
> > On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 1:22 AM, Yeechang Lee <ylee [at] pobox> wrote:
> > > Robert McNamara <robert.mcnamara [at] gmail> says:
> > >> [A]t least one Myth dev (who knows quite a bit moer about myth than
> > >> the average user) has a permanently *physically damaged* card as a
> > >> result of testing VDPAU.
> > >
> > > !!! Tell us more.
> >
> > Yes please explain how that is possible. I don't want to call you a
> > lier, but it is inconceivable for software to "physically damage" a
> > hardware device (corupting firmware or overclocked hardware situations
> > both don't apply).
>
> Perhaps the video card got tossed across the room?
>
> I have certainly felt like doing that on occasion.
>
> Monitors used to get blown up by driving them beyond their capabilities. The
> only way I can think of to damage a card would be by over-heating somehow.

I don't know what particular capabilities VDPAU uses or exposes, but
just as an example modern video cards are often overclockable through
software and can be damaged in the same way as CPUs. I suspect that heat
damage (which is cumulative) often is one of the main factors in
overclock-related failures, though.

--
Michael Heironimus
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jraymyth at gmail

Jan 18, 2009, 12:14 PM

Post #6 of 27 (3044 views)
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Re: VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11 [In reply to]

On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 2:23 PM, Michael Heironimus <mkh01 [at] earthlink> wrote:
> On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 10:47:14AM -0700, Brian Wood wrote:
>> On Sunday 18 January 2009 06:09:09 ryan patterson wrote:
>> > On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 1:22 AM, Yeechang Lee <ylee [at] pobox> wrote:
>> > > Robert McNamara <robert.mcnamara [at] gmail> says:
>> > >> [A]t least one Myth dev (who knows quite a bit moer about myth than
>> > >> the average user) has a permanently *physically damaged* card as a
>> > >> result of testing VDPAU.
>> > >
>> > > !!! Tell us more.
>> >
>> > Yes please explain how that is possible. I don't want to call you a
>> > lier, but it is inconceivable for software to "physically damage" a
>> > hardware device (corupting firmware or overclocked hardware situations
>> > both don't apply).
>>
>> Perhaps the video card got tossed across the room?
>>
>> I have certainly felt like doing that on occasion.
>>
>> Monitors used to get blown up by driving them beyond their capabilities. The
>> only way I can think of to damage a card would be by over-heating somehow.
>
> I don't know what particular capabilities VDPAU uses or exposes, but
> just as an example modern video cards are often overclockable through
> software and can be damaged in the same way as CPUs. I suspect that heat
> damage (which is cumulative) often is one of the main factors in
> overclock-related failures, though.
>
> --
> Michael Heironimus
> _______________________________________________
> mythtv-users mailing list
> mythtv-users [at] mythtv
> http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>

I seem to remember destroying my new big screen NEC 17" MultiSync flat
tube monitor by setting the wrong refresh rate the first time I ever
set up Xwindows. It was 12+ years ago, but every time I drive by the
land fill I shed a tear. *sniff*
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beww at beww

Jan 18, 2009, 12:27 PM

Post #7 of 27 (3035 views)
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Re: VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11 [In reply to]

On Sunday 18 January 2009 13:14:31 jr wrote:
> On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 2:23 PM, Michael Heironimus <mkh01 [at] earthlink>
wrote:
> > On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 10:47:14AM -0700, Brian Wood wrote:
> >> On Sunday 18 January 2009 06:09:09 ryan patterson wrote:
> >> > On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 1:22 AM, Yeechang Lee <ylee [at] pobox> wrote:
> >> > > Robert McNamara <robert.mcnamara [at] gmail> says:
> >> > >> [A]t least one Myth dev (who knows quite a bit moer about myth than
> >> > >> the average user) has a permanently *physically damaged* card as a
> >> > >> result of testing VDPAU.
> >> > >
> >> > > !!! Tell us more.
> >> >
> >> > Yes please explain how that is possible. I don't want to call you a
> >> > lier, but it is inconceivable for software to "physically damage" a
> >> > hardware device (corupting firmware or overclocked hardware situations
> >> > both don't apply).
> >>
> >> Perhaps the video card got tossed across the room?
> >>
> >> I have certainly felt like doing that on occasion.
> >>
> >> Monitors used to get blown up by driving them beyond their capabilities.
> >> The only way I can think of to damage a card would be by over-heating
> >> somehow.
> >
> > I don't know what particular capabilities VDPAU uses or exposes, but
> > just as an example modern video cards are often overclockable through
> > software and can be damaged in the same way as CPUs. I suspect that heat
> > damage (which is cumulative) often is one of the main factors in
> > overclock-related failures, though.
> >
> > --
> > Michael Heironimus
> > _______________________________________________
> > mythtv-users mailing list
> > mythtv-users [at] mythtv
> > http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>
> I seem to remember destroying my new big screen NEC 17" MultiSync flat
> tube monitor by setting the wrong refresh rate the first time I ever
> set up Xwindows. It was 12+ years ago, but every time I drive by the
> land fill I shed a tear. *sniff*

What? You put a CRT into a landfill?

This is a big no-no in most places, but I suppose that long ago you could get
away with it.

--
beww
beww [at] beww
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drescherjm at gmail

Jan 18, 2009, 12:34 PM

Post #8 of 27 (3048 views)
Permalink

Re: VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11 [In reply to]

> What? You put a CRT into a landfill?
>
> This is a big no-no in most places, but I suppose that long ago you could get
> away with it.
>
I am not sure if you can take them to the dump but I know the garbage
trucks will take them here in Pittsburgh. Although at work they are
supposed to recycle them but I believe they just end up in an old
warehouse.

John
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jraymyth at gmail

Jan 18, 2009, 12:47 PM

Post #9 of 27 (3039 views)
Permalink

Re: VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11 [In reply to]

On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 3:27 PM, Brian Wood <beww [at] beww> wrote:
> On Sunday 18 January 2009 13:14:31 jr wrote:
>> On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 2:23 PM, Michael Heironimus <mkh01 [at] earthlink>
> wrote:
>> > On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 10:47:14AM -0700, Brian Wood wrote:
>> >> On Sunday 18 January 2009 06:09:09 ryan patterson wrote:
>> >> > On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 1:22 AM, Yeechang Lee <ylee [at] pobox> wrote:
>> >> > > Robert McNamara <robert.mcnamara [at] gmail> says:
>> >> > >> [A]t least one Myth dev (who knows quite a bit moer about myth than
>> >> > >> the average user) has a permanently *physically damaged* card as a
>> >> > >> result of testing VDPAU.
>> >> > >
>> >> > > !!! Tell us more.
>> >> >
>> >> > Yes please explain how that is possible. I don't want to call you a
>> >> > lier, but it is inconceivable for software to "physically damage" a
>> >> > hardware device (corupting firmware or overclocked hardware situations
>> >> > both don't apply).
>> >>
>> >> Perhaps the video card got tossed across the room?
>> >>
>> >> I have certainly felt like doing that on occasion.
>> >>
>> >> Monitors used to get blown up by driving them beyond their capabilities.
>> >> The only way I can think of to damage a card would be by over-heating
>> >> somehow.
>> >
>> > I don't know what particular capabilities VDPAU uses or exposes, but
>> > just as an example modern video cards are often overclockable through
>> > software and can be damaged in the same way as CPUs. I suspect that heat
>> > damage (which is cumulative) often is one of the main factors in
>> > overclock-related failures, though.
>> >
>> > --
>> > Michael Heironimus
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > mythtv-users mailing list
>> > mythtv-users [at] mythtv
>> > http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>>
>> I seem to remember destroying my new big screen NEC 17" MultiSync flat
>> tube monitor by setting the wrong refresh rate the first time I ever
>> set up Xwindows. It was 12+ years ago, but every time I drive by the
>> land fill I shed a tear. *sniff*
>
>
> What? You put a CRT into a landfill?
>
> This is a big no-no in most places, but I suppose that long ago you could get
> away with it.
>
>
> --
> beww
> beww [at] beww
> _______________________________________________
> mythtv-users mailing list
> mythtv-users [at] mythtv
> http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>

Actually, I don't know that that is where it ended up. We have
Special Items Pickup day each quarter were we can put out odd items
for collection. So, it ended up whereever stuff like that ends up.
Or it was picked up by the people who scavenge the drop spots for the
gems that people toss out unawares.
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nick.rout at gmail

Jan 18, 2009, 1:09 PM

Post #10 of 27 (3039 views)
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Re: VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11 [In reply to]

On Mon, Jan 19, 2009 at 9:47 AM, jr <jraymyth [at] gmail> wrote:
> On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 3:27 PM, Brian Wood <beww [at] beww> wrote:

>
> Actually, I don't know that that is where it ended up. We have
> Special Items Pickup day each quarter were we can put out odd items
> for collection. So, it ended up whereever stuff like that ends up.
> Or it was picked up by the people who scavenge the drop spots for the
> gems that people toss out unawares.

[OT] LOL reminds me of my (reasonably well off) brother-in-law who was
very proud of entertaining his neighbours on the chairs that they had
themselves put out for collection, which bro-in-law scavenged,
repaired and repainted.
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mythtv-users at ianliverton

Jan 18, 2009, 1:13 PM

Post #11 of 27 (3038 views)
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Re: VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11 [In reply to]

> > Actually, I don't know that that is where it ended up. We have
> > Special Items Pickup day each quarter were we can put out odd items
> > for collection. So, it ended up whereever stuff like that ends up.
> > Or it was picked up by the people who scavenge the drop spots for the
> > gems that people toss out unawares.
>
> [OT] LOL reminds me of my (reasonably well off) brother-in-law who was
> very proud of entertaining his neighbours on the chairs that they had
> themselves put out for collection, which bro-in-law scavenged,
> repaired and repainted.

[OT] Reminds me of a 15" CRT monitor the head of ICT picked up from the
rubbish heap and brought into school and then asked me to test (I was a
student acting as a technician). He couldn't understand why I refused......

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mikep at randomtraveller

Jan 18, 2009, 1:26 PM

Post #12 of 27 (3058 views)
Permalink

Re: VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11 [In reply to]

Ian Liverton wrote:
>>> Actually, I don't know that that is where it ended up. We have
>>> Special Items Pickup day each quarter were we can put out odd items
>>> for collection. So, it ended up whereever stuff like that ends up.
>>> Or it was picked up by the people who scavenge the drop spots for the
>>> gems that people toss out unawares.
>> [OT] LOL reminds me of my (reasonably well off) brother-in-law who was
>> very proud of entertaining his neighbours on the chairs that they had
>> themselves put out for collection, which bro-in-law scavenged,
>> repaired and repainted.
>
> [OT] Reminds me of a 15" CRT monitor the head of ICT picked up from the
> rubbish heap and brought into school and then asked me to test (I was a
> student acting as a technician). He couldn't understand why I refused......
>
Wuss! The first four TVs I owned were scavenged from an open municipal rubbish
tip. All worked - I was 15, there were three channels, 405 lines Band I/III. I
built a huge array in the attic so I could get some of the other ITV regions,
worked too. One of the TVs I took to college and me and three mates watched the
moon landings on it.

--

Mike Perkins

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beww at beww

Jan 18, 2009, 1:51 PM

Post #13 of 27 (3042 views)
Permalink

Re: VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11 [In reply to]

On Sunday 18 January 2009 14:13:48 Ian Liverton wrote:
> > > Actually, I don't know that that is where it ended up. We have
> > > Special Items Pickup day each quarter were we can put out odd items
> > > for collection. So, it ended up whereever stuff like that ends up.
> > > Or it was picked up by the people who scavenge the drop spots for the
> > > gems that people toss out unawares.
> >
> > [OT] LOL reminds me of my (reasonably well off) brother-in-law who was
> > very proud of entertaining his neighbours on the chairs that they had
> > themselves put out for collection, which bro-in-law scavenged,
> > repaired and repainted.
>
> [OT] Reminds me of a 15" CRT monitor the head of ICT picked up from the
> rubbish heap and brought into school and then asked me to test (I was a
> student acting as a technician). He couldn't understand why I
> refused......

Reminds me of when I used to work. We would finally decide that a TV or
monitor was not repairable and put it in the dumpster, only to have some
employee drag it into our shop and want us to repair it for him or her.

Funny thing is, we often repaired them for employees when we would not have
done so for our employer (who was, after all, paying us).

--
beww
beww [at] beww
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gmitch at woodlea

Jan 18, 2009, 3:46 PM

Post #14 of 27 (3019 views)
Permalink

Re: VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11 [In reply to]

Ah.... youngsters.... :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_poke

Graham

> -----Original Message-----
> From: mythtv-users-bounces [at] mythtv [mailto:mythtv-users-
> bounces [at] mythtv] On Behalf Of ryan patterson
> Sent: Sunday, January 18, 2009 8:09 AM
> To: Discussion about mythtv
> Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11
>
> On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 1:22 AM, Yeechang Lee <ylee [at] pobox> wrote:
> > Robert McNamara <robert.mcnamara [at] gmail> says:
> >> [A]t least one Myth dev (who knows quite a bit moer about myth than
> >> the average user) has a permanently *physically damaged* card as a
> >> result of testing VDPAU.
> >
> > !!! Tell us more.
> >
>
> Yes please explain how that is possible. I don't want to call you a
> lier, but it is inconceivable for software to "physically damage" a
> hardware device (corupting firmware or overclocked hardware situations
> both don't apply).
>
> --
> _____________
> Ryan Patterson
> _______________________________________________
> mythtv-users mailing list
> mythtv-users [at] mythtv
> http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users

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DEPontius at edgehp

Jan 18, 2009, 3:47 PM

Post #15 of 27 (3010 views)
Permalink

Re: VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11 [In reply to]

Brian Wood wrote:
> On Sunday 18 January 2009 06:09:09 ryan patterson wrote:
>> On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 1:22 AM, Yeechang Lee <ylee [at] pobox> wrote:
>>> Robert McNamara <robert.mcnamara [at] gmail> says:
>>>> [A]t least one Myth dev (who knows quite a bit moer about myth than
>>>> the average user) has a permanently *physically damaged* card as a
>>>> result of testing VDPAU.
>>> !!! Tell us more.
>> Yes please explain how that is possible. I don't want to call you a
>> lier, but it is inconceivable for software to "physically damage" a
>> hardware device (corupting firmware or overclocked hardware situations
>> both don't apply).
>
> Perhaps the video card got tossed across the room?
>
> I have certainly felt like doing that on occasion.
>
> Monitors used to get blown up by driving them beyond their capabilities. The
> only way I can think of to damage a card would be by over-heating somehow.

The simplest way to cause permanent damage with software would be some
section of circuitry with some under-designed metalization. Normally
all would be fine, but it's believable that there would be some
combination of software operations that would drive that section of
circuitry into its highest-power state. When it's slow, it's considered
electromigration. (one of those things that kills overclocked chips,
with time) When it's fast, you might as well call it a fuse. It can be
in power distribution, or possibly at the drive point of a heavily
loaded signal.

The original Intel 80286 had a similar fail, though it didn't carry
permanent damage. In that case, under specific combinations of register
contents, execution opcode, temperature, and applied voltage, a certain
section of the chip could "brown out", causing a lockup. In that case,
weak power busing could reduce the available voltage in that area below
the minimum necessary, but the currents involved were too small to cause
permanent damage.

As others have mentioned, there was the old case of blowing up monitors
with improper sync.

Dale Pontius
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ryan.goat at gmail

Jan 18, 2009, 3:49 PM

Post #16 of 27 (3020 views)
Permalink

Re: VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11 [In reply to]

On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 2:23 PM, Michael Heironimus <mkh01 [at] earthlink> wrote:

> I don't know what particular capabilities VDPAU uses or exposes, but
> just as an example modern video cards are often overclockable through
> software and can be damaged in the same way as CPUs. I suspect that heat
> damage (which is cumulative) often is one of the main factors in
> overclock-related failures, though.
>

Sending incompatible timing rates to a monitor or overclocking a
videocard/CPU both cause damage because of USER ERROR. You break the
product because you try and use it outside the manufacturers
guarantied working range.

In the VDPAU case we are talking about using a product as the
manufacturer intended with manufacturer approved and provided drivers.
This is completely different from what is being discussed.

Again I'm not saying it didn't happen. But I don't see how it is possible.

--
_____________
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greg at phaze

Jan 18, 2009, 3:57 PM

Post #17 of 27 (3013 views)
Permalink

Re: VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11 [In reply to]

> In the VDPAU case we are talking about using a product as the
> manufacturer intended with manufacturer approved and provided drivers.

Alpha in progress drivers, with an Alpha API, put into testers hands with a
"at your own risk" liability.

In the end I believe it was accidental code bugs when he was porting the
automatic letterboxing patch over to work with VDPAU that caused
him to end up with his OSD ghosted over every image displayed via VDPAU.

Even after moving to other machine and OS.

Noone else can explain what caused it bu it followed running the buggy code
which passed some invalid info to the API :)

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jraymyth at gmail

Jan 18, 2009, 4:02 PM

Post #18 of 27 (3021 views)
Permalink

Re: VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11 [In reply to]

On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 6:49 PM, ryan patterson <ryan.goat [at] gmail> wrote:
> On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 2:23 PM, Michael Heironimus <mkh01 [at] earthlink> wrote:
>
>> I don't know what particular capabilities VDPAU uses or exposes, but
>> just as an example modern video cards are often overclockable through
>> software and can be damaged in the same way as CPUs. I suspect that heat
>> damage (which is cumulative) often is one of the main factors in
>> overclock-related failures, though.
>>
>
> Sending incompatible timing rates to a monitor or overclocking a
> videocard/CPU both cause damage because of USER ERROR. You break the
> product because you try and use it outside the manufacturers
> guarantied working range.
>
> In the VDPAU case we are talking about using a product as the
> manufacturer intended with manufacturer approved and provided drivers.
> This is completely different from what is being discussed.
>
> Again I'm not saying it didn't happen. But I don't see how it is possible.
>
>
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>

The reason that we don't break monitors any more is becuase someone
saw the flaw and placed a safegard to protect against it. Speaking of
magical pokes, I seem to remember being able to blow a fuse (a real
physical replaceable fuse) on my VIC-20 by poking some address as
well. Its the same situation. Untill a safegard is put in place,
its breakable.
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wstewart at hgrace

Jan 18, 2009, 5:44 PM

Post #19 of 27 (3014 views)
Permalink

Re: VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11 [In reply to]

VDPAU can in fact damage a card if it overheats.

Remember to run VDPAU you are shifting load from the main CPU to the GPU, so the GPU will run hotter than running myth in non-VDPAU. If cooling is insufficient, the part will overheat and be damaged.

drescherjm at gmail

Jan 18, 2009, 5:54 PM

Post #20 of 27 (3006 views)
Permalink

Re: VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11 [In reply to]

On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 8:44 PM, Bill Stewart <wstewart [at] hgrace> wrote:
> VDPAU can in fact damage a card if it overheats.
>

If it does and its not a bad fan I would be seeking a warranty
replacement as I consider this a manufacturer defect.

John
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drescherjm at gmail

Jan 18, 2009, 5:57 PM

Post #21 of 27 (3012 views)
Permalink

Re: VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11 [In reply to]

On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 8:54 PM, John Drescher <drescherjm [at] gmail> wrote:
> On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 8:44 PM, Bill Stewart <wstewart [at] hgrace> wrote:
>> VDPAU can in fact damage a card if it overheats.
>>
>
> If it does and its not a bad fan I would be seeking a warranty
> replacement as I consider this a manufacturer defect.
>

Wait a minute a bad fan should be covered...

John
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beww at beww

Jan 18, 2009, 6:47 PM

Post #22 of 27 (2995 views)
Permalink

Re: VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11 [In reply to]

On Sunday 18 January 2009 18:57:28 John Drescher wrote:
> On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 8:54 PM, John Drescher <drescherjm [at] gmail> wrote:
> > On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 8:44 PM, Bill Stewart <wstewart [at] hgrace> wrote:
> >> VDPAU can in fact damage a card if it overheats.
> >
> > If it does and its not a bad fan I would be seeking a warranty
> > replacement as I consider this a manufacturer defect.
>
> Wait a minute a bad fan should be covered...

A lof of graphics cards have cooling only on the main chip, not the RAM. I'd
wonder if this is what over-heated (if in fact that's what happened)?

Some cards do heatsink the RAM chips, but perhaps not as well as they should.

In any case I would not like to see this card returned with a replacement
claim, we don't want to discourage nVidia from sharing what they are with us.
If any dev needs a card to play with I (and probably others here) would want
to make sure he has it.

I wonder how the load placed on the GPU by VDPAU compares with the load from
modern games.

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ylee at pobox

Jan 19, 2009, 1:29 AM

Post #23 of 27 (2981 views)
Permalink

Re: VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11 [In reply to]

Brian Wood <beww [at] beww> says:
> In any case I would not like to see this card returned with a
> replacement claim, we don't want to discourage nVidia from sharing
> what they are with us. If any dev needs a card to play with I (and
> probably others here) would want to make sure he has it.

While I applaud your willingness to subsidize a replacement card, I do
hope the developer does contact Nvidia about a warranty replacement
and that he mentions VDPAU in the claim. Better to get every issue
(software and, possibly, hardware) identified and fixed now, when only
a tiny tiny number of Linux users are using it, than to have in six
months "Nvidia + Linux = Broken video cards" burned into the
collective consciousness.

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gull at gull

Jan 19, 2009, 10:12 AM

Post #24 of 27 (2950 views)
Permalink

Re: VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11 [In reply to]

Brian Wood wrote:
> In any case I would not like to see this card returned with a replacement
> claim, we don't want to discourage nVidia from sharing what they are with us.

Would nVidia even see it? nVidia makes the chips but I don't think I've
ever seen a video card that they manufactured themselves. Usually the
manufacturer is EVGA or PNY or another outfit like that.
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beww at beww

Jan 19, 2009, 10:58 AM

Post #25 of 27 (2937 views)
Permalink

Re: VDPAU blows up video card, film at 11 [In reply to]

On Monday 19 January 2009 11:12:49 David Brodbeck wrote:
> Brian Wood wrote:
> > In any case I would not like to see this card returned with a replacement
> > claim, we don't want to discourage nVidia from sharing what they are with
> > us.
>
> Would nVidia even see it? nVidia makes the chips but I don't think I've
> ever seen a video card that they manufactured themselves. Usually the
> manufacturer is EVGA or PNY or another outfit like that.

Good point. I suppose of enough of them came back to the makers they would
hear about it, but probably not a single case.

I don't think vendors look too deeply into the returned units, they just
replace them without thinking.

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