My Experience with MSI RMA

[AuthenticGeek]

I'm not sure if this is the right right place to be venting off my problems, but I'm gonna do it anyways. So recently I discovered that my MSI R9 390 was running a bit too hot at stock speed. At load it would reach 94C and would start to thermal throttle. The cause might have been a poorly applied thermal paste during manufacturing. I didn't want take it apart and re-apply the thermal paste because I didn't want to lose the warranty on it (after some research, I learned that some GPU companies allows you to take it apart without voiding the warranty). Anyways, I sent MSI a message and they told me to RMA it. They "highly recommended" me to use UPS. My local UPS charged me 18 dollars to ship it by ground (it would have been 12 if I ditched the shipping warranty). It took MSI 2 weeks to assess and replace my GPU. I find that kind of slow, considering the fact their RMA center is only 6 hours away from me. They sent me a different, refurbished GPU (it looks obviously refurbished, with some scratches and some heat fins bent). Being excited that I got my gaming rig's heart back, I immediately plugged it into my motherboard. I go get the screws to mount it in, but the screw holes no longer match up. MSI sent me a GPU with a bent PCI bracket (see pictures attached). I tried bending it back in place, but the PCB started to flex with it. I contacted MSI about this and they told me "the gpu rear bracket is bendable so you just need to bend it back". It's kind of funny how they made it sound like this problem is part of the design. I sent another message saying I already tried that, but it was already Saturday and MSI customer service was closed on the weekends. Eventually I said, "screw it", and pushed the GPU as far back as I could, pushed onto the back of my computer case, and forced the screws in. This new GPU definitely runs cooler than my old GPU. I also haven't gotten any screen artifacts/flickers. I always thought it was either my overclocked CPU or some corrupted driver that caused that. I'm not sure what long term effects this new GPU will have on my motherboard and case, but as the old saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". What do you guys think of my predicament?

[Energycore]

@thekeemo

[Vengeance_K1ng]

First of all, MSI was not slow. 2 weeks is an outstanding time frame. ASUS users wait like a month. Second, it really does not make performance worse. so thats why they probably shipped it to you, since it passed their testing, try to bend it back?

[Vengeance_K1ng]

@Godlygamer23 Maybe you can shed some insight

[AuthenticGeek]

11 minutes ago, Vengeance_K1ng said:

First of all, MSI was not slow. 2 weeks is an outstanding time frame. ASUS users wait like a month. Second, it really does not make performance worse. so thats why they probably shipped it to you, since it passed their testing, try to bend it back?

Wow, a month? That's god awful. As I said before, I don't feel too confident bending it back cause the PCB starts flexing a lot. Performance on this GPU is actually better than my old one (also stated before). The only real concern is the card exerting extra pressure onto my motherboard and case (not sure if that will actually cause a problem in the long run).

Edited August 15, 2016 by AuthenticGeek
Grammar

[DarkBlade2117]

2 weeks isn't half bad. EVGA Took a week to get it shipped back to me and they are extremely fast. I'd be happy with 2 weeks, Asus has taken months for some people.

 

Anyway, you'd be better off ranting about this on /r/pcmasterrace you'll get more attention and sometimes you get help from people that work at these companies. I'd rant to them, make a post to the that sub-reddit and complain, you RMA it to get a card with no problems, not one that has the old one fixed and new ones that you have to deal with.

[Vengeance_K1ng]

Just now, AuthenticGeek said:

Wow, a month? That's god awful. As I said before, I don't feel too confident bending it back cause the PCB starts flexing a lot. Performance on this GPU is actually better than my old one (also stated before). The only real concern is the card exerting extra pressure onto my motherboard and case (not sure if it's that big of a problem).

Dude, the PCB is strong, gently bend it back evenly. and that will solve the potential problem of damaging the mobo.

[App4that]

Just now, AuthenticGeek said:

Wow, a month? That's god awful. As I said before, I don't feel too confident bending it back cause the PCB starts flexing a lot. Performance on this GPU is actually better than my old one (also stated before). The only real concern is the card exerting extra pressure onto my motherboard and case (not sure if it's that big of a problem).

I've had it take a month just to get a RMA number. Have you tried removing the bent mount off the card to see if it's easier to straighten? 

[Mr.Meerkat]

It's not DOA on the bright side...

 

@thekeemo is the man for RMAs, he has a thread made specifically for RMAs so people can share and learn how good a company RMAs  

[Nena Trinity]

The place I worked before could use up to 2 months to RMA stuff to their customers... o3o

[Vengeance_K1ng]

TBH, RMA's really piss me off, I mean why cant companies incorporate more quality control ffs. I can understand doing an RMA for shipping damage or *user damage*, but for something that came from the factory, thats absurd! 

[AuthenticGeek]

12 minutes ago, Vengeance_K1ng said:

Dude, the PCB is strong, gently bend it back evenly. and that will solve the potential problem of damaging the mobo.

Do you think it would be better to leave as is, or try bending it back again?

[Vengeance_K1ng]

5 minutes ago, AuthenticGeek said:

Do you think it would be better to leave as is, or try bending it back again?

Try to bend it back. It wont brake, im 99% sure. just don't force it and go slow.

[Techicolors]

25 minutes ago, DarkBlade2117 said:

2 weeks isn't half bad. EVGA Took a week to get it shipped back to me and they are extremely fast. I'd be happy with 2 weeks, Asus has taken months for some people.

yeah i RMA'd my evga 1070. took 4 days of email exchange and a week for the new card to arrive. though that's with the EAR RMA they have. i expect that a normal RMA will take longer to ship. when i had a 650ti a couple of years back they took 2 weeks to ship the new card. 

[thekeemo]

31 minutes ago, Mr.Meerkat said:

It's not DOA on the bright side...

 

@thekeemo is the man for RMAs, he has a thread made specifically for RMAs so people can share and learn how good a company RMAs  

 

45 minutes ago, Energycore said:

@thekeemo

You know you can just link it?

[Energycore]

14 minutes ago, thekeemo said:

 

You know you can just link it?

I should make a bookmark :v

 

But wanted to say hi. Hi!

[App4that]

53 minutes ago, Vengeance_K1ng said:

TBH, RMA's really piss me off, I mean why cant companies incorporate more quality control ffs. I can understand doing an RMA for shipping damage or *user damage*, but for something that came from the factory, thats absurd! 

They'd just add the cost to the price of the card, because we'd pay it. And I've had "factory tested" parts come with problems too. But I feel ya. Would be nice to be able to know you can relax and enjoy your purchase.

[alphaproject]

Zotac was great. Send in GTX 770. Got the 970 sent to me within 1 and 1/2 weeks. What I liked was that they knew the GTX 770 was borked and didn't try to bullshit me about it. Flat out said it was junk.

[Godlygamer23]

1 hour ago, Vengeance_K1ng said:

TBH, RMA's really piss me off, I mean why cant companies incorporate more quality control ffs. I can understand doing an RMA for shipping damage or *user damage*, but for something that came from the factory, thats absurd! 

This is difficult to understand for someone who does not work in a manufacturing facility. I do, and I work on military electronics. You can have a million things happening that would cause a product to come defective.

 

Sometimes people simply miss things, especially when you have 50 of them to look at, at one shot. It can become stressful, and sometimes people are simply new. So they screw up. They may also have a sample size. If they receive 50 of them, they may only look at 40 of them. The last 10 could be defective theoretically.

 

In regards to the product, it depends on what MSI uses as criteria. For example, they probably use IPC as the standard, and more specifically Class 2 which are products that are going to be in a high demand environment, but they're not necessarily required to function(especially compared to military, medical, and space equipment which are all Class 3. Cars are also Class 2). So MSI might look at the criteria for Class 2 and say "Yup. Looks good." Everything else is customer-specific which is not defined compared to military equipment where something must be documented in order for changes to take place.

 

I'm not sure what that hole is about, but it might just be a visual thing. Same with the similar condition part. The bent I/O mount is not necessarily a defect if you can still mount it without any problems.

Edited August 15, 2016 by Godlygamer23

[Mr.Meerkat]

10 hours ago, thekeemo said:

 

You know you can just link it?

1. too lazy to find that thread  

2. like Energycore had said, wanted to say hi as well