TonyL222

Hey all, I just purchased a VisionTek 4870 only to find out that removing the stock air cooler will void the warranty (I'm gonna do it anyway ).

Maybe we should make a list of VGA card vendors that support water cooling and post it somewhere.

For instance, eVGA expressly states that removing the stock cooler does NOT void the warranty (though you need to keep it for warranty returns). VisionTek expressely states that it does void the warranty. This shouldn't be any endorsement or criticism - just a statement of fact about their warranty policy.

UPDATE:

Add to the list as apporpriate. This is for imformational purposes only and not an endorsement nor meant to detract:

Company: eVGA
Stock Cooler Removal Void Warranty (Y/N)?: No
Link: http://www.evga.com/support/faq/afmv...px?faqid=57720

2Late4Me

Tony,

It sounds like you already started the list, just post in your OP a little chart and add to it as people respond... You should get a few +reps for your time and help it will give users looking to WC there GPU...

KamuiRSX

Tony,

I'm going to go ahead and say this. Technically it won't void your warranty if you keep the stock cooler and replace it should you have to send it back to Visiontek. From what a couple of the reps on the phone told me, as long as you don't damage the card or the stock cooler, they'll accept it for RMA.

__________________

"I'm not going there to die. I'm going to see if I'm really alive."

TonyL222

I have an email from VisionTek that says that it will void the warranty. I'm not sure which reps are mistaken. On the eVGA site, their FAQs specifically state that it does not. But you bring up a good point. This should be based on printed policy, not just opinion or what a what a rep said. The VisionTek rep that sent me an email pointed my to the online warranty, but I honestly didn't go read it.

KamuiRSX

Well yeah nothing but breaking the card will void your eVGA warranty. With Visiontek it's more of a touchy scenario. It's like BFG. Their warranty states that doing so will void the warranty but depending on how you ask a person on the phone will depend on the answer you're given and I made sure to call 10 times speaking to 10 different people and they all said that as long as there's no damage to the card whatsoever that's caused by the customer and no damage to the heatsink, that it's removal and re-application would not void the warranty. Just remember to save the stock cooler and preserve it for just in case purposes.

__________________

"I'm not going there to die. I'm going to see if I'm really alive."

TonyL222

That's all fine - and again, I'm not out to make any recommendations of one vendor over another,and individual experiences may vary. I'm going forward with WC my VisionTek board, regardless. I'm just talking about listing what the official policy/warranty is or is not. Folks can make up their own minds from there.

TonyL222

UPDATED the OP to start a list.

DerkaDerka

Well honestly, they have no way of telling if you took the stock cooler off or not unless you've damaged the card. As long as you keep all of the thermal pads, etc. and you put the stock cooler back on there if something happens to the card, then they have no way of knowing. If you send it in for an RMA it's really just a question of your morals whether you're okay lying to them or not.

I for one was in this situation before. I took off my stock cooler on my G92 8800GTS and wouldn't you know, it died on me. So I sent it back to newegg for an RMA. Now, I told the rep at newegg that I took off the stock cooler but they said to send it in anyways. They refunded my purchase even though they told me I voided the warranty. So I don't know how that worked out, but I'm glad it did