Why NOT to overclock video cards...

[solvs]

Anyone else check out www.macosrumors.com today?

They fried their fairly new ATI Radeon 8500 by trying to overclock it. WITH A PENCIL!!! For those of you who don't know, awhile ago they were begging for a new 8500 with ADC (there is no such creature), and offered free advertising in exchange. Someone sent them the Retail 8500 (or the money for it. Then they paid more to get it from the Apple Store. No ADC), then they go and destroy it.

Now what are they doing? Asking for ANOTHER video card!!! They want a GeForce 4 Titanium. Chalking up the loss to "the business" they're in. Okay guys, you suckered someone out of ~$200. You played with your new toy. You made a stupid mistake that destroyed your FREE card. You mourn, you move on with you "old" card (which is fine BTW). But come on, now you want a NEW, more expensive card to play with and ruin.

Before I thought they were just stupid. And if they couldn't afford $200 (or less) for a video card, maybe they needed to re-examine their priorities. Or their business plans.

Now I know they're stupid.

Of course, someone will be dumb enough to send them one (at least the product they are begging for this time actually exists), so I wonder who's the bigger idiot. Them, or those of us who go to the site, and support it. I haven't believed much of what they've said in awhile. Even for a rumor site, they were pretty out there (re: wrong most of the time), but at least it was somewhat entertaining.

Now, it's just a shell of it's former self (which was also wrong all the time).

[big]

being opininated is good, having opinions and being able to express them is also very good, good for you to actually care what they do.

thanks for protecting the rest of us.

[solvs]

Originally posted by big
being opininated is good, having opinions and being able to express them is also very good, good for you to actually care what they do.

thanks for protecting the rest of us.

Sarcasm, right.

No smilie, so I couldn't tell.

I just thought it was a funny story.

[Durandal7]

"Now there isn't a dry eye in the house as we attempt to repair our Quicksilver and get used to the stock GeForce 2MX 64MB again."

Awww, I feel so sorry for them. I've been making due with my Rage 128 16MB but they have to go back to a GeForce 2MX 64MB. This article does not exactly elicit sympathy for them. :rolleyes:

[topicolo]

I used to have some respect for those guys, now they're pretty much just street beggars with a website. How Pathetic!:rolleyes:

[Sun Baked]

It's been awhile since I've insulted these guys or barefeats, sort of pointless to start again now - they aren't worth the effort.

But it is a funny story...

What humorous gift will they deliver us next?

[topicolo]

How about their usual paper bag of dog poo?

[beatle888]

oh my god...with a pencil?

well im not one who knows much about
hardware but DAMN that seems sooooo
fncking stupid. :eek: I would really like
to here what they have to say about it :D

why dont one of you that know something
about hardware casually ask them what they
think went wrong ? just email them
and see what they say :D

ask them if the pencil was dull or sharp before
they used it to overclock the card and suggest
they use a #2 pencil next time

[medea]

I cant belive these guys ranked higher than macrumors (or anyone else for that matter) on the lowendmac mac sites poll!!
[insert jimmy stewart voice] well uh ah itts just crazzy, its just crazy[/end jimmy stewart voice]

[Durandal7]

Why does everyone ignore the ranking section on the lowendmac poll?
If you read the whole article you will see that best known means nothing and only the ranking section has any real meaning.

[solvs]

Originally posted by beatle888
oh my god...with a pencil?

why dont one of you that know something
about hardware casually ask them what they
think went wrong ? just email them
and see what they say :D


I tried to e-mail them a couple of times after the whole 8500 with ADC thing (I know, I should get over it. But they are supposed to know about stuff like this. After all, it's the "business" they're in). My messages kept coming back as undeliverable. I thought maybe they had read my posts lambasting them, but I was using a different e-mail address. Weird huh?

Maybe they do just suck.

"Next on MOSR, we'll be making something up that sounds good, based on something we read on another site last week. And if it doesn't come true, we'll just blame Apple for not coming through for us. Thanks a lot Steve".

[LethalWolfe]

1. Why is everyone going "OMG, a pencil?" The "pencil trick" is pretty much an OC'ing staple.

2. This is what happends when Mac users try to OC something... I'm sure the lowest of the low PC OC'ers wouldn't have fried that card. ;)


Lethal

[Hemingray]

MOSR's site is down right now (Gee, wonder why... :rolleyes: ) I do like to visit there every once in awhile, and I was pretty surprised back when they asked for someone to donate the card. They finally get one, and then they start screwing around with it instead of simply being content with a better card. NOT a smart idea. Sorry, but I have no pity for them.

[Hemingray]

Originally posted by LethalWolfe
2. This is what happends when Mac users try to OC something...

Hmm, I dunno, I was able to O/C my G4 400 PCI to 450 without any problems whatsoever. Then again, all I had to do was change the jumper settings... :p

[topicolo]

I penciled my Duron 700. It now runs at 900Mhz no problem. The pencil technique should work, as long as you're careful about it and as long as you tape up your work afterwards.