PNY Verto 64mb ti4200 RMA

[klaxon]

i got a PNY Verto 64mb ti4200 card from best buy about 2 years ago. actually, that's the problem - my friend picked it up for me because he was in the store, and i paid him.

i've been happy with this card. now it has started to flake out on me. it runs okay doing 2d stuff, but when my opengl screensaver starts up, it shows artifacts and the machine locks up. the artifacts look like what my friend's brand new 9800pro did right from the box, which he promptly exchanged. they don't look like the artifacts i've seen in, for example, BF1942 when i hadn't upgraded the drivers. so i feel my card is dying. i have never overclocked the card.

i'd like to RMA it with PNY, but they say they require proof of purchase. i found best buy will search your purchase history and so long as you paid with credit card, they will print you a receipt. but the problem is, i didn't buy it, my friend did. i feel like a jerk asking him to go to BB with me and dig around for an old receipt, but i might have to do that.

can anyone else relate experiences with PNY RMAs? do they really require proof of purchase? if anyone has a proof of purchase that they felt they could loan me, that would be interesting. i am going to replace this card soon with something more recent, but i would like to have it working in a second system.

it occurs to me, what would happen if you had to RMA a card you got as a gift?

 

[RussianSensation]

Before you blame the videocard, download MotherBoard Monitor 5 and see the 3.3V rail voltage or other voltage fluctuations. For 6 months my videocard kept crashing and I didn't know the reason until I found out my 3.3V rail was at 2.98. Any type of video motion (includes windows media player when playing songs) would result in crashing.

Also shouldnt they accept your record by looking the card's PIN number (sticket on the videocard - usually on the bakc)>

 

[Steve]

I thought PNY's 'lifetime warranty' was for the shelf-life of the product?

 

[shimsham]

if hes your friend, i dont see why he would mind. get the receipt and rma if its bad.

 

[klaxon]

yeah, i am going to have to drag my buddy down to BB to retrieve the receipt.

i talked to PNY, i said i had gotten it as a gift so how would i be able to show proof of purchase. they'll accept even the rebate receipt as proof of purchase - i did get a $30 rebate on this card but of course i threw all of that away once i deposited the check. they'll also accept a credit card statement showing the purchase - apparently they contact the retailer and verify that the product was one of the items purchased on that transaction.

PNY tech also said from my description, yeah, it sounds like bad memory, and would be RMA'd if i can get proof of purchase. even so, i will check my 3.3v rail and test it out in another machine.