Guy's I thought i would post this, just before christmas one of my 8800GTX started displaying artifacts (well thats what everyone calling them) crazy pink lines and patches all over the screen then followed by a crash to desktop. This happened after i updated the nvidia drivers.. should of checked the forum first as they are having major issues with the lastest ones. Hard to know whether this was the driver though. They are saying though an on the way out card my give up the ghost after updating drivers.

Anyway i been looking at buying a new one.. GTX285 doing all my research and looking up faults also of the 8800GTX cards i find this.. Bake your card in the oven at 200 degrees for 10 minutes, it will fix a dead card. After watching youtube videos of people doing this and seeing a high rate result for my card, i gave it a go today.

I now have a perfectly working card again... unbelievable!!!.. has been stable on FS9 for 1hr no probs

See here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7jUqoKVY-k

And everyone is going nuts about cooling systems, when in reality you should be taking all your fans out LOL

Well done mark, hope it lasts, if not there is a new generation of nvidia cards coming out shortly I think they're only 1 to 2 months away.

Yes.. it will be interesting to see how long it lasts... in some cases i have read that it is a short term fix and others say it's been fixed for over a year... so we will see. Still plan on updating Extreme PC Senior regardless (in keeping with the lastest and fastest) and move the 8800GTX's over to Extreme PC Junior.

Classic stuff, I bet when you placed it in the oven you were thinkin to yourself "is this just a big wind-up or wot???"

I'd be thinking.. if it doesn't work there is no way i'm telling anyone about this

Yep.. that's exactly what was going through my head. They mention that if your cards dead but no noticeable damage, CAPs are all good and your warranty is void.. and your going to throw it in the bin, then what have you got to loose. The cost of repair would buy me a better card anyway.

I did feel like a prat placing what was a 1K card when i brought it nearly 3 years ago in the oven at 200 degrees.. waiting for the DVI plastic connectors to melt!!.. and is this just a wind up to make me look like a fool, which of course i wouldn't dear tell anyone.. LOL

I have now had the sim running for over 48hrs non stop, and it looks and runs as good as the day i brought it... go figure. They call it MICRO-FISSURES re-melting the solder to fix cracks and bad connections.

Exactly my thought...

Hmmm, I wonder if it would work in a microwave oven ?

Right, as of this afternoon the same card has now stopped. So back to 2 screens and into oven you go.. not holding my chances of it working again but still worth a try

I wonder if this is going to make it into some cook books anytime soon.

Too funny, hope it sorts itself for you Mark.

Brent.