RMA for MSI GTX 460 swapped for GTX 550Ti

[Triple Zero]

So I sent my GTX 460 Hawk to MSI after getting an RMA from them because one of the two cooling fans failed and the other was starting to fail as well. Really nothing wrong with the card itself other than it had started to overheat due to insufficient cooling. A couple of weeks after sending it in I got a brand new MSI GTX 550Ti from MSI. Up to this point I was quite pleased with how smooth the MSI RMA process had gone but now that I see my replacement card has 144 fewer SP's I am not a happy camper. I've listed what I think are the relevant stats below.

GTX 460
336 SP's
780 MHz core clock
3900 MHz memory
256-bit memory bus

GTX 550Ti
192 SP's
950 MHz core clock
4300 MHz memory
192-bit memory bus

So while the 550Ti is clocked 170 MHz higher and has faster memory I really don't think that will make up for the loss of SP's. Not to mention the memory bus is not as wide on the 550Ti. So would anybody else find this to be an unacceptable replacement from MSI or am I making much ado about nothing?

[JustAnEngineer]

Yes, you got hosed.
http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/2011 ... 4977%5D=on

GeForce GTX560 would have been a closer match for your GeForce GTX460 HAWK edition than GeForce GTX550Ti.

[flip-mode]

You got shafted. http://techreport.com/articles.x/20573/10 I think it's worth trying to talk to MSI about it.

[vargis14]

I would be furious! Tell them you want a equivalent card like the 560 and for your troubles they should give you a ti version. They could have at least fixed the fans instead of giving you a castrated replacement card Keep this thread goin people MSI just might do what's right if it's in the public eye.TRs forums have a funny way of making company's change there mind.

Another reason to buy EVGA for Nvidia gear, if they don't have what you sent then you get something better. But I am goin from hear say.I never had a evga card go caput on me.

[Mentawl]

Yeah, that's a pretty substantial downgrade, get on to them for something better!

[Walkintarget]

Another reason to buy EVGA for Nvidia gear, if they don't have what you sent then you get something better.

I've experienced this first hand on at least two occasions. I sent them a dying 7800GT and they sent me a 7950GX2
I then sent in a dead 8800GTS G80 and they sent an eVGA 450 GTS SOC.

I wasn't even planning on RMA'ing the 8800 as it was an old card, and had just emailed them on anything else I could do to troubleshoot it. They asked that I RMA it and replaced it.
I've always been a fan of eVGA, and experiences like these make me think my decision was a sound one. I know the change to their warranty registration (30 day window) was not
well received, but its standard practice with other vendors, so I don't see it being a problem.

[Triple Zero]

Thanks all for confirming that I wasn't being unreasonable. Now to see what MSI support will do...

[jdcope]

Yeah, screw that. Definitely contact them. I had XFX do something similar, (maybe even a bit worse). I did an RMA for a 9800GT and they replaced it with a Radeon 5750. I contacted them, and they wouldn't do anything. Never buy from them again.

[flip-mode]

Thanks all for confirming that I wasn't being unreasonable. Now to see what MSI support will do...

If you don't have luck the first time you reach them, let them know about this thread, or maybe the TechReport editors might be able to, er, editorialize on this situation.

But if they don't end up taking care of you right, make sure to let us know. That would be enough for me to resist ever buying an MSI product again.

[thegst]

Same. I was treated bad by MSI some time ago...but I have a long memory.
I know some of my friends have bought MSI recently, and after looking at what they were buying I didn't try to talk them out of it.
May switch my stance from 'don't buy for myself' to 'disrecommend to others' if they screw the OP again after trying to screw him the first time.
I don't buy human error in this case. The entity to best know what equitable performance and not just $ equivalence is - would be MSI specifically.

They better do better than just a 'sorry' and another card. I won't just not rec MSI, I'll link back to this post on every tech forum and form of social networking I use.

[Yeats]

Yeah, screw that. Definitely contact them. I had XFX do something similar, (maybe even a bit worse). I did an RMA for a 9800GT and they replaced it with a Radeon 5750. I contacted them, and they wouldn't do anything. Never buy from them again.

They sent you a higher-performing card, and you were upset?

[flip-mode]

Yeah, screw that. Definitely contact them. I had XFX do something similar, (maybe even a bit worse). I did an RMA for a 9800GT and they replaced it with a Radeon 5750. I contacted them, and they wouldn't do anything. Never buy from them again.

They sent you a higher-performing card, and you were upset?

Replacing a Geforce with a Radeon or the reverse is an obvious and huge no-no, unless the customer approves.

[Star Brood]

Isn't the 560 SE a fairly comparable card (though I don't think MSI makes one so that's out of the picture)? If they don't want to go in on a upscale card they can get you set up with a Radeon 6850 which performs very similarly.

Unfortunately we are still lacking a 650 Ti which I imagine will perform on par with the 460 but obviously with a lower TDP. I really can't wait for that card.

[Yeats]

Yeah, screw that. Definitely contact them. I had XFX do something similar, (maybe even a bit worse). I did an RMA for a 9800GT and they replaced it with a Radeon 5750. I contacted them, and they wouldn't do anything. Never buy from them again.

They sent you a higher-performing card, and you were upset?

Replacing a Geforce with a Radeon or the reverse is an obvious and huge no-no, unless the customer approves.

XFX probably didn't have any more Nvidia cards, so they sent their most equivalent Radeon. Probably their warranty is worded something to the effect of replacing a defective product with something equivalent, rather than an exact copy, so no customer approval required. He could probably sell the brand new 5750 and buy a 9800GT and make money off the deal. Sounds good.

I'm brand agnostic, though, so maybe I don't "get it"?

[superjawes]

They sent you a higher-performing card, and you were upset?

Replacing a Geforce with a Radeon or the reverse is an obvious and huge no-no, unless the customer approves.

XFX probably didn't have any more Nvidia cards, so they sent their most equivalent Radeon. Probably their warranty is worded something to the effect of replacing a defective product with something equivalent, rather than an exact copy, so no customer approval required. He could probably sell the brand new 5750 and buy a 9800GT and make money off the deal. Sounds good.

I'm brand agnostic, though, so maybe I don't "get it"?

If that's true, then you would be unique among hardware enthusiasts.

There are other things that go along with GPU brands. Drivers, accompanying software, special promos...

[flip-mode]

XFX probably didn't have any more Nvidia cards, so they sent their most equivalent Radeon.

Ah, yes, forgot about XFX not doing Nvidia for a couple years now. I'm brand agnostic myself but no one should be getting their brand switched on them unless, like you pointed out, it's the only option.

[Rand]

Yeah, screw that. Definitely contact them. I had XFX do something similar, (maybe even a bit worse). I did an RMA for a 9800GT and they replaced it with a Radeon 5750. I contacted them, and they wouldn't do anything. Never buy from them again.

I'd have been pretty happy with that, faster card plus getting DX11 as well. HD5750 was closer to the 250GTS then the 9800GT, not huge but a solid upgrade.
The only problem area I see is swapping you from nVidia to ATi, that's a little strange but unless you refused to use anything ATi it seems a pretty clear upgrade to me.

[Yeats]

I'm brand agnostic, though, so maybe I don't "get it"?

If that's true, then you would be unique among hardware enthusiasts.

There are other things that go along with GPU brands. Drivers, accompanying software, special promos...

There's plenty of brand-agnostic enthusiasts... we're the ones not screaming on the forums. I run what I run right now because the CPU, mobo & video card were free. That's where my loyalty lies!

[Triple Zero]

I am embarassed to report that I actually did receive a GTX 460 back from MSI. It was just packaged in a GTX 550 box for some reason.

An MSI representative contacted me via PM and said he would have the RMA team contact me. The RMA department asked for pictures and the serial number of the card I received. When I looked at the serial number tag it said it was a GTX 460! /facepalm So I installed the card and drivers and sure enough it showed up as GTX 460. It wasn't factory overclocked like my previous card was but that was nothing Afterburner couldn't fix.

My sincere apologies for the false alarm Gerbil Nation. My lesson learned: when receiving a swapped card from MSI look at the card itself and not just the packaging.