Advice on my hydrocopper FTW3 RMA with pics willing to send me a brand new card should I accept the XC3 Ultra?

xDiVolatilX

xDiVolatilX

[H]ard|Gawd
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So my 3080Ti FTW3 ultra HC developed a leak I sent it in for RMA and this is what they sent me a damaged corroded fins replacement. I complained and they say they don't have any replacement and after me complaining more they offer me a brand new 3080Ti XC3 Ultra Hydrocopper. Should I just be happy they are willing to send me a brand new replacement even if It's a downgrade from the FTW3 Ultra to the XC3 Ultra? The RMA is setup and I'm just waiting for the paid shipping label . I'm not thrilled It's a downgrade but I am super happy It is brand new what do you guys think?
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Yes. Take the new card. Don't wait on that. Just do it.

EVGA is out of the video card business. If they still have a new card to send take it.

Even if they weren't exiting video card sales, it's been two years since launch. You're lucky as hell to be offered a new card no matter what.

What's the resale market right now for a new in box watercooled 3080 Ti? New in box might be almost enough for a base price 4080? Or 2/3 of a 4090?
 
Advil said:
Yes. Take the new card. Don't wait on that. Just do it.

EVGA is out of the video card business. If they still have a new card to send take it.

Even if they weren't exiting video card sales, it's been two years since launch. You're lucky as hell to be offered a new card no matter what.

What's the resale market right now for a new in box watercooled 3080 Ti? New in box might be almost enough for a base price 4080? Or 2/3 of a 4090?
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I immediately agreed and said YES i will take the brand-new replacement lol

Yea I was surprised they even had a brand new hydrocopper sitting there I agree feel extremely lucky cause the hydrocoppers are rarer, I think?

The resale market is tricky for waterblocked cards. It's tiny compared to air cooled cards. But when It's brand new It is much more appealing. I will see if they send it in a brand new in sealed box fashion or the regular unmarked plain rma box that is usually sent in but still brand new. I'll post back what happens in the next few weeks.

The good news is the RMA number is generated I just need the damn paid shipping label because it was their fault, they sent me a damaged block albeit it is going to take almost a month by the time the back-and-forth emails settle and the shipping back and forth. Thank goodness I have a backup rig with a 3070 to hold me over lol
 
I have a 3090 FTW3 HydroCopper that I purchased from EVGA. If they can’t replace my card under warranty then I want a refund. No chance I would accept a lower tier card without some sort of additional compensation to make up the difference.
 
exlink said:
I have a 3090 FTW3 HydroCopper that I purchased from EVGA. If they can’t replace my card under warranty then I want a refund. No chance I would accept a lower tier card without some sort of additional compensation to make up the difference.
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Now a days it takes a week for them to respond to one email. It's a terrible drag. They said if I wait till January they could have a used replacement FTW3. Or take the RMA now and get a brand new XC3. I don't want to take another chance of getting another used FTW3 with water block damage or whatever. I mean at this point the prices of 3080Tis have dropped significantly I'm not sure I even care anymore. But I understand what you are saying. The thing is wait one full week to get 1 email response no matter how many emails I send is a bad sign. I don't want to wait 2 or 3 months just for the extra 75mhz. Plus I'm kinda looking forward to only using two 8 pins vs the three 8 pins I need now. Would tidy up the case a bit. I agree with you but at the same time my time is more valuable then the mhz difference. I'm not THAT picky about it at this point. If this was the current flagship and this was a year and a half ago then I would not accept any less but 2 years later and the miserable wait times with EVGA I have lost passion for this whole situation. When prices drop of the 4090 I'm going to get a water blocked version. If this replacement is new in box I may entertain selling it and offsetting the cost of a 4090 if there is a full water blocked version preferably MSI Seahawk EK-X. So it's a messy situation. Needless to say never again EVGA not that they will ever return to the grfx card side anyway.
 
exlink said:
I have a 3090 FTW3 HydroCopper that I purchased from EVGA. If they can’t replace my card under warranty then I want a refund. No chance I would accept a lower tier card without some sort of additional compensation to make up the difference.
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You're assuming they'll have the money to give you a refund. Andrew should have shut the doors and declared bankruptcy. He's going to be on the hook for lots of lawsuits IMO.
 
This isn't worth arguing about refunds. The products are close comparable enough. And they're offering a new one.

Even in the best of time I wouldn't expect an RMA of a watercooled model to go well. This is a win.
 
Advil said:
This isn't worth arguing about refunds. The products are close comparable enough. And they're offering a new one.

Even in the best of time I wouldn't expect an RMA of a watercooled model to go well. This is a win.
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Guess its a matter of perspective if its worth it or not. FTW3 has a price premium over the XC3 due to a more robust PCB that supports a much higher power delivery BIOS. I would not accept a lower tier card as a replacement without compensation for the price difference. Regardless if it’s new or not.
 
exlink said:
Guess its a matter of perspective if its worth it or not. FTW3 has a price premium over the XC3 due to a more robust PCB that supports a much higher power delivery BIOS. I would not accept a lower tier card as a replacement without compensation for the price difference. Regardless if it’s new or not.
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I think It's a 1-3% advantage . So for every 100fps you gain 3 more to 103fps. Negligible difference. I basically paid the premium of 200 dollars more and need install a whole ass third power cable for no tangible reason? Just saying sometimes when you pass the sweet spot the value starts diminishing returns. It's more for the feeling of having the top model in the lineup which also doesn't make sense because the 3090/3090Ti is faster right lol.

They won't pick up the phone and lucky to get an email response once a week. I'm shit outta luck I hope this goes through and I can get myself a brand new HC card at this point so I'm not left empty handed. You never know this crazy mf might shut down the whole EVGA operation if he wakes up on the wrong side of the bed on a whim ffs and I can get nothing. Demands are futile is the feeling I get. It's weird.
 
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xDiVolatilX said:
I think It's a 1-3% advantage . So for every 100fps you gain 3 more to 103fps. Negligible difference. I basically paid the premium of 200 dollars more and need install a whole ass third power cable for no tangible reason? Just saying sometimes when you pass the sweet spot the value starts diminishing returns. It's more for the feeling of having the top model in the lineup which also doesn't make sense because the 3090/3090Ti is faster right lol.

They won't pick up the phone and lucky to get an email response once a week. I'm shit outta luck I hope this goes through and I can get myself a brand new HC card at this point so I'm not left empty handed. You never know this crazy mf might shit down the whole EVGA operation if he wakes up on the wrong side of the bead on a whim ffs.
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Like I said, its a matter of perspective. If you are fine with the offer then thats what matters.

The performance difference is one thing, but the thing that irks me is that EVGA would have my money for a higher tier card that I paid a premium on and they would be trying to give me the short end of the stick for a problem on their end.

A lot of people think EVGA has no money now that they exited the GPU market. But lets not forget they also make PSUs, AIOs, motherboards, peripherals, etc., many which are well rated and recommended. Its not like they don’t have money to make this right. They just likely have much less of it.
 
I'd probably take the working FTW3 and just buy a different waterblock for it. Not ideal, but I wouldn't want to give up the FTW3 for a XC3. Performance difference isn't very big as others have said, but I wouldn't want to downgrade like that.

EVGA's support is really poor at this point. I had a Z690 Kingpin mobo for a while, but their bios updates were terrible. Even bricked the board for a while when I first got a 13900k (along with a bunch of other people, not just mine).
 
talon95 said:
EVGA's support is really poor at this point. I had a Z690 Kingpin mobo for a while, but their bios updates were terrible. Even bricked the board for a while when I first got a 13900k (along with a bunch of other people, not just mine).
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That's a bummer. I guess I joined the party late since I started with bios 2.03 installed with bios flashback and its smooth sailing with 13900k and DDR5-8600

Vince/kingpin is in Taiwan to do an EVGA sponsored XOC event live on the 3rd with a Z790 Dark KP, might be worth a look.
 
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If it were me I would hold on to the card if there is nothing wrong with it and order a new block.... Keep the old block just in case you have to rma the card for some unknown reason. I would not take the downgrade especially after paying the premium for the card.
 
exlink said:
Like I said, its a matter of perspective. If you are fine with the offer then thats what matters.

The performance difference is one thing, but the thing that irks me is that EVGA would have my money for a higher tier card that I paid a premium on and they would be trying to give me the short end of the stick for a problem on their end.

A lot of people think EVGA has no money now that they exited the GPU market. But lets not forget they also make PSUs, AIOs, motherboards, peripherals, etc., many which are well rated and recommended. Its not like they don’t have money to make this right. They just likely have much less of it.
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I totally agree but man is it a pain to deal with them now. This isn't the EVGA we used to know. Their customer service feels like pulling teeth now and their inventory is apparently so scarce that they don't have a replacement card for months. Setting one up in mid January would be a monumental drag and waste of time. I can't emphasize the feeling of uncertainty. Heck I feel like even this offer may fall through. I haven't heard from them in a week. I may or may not get a follow up. The whole situation is an exercise of patience like I've never been tested before. Makes the whole thing sour. Fml.
 
talon95 said:
I'd probably take the working FTW3 and just buy a different waterblock for it. Not ideal, but I wouldn't want to give up the FTW3 for a XC3. Performance difference isn't very big as others have said, but I wouldn't want to downgrade like that.

EVGA's support is really poor at this point. I had a Z690 Kingpin mobo for a while, but their bios updates were terrible. Even bricked the board for a while when I first got a 13900k (along with a bunch of other people, not just mine).
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I don't want to give up the FTW3 either. But wait till January -February and maybe get another used copy in unknown condition? If I'm lucky? Holy shit. Uncertainty. This is why the XC3 is sounding like a pot of gold. Almost like take it while you can an offer like this will never come my way ever again in this lifetime. That's how it feels is the reality of this situation.
 
Enigma said:
If it were me I would hold on to the card if there is nothing wrong with it and order a new block.... Keep the old block just in case you have to rma the card for some unknown reason. I would not take the downgrade especially after paying the premium for the card.
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Wow paying 2 bills for another brand new block, a set of different height thermal pads, and a half /full Saturday of time investment of uninstall/reinstall block/leak test complete loop. Oh boi. All for 1-3fps. The more I think about it the sillier I feel. The thought of this time/energy/money/stress investment is a whopper of a new undertaking to add to the already terrible situation. You know what I mean? I just want to slam a card in, fill the loop, screw it shut and fire the god damn system up and enjoy it already. Not even sure what is worth investing anything any resources into anymore. This is why the brand new XC3 seems the more sensible option, as weird as that feels/sounds to say. This is all Jensens fault. Along with his unlaunched $900 dollar 4080 12gb bullshit topped off the $1200 dollar 4080 scheme I don't blame EVGA for saying forget this shit I'm out. Now we the consumer suffer. Thanks Jenson, asshole lol.
 
That's exactly why I said it. The card is two year old tech now no matter how you slice it. There's no substantial advantage to one card vs the other beyond them being liquid cooled unless you are actually overclocking to the absolute limits.

Either way, you open the box of a brand spanking new card and just use the darn thing for another couple of years...

OR you leave it in the box, sell it for $1000 and put in "2 bills" and get an air cooled 4080 right now. Which is one of the only situations I'd recommend getting a 4080. Your sell out price is probably max right now. It may not be much longer.

Both are great options.
 
xDiVolatilX said:
Wow paying 2 bills for another brand new block, a set of different height thermal pads, and a half /full Saturday of time investment of uninstall/reinstall block/leak test complete loop. Oh boi. All for 1-3fps. The more I think about it the sillier I feel. The thought of this time/energy/money/stress investment is a whopper of a new undertaking to add to the already terrible situation. You know what I mean? I just want to slam a card in, fill the loop, screw it shut and fire the god damn system up and enjoy it already. Not even sure what is worth investing anything any resources into anymore. This is why the brand new XC3 seems the more sensible option, as weird as that feels/sounds to say. This is all Jensens fault. Along with his unlaunched $900 dollar 4080 12gb bullshit topped off the $1200 dollar 4080 scheme I don't blame EVGA for saying forget this shit I'm out. Now we the consumer suffer. Thanks Jenson, asshole lol.
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I feel ya man, But there are always used blocks on the market, So the 2 bills argument is moot, a block for that card can be had for way under 2 bills (The only thing it would be lacking is the EVGA logo). As far as the time invested yea I can see your point, however the majority of us here used to be enthusiasts, That being said I look at it from a enthusiast standpoint (I like tinkering with hardware, I will unmount a block just to test a different kind of thermal paste or to try a new Vmod)........ YMMV.

It sounds like your mind is made up RMA the card take the BNIB card from EVGA.

As far as being Jensen's fault I would have to disagree, EVGA makes their own business decisions. Decisions that are made to exit a market are huge ones and they are not made overnight. The decision for EVGA to exit the market has been a long time in the making. The only reason that I have clung on to EVGA for so long is the warranty has always been top notch and as of now it seems like that is not the case. That being said even with the hundreds of cards that I have owned and modded (both through the bios and physically) I have only ever had a handful fail on me before/after modding so the extended EVGA warranty was not really needed. I think that most people can get away with a 3 year warranty that most other AIB's provide.
 
I'd absolutely go with the new xc3. Time's running out from the looks of it for evga cs :(.
 
Update: I finally got the prepaid label yesterday after a full week of waiting and 3 emails. I'm just glad I got the damn label. I sent it in yesterday and to my surprise I got the email today in my inbox of EVGA's automated response saying they received it. It's because I am in California and the headquarters is in Brea California. Literally received it the next day after shipping it.
Now, I want to see if they send me a brand new XC3 first of all, and if it is coming in the shitty unmarked RMA box or brand new in box.
I will keep you guys updated on how this goes as I'm sure you're curious about how a 2k dollar card is handled now a days.
Will post as soon as the replacement comes in with details. Stay tuned.
 
Yes, we are certainly curious. I'd say thanks for being a guinea pig... but that would just be mean. ;)
 
Holy fawking shit boiz. They actually sent me a BRAND NEW IN BOX FACTORY SEALED 3080Ti XC3 Ultra Hydrocopper. I am extremely happy. I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined receiving a brand new in box card after a year and a half of ownership of the original card. Like I'm actually going to have the satisfaction of that brand new hardware smell when you crack open the factory sealing and packaging. You know what I'm talking about the scent of brand new expensive hardware LOL. Should I even open it or sell it? You can't even get a 4090, there is no waterblocked version and the 4080 is priced terrible and the Aorus waterblocked 4080 version is 1450 dollars. 4080 is only 20fps faster in most games up to 50 max in some. Not sure what this card would even sell for? Small percentage of people want a waterblocked card unfortunately. Air-cooled sells much easier.
Nonetheless here are the pics of the sealed unicorn bnib lol.
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If you can get $1000+ for it, you absolutely should sell it and get a current gen card. You just hit the lottery.

If you can't, might as well enjoy it.
 
Update on the new 3080Ti XC3 hydrocopper. I'll be completely honest. It's so much better than the ftw3.

Pros: much cooler temperatures. This XC3 card is about 10c-15c cooler than then ftw3 card. The extra 50 or 100 watt going into the ftw3 cards are basically pointless all it does is heat up the card unnecessarily.

Having only 2 pcie on the XC3 vs the unnecessary 3 cables on the ftw3 makes for cleaner cable management and more room behind the rig with one less big pcie cables running back and around.

XC3 looks exactly the same as the ftw3 card, they are identical.

My PC room is noticably cooler. The air exhausting from the PC with the XC3 is not room temperature but almost it's warm a little bit, but a pretty big difference it used to be much warmer more like hot with the ftw3. It's in the mid 40s when I game now with the XC3 it used to be in the high 50s low 60s with the ftw3 I'm not kidding. I used to always need to turn on the exhaust vent on the wall, I haven't turned it on with the XC3 yet lol.

Power draw on the ftw3 was like 420 or more close to 450w completely unnecessary. The XC3 is at a nice 340ish give or take under heavy load that is a huge difference. I'll favor with the efficiency all day.

Cons: somewhere between 1 to 3fps average with the ftw3 vs the 10c degree or more cooler XC3, meh I don't notice any difference in performance to be honest.
 
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