Three dead 980 Ti Kingpin Edition cards in a row. Every single one I get back from EVGA RMA just dies months later. For clarification, I first got a EVGA GTX 980 Ti Kingpin Edition in March 2016. The card lasted 9 months before it started having solid color screen crashes. Worsening to the point where the GPU would crash right after the Windows logo loading screen. I RMA’d the card, and received a replacement 980 Ti Kingpin. 3 Months later that card started having solid color screen crashes before not even working. Worse than the first one, as now it won’t show anything including BIOS. Monitor would receive no input. RMA’d that card and received another replacement 980 Ti Kingpin. 2 Months later that card starts having solid color screen crashes. Leading to the GPU dying every time the windows logo loading screen finishes. I have RMA’d that 3^rd card, and am currently waiting for its replacement to arrive. However, I fear it too will just die in a couple months.
 
Here are my current computer specs, including the 980 Ti Kingpin:
 
Windows 10 64-bit Operating System
Asus X99 Pro USB 3.1 Motherboard
Intel Core i7-6850k LGA2011V3 6-Cores 3.6GHz (Clocked to 4.2GHz)
Corsair Vengeance LPX; DDR4 8x8GB (64GB) 2666MHZ RAM
Nvidia Supernova 1000 Watt T2 Titanium Power Supply
EVGA Nvidia GTX 980 Ti 6GB GDDR5 Kingpin
 
I have tested several things that could have caused this, and I will try to remember everything I tested. I’ve tested different cables (HDMI, DVI) and the problem persisted. I have tried plugging my monitor with the same cables into another computer and the monitor works fine, so it’s not my monitor or cables. I’ve tried reseating the GPU and I have tried inserting it into other PCIE slots, no fix. I have never overclocked the card, motherboard, or PCIE lanes. Nor have I mess with any overclocking programs. I have also left the fan curve it’s default. I have tried the most up to date drivers, rolled back drivers, completely removed previous drivers before doing several fresh drivers installs and none of that worked. My BIOS is up to date, and so are the drivers for other computer parts.
 
I plugged my back up graphics card (Nvidia EVGA GTX 660 Ti) into the 980 Ti Kingpin’s place and it works perfectly. Since the first 980 Ti Kingpin death, I have gotten a new Processor, RAM, and Motherboard. Even with these new parts, the second 980 TI Kingpin died. Since the second 980 Ti Kingpin card death, I’ve gotten a new Power Supply Unit. Even with the new and different PSU, the third 980 Ti Kingpin died. I strongly believe it cannot be any other part in my computer causing it, as even with several new computers parts the 980 Ti Kingpins are still dying. My computer is plugged into a Surge Protector, which is plugged into a properly grounded wall electrical socket. Whenever interacting with my computer I ground myself properly. My case is not dusty, and I keep it very clean. Air flow is good, and the card has never overheated. I also have scanned my computer with several software services and I don’t have any viruses or malware.
 
I have no idea what the issue is. I leave all the settings stock, I don’t overclock or tweak anything on the card. I leave the fan curve to its default, which I’m assuming is what the card was designed to have. My other graphics cards (Nvidia EVGA GTX 660 Ti and 980 SC) don’t have these issues and have never died. Is it because the 980 Ti Kingpin is a special card and has higher faulty rates? Before they die, the GPU crashing happens at random. In a game, in idle, browsing the internet, it doesn’t matter what I’m doing or what the GPU is doing.
 
First card died after 9 months
Second card died after 3 months
Third card died after 2 months
Now waiting for fourth card to arrive

Here is a thread you may like to read... https://forums.evga.com/E...d-failed-m2590732.aspx

Well, I would have suggested getting a new PSU, yet you already did that.
 
How about an UPS? Voltage dips can kill/degrade electronics which may be what is happening.
 
If not that then why not ask EVGA to change out the Kingpin for a 1080? You won't get a Kingpin, but it's going to be 10% faster even if you don't overclock it (compared to an overclocked 980 Ti).

arestavo
How about an UPS? Voltage dips can kill/degrade electronics which may be what is happening.
 
If not that then why not ask EVGA to change out the Kingpin for a 1080? You won't get a Kingpin, but it's going to be 10% faster even if you don't overclock it (compared to an overclocked 980 Ti).

I don't know anything about an UPS, or at least not that I can remember. As for the second question, I have no idea how to ask for that or where to ask for that. I heard another user switched to an 1080 FTW, and I wouldn't mind such an trade. However EVGA is pending on sending my replacement 980 TI Kingpin back. I assume it's already too late to ask for a trade? Can I even ask for a trade right when my replacement comes back? Or will I have to wait till this next one probably breaks again?

arestavo
UPS's are that also condition your power. Power sags (brown out), no problem. Power spikes (power surge) no problem. Loss of power (black out) no problem (depending on how long that the power loss is). What size UPS that you need depends on how much power your computer uses and how long you want it to run during a power outage.
 
As far as the second part, you'll have to ask EVGA -  
 
They might work with you even after sending you that 4th card.

I'll have to take a look at them, is that what '' linked above? As for the EVGA support, I suppose I can ask. Because I am sure the replacement 980 Ti Kingpin is being sent back tomorrow. There's no way I can change the card in time. So I would be getting the Kingpin replacement, just to turn around and ask to trade.

arestavoAs far as the second part, you'll have to ask EVGA -  
 
They might work with you even after sending you that 4th card.

What part of EVGA do I contact? The 'contact us' page as many teams to choose from.
 

Could be a dirty power issue. UPS would help.

Keaton Fox

arestavoAs far as the second part, you'll have to ask EVGA -  
 
They might work with you even after sending you that 4th card.

What part of EVGA do I contact? The 'contact us' page as many teams to choose from.
 

Their 24/7 tech support is probably where you'd want to start. Just be polite and explain that this is the 4th Kingpin, and that you just want a GPU that works so that you can use your computer.

As far as what UPS, or a line conditioner if you are looking for something less costly, will depend on how long you want to run during a power loss. A 900 watt UPS might be too little - and 1000+ watt UPSs tend to be pricey, so that line conditioner that bcavnaugh linked might be a cheaper alternative (it doesn't have a battery backup for power loss, but will help in brown outs and power surges still).

pmb116
Could be a dirty power issue. UPS would help.

 My family's house has had power issues before, but it's been inspected and fixed long in the past. After such it's been found clean as far as I know.
 

aaronkro
I rely on a UPS for all my electronics. I have APC Smart UPS 1400 for my computers and related electronics. I have another for my entertainment equipment like the 65" TV, audio center, and so on. I get them from a supplier that refurbishes them for substantially less than new. It's worth having one even if it isn't the cause of the problem. Google refurbished ups and you will find many retailers.

arestavo
As far as what UPS, or a line conditioner if you are looking for something less costly, will depend on how long you want to run during a power loss. A 900 watt UPS might be too little - and 1000+ watt UPSs tend to be pricey, so that line conditioner that bcavnaugh linked might be a cheaper alternative (it doesn't have a battery backup for power loss, but will help in brown outs and power surges still).

I'll have to consider something like that, thanks for the tip.
 

EVGATech_JaesonW
Hello Keaton Fox,
 
I'm sorry you've had so much trouble with your 980Ti Kingpin cards. I'll be reaching out to you so I can work with you directly to get this issue resolved for you.

Thank you very much!
 
 
Thanks to EVGA support, my fourth 980 Ti Kingpin replacement has been exchanged to a 1080 Classified. I am very grateful for EVGA in helping me with this, and I hope I do not continue to have problems with this 1080 card.
 
I suspect my problems are just because 980 Ti Kingpins aren't designed well for air cooling, which is what I've been using it for. As explained by this EVGA moderator:

Scarlet-Tech
I really wish people wouldnt buy K|ngp|n cards if they are using Air or Water. Nothing against you guys, as I bought one batch of KPE cards, but they are not meant for anything above 0c, and they are tweaked to run under extreme cooling, which they do work well.

Basing your "I will never buy another extreme overclocking card meant for LN2 from evga and run it on air or water again" means very little. The copper cooler and rgb are marketing hypes.. ln2 users dont care about those features and never even pay attention to them. There is a built in heater on the 980ti KPE... HEATER... why would ever buy a card with a heater on it? Yes, you have to apply shorts and solders to get it to work, but it is a heater, meant to keep certain conponents warm... that should be a hint that you dont need it for air or water cooling. You can try your best to justify how it is the best card ever... but it isnt on air or water. Slightly better, sure... for $150-$300 more than the next model down.... no, its just a bad purchase decision at that point.

For those that dont know, i base my entire observation off the 980 K|ngp|n cards. Running one card in CS:GO at 1080p, 60c, the card would freak out and crash.. 60c, because it was tuned to run under exotic cooling. Get it to 40c, it was ok at best. Drop it down to 0c, and it overclocked like a champ.

Just because something is marketed as the best, does not make it the best for you. You need to base a purchase off of what will work best for you, not best for someone using extreme measures to get good results.

 
 

Dave3d
As far as ups, get a PURE SINE one. They cost more than the cheaper ones, but also wont ruin your hardware early, or at all.
I believe all psu's since 2006 need to have a pure sine ups, or it may trip the psu's internal checks, or at the least will provide dirty power.
I use nothing but pure sine ups's, and run a single line just for my computer, so it isnt on any other line in the house.
And, with all that, my 2nd titan x is about to totally give up the ghost now (its been going out since 3 weeks after I got it, but I dont have the money to send it back in, sigh), and like you I clean my machines every month or 2, and do superb cabling and have great fans, so airflow is excellent, and I use top of the line psu's, 3x what is reccomended.
 
I am wondering, are you using DP cables? Or a g-sync monitor?
Just curious, as most that die use dp, gsync, or multi monitor (which uses dp, so again just 2 things I have noticed, dp and g-sync)

 If I take a look at UPS's I'll keep that in mind.


By DP cables, you mean Display Port? I've never really used those, only using HDMI or DVI. In fact, right now I am using a DVI to HDMI cable to my monitor. My monitor is an Asus 1920x1080 60 Hz. It's not G-sync. I also have a Wacom Cintiq graphic tablet that plugs in via HDMI.
 
 
On a slightly unrelated note, does anyone know if it's okay to leave a graphics card default out of the box? No over clocking, no under clocking, no custom fan curve. Just plug it in and play? Beucase with a 1080 Classified coming, I want to know if it's default fan curve is good or not. Or if I should totally make a custom one.

The 1000 series are really the first truly silent video cards (yes, some do low power states before this, but the 1000 series takes the cake by a long shot).
I personally dont like the new low power video cards, because too much can go wrong, what with pci-e, fans, and clocks all maybe not going right.
But, as far as I know, you should be good to just pop it in.
Just remember to uninstsall any msi, evga, or whatever programs, and all nvidia anything (unless you are on an nvidia motherboard), including delete the nvidia folder in C:\Nvidia , shut down, put in the new card, then booot up and install the 1000 series drivers.
See how it goes, and if you feel its getting too hot, use something to monitor the heat, and if its too hot then install msi or evga. I would suggest NOT installing msi or evga unless you have a heat issue or something doesnt seem to be working well.

Keaton Fox

Dave3d
The 1000 series are really the first truly silent video cards (yes, some do low power states before this, but the 1000 series takes the cake by a long shot).
I personally dont like the new low power video cards, because too much can go wrong, what with pci-e, fans, and clocks all maybe not going right.
But, as far as I know, you should be good to just pop it in.
Just remember to uninstsall any msi, evga, or whatever programs, and all nvidia anything (unless you are on an nvidia motherboard), including delete the nvidia folder in C:\Nvidia , shut down, put in the new card, then booot up and install the 1000 series drivers.
See how it goes, and if you feel its getting too hot, use something to monitor the heat, and if its too hot then install msi or evga. I would suggest NOT installing msi or evga unless you have a heat issue or something doesnt seem to be working well.

That's good to hear, because I don't plan on overclocking and I only use air cooling. I have no real way to monitor GPU temps aside from using MSI afterburner or EVGA Precision X. I guess without EVGA Precision X I won't be able to change the lights on my Graphics card either. But yea, I don't have to use a custom fan curves? Because I always hear how default fan curves for any GPU sucks. If anything I'd hope I don't have to bother with a custom fan curve.

Any card should operate fine without using a custom fan curve. You'll only need a custom fan curve if you want the card to run cooler.

Sajin
Any card should operate fine without using a custom fan curve. You'll only need a custom fan curve if you want the card to run cooler.

Alrighty, thanks for the reply. I don't think I care for the cards temperature, as long as it's safe and stable. Which makes me wonder why people do want it cooler when they're not overclocking. If default is good enough.
 

Nervoize
Are you sure your PSU can handle it? The amount of watts may be right but the amount of Ampere on 1 rail may not be enough.

My current PSU is an 'Nvidia Supernova 1000 Watt T2 Titanium Power Supply'.
 
Slightly unrelated to my thread, my replacement GPU (1080 Classified) arrived with the bios switch in the 'Slave/LN2' position. I thought by default they were in the 'Master/Normal' position. My 1080 Classified appears to have the bios update to fix the thermal problems the ACX 3.0 series had. But I heard that the 'slave' setting is what bios changes go to, as the Master always stays the same. Does this mean the slave setting is now the better optimized one? Or is it still a overclocker/LN2 setting? Because I don't overclock past factory overclock and only use air cooling. I switched it to 'Master/Normal' before installing and am currently using that.

Hi all,
 
    New to the forum, and am having problems with my Kingpin 980 Ti.  Well, the problem is that it crapped out on me, and it goes to a black screen. I've only had it for a few months.  I'm in discussion with EVGA about getting a replacement, but it sounds like I'm going to have the same problems OP (Keaton Fox) had, if they give me another Kingpin 980 Ti, it's just a matter of time before it blows on me too, it sounds like.  I was unaware I'd need an additional cooling system with this GPU, I feel like this should've been more clear.  I am not a gamer, and don't intend to overclock, I am a video editor and need to consistently handle 4k video footage playback.  I mostly use my system for work in Adobe Creative Cloud (Premiere, After Effects, Photoshop, etc).
 
     So, does everyone who uses this card have a liquid cooling system, and are they all just using this card for short bursts on video games? Keaton, I'm curious how your 1080 Classified they sent as a replacement worked for you.  Do you need to add water-cooling to that card as well? I have a corsair H 105 to cool my i7-6850, but that's the only cooling I'm using other than the fans that are in my Phanteks Enthoo Evolv (with the glass side panels).  I was wondering if I should try to see if they'll let me do a partial trade for one of the hybrid 1080s that has water cooling, and pay the difference (I have to wait until live chat comes back on line, as I'm on the east coast). 
 
     Any thoughts or feedback are greatly appreciated.
Cheers!
Greyson

Specs:
Gigabyte x99 Phoenix SLI
i7-6850 6 core unlocked
64 gigs Corsair Vengeance 3000 RAM
EVGA 1200 P2 Platinum PSU
Samsung 500 GB SSD running Windows 10 pro 64
Crucial 1 TB SSD (scratch disk)
4 TB enterprise HDD (archive)
EVGA Geforce GTX 980 Ti Kingpin GPU
 
(currently running an old apple cinema display until I can afford a 4k monitor.)

greyson76
Hi all,
 
    New to the forum, and am having problems with my Kingpin 980 Ti.  Well, the problem is that it crapped out on me, and it goes to a black screen. I've only had it for a few months.  I'm in discussion with EVGA about getting a replacement, but it sounds like I'm going to have the same problems OP (Keaton Fox) had, if they give me another Kingpin 980 Ti, it's just a matter of time before it blows on me too, it sounds like.  I was unaware I'd need an additional cooling system with this GPU, I feel like this should've been more clear.  I am not a gamer, and don't intend to overclock, I am a video editor and need to consistently handle 4k video footage playback.  I mostly use my system for work in Adobe Creative Cloud (Premiere, After Effects, Photoshop, etc).
 
     So, does everyone who uses this card have a liquid cooling system, and are they all just using this card for short bursts on video games? Keaton, I'm curious how your 1080 Classified they sent as a replacement worked for you.  Do you need to add water-cooling to that card as well? I have a corsair H 105 to cool my i7-6850, but that's the only cooling I'm using other than the fans that are in my Phanteks Enthoo Evolv (with the glass side panels).  I was wondering if I should try to see if they'll let me do a partial trade for one of the hybrid 1080s that has water cooling, and pay the difference (I have to wait until live chat comes back on line, as I'm on the east coast). 
 
     Any thoughts or feedback are greatly appreciated.
Cheers!
Greyson

Specs:
Gigabyte x99 Phoenix SLI
i7-6850 6 core unlocked
64 gigs Corsair Vengeance 3000 RAM
EVGA 1200 P2 Platinum PSU
Samsung 500 GB SSD running Windows 10 pro 64
Crucial 1 TB SSD (scratch disk)
4 TB enterprise HDD (archive)
EVGA Geforce GTX 980 Ti Kingpin GPU
 
(currently running an old apple cinema display until I can afford a 4k monitor.)

Hey, welcome to the forum. It sounds like the problem I've had with my EVGA 980 Ti Kingpin card. Sometimes the screen will go black and dead, other times it would go a solid color. What I was told was that the Kingpin Editions were designed and made for Liquid Nitrogen cooling. However they were then edited to run on Liquid or Air cooling. But at their core were designed for LN2. That they weren't gaming cards as much as they were benchmarking cards. Designed solely for competing benchmark scores, not gaming.
 
The 1080 Classified I was sent is still working in great condition. No signs of the usual problems my 980 Ti had. Of course anything could happen in the near future, but so far no problems! I've asked support mods around here and they say my 1080 Classified should work out the box with default air cooling and default fan curves. I believe the reason for them changing my card is because I went through three 980 Ti Kingpins in a row, while testing every other part in my computer to guarantee it's the card with the problem. That and 980 Ti Kingpins seem to have a history of dying with air/water cooling. As evident by a couple of other threads here.
 
I wish you luck in solving your issues!