# accidentially spilled soda on graphics card- pc.. still working, but..



## Currymancer (Jan 30, 2015)

so I accidentally spilled a little bit on my pc. i quickly turned it off, wiped off the soda where i could see it with a paper towel and distilled water then i started my pc up again. everything was running fine, then i turned it off and used a blow dryer to dry it. now my games are running slow, used to get 120 fps on wow now i get 20. 350 fps on minecraft with shaders now only 40. could it be because of the heat from the blow dryer, or did i ruin my card? ;( please help, this is making me depressed lol. and i just got a new monitor today too


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## xBruce88x (Jan 30, 2015)

could be the thermal paste for the gpu got ruined from the spill and combination of using the blow dryer. try adding new thermal paste to the gpu after cleaning it. (i'm guessing heat issue maybe?) otherwise could be something else got damaged as far as circuitry goes.

edit: might want to also double check you still have the same amount of system ram, its possible you have a bad stick now from the spill.


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## Toothless (Jan 30, 2015)

Means either your GPU is overheating or just dead. This is a  PEBCAK issue alright.


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## Currymancer (Jan 30, 2015)

xBruce88x said:


> could be the thermal paste for the gpu got ruined from the spill and combination of using the blow dryer. try adding new thermal paste to the gpu after cleaning it. (i'm guessing heat issue maybe?) otherwise could be something else got damaged as far as circuitry goes.
> 
> edit: might want to also double check you still have the same amount of system ram, its possible you have a bad stick now from the spill.


where do i get thermal paste to put on the gpu?


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## xBruce88x (Jan 30, 2015)

any computer parts store, make sure its non-conductive.

edit: should be able to get it for around $5USD for some, be careful when putting the cooler back on the chip, you don't want to chip the ...uh... chip.


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## Currymancer (Jan 30, 2015)

is there anything else that could be causing this??  it started happening after 1st restart


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## xBruce88x (Jan 30, 2015)

honestly... unless you absolutely know for sure where the soda hit, its really hard to say. There are soo many things that could be shorting out from the soda. Possibly even gunked up fans or w/e. I friend of mine had the same problem... his 550TI got some sprite on it... it ran ok for a couple days then finally died... he's now using my old 8800GT.


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## bubbleawsome (Jan 30, 2015)

Are you sure you actually saw an FOS drop? Or are you just stuttering now? Minecraft with shaders (unless you get a low-end one like KUDA) will murder even a 980. You were probably not seeing 350fps before, so I'm inclined to believe something else (not only fps) is different.


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## Currymancer (Jan 30, 2015)

bubbleawsome said:


> Are you sure you actually saw an FOS drop? Or are you just stuttering now? Minecraft with shaders (unless you get a low-end one like KUDA) will murder even a 980. You were probably not seeing 350fps before, so I'm inclined to believe something else (not only fps) is different.


i was using zeus' shaders, and yes.. i got 350 fps in caves and houses and 200 fps in the world


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## xBruce88x (Jan 30, 2015)

now i'm wondering... what are your system specs?


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## Currymancer (Jan 30, 2015)

bubbleawsome said:


> Are you sure you actually saw an FOS drop? Or are you just stuttering now? Minecraft with shaders (unless you get a low-end one like KUDA) will murder even a 980. You were probably not seeing 350fps before, so I'm inclined to believe something else (not only fps) is different.





xBruce88x said:


> now i'm wondering... what are your system specs?


graphics card: nvidia gtx 970 evga
ram: 8GB g skill ripjaws X 2133ddr
processor: intel i7 4790k 4.0 ghz quad core...

is there anything else i could do to fix this??


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## OneMoar (Jan 30, 2015)

so wait you dumped soda on it and your solution was to dump water on it with it running ... and then dry it
take the pc to a shop and let somebody that knows what they are doing fix it .
probably needs to be properly cleaned and have fresh thermal paste /pads tho I doubt it most GPU's sit with the heatsink facing down so unless you dumped a gallon of soda on it it should't have gotten into the thermal paste most likely you still contamination on the PCB else its just TOASTED 
check temps with GPU-Z
pull the card and clean it thoroughly with Isopropyl alcohol or acetone and allow  ample time to dry also never use a hairdryer on a component odds are thats what killed it if its indeed dead


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## Toothless (Jan 30, 2015)

Currymancer said:


> graphics card: nvidia gtx 970 evga
> ram: 8GB g skill ripjaws X 2133ddr
> processor: intel i7 4790k 4.0 ghz quad core...
> 
> is there anything else i could do to fix this??


All that for MC? Please tell me you play other games too. 

As for the GPU,  you're just about out luck. May this be a lesson learned.


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## mroofie (Jan 30, 2015)

Toothless said:


> All that for MC? Please tell me you play other games too.
> 
> As for the GPU,  you're just about out luck. May this be a lesson learned.


lol my case is open and its lying on its back and ive never spilled fluid on to my hardware (touch wood) so my question is wtf did he do to accomplish this :0


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## Toothless (Jan 30, 2015)

mroofie said:


> lol my case is open and its lying on its back and ive never spilled fluid on to my hardware (touch wood) so my question is wtf did he do to accomplish this :0


Massive Creeper attack is my guess. I've spilled things on my case but never in. 

Ham oil doesn't wash off easily.


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## mroofie (Jan 30, 2015)

Currymancer said:


> so I accidentally spilled a little bit on my pc. i quickly turned it off, wiped off the soda where i could see it with a paper towel and distilled water then i started my pc up again. everything was running fine, then i turned it off and used a blow dryer to dry it. now my games are running slow, used to get 120 fps on wow now i get 20. 350 fps on minecraft with shaders now only 40. could it be because of the heat from the blow dryer, or did i ruin my card? ;( please help, this is making me depressed lol. and i just got a new monitor today too


did you spill some on the cpu ?
if not ask someone to take it out to spare some hardware


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Jan 30, 2015)

http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/tpus-nostalgic-hardware-club.108251/page-122


interesting TPU conversation with reference to washing components.  Might help.


post #  3029 onwards


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## Ja.KooLit (Jan 30, 2015)

OP, you should have wait until everything was dry. after you spilled soda, turn off, dis assemble everything. wash with distilled water (parts spilled with water) and dry it out naturally. either a day or 2. Using blower to dry it is not really advisable because you are forcing to dry out. But anyway, lesson learned.

As other mentioned, possible that GPU thermal paste is ruin. Take everything apart. clean as necessary. If you have magnifying lense to check all the electrical contacts that would be best. Take your time dont rush. Watch some youtube videos on how to apply thermal grease on cpu and gpu. Just take your time in collecting informations before you reassemble again. 

On a side note, this is almost same as the leaking water on a custom water cooling pc with some additives. Watch some of "how to" and what to do in case of water leakage and so on.


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## OneMoar (Jan 30, 2015)

you can not use distilled water distilled water becomes conductive in the presence of contamination
use 90% rubbing alcohol rubbing alcohol will bond with any existing moisture and carry it out as it evaporates
its also a better solvent then distilled water


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## peche (Jan 30, 2015)

Sup!

Dude if you feel you are not capable of repair or fix it, please take your rig to a computer store to get properly cleaned out,  take care  of that expensive hardware you have,  cleanning a soda spill into motherboard / GPU may be complicated, washing it with water and so much care may be required since the soda was forced to dry, it may be toasted there and will be so hard to take out… Also as it was said there, I don’t think that a couple of drops of soda would get to CPU/GPU's TIM, you will have to submerge the whole rig into a soda pool… for more than 30 minutes to get the paste f*cked by soda…


Regards,


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Jan 30, 2015)

When you say soda thats sodapop,        yes? Like in the US, full of sugar and colour. Coke or something like that.

Soda in the UK is merely carbonated water, no sugar, no colour, just h2o and co2 and may need a different approach.

just an educated thought.


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## Ferrum Master (Jan 30, 2015)

Soda? With sugar or not?

If with... screw everything, go full bank... fully dissemble the card and wash it under hot running water with fairy... alcohol dissolves sugar very poorly... no use of cleaning with that then... the one only worst thing to clean out is milk.

Then pour rice over it and let it dry for a day, don't force it... it the chip is wet and soaked, during heat up it may cause pop effect, thus exploding inside the IC.


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## xvi (Jan 30, 2015)

Surprised no one has suggested checking to see what the sensors are saying. Currymancer, I'd suggest grabbing GPU-z.
Fire up GPU-z, watch the sensors tab, play Minecraft for a bit, screenshot GPU-z's sensors tab and post here. We want to make sure it's clocking up to speed.
I also agree. If you wash anything off, make sure it dries naturally for a few days before it ever sees even a millivolt of power. Bag of rice might actually help too.

http://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/


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## rtwjunkie (Jan 30, 2015)

I go for baking it ( @Toothless), to dry it out!  

Seriously...a joke. Do *NOT* do that!  My suspiciaon is that soda has gummed up the fan, and any cleaning may have removed the lubricant, or it is still sticky.  I think unless you wanted to replace the heatsink and fan with an aftermarket one, your best solution is to buy another, provided the washing and then drying with rice method above doesn't work.

It's also advisable to try changing the TIM.  MX-4 is a good one for GPU's.


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## MxPhenom 216 (Jan 30, 2015)

OneMoar said:


> so wait you dumped soda on it and your solution was to dump water on it with it running ... and then dry it
> take the pc to a shop and let somebody that knows what they are doing fix it .
> probably needs to be properly cleaned and have fresh thermal paste /pads tho I doubt it most GPU's sit with the heatsink facing down so unless you dumped a gallon of soda on it it should't have gotten into the thermal paste most likely you still contamination on the PCB else its just TOASTED
> check temps with GPU-Z
> pull the card and clean it thoroughly with Isopropyl alcohol or acetone and allow  ample time to dry also never use a hairdryer on a component odds are thats what killed it if its indeed dead



Do you know how to post without sounding like a total ass hat? No one is as perfect as you like to think you are.


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## mroofie (Jan 30, 2015)

MxPhenom 216 said:


> Do you know how to post without sounding like a total ass hat? No one is as perfect as you like to think you are.


butt... But im perfect


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## brandonwh64 (Jan 30, 2015)

I heard the dishwasher works great but that's none of my business.. *Sips tea*


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## Currymancer (Jan 30, 2015)

xvi said:


> Surprised no one has suggested checking to see what the sensors are saying. Currymancer, I'd suggest grabbing GPU-z.
> Fire up GPU-z, watch the sensors tab, play Minecraft for a bit, screenshot GPU-z's sensors tab and post here. We want to make sure it's clocking up to speed.
> I also agree. If you wash anything off, make sure it dries naturally for a few days before it ever sees even a millivolt of power. Bag of rice might actually help too.
> 
> http://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/



http://gpuz.techpowerup.com/15/01/30/8qv.png this is my gpu-Z sensors tab with WoW running maxed. used to get 175+ fps on that too, now only 20.



xvi said:


> Surprised no one has suggested checking to see what the sensors are saying. Currymancer, I'd suggest grabbing GPU-z.
> Fire up GPU-z, watch the sensors tab, play Minecraft for a bit, screenshot GPU-z's sensors tab and post here. We want to make sure it's clocking up to speed.
> I also agree. If you wash anything off, make sure it dries naturally for a few days before it ever sees even a millivolt of power. Bag of rice might actually help too.
> 
> http://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/



http://gpuz.techpowerup.com/15/01/30/8qv.png this is my gpu-z sensors tab on WoW maxed... used to get 175+ fps on that now i only get 20.


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## xvi (Jan 30, 2015)

There you are. It's seeing nearly 200% power consumption when it's at idle clock speeds and it's throttling itself to keep power usage down. I doubt it's actually using that much power, but that's definitely why you're seeing poor frame rates.


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## Currymancer (Jan 30, 2015)

how should i f


xvi said:


> There you are. It's seeing nearly 200% power consumption when it's at idle clock speeds and it's throttling itself to keep power usage down. I doubt it's actually using that much power, but that's definitely why you're seeing poor frame rates.


how should i fix it then?


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## ZenZimZaliben (Jan 30, 2015)

You need to pull the card out of the system..Remove all fans/heatsinks plastic covers and get the PCB naked as possible. Then detail the PCB with Q-Tips and 90% alcohol. Then Do it all again. Then start on the Heatsink/Fan. Then let it dry for several hours. Then reapply thermal paste. Soda is very corrosive. It will eat your solder, caps and pcb. Stick a filthy penny in a glass of coke overnight....see what happens to penny.


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## xvi (Jan 30, 2015)

Hopefully, something is just shorting out some of the sense circuitry. Powering it back on after rinsing it and only blow drying it was a pretty bad idea. It may have shorted something out and fried it. Either way, you're pretty lucky it powers on at all. I agree with ZenZim. Take it apart, be very careful, clean it up with isopropyl alcohol (Not tequila. Save that for later. ), let everything dry for a very long time, carefully put it back together with fresh thermal paste, cross your fingers and boot it up.

If you're not comfortable with this, I'd either pay someone to repair it or sell it as-is. I'm sure you'd find a buyer, depending on the price.


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## Currymancer (Jan 30, 2015)

xvi said:


> Hopefully, something is just shorting out some of the sense circuitry. Powering it back on after rinsing it and only blow drying it was a pretty bad idea. It may have shorted something out and fried it. Either way, you're pretty lucky it powers on at all. I agree with ZenZim. Take it apart, be very careful, clean it up with isopropyl alcohol (Not tequila. Save that for later. ), let everything dry for a very long time, carefully put it back together with fresh thermal paste, cross your fingers and boot it up.
> 
> If you're not comfortable with this, I'd either pay someone to repair it or sell it as-is. I'm sure you'd find a buyer, depending on the price.


i only got it 2 weeks ago, maybe i could just send it back and get it repaired  sigh


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## peche (Jan 30, 2015)

Currymancer said:


> i only got it 2 weeks ago, maybe i could just send it back and get it repaired  sigh


a hard lesson for you dude,


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## Currymancer (Jan 30, 2015)

peche said:


> a hard lesson for you dude,


yeah, i dont think ill ever bring any liquid in my room again lol :/ luckily i still have my old pc, i would still be able to get it repaired right?


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## mroofie (Jan 30, 2015)

Currymancer said:


> yeah :/ luckily i still have my old pc, i would still be able to get it repaired right?


Well that depends on the actual damage I am afraid too say :/


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## peche (Jan 30, 2015)

Currymancer said:


> yeah, i dont think ill ever bring any liquid in my room again lol :/ luckily i still have my old pc, i would still be able to get it repaired right?


there only one way to find it out....


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## eidairaman1 (Jan 30, 2015)

Currymancer said:


> so I accidentally spilled a little bit on my pc. i quickly turned it off, wiped off the soda where i could see it with a paper towel and distilled water then i started my pc up again. everything was running fine, then i turned it off and used a blow dryer to dry it. now my games are running slow, used to get 120 fps on wow now i get 20. 350 fps on minecraft with shaders now only 40. could it be because of the heat from the blow dryer, or did i ruin my card? ;( please help, this is making me depressed lol. and i just got a new monitor today too



Reseat card and check connections. Last is replace card


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## Toothless (Jan 30, 2015)

Honestly after what OP did to the card, I don't think there is the option of shipping it back to get fixed.


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## Currymancer (Jan 30, 2015)

Toothless said:


> Honestly after what OP did to the card, I don't think there is the option of shipping it back to get fixed.


well i still have 3 year warranty and ive only had it for 2 weeks..


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## ZenZimZaliben (Jan 30, 2015)

Currymancer said:


> well i still have 3 year warranty and ive only had it for 2 weeks..



Warranty usually doesn't cover water or soda damage. lol. However you could try that method. You should still try to clean it up as well as you can. IF you RMA it and they find soda gunk on it then I doubt they will process RMA.


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## peche (Jan 30, 2015)

ZenZimZaliben said:


> Warranty usually doesn't cover water or soda damage. lol. However you could try that method. You should still try to clean it up as well as you can. IF you RMA it and they find soda gunk on it then I doubt they will process RMA.


you shuld try to clean it out and send they as it comes new*, but anyway they may find out how trashed they really are, but as they say .. try out...


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## 64K (Jan 30, 2015)

ZenZimZaliben said:


> You should still try to clean it up as well as you can. IF you RMA it and they find soda gunk on it then I doubt they will process RMA.



.....and you will have to pay the shipping cost to return it to you if you want to try to sell it on Ebay as a damaged card.


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## Ja.KooLit (Jan 30, 2015)

Currymancer said:


> well i still have 3 year warranty and ive only had it for 2 weeks..




I dont think you can RMA it. They will find out that there are traces of "acids" in which they will know eventually that you have spilled some kind of liquid in the card. Best thing you can do is to read or watch videos on youtube on how to disassemble, fix or anything that you can do. Just use your favorite search engine. and then with extra care, and some guts, you will eventually find out how easy it is actually. But that all depends on you.


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## peche (Jan 30, 2015)

night.fox said:


> I dont think you can RMA it. They will find out that there are traces of "acids" in which they will know eventually that you have spilled some kind of liquid in the card. Best thing you can do is to read or watch videos on youtube on how to disassemble, fix or anything that you can do. Just use your favorite search engine. and then with extra care, and some guts, you will eventually find out how easy it is actually. But that all depends on you.



i would try to send it... or ask somebody with the required knowledge for help rather to destroy it myself...


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## Currymancer (Jan 30, 2015)

ZenZimZaliben said:


> Warranty usually doesn't cover water or soda damage. lol. However you could try that method. You should still try to clean it up as well as you can. IF you RMA it and they find soda gunk on it then I doubt they will process RMA.


what do i need to clean it up? 99% isopropyl alcohol and thermal paste?


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## Toothless (Jan 30, 2015)

Or ask someone of the forum to help out for a small fee. I'm sure someone here won't mind cleaning for $10.

Don't ask me unless you want it baked golden brown.


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## peche (Jan 30, 2015)

Toothless said:


> Or ask someone of the forum to help out for a small fee. I'm sure someone here won't mind cleaning for $10.
> 
> Don't ask me unless you want it baked golden brown.


ill do for free if you want .. but shipping my be expensive ...lol
Regards,


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## xvi (Jan 30, 2015)

Toothless said:


> Don't ask me unless you want it baked golden brown.


I have a HD 2900 XT I should send you. It could do with some of Toothless' Technical Toasting Talents.


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## Toothless (Jan 30, 2015)

xvi said:


> I have a HD 2900 XT I should send you. It could do with some of Toothless' Technical Toasting Talents.


I can do that.


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## ZenZimZaliben (Jan 30, 2015)

Currymancer said:


> what do i need to clean it up? 99% isopropyl alcohol and thermal paste?



Yes 90%+ Isopropyl alcohol. Q-Tips, Cotton Balls, Paper Towels. You could literally soak the entire PCB in a bath of isopropyl for a few hours then detail/clean it and let dry. Isopropyl is cheap...go buy a few bottles, get the card to naked pcb and fill a plastic tub with isopropyl and let soak fully  submerged for an hour or so. Then clean it with q-tips. then let it dry for several hours. Iso will evaporate quickly but still make sure the card is completely dry.


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## Toothless (Jan 30, 2015)

ZenZimZaliben said:


> Yes 90%+ Isopropyl alcohol. Q-Tips, Cotton Balls, Paper Towels. You could literally soak the entire PCB in a bath of isopropyl for a few hours then detail/clean it and let dry. Isopropyl is cheap...go buy a few bottles, get the card to naked pcb and fill a plastic tub with isopropyl and let soak fully  submerged for an hour or so. Then clean it with q-tips. then let it dry for several hours. Iso will evaporate quickly but still make sure the card is completely dry.


You're saying I can give my GPU a bath? Or make it scuba in a bowl? New step to baking for me.


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## peche (Jan 30, 2015)

Toothless said:


> You're saying I can give my GPU a bath? Or make it scuba in a bowl? New step to baking for me.


Dr Toothless has just meet a new odd science process for a better mankind


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## ZenZimZaliben (Jan 30, 2015)

Toothless said:


> You're saying I can give my GPU a bath? Or make it scuba in a bowl? New step to baking for me.



A bath in Isopropyl...would be okay for a short time to degunk it and you have to be down to the naked PCB. Just like a human you don't like to take a bath fully dressed...neither does your GPU.


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## peche (Jan 30, 2015)

ZenZimZaliben said:


> A bath in Isopropyl...would be okay for a short time to degunk it and you have to be down to the naked PCB. Just like a human you don't like to take a bath fully dressed...neither does your GPU.


Correct!
Like when you are requesting your GPU, Take out your Card's Cooler... here its a brief example of how would it looks,





Regards,


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## rtwjunkie (Jan 30, 2015)

peche said:


> Correct!
> Like when you are requesting your GPU, Take out your Card's Cooler... here its a brief example of how would it looks,
> View attachment 62280
> 
> Regards,



Did you do that just for the post? Or you had a photo of your handiwork saved?


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## peche (Jan 30, 2015)

i've replaced stock paste this saturday , saved photo
Regards,


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## Toothless (Jan 31, 2015)

peche said:


> Correct!
> Like when you are requesting your GPU, Take out your Card's Cooler... here its a brief example of how would it looks,
> View attachment 62280
> 
> Regards,


Put some clothes on that nude GPU! It's sexy and all but they want some privacy too.


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Jan 31, 2015)

yeah like this


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## Toothless (Jan 31, 2015)

CAPSLOCKSTUCK said:


> yeah like this
> 
> View attachment 62286


That's a tease.


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Jan 31, 2015)

I will not be drawn into a silly conversation again.  (today)

Im not allowed to, apparently i go off on tangents, but to be perfectly honest its about time this thread headed off somewhere strange.
If the OP cant pick the bones out of that lot then he is truly fucked,


He/she should

1. act on the advice of TPU by the careful application of whatever cleaning method.

2 sell the card with a totally honest explanation and a writeup of what he has tried.
In the UK on ebay  as it is he will get 50 quid for it TOPS. more like 30.


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## Currymancer (Jan 31, 2015)

a friend is coming over tommorow to find out exactly what's wrong with my pc, would bathing it in iso get it to work normally again?


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## Toothless (Jan 31, 2015)

Currymancer said:


> a friend is coming over tommorow to find out exactly what's wrong with my pc, would bathing it in iso get it to work normally again?


Not a sure thing but it could help. Have your friend take a look.


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## micropage7 (Jan 31, 2015)

Currymancer said:


> a friend is coming over tommorow to find out exactly what's wrong with my pc, would bathing it in iso get it to work normally again?


its like 50-50, but just try it


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## Currymancer (Jan 31, 2015)

thanks guys. and how would i mAke sure ONLY the graphics card is damaged and is the only thing that needs to be replaced?


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Jan 31, 2015)

If your friend is capable of fixing your gpu  he shouldnt have too many problems diagnosing any other issues, of which there may be a few. If the stickiness has worked itself in to the slots or wherever.
Your cpu has onboard graphics so you can still diagnose without a dedicated gpu as you already know.

If you or your pal arent confident dont do anything.

1 post your full pc specs here.
2 make a note of the symptoms.


it may be something as simple and easily fixable as a bad contact in the PCIE slot caused by the spillage.

In the UK  on ebay you might get 30 quid for it as it is if you gave a full and honest description. 

There are people on this site who routinely wash mobos etc. I am not one of them. Apparently it is done commercially. Why not Gooooooooooogle it......

I would suggest you continue posting when your friend is with you. As you can see, many TPU members are more than happy to help.
Reread what has already been posted here before you make your own CONSIDERED opinion.

The most sensible thing is to probably take it to a shop, ask for a quote and trust in their skills.

Good luck.......all is not lost.......yet.  ...
.
.


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## Jetster (Jan 31, 2015)

The trick to fix part that get wet.

Wash them with electronics cleaner then let it sit for 10 days min.   Residue take awhile to get rid of. If you live in a wet area then even longer

2 weeks is even better

I have done this many time washing parts threw a dish washer

Its just not something you can fix in a day or two. I don't care what anyone says

Forget the q tips paper towels or any driers. This will break it for good. Just wash and let air dry ...


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## Currymancer (Jan 31, 2015)

ok, friend is on his way over today, heading to the store to get some iso. do i just take out the entire card and soak it in the alchohol for a few hours then let it air dry for a week?


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Jan 31, 2015)

take the casing off like has been suggested to you.

Have a look at what @peche  told you. Have a look at what @Jetster wrote in the post above yours. have a read of what i wrote in the post before that.
@Toothless has also made some valuable contributions.
and not forgetting @OneMoar

if you and your friend arent capable of doing that you should not be considering doing anything at all to the card.

Ask your friend to find out what mobo you have.


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## R-T-B (Jan 31, 2015)

mroofie said:


> butt... But im perfect



Haha. He said "butt"


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## Mindweaver (Jan 31, 2015)

You said you spilled a little bit on it... Not in it correct? When you used your hair dryer did you have it on heat or just air? if you used heat then more than likely when you turned it on everything was simply over heating. Turn it off for a bit and then try it later. Can you take a picture of your pc, and use paint to circle where it spilled? Does your pc have a fan on top? if your pc was closed with the side on it and doesn't have a fan on top, then I doubt anything got on your graphics card. Post the pics of your pc, and let us see. 
*
EDIT: Did you build it or buy it pre-built? Does your GTX970 have a back plate?*


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## Toothless (Jan 31, 2015)

Mindweaver said:


> *EDIT: Did you build it or buy it pre-built? Does your GTX970 have a back plate?*


I totally forgot GPUs have those. Hmm...

So OP will have to remove the cooler and back plate in order to see the real damage. I'm sure depending on the soda spilled that things are already corroded.


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## peche (Feb 1, 2015)

Toothless said:


> I'm sure depending on the soda spilled that things are already corroded.


correct.... its gona be hard clean it up...


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## Currymancer (Feb 1, 2015)

ok so my friend came over today,
we opened up the PC and took apart the graphics card and cleaned off the part that the soda spilled on (with some iso alchohol and q tips i found in my bathroom, i didnt even know i had any) we were only able
to take off the part with all the circuits and stuff because there was one screw that was stuck and wouldnt budge, im guessing thats the back plate you guys were talking about? but anyway we cleaned off the graphics card with the iso alchohol,
let it dry then put it back in, same result. then he downloaded this program and messed with some settings for 3 hours. then we ran some benchmarks, and its my graphics card is running OKAY. loaded up WoW, and my 20 fps turned to 55-120. (was at constant 175 before the accident lol) so it seems to be running fine for now, not how it used to but its okay. im still contemplating buying a new graphics card next week, just wanna make sure thats the only issue.


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## Toothless (Feb 1, 2015)

You need to clean the whole thing before it worsens into not being functional! Skimping on cleaning it will be a mistake on your part, with a hole in your wallet. 

My teacher used to tell me to "do it right the first time" and I found out why; things go to shite if you choose the easy way out.

If I had that card,  then I'd do what I can to get it running properly.


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## Currymancer (Feb 1, 2015)

Mindweaver said:


> You said you spilled a little bit on it... Not in it correct? When you used your hair dryer did you have it on heat or just air? if you used heat then more than likely when you turned it on everything was simply over heating. Turn it off for a bit and then try it later. Can you take a picture of your pc, and use paint to circle where it spilled? Does your pc have a fan on top? if your pc was closed with the side on it and doesn't have a fan on top, then I doubt anything got on your graphics card. Post the pics of your pc, and let us see.
> *
> EDIT: Did you build it or buy it pre-built? Does your GTX970 have a back plate?*


like a black plate on it? or a black section? yes, with screws that can be removed


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## Currymancer (Feb 1, 2015)

Toothless said:


> You need to clean the whole thing before it worsens into not being functional! Skimping on cleaning it will be a mistake on your part, with a hole in your wallet.
> 
> My teacher used to tell me to "do it right the first time" and I found out why; things go to shite if you choose the easy way out.
> 
> If I had that card,  then I'd do what I can to get it running properly.


im planning on just buying a new graphics card anyway, we're pretty sure thats the only problem with my system


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## Jetster (Feb 1, 2015)

So much for letting it sit for a week or two to dry. If its acting up then that's why. Anyway its running that's good news


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## Toothless (Feb 1, 2015)

I suggest sending the damaged card to a TPU member to see if they can revive it. Even if you're replacing it, someone else could make a use for it. A challenge so to speak.


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## Currymancer (Feb 1, 2015)

Toothless said:


> I suggest sending the damaged card to a TPU member to see if they can revive it. Even if you're replacing it, someone else could make a use for it. A challenge so to speak.


I will once i get my new card, first i just wanna make sure its only the graphics card i have to replace and nothing else. The person who is the most helpful with diagnosing this gets the "reward" of my old graphics card


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## Currymancer (Feb 1, 2015)

Jetster said:


> So much for letting it sit for a week or two to dry. If its acting up then that's why. Anyway its running that's good news


it was performing really bad before, but after my friend came over and changed something in the bios its running where i can play WoW again maxed at a decent fps, but not as good as it was running before the accident happened.


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## Toothless (Feb 1, 2015)

Currymancer said:


> I will once i get my new card, first i just wanna make sure its only the graphics card i have to replace and nothing else. The person who is the most helpful with diagnosing this gets the "reward" of my old graphics card


It's up to you on who you choose and whoever gets it can do as they wish. Let's hope you killed only the GPU and nothing else.


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## Currymancer (Feb 1, 2015)

Toothless said:


> It's up to you on who you choose and whoever gets it can do as they wish. Let's hope you killed only the GPU and nothing else.


yeah lol, how do i make sure only the graphics card is damaged?


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## Toothless (Feb 1, 2015)

Currymancer said:


> yeah lol, how do i make sure only the graphics card is damaged?


Your new GPU plays your games like normal.


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## Currymancer (Feb 1, 2015)

Toothless said:


> Your new GPU plays your games like normal.


hmm... i guess i'll just yolo it and buy a new card in a few days, if it dosent work in my system ill just send it back to newegg i guess lol


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## Currymancer (Feb 1, 2015)

Toothless said:


> Your new GPU plays your games like normal.


but is there any software i can use just to test other parts and make sure everything else is functioning fine?


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## Toothless (Feb 1, 2015)

Currymancer said:


> hmm... i guess i'll just yolo it and buy a new card in a few days, if it dosent work in my system ill just send it back to newegg i guess lol


Welp, your only rush is seeing how much longer the current card runs for.


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## Toothless (Feb 1, 2015)

Currymancer said:


> but is there any software i can use just to test other parts and make sure everything else is functioning fine?


Not really. If it works in games and there isn't a performance difference then you're fine.  Unless you benched your rig before and remember the score.

Damn my phone for not multiquoting.


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## Currymancer (Feb 1, 2015)

Toothless said:


> Welp, your only rush is seeing how much longer the current card runs for.


hopefully long enough for my new card to arrive... lol


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## Currymancer (Feb 1, 2015)

Toothless said:


> Not really. If it works in games and there isn't a performance difft then you're fine.  Unless you benched your rig before and remember the score.
> 
> Damn my phone for not multiquoting.


yeah, before the accident i used to get 175 fps on WoW maxed at all times now it shifts from 40 to 90. Still better than it was before we "repaired" it, but not as good as it was before lol  (which was 20 maxed before we partially repaired it)


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## Toothless (Feb 1, 2015)

Just take it easy on stressing it and it'll be fine.


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## Currymancer (Feb 1, 2015)

Currymancer said:


> yeah, before the accident i used to get 175 fps on WoW maxed at all times now it shifts from 40 to 90. Still better than it was before we "repaired" it, but not as good as it was before lol





Toothless said:


> Just take it easy on stressing it and it'll be fine.


okay i will lol, and what new gtx 970 card should i get specifically?


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## Toothless (Feb 1, 2015)

Currymancer said:


> okay i will lol, and what new gtx 970 card should i get specifically?


Personally I love MSI but I'm sure ASUS is also very good. I'm not on very good terms with ASUS until their RMA department allow my friend to send in the board that died on me. It's a long story. 

Nonetheless ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte. There are good 970s out there.


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Feb 1, 2015)

Currymancer said:


> messed with some settings for 3 hours




holy shit... if i mess with settings for 3 hours i can never remember what ive done where ive been what i started with or why im doing it.

I think you are lucky to have got this far. If you sell it i hope your conscience allows you to give an honest description of the cards history.


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## mroofie (Feb 1, 2015)

Toothless said:


> Not really. If it works in games and there isn't a performance difference then you're fine.  Unless you benched your rig before and remember the score.
> 
> Damn my phone for not multiquoting.


see you have problems as well :0
What os does your phone have ??


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## Ja.KooLit (Feb 1, 2015)

Currymancer said:


> okay i will lol, and what new gtx 970 card should i get specifically?



if you can get evga thats the best nvidia manufacturer. never had evga but i read their support and service is top notch. heck they even have step up program wherein you can upgrade your old gpu to latest.

there is alot of good gpu benchmark. unigine heaven is one. 3dmark firestrike also. but i dont recommend stress testing your rig now. especially you dont know about your other components.


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## R-T-B (Feb 1, 2015)

I'll second that.  The EVGA's I've bought have been so good, I've never needed to use their warranty.  That says something too.


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## Currymancer (Feb 1, 2015)

R-T-B said:


> I'll second that.  The EVGA's I've bought have been so good, I've never needed to use their warranty.  That says something too.


yeah.. an evga is the one i had too lol. should I just get another?


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## R-T-B (Feb 1, 2015)

They have a lifetime warranty, but it's limited against things such as soda spills... lol.  So yeah I'd grab another and try not to spill on it and it'll last a long long time.


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## Toothless (Feb 1, 2015)

mroofie said:


> see you have problems as well :0
> What os does your phone have ??


Jelly Bean doesn't like the TPU app.


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## Toothless (Feb 1, 2015)

Currymancer said:


> yeah.. an evga is the one i had too lol. should I just get another?


Go for it.


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## mroofie (Feb 2, 2015)

Toothless said:


> Jelly Bean doesn't like the TPU app.


lol im using windows phone 8.1
I don't even have a app


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## rtwjunkie (Feb 2, 2015)

mroofie said:


> lol im using windows phone 8.1
> I don't even have a app


However, the mobile version of TPU is one of the best mobile websites in the biz!


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Feb 2, 2015)

@rtwjunkie      +1


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## Currymancer (Feb 9, 2015)

so you guys think if i just replaced the graphics card with a new one it would fix it? what else could cause fps loss?


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Feb 9, 2015)

incompetence?

Put the new gpu in...is there a problem ?

If no......happy days.

if yes.....the whole rest of your pc COULD be damaged.
At least you can be pretty sure the gpu will work fine when it arrives.
Have you wiped your ram sticks with isopryl?
Is your cpu running too hot and throttling back?

Read through TPU forums, loads of people will help but you have to help yourself too.

Even if the rest of your pc is fooked youll have a new gpu to build a system around.


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## peche (Feb 9, 2015)

dude really if you dont have the enough skills / knowledge why dont asking someone near you to help you or taken it to a computer shop / repair just to be checked...?
you can also screw everything because of lack of skill and knowledge, don't be offended it's just an advice ... as capslockstuck said you have to help yourself too...
i repeat my aim its not to offend you but help you out

Regards,


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## Easy Rhino (Feb 9, 2015)

Toothless said:


> Means either your GPU is overheating or just dead. This is a  PEBCAK issue alright.



+1 for use of PEBCAK


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## peche (Feb 9, 2015)

Easy Rhino said:


> +1 for use of PEBCAK


lol....!


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## karklinskarlis1993 (Feb 10, 2015)

read this whole thread out and had some really great 25minutes of my life. OP - whats the conclusion? did you get your brand new EVGA? whats about other parts of your system?


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## Currymancer (Feb 10, 2015)

karklinskarlis1993 said:


> read this whole thread out and had some really great 25minutes of my life. OP - whats the conclusion? did you get your brand new EVGA? whats about other parts of your system?


the rest of my specs are intel core i7 4970k 4.0 ghz processor, 8gb ram. yes i just ordered a new graphics card, ill tell you guys if it fixes my fps problems


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## Toothless (Feb 10, 2015)

Currymancer said:


> the rest of my specs are intel core i7 4970k 4.0 ghz processor, 8gb ram. yes i just ordered a new graphics card, ill tell you guys if it fixes my fps problems


Where be the old one? Still trying to necro it when it's not even clean?


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Feb 10, 2015)

"if it fixes my fps problems"






F***....... i hope it does too !!!!!

@Toothless you are desperate to give it a baking......i can tell.

@Currymancer ,  send it to Toothless, he deserves it.


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## Toothless (Feb 10, 2015)

CAPSLOCKSTUCK said:


> "if it fixes my fps problems"
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I do want to test my skills and see if I can clean and bring back to life the card. I'm sure it'll see the oven too.


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## peche (Feb 10, 2015)

Toothless said:


> I do want to test my skills and see if I can clean and bring back to life the card. I'm sure it'll see the oven too.


lol ....!
i knew it, all is about baking ...!


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## Toothless (Feb 10, 2015)

peche said:


> lol ....!
> i knew it, all is about baking ...!


Funny thing is that my mother is actually having me make dinners now,


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## Devon68 (Feb 10, 2015)

> Where be the old one? Still trying to necro it when it's not even clean?


Wait a minute where does it say he's old card is dead? From what I've understood it's working but not as before the spill, but still capable of running games.


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## Toothless (Feb 10, 2015)

Devon68 said:


> Wait a minute where does it say he's old card is dead? From what I've understood it's working but not as before the spill, but still capable of running games.


From what I gathered, the old card was just abandoned and pushed aside as a new one is coming in to replace it. Sounds like my life in my home state. (Being replaced that is)


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## xvi (Feb 10, 2015)

Toothless said:


> Funny thing is that my mother is actually having me make dinners now,


I'm guessing the solder reflows add a unique taste to every meal. 



Devon68 said:


> Wait a minute where does it say he's old card is dead? From what I've understood it's working but not as before the spill, but still capable of running games.



From earlier..


xvi said:


>



For some reason, the card incorrectly sees power consumption incredibly high and throttles the card down to stay under TDP limits. The bios mods were probably just upped TDP limits allowing the card to clock itself higher, but not up to normal speeds hence now improved FPS, but not normal FPS.

My guess is there's either a short somewhere causing actual high power consumption or a short somewhere tricking the card in to thinking it has high power consumption.


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## Toothless (Feb 10, 2015)

xvi said:


> I'm guessing the solder reflows add a unique taste to every meal.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It's more of the smoke from the GPU itself, with a small touch of melted memory mods that bring out the taste of overclock.


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Feb 10, 2015)

Toothless said:


> It's more of the smoke from the GPU itself, with a small touch of melted memory mods that bring out the taste of overclock.



Can i have a soda with mine please.


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## Naito (Feb 10, 2015)

I'm just surprised the entire system wasn't torn down, checked, bathed, and left to dry for at least a week. Heck, even place it close to a CaCl2 dehumidifier to _really_ make sure it is dry before use. Buying another GPU when it is very possible another component of the system is damage, could very well mean another GPU will fry. It's like replacing a head gasket on a motor without finding out what the original cause was; you can replace it, but it'll most likely blow again.

EDIT: Well, we know the original cause, but you need to diagnose the problem further to rule out everything else...


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## Toothless (Feb 10, 2015)

CAPSLOCKSTUCK said:


> Can i have a soda with mine please.


You may have a coke with a heatsink pipe straw. It's like a crazy straw but you can't see through it.


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## xvi (Feb 11, 2015)

Toothless said:


> You may have a coke with a heatsink pipe straw. It's like a crazy straw but you can't see through it.


I'm imagining this and it's highly amusing.
Great GPU temps, but warm coke. Worth it? Maybe.


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## Toothless (Feb 11, 2015)

xvi said:


> I'm imagining this and it's highly amusing.
> Great GPU temps, but warm coke. Worth it? Maybe.


COFFEEEEEE. KEEP YER' COFFEE WARM.


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## Currymancer (Feb 13, 2015)

Naito said:


> I'm just surprised the entire system wasn't torn down, checked, bathed, and left to dry for at least a week. Heck, even place it close to a CaCl2 dehumidifier to _really_ make sure it is dry before use. Buying another GPU when it is very possible another component of the system is damage, could very well mean another GPU will fry. It's like replacing a head gasket on a motor without finding out what the original cause was; you can replace it, but it'll most likely blow again.
> 
> EDIT: Well, we know the original cause, but you need to diagnose the problem further to rule out everything else...


well im pretty sure only my graphics card is damaged, since after the soda spilled, when it was on the circuit board it was still working fine, it wasnt until i tried cleaning it off with water then turning it on again 15 minutes later i saw the huge fps drops... :/


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## Arjai (Feb 13, 2015)

Toothless said:


> Or ask someone of the forum to help out for a small fee. I'm sure someone here won't mind cleaning for $10.
> 
> Don't ask me unless you want it baked golden brown.


LOL


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## Arjai (Feb 13, 2015)

Toothless said:


> You need to clean the whole thing before it worsens into not being functional! Skimping on cleaning it will be a mistake on your part, with a hole in your wallet.
> 
> My teacher used to tell me to "do it right the first time" and I found out why; things go to shite if you choose the easy way out.
> 
> If I had that card,  then I'd do what I can to get it running properly.


Put it the microwave. If runs after that, you did it wrong. Do it again.

Then, buy a new card and don't spill shit on it.


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## eidairaman1 (Feb 13, 2015)

Arjai said:


> Put it the microwave. If runs after that, you did it wrong. Do it again.
> 
> Then, buy a new card and don't spill shit on it.



Put eggs, cereal and milk on it.


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## Caring1 (Feb 13, 2015)

eidairaman1 said:


> Put eggs, cereal and milk on it.


And then place in a blender on high for 2 minutes ...


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## Toothless (Feb 13, 2015)

Caring1 said:


> And then place in a blender on high for 2 minutes ...


And then bake, but dump vodka in the pan with it.


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## RealNeil (Feb 13, 2015)

You should have the GPU professionally cleaned and then returned to you. Then,.....put it into your system and run SLI.


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## Toothless (Feb 13, 2015)

RealNeil said:


> You should have the GPU professionally cleaned and then returned to you. Then,.....put it into your system and run SLI.


Our cooking plan is better.


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Feb 13, 2015)

Toothless said:


> Our cooking plan is better.




Its a recipe for disaster


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## krusha03 (Feb 13, 2015)

Shouldn't this thread be marked as "sticky"?


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## RealNeil (Feb 13, 2015)

Oh Lord! "Sticky!" Ha-Ha! 

Odds are that the original spill was not such a big deal.

The cleaning afterwards likely had the effect of spreading the sticky soda into the fan bearings and allowing it coat some internals with goo.
This coating may be causing some components  to run hotter that they should, causing throttling issues. The fans are probably less effective now. (if they're contaminated)

Putting the new GPU into your PC will probably fix your problems, but if your original GPU still runs, albeit in a less efficient state, it can probably be returned to full functionality with the proper cleaning, and drying methods.

Don't toss it, & don't give it away. 

Look into giving it a proper cleaning and then you'll have two GPUs to run in SLI (combined mode) for much better performance than one alone can give.
SLI's performance is much better than a single card. It's worth it to do.


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## eidairaman1 (Feb 13, 2015)

Toothless said:


> And then bake, but dump vodka in the pan with it.


pulse blast it to make it a flaming Molotov Cocktail


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## xvi (Feb 16, 2015)

Toothless said:


> Our cooking plan is better.


Indeed. It's already been marinated too.


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