# MSI or Sapphire ?



## ashis_lakra (Jun 18, 2011)

Guys, Rahul at *theitwares.com* has bad experience with selling *MSI* brand Graphic card and he got back many MSI GPU for RMA whereas very little RMA from Sapphire Brand. and MSI has very bad after sales support.

whereas, the guy at smcinternational.in tells that he prefers MSI graphic card and is trusted brand, MSI has very good after sales service, they even replace the card with *new one *, whereas Sapphire brand generally replace the RMA card with Old card .

I had similar experience with Sapphire, they replaced my new HD 4670 with old model HD 4670. So, i am little bias to MSI Brand. 

But I still want opinions of Expert Guys, who can prefer me which brand is good in after sales service and doesnt get fault quickly.


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## jsjs (Jun 18, 2011)

Both are good brands but i will prefer sapphire


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## Zangetsu (Jun 18, 2011)

I have sapphire & I prefer Sapphire more than MSI.

though it varies according to regions


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## vickybat (Jun 18, 2011)

Both are preferred brands but msi twin frozr III cards are a notch above the sapphire toxic cards.

I think they are unmatched. Just check out msi gtx 580 lightning , 6970 lightning, gtx 560 twin frozr III , 6950 twin frozr III Power edition and you'll know what i'm talking about.

So my vote goes to MSI.


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## tkin (Jun 18, 2011)

Sapphire for reference cards, MSI for non reference(TF) cards.


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## The Sorcerer (Jun 18, 2011)

Why not Zotac??

SMC are buddy buddy with few brands, MSI gpu lineup being one of them. People are picking up msi partially because of being promoted and sold easily (atleast in Delhi AFAIS).


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## tkin (Jun 18, 2011)

The Sorcerer said:


> Why not Zotac??
> 
> SMC are buddy buddy with few brands, MSI gpu lineup being one of them. People are picking up msi partially because of being promoted and sold easily (atleast in Delhi AFAIS).


MSI for non reference cards, zotac has a few and all use reference pcb, msi cards have custom pcb(hawk, lightning) and oc's better and stays cooler, my lightning never crossed 70c with mafia 2, my friend's zotac gtx580 reaches close to 80c with reference fan profile.


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## mukherjee (Jun 18, 2011)

tkin said:


> MSI for non reference cards, zotac has a few and all use reference pcb, msi cards have custom pcb(hawk, lightning) and oc's better and stays cooler, my lightning never crossed 70c with mafia 2, my friend's zotac gtx580 reaches close to 80c with reference fan profile.





The response will vary from distributor to distributor...OP shud choose the card he wants and stick with the preferred distri...that it


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## rahulvyas (Jun 18, 2011)

Xfx is good or Msi or Gigabyte Or Asus Or zotac ?
I like this website:
CyberPower PC. - Custom Built Gaming PC and Gaming Laptops
You must see this website
Sorry to say they dont ship To India,
But If you have anyone Living in USA or canada tel him to order him and ship it to your house


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## mukherjee (Jun 18, 2011)

rahulvyas said:


> Xfx is good or Msi or Gigabyte Or Asus Or zotac ?
> I like this website:
> CyberPower PC. - Custom Built Gaming PC and Gaming Laptops
> You must see this website
> ...



I prefer to get my system built myself...I actually love the process


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## abhidev (Jun 18, 2011)

What are these companies best know for???


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## vizkid2005 (Jun 18, 2011)

mukherjee said:


> I prefer to get my system built myself...I actually love the process



 Totally !!!


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## Piyush (Jun 18, 2011)

both brands have their own reputation

MSI is well known for its :
-->Cyclone
-->Twin Frozr
-->Hawk

Sapphire is famous for its:
-->Arctic cooler
-->Toxic Vapor-X


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## mukherjee (Jun 18, 2011)

Look for local support...then take the decision...


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## ashis_lakra (Jun 19, 2011)

In my locality 9600GT cards are the high - end cards. Store owners brag about these as they are High end cards and can run any games in any settings.. LOL..

So, No local support, I have to either Ship it from Delhi or Mumbai  Thanks 4 reply.


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## sukesh1090 (Jun 19, 2011)

Msi is also known for over clocking support like after burner.


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## ashis_lakra (Jun 19, 2011)

How are the warranty policies of MSI and sapphire ? a comparison is a worth,


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## tkin (Jun 19, 2011)

MSI has 3 years warranty, sapphire has 2 yrs parts and 1 year labor, but it always works out to be 2 yrs.


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## Tenida (Jun 19, 2011)

MSI for me.


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## Cilus (Jun 19, 2011)

tkin said:


> MSI has 3 years warranty, sapphire has 2 yrs parts and 1 year labor, but it always works out to be 2 yrs.



But Tkin, in all the web sites like lynx-india, smcinternational, anythinginit, theitwares, warranty of Sapphire cards are mentioned as 3 years...no mention of 2 years warranty and 1 year labor only warranty.
Also during the RMA process of my Sapphire card from M.D. computers, they also told me it contains warranty of three years.


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## ashis_lakra (Jun 19, 2011)

Does that mean if MSI is RMA'ed due to faulty VRAM, i will get full replacement ? (3 year warranty )

whereas, in case of Sapphire, they only replace the VRAM modules and send back the same card ? ( 2 yr parts warranty )

Please post your RMA experience, it would be great helpful.


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## cute.bandar (Jun 19, 2011)

> MSI has 3 years warranty,


 In my case I only got 1 year warranty for my 4670


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## ashis_lakra (Jun 19, 2011)

My first Sapphire 4670 bought from techshop.in ,card run good for 2months, then it gone completely kaput. No display on screen, checked on other computer too. I sent it for RMA, got 2nd card, it has faulty VRAM (started malfunctioning first day only).
      In windows it run fine, but even games like Pocket Tanks couldnt run for more than 10 mins. then i sent it again for RMA, and got a OLD used model 4670 with faulty fan. I spent over Rs 600 ( 2 x RMA ) and still got bad GPU. Finally i gave up and used that card for 5-6 months and sold it at Rs 3000/- ( feb'11 ).

Perhaps i got good value, cuz I bought it at Rs 4875, and i spent 4 months for sending and receiving product by RMA.


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## Tenida (Jun 19, 2011)

^^First try local dealers if you couldn't  find the product  then try online.You should consider site like www.smcinternation.in,theitdepot.com, and primeabgb.com that has good reputation.Lots of  forum member has bought from this sites.


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## Zangetsu (Jun 20, 2011)

primeabgb is must buy shop


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## ashis_lakra (Jun 20, 2011)

i recently purchased my computer peripherals from theitwares.com and they didnt dissapoint me in first place. Quick shipping. Let's see what happens if any of my hardware fails and what happens after RMA.


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## saswat23 (Jun 20, 2011)

But check with your local dealer first of what stock he has.


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## Piyush (Jun 20, 2011)

Isn't the problem solved now?


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## sukesh1090 (Jun 20, 2011)

Guys btw i have small doubt about my msi card,in my dealer bill it is written that the warranty period is as given by msi and i searched in msi website but can't find the period.so please if any one know the warranty period just tell me guys.
Sorry ashish for using your thread.


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## cute.bandar (Jun 20, 2011)

^does this  help?


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## tkin (Jun 20, 2011)

Cilus said:


> But Tkin, in all the web sites like lynx-india, smcinternational, anythinginit, theitwares, warranty of Sapphire cards are mentioned as 3 years...no mention of 2 years warranty and 1 year labor only warranty.
> Also during the RMA process of my Sapphire card from M.D. computers, they also told me it contains warranty of three years.


Hmm, lets see.....
First hand experience from another forum:
Sapphire Warranty
Call up aditya, and ask if its 3 year full or 2yrs part and 1yrs labor.

And the official website says 2yrs, so I doubt they will give extra warranty for Indian users:


> RMA/Warranty
> *Sapphire VGA products carry a 2 year warranty with all enquires carried out through your initial place of purchase.* This can only be carried out by the original purchaser Please contact your Dealer/Reseller for Warranty / RMA service. They will require proof of purchase which includes the original invoice/documentation.
> Product Warranty will not be valid even if returned after purchased for the following cases:
> -Products that are defaced or physically damaged and modified by customer.
> ...


SAPPHIRE- HOME
No mention of 1 yrs labor, its something aditya cooked up I believe, to make people believe it has 3 yrs warranty, and when you take it to them after 2 yrs, they say 1 yr labor, so can't replace.



cute.bandar said:


> In my case I only got 1 year warranty for my 4670


Did you go the Official service center of MSI? Or ask your dealer? Dealers cheat, in kolkata supreme gives 1 year warranty for cooler master extreme psu, official service center gives 2 yrs.



ashis_lakra said:


> Does that mean if MSI is RMA'ed due to faulty VRAM, i will get full replacement ? (3 year warranty )
> 
> whereas, in case of Sapphire, they only replace the VRAM modules and send back the same card ? ( 2 yr parts warranty )
> 
> Please post your RMA experience, it would be great helpful.


You get replacement for both brands, unless it s an ancient card they do not manufacture any more, in that case either you get credit note or an equivalent gpu in return or a repaired one.


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## ashis_lakra (Jun 28, 2011)

Ordered Sapphire HD 6850 and Belkin Surge protector from theitwares.com ..*www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-excited001.gif

Waiting for it to arrive at home ! *www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-happy112.gif


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## tkin (Jun 28, 2011)

ashis_lakra said:


> Ordered Sapphire HD 6850 and Belkin Surge protector from theitwares.com ..*www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-excited001.gif
> 
> Waiting for it to arrive at home ! *www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-happy112.gif


Enjoy games and post pics.


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## ashis_lakra (Jun 28, 2011)

tkin said:


> Enjoy games and post pics.



Sure.. but the game will not look as pretty as in FULL HD resolution.. 

I only have a 18.5" Monitor with 1366x768 resolution  
(Going to upgrade to 24" Monitor within 3 months )


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## tkin (Jun 28, 2011)

ashis_lakra said:


> Sure.. but the game will not look as pretty as in FULL HD resolution..
> 
> I only have a 18.5" Monitor with 1366x768 resolution
> (Going to upgrade to 24" Monitor within 3 months )


It will look good, the objects will be smaller but quality will remain same.

Post some screenshots of games and also post some pics of the card in "Post your latest purchase" thread.


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## AcceleratorX (Jul 6, 2011)

Sapphire? I just had a Sapphire HD 5770 die on me. I'll probably go RMA it or something, but comparing to my older Asus and even GeCube cards, the Sapphire is definitely a notch down in terms of quality.

Flexing on the heatsink/fan mechanism, the card itself shaking slightly in the slot when pressure is applied - stuff like that really matters. the Asus cards I had sit rock tight in the PCIe slot, it's as if a metal is welded to the motherboard - no amount of pressure makes it flex.

As far as ATI go, I would really recommend Asus, MSI and Gigabyte. If you're on a budget, go for VTX3D or HIS. Sapphire is really more of a mid-range brand, probably on the same level as HIS.


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## tkin (Jul 6, 2011)

AcceleratorX said:


> Sapphire? I just had a Sapphire HD 5770 die on me. I'll probably go RMA it or something, but comparing to my older Asus and even GeCube cards, the Sapphire is definitely a notch down in terms of quality.
> 
> Flexing on the heatsink/fan mechanism, the card itself shaking slightly in the slot when pressure is applied - stuff like that really matters. the Asus cards I had sit rock tight in the PCIe slot, it's as if a metal is welded to the motherboard - no amount of pressure makes it flex.
> 
> As far as ATI go, I would really recommend Asus, MSI and Gigabyte. If you're on a budget, go for VTX3D or HIS. Sapphire is really more of a mid-range brand, probably on the same level as HIS.


Every electronic component can fail, msi/asus have better build quality in general but sapphire is good too, nothing comes close to the cr@p xfx makes.


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## AcceleratorX (Jul 6, 2011)

tkin said:


> Every electronic component can fail, msi/asus have better build quality in general but sapphire is good too, nothing comes close to the cr@p xfx makes.



I will have to agree with you about XFX - really poor quality stuff given the price their cards retail at! Later revisions (newer stock) of most of their cards have a cheaper PCB with less voltage control over memory and core as well as cheaper, lower latency memory chips.

I've also heard stories about really poor capacitors used in XFX boards.

In my experience, some brands are definitely better than others. I had an Asus GeForce4 MX card which had just a little aluminium block as a cooler - the card still works on an old PC used for office work by my cousin (bought December 2002 - that's 8 years and counting!)

I had an Asus V9950 GeForce FX 5900 card - it tooks some serious stress from OCing, heck, load temps used to go as high as 90 degrees on that thing! It lasted till earlier this year, a very long time given the history of heat issues of the GeForce FX and the conditions it ran under (plus, it was bought in January 2004......). Even so, the card itself still works, it's just the thermal paste from the heatsink which was no longer able to hold the heatsink/fan combo.

My GeCube Radeon HD 3870 still works - all I need to do is plug it in and it boots right up. For a 3-year old card, I have no complaints either.

I also had an XFX GeForce 6800 GT card. Failed within 1.5 years. Any amount of dust accumulating in the closed metal HSF would cause it to overheat, so I had to specifically clean it's HSF by disassembling it every 1 or 2 months. I've never seen worse.

And now, this Sapphire.....I always thought Sapphire meant quality. But this too failed in 1.5 years. I can give it for RMA since it's still in warranty, but nevertheless, it is disappointing for me to accept the bitter pill that a relatively unknown brand like GeCube did better than the famous Sapphire......

Heck, the GeCube, the Asus - looking at them, you can tell they were built to last. Well-designed HSF, extremely solid PCB, no skimping on DVI slots either. Can't say the same about my Sapphire HD 5770 or any XFX card till date.

IMO, a better brand is always worth the extra money. If you cannot get a better brand due to budget problems or any other reason, it's better to go for a card based on the reference design PCB since those cards would likely be made by a contractor to NVIDIA/AMD's quality standards rather than the individual vendors (cooling systems, however, can still vary).

EDIT: For what it's worth, my GeCube HD 3870 was based on the AMD reference design PCB, and thus was probably made to AMD's quality control. The drivers even say "built by ATI". That's probably why it's still running great.....


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