Billy Young's Blog - Posts Tagged "hd7970"

I’m on holiday fro the Easter break. A week off to enjoy. During the week I plan to write a short story which I only came up with this week while at work. Sorry but I can’t really tell you much about the project at the moment though I may post it on Goodreads or Authonomy once I complete it. Like always when you have an idea I’m filled with the excitement that you get from it. That strange rush which makes it seem like it is the best thing ever. Of course I know that everyone who create think this way. Now I have to put the idea into words and hope I do justice to the crystallizing tale in my head.
With winter still holding the land to ransom the gardening season is still to start. I was hoping to get started planting the veg for this year but it isn’t warm enough to begin that. I will be going to the garden centre next week to make plans on what to grow this year. Any plants that I get will need to be kept indoors for now though till spring truly arrives. Sadly there is little sign of that yet. Very frustrating with the sun shining brightly today.
I order a new graphic card using Bitcoins, a crypto currency which you mine using your computer. I’ve been doing this for about the past year and a half. Over the past couple of weeks though the price that they are worth has shot up this led me to decide to spend some to beef up my computer. For this reason I ordered a Radeon HD7970 from Bitcoinstore.com. After a slight delay I got an email today confirming that it has finally been sent and a tracking number. I have also been looking at a new laptop for Magz but will wait till I receive my graphics card first or the price of the coins go up before committing to getting the one I was looking at for her. Of course the price of the coins may go down as such things can do. Still Magz does need a new computer as hers is beginning to creak at the seams. I did say to her when I began mining that I would spend some of the proceeds on a new one for her so it seems like I finally might just manage that goal.

It has been a very big turn around for the price of Bitcoins over the past couple of days. From a high of over a hundred and fifty pounds it has fallen to under fifty. Sadly I hadn’t ordered Magz new computer and now don’t have enough to get it till the price comes up again. That is of course if it does. Like all such things, stocks, shares, and money market speculation it is a risk you have to weigh up. Yes it is a gamble but I’m mining the coins so less so for me.
I did finally get my new graphics card. I was worried at first because it runs very hot ninety five degrees Celsius. I did some research on the net and found that it isn’t something to worry too much about unless it hits a hundred and twenty so I feel easier. I was leaving my computer on at night to work away at earning bitcoins but Magz doesn’t feel as happy with the new card being so hot so now I turn it off. I see her point and it is best to be safe.
Magz had to go to Glasgow to collect the package on the bus. She had a long walk to the sorting office after that. She was knackered by the time she got home which was after I got home. I just wish I could have gotten her that laptop ordered before the crash. Well we can’t have everything. I’ll just have to find some way to make it up to her for going all that way for me. The worst is she found out when she got there I could have paid the import tax and handling charges online then had the thing delivered in a day or two. We’ll know next time though.

My graphics card failed spectacularly this week. I had just headed for bed on Wednesday when Magz called up to me to ask if I had switched off the computer. So I headed back down stairs to have a look to see what was going on as I had left it on. At first the system refused to power up so fear that something very serious was wrong filled me with dread. After a couple of minutes it did finally power up but as it booted into windows I heard the crackle of electricity and smelled that unmistakeable smell of burning PCB. I quickly killed the power. After removing the now defunct graphics card I checked the rest of the computers innards finding nothing towards. I powered up no problems using my I7 for a picture to my screen to find everything else was working as it should. Sadly my new XFX HD7970 showed the clear sign of a complete melt down. Sadly I can’t just send it back to the retailers to be replaced as sending it back to the USA is just a little too expensive. I have been trying to contact the manufacturer but have heard nothing back from them. The weekend I will try to get their phone number maybe calling them might give results. I would hate to think that I am now stuck with a useless waste of cash on my hands but at the moment that is exactly what I have.
Calum had a spare card that he has lent me so that I don’t need to rely on my CPU to deliver the display. Unfortunately it has meant that I can’t mine any coins at the moment. This is when I wish I had the ASIC miner that I have pre-ordered from Butterfly Labs. That though is still going through testing with only a limited number so far shipping. So it could be some time before I get mine. I expected that though when I placed the order so can’t complain. I’m just very disappointed about XFX’s product which I had high hopes for.

I still haven't managed to get a response from XFX yet. I did get a phone number but they only redirected me back to their web site. I am now waiting for them to contact me after finally, with the help of my son, registering the fail graphics card and getting a ticket number. I asked where I could send the card to get it replaced with a working unit in the UK as I couldn't afford to send it back to the USA. Now though the wait to see if they will help. If I can't get them to replace it then I am stuck with a defunct HD7970 which isn't something I will be very happy with. I do hope though that they will replace the card as it is only been in my possession for less than a month and that isn't a good advert for the company. Lets hope then.
I have a long weekend this week so I have been out in the garden planting seeds. The seedlings I had indoors have sadly mostly died off. For this reason with the help of my daughter Tammy I planted more out side. Carrots, basil, coriander, cos lettuce, iceberg lettuce, parsnips, cauliflower, corn and broccoli are all now planted. After planting I feed my strawberries as well as all the other plants that have decided to grow happily outside so far. When I say "I" really it was Tammy who did the feeding. I only mixed up the potash feed. Later in the season I still have to plant some brussel sprouts but that will be at least a month away as I want them to be ready come winter. The nearer Christmas the better really as then they can be used for the festive season. Later planting I hope will give me what I am looking for.

I have finally made headway concerning my XFX HD7970 graphics card after two weeks of trying. They have emailed me the address to send the card to in the Netherlands so they can have a look at it and once they have send me a replacement. All I have to do now is post them the card then wait for them to do their thing in checking it which can take two weeks or there about. At least I have made progress and will have things sorted within a month or so, fingers crossed.
At work there was some discord today. I did some overtime on Wednesday and was told I would be paid for it. The usual action recently has been for us to take the time back but this time there was an inspection from one of the supermarkets we supply so they need some people to work on to get things ship-shape. Well I agreed under the understanding we would be paid this time as I said only today our supervisor said that we were to just take the time back. I was of course unhappy at this and told him I wouldn't be working on to see to the retort today. I was then called to the office and got an assurance from the office head that I was to be paid for Wednesday's overtime. At the same time they requested that I cover the retort today as they would be running over the usual time to fill an urgent order. I was reasonable so said I would as I had been told I would receive my due for my commitment to the company. Alls well that ends well, lets hope I have my extra two hours in next weeks wages.