4870 x2 on a 780sli motherboard???

[Highwood]

Here is my situation, I bought a “new” ATI 4870 x2 off ebay, it arrived Friday not in the original packaging like I was lead to believe.

It was packaged very poorly and the box was in bad shape.

To make sure it was not DOA I decided to try installing it on my EVGA 780 sli mb instead of waiting until my new MB arrive sometime next week.

The performance of this card is not what I expected not quite as good as my 8800 GTX, I get massive artifacts on the first test in 3D Mark Vantage, and when I tried reinstalling the OS, Vista home premium 64 bit, it causes the system to bsod.

Have I got a bad 4870 x2 or is this a compatibility issue
between the card and the MB chipset.

[Blín D'ñero]

Not that i know of any compatibilty issue. I'm afraid you bought a brick. <--- let's change this to "maybe a brick, but maybe not"

Check these:
You did put it in the first pc-e x16 slot? Latest motherboard BIOS installed? The PSU is powerful enough? And uninstalled and completely wiped the nvidia drivers?
Best test is format and reinstall Windows, maybe that solves your issue and then you can relax.

[Highwood]

It's in the first pci-e slot.

1,000w Antec power supply

I get a BSOD when I try to install Vista with this card installed.

[Debello]

Here is my situation, I bought a “new” ATI 4870 x2 off ebay, it arrived Friday not in the original packaging like I was lead to believe.

It was packaged very poorly and the box was in bad shape.

To make sure it was not DOA I decided to try installing it on my EVGA 780 sli mb instead of waiting until my new MB arrive sometime next week.

The performance of this card is not what I expected not quite as good as my 8800 GTX, I get massive artifacts on the first test in 3D Mark Vantage, and when I tried reinstalling the OS, Vista home premium 64 bit, it causes the system to bsod.

Have I got a bad 4870 x2 or is this a compatibility issue
between the card and the MB chipset.

I would say the card is DOA, but you may want to check and make sure that your motherboard Bios is the latest and greatest.

[Highwood]

I updated the Bios last night.

[Blín D'ñero]

Reinstalling Windows is quickest while at the same time provides the most accurate test for your card.
That's what you're doing. At what stage of the process are you getting BSOD?
Did you have the same Vista on this machine before? And is it Vista SP1?
Is the system overclocked? If yes, try with bios default settings.

Try with internet disconnected.

[kn00tcn]

this may be out there but is it a used 3870x2 posing as a 4870x2?