7800gtx artifacts (3dmark05)

[AiponGkooja]

Will do, but I'll still be getting a new PSU. And also updating my BIOS if someone feels like telling me how, heh

 

[funks]

had a similar problem with BFG - multicolored screen during bootup from time to time..

Probably bad video RAM, considering it's only happening to you at 3D - you might want to get the NiBitor and modify your bios and drop the memory speed to 1250, or 1200 mhz instead..

 

[AiponGkooja]

How do we know it's only happening at 3D? Just because it doesn't do it on my desktop or while surfing/etc?

 

[BFG10K]

Sooooo, does someone that suggested updating my BIOS want to tell me HOW?

If you have no floppy disk then you can make a bootable CD and do it that way.

As for the BIOS file, I can't help you there if your own manufacturer doesn't have your motherboard listed. Are you sure your motherboard is the one you think it is?

 

[AiponGkooja]

Yes, yes I am. And I have the BIOS file, I just have no idea which flash tool I am supposed to get...the "in Windows" program doesn't work at all, with the above mentioned error messages.

 

[DrZoidberg]

well i think its the 77.77 drivers.

I have a 6600gt with 71.89 drivers i overclocked from 550/1125 to 577/1175 easily ran 3dmark several times, played weeks of games.

Then i updated to 77.77 drivers AND used driver cleaner before installing. Now it artifacts when i overclock, I have to run it at stock speed I also uninstalled winfox tools but i think its more the 77.77 drivers.

 

[AiponGkooja]

Update: Put in the new power supply, hooked everything up, reinstalled drivers (tried both 77.77 and 77.76...will try others later maybe) used coolbits to go back to default clock speeds, ran 3dmark05 (no artifacts that I saw), ran it again (a couple artifacts that were hard to notice), ran it again (bigger ones that were very noticable...damn it...). So yeah...cool...and tomorrow around noon I move back into college, yay...

I'm gonna try World of Warcraft for a bit, and see if it locks up my computer. If it does, I will be pissed, but hey, I always have a nice 6600gt to fall back on while I RMA I guess... It will be a hassle to do from school though, bleh.

Ok, that's enough complaining I guess. I will report on the WoW test later maybe.

Thanks to everyone again for helping me out,
Aip

 

[AsianriceX]

Originally posted by: AiponGkooja
Update: Put in the new power supply, hooked everything up, reinstalled drivers (tried both 77.77 and 77.76...will try others later maybe) used coolbits to go back to default clock speeds, ran 3dmark05 (no artifacts that I saw), ran it again (a couple artifacts that were hard to notice), ran it again (bigger ones that were very noticable...damn it...). So yeah...cool...and tomorrow around noon I move back into college, yay...

I'm gonna try World of Warcraft for a bit, and see if it locks up my computer. If it does, I will be pissed, but hey, I always have a nice 6600gt to fall back on while I RMA I guess... It will be a hassle to do from school though, bleh.

Ok, that's enough complaining I guess. I will report on the WoW test later maybe.

Thanks to everyone again for helping me out,
Aip

Did you even look at the thread I linked to? Don't give up man!

Here's my advice. Install Rivatuner from Guru3D. Start up Rivatuner and start up the hardware monitoring so you can see what clock speed your card is running at. Leave it running and run 3dmark for a minute. Kill 3dmark and look at what the Forceware drivers are setting your 3d clock speed at.

If it's not higher than what your "default" clock speeds are supposed to be at, I'll eat my 7800GT. I swear, the problem is in the drivers. Your card is already OC'd from the factory, so there's little, if any headroom for the core to clock higher without artifacting, so the drivers ramp up the frequency an additional 39MHz over the overclock for some unknown reason, and you run a 3d app, you're suddenly in artifact land.

Take your "default" clock speed. Subtract 38MHz and set that speed in coolbits. Then run Rivatuner and 3dmark. You'll be pleasantly surprised and all you have to do is wait until Nvidia fixes this driver issue. And if that fixes it, don't forget to tell coolbits to use those settings every time you start your computer, otherwise it resets to No Overclocking and uses the wrong clockspeed.

 

[imported_michaelpatrick33]

Originally posted by: AiponGkooja
GPU matched with ram speed? I have 2x1gb OCZ Platinum 2-3-2-5 T1 @ 201mhz. Optimal frequencies it says are 472/1325.

Edit: Did it again and it gave me 475/1320 and 3dmark05 reads 516.4/1300. Oh, and it made the artifacts worse. Now I notice them when just watching the benchmark, as opposed to when I was actually looking for them. Temp still only goes to about 72C

Hmmm. I hadn't heard that before. I have my 7800GTX at 523core and 1420 memory running Patriot 1gig dimms (2 of them) at 196 and I score a little over 9000 in 3d mark 05. Should I lower my overclock on my video card? (CPU is X2 4400+ at 2750)

 

[AiponGkooja]

Yes, I did see that thread, and I don't like the idea of downclocking my factory overclock that I paid for... ATM when I run 3dmark05 it tells me it is set to 450, instead of the 504 that it used to say, but I still get the artifacts. Also, other people have these cards and overclock them more, so that doesn't really make sense...if they are ALL reading wrong, some of those people have the cards clocked to 600+...

I will get Rivatuner though and see what that says...

Also, I don't think lower scores in 3dmark05 after downclocking my factory overclocked card just so that it works how it's supposed to (works, but slower) would be "pleasantly surprising", but that's me.

 

[AsianriceX]

Originally posted by: AiponGkooja
Yes, I did see that thread, and I don't like the idea of downclocking my factory overclock that I paid for... ATM when I run 3dmark05 it tells me it is set to 450, instead of the 504 that it used to say, but I still get the artifacts. Also, other people have these cards and overclock them more, so that doesn't really make sense...if they are ALL reading wrong, some of those people have the cards clocked to 600+...

I will get Rivatuner though and see what that says...

Also, I don't think lower scores in 3dmark05 after downclocking my factory overclocked card just so that it works how it's supposed to (works, but slower) would be "pleasantly surprising", but that's me.

Here's the thing. How do we know that 3dmark05 isn't just pulling the clock readings directly from the driver itself, rather than from the card like how Rivatuner does?

What I'm trying to explain with the "downclocking" is, that while it's set lower in coolbits, the driver is internally adding 38MHz to your clock speed for some unknown reason, so in all actuality, you're running at your advertised "factory overclocked" speed.

As for "other people have these cards and overclock more," you are never guaranteed anything over manufacturer spec. Just because some people can OC more, doesn't mean you can.

 

[AiponGkooja]

I understand about the overclocking, just said that because 600+ seems kinda ridiculous, but I guess some cards could be magical enough to hit that without any problems.

Anyway, I got Rivatuner, so I'll check that quick, but then I'm going to try the 78.11 forceware (not official yet, but people seem to like it)

Tells me 501.43, you win that one

 

[AsianriceX]

Originally posted by: AiponGkooja
I understand about the overclocking, just said that because 600+ seems kinda ridiculous, but I guess some cards could be magical enough to hit that without any problems.

Anyway, I got Rivatuner, so I'll check that quick, but then I'm going to try the 78.11 forceware (not official yet, but people seem to like it)

Tells me 501.43, you win that one

Hey, I'm just happy I don't have to eat my video card

 

[AiponGkooja]

Ok, downclocked to 455 (based on rivatuner), which is below the factory OC, and I still get artifacts...except now I get artifacts AND a bad 3dmark05 score Soooo, now can we all just admit that it's a bad card? haha

Someone else suggested somewhere to downclock the memory as well, and I DID notice that when I do that I at least don't get artifacts in WoW. I dunno, this card probably still beats everything's ass even when downclocked a little. For the money I paid, however, I want it to perform as advertised, and I don't think that's asking too much

 

[AsianriceX]

So you downclocked to something around 415MHz with coolbits, rivatuner reported 455MHz the whole time you ran 3dmark, and you're still getting artifacts? Well damn, that sucks, maybe the card really is bad.

But you still have to admit, it's pretty strange seeing the drivers ramp up the frequency much higher than it was told to set it at. I really thought I was going to have to RMA my card until I saw rivatuner's graph.

 

[AiponGkooja]

Only thing left to try is my BIOS if I can ever figure out how to update it. Got a floppy drive (still need to install it), but I don't know which files to get because ASUS's site is crap

 

[AiponGkooja]

Quick update, just because. Still haven't been able to update my BIOS, but I ran some more tests that I thought I'd share.

Using Rivatuner and rthdribl, I found that my video card's temp goes to 80 under load, not 72 (cools off fast, so during the time it took to open the nvidia program it was usually at 72 or lower). Also, I reset the clock speeds to default and ran rthdribl for a while and only saw 1 little graphic abnormality. I just changed settings and window size until the fps was about 30 and let it go while I checked on temps every so often. It did, however, lock up my computer after running for about 20 minutes, just like WoW did after playing for a few hours (usually during flight paths, which is the most graphic intensive part of the game for me at the moment).

 

[AiponGkooja]

Finally got my BIOS updated to 1013. Reinstalled chipset and video drivers, put the card back to stock speeds, and it still artifacts in 3dmark05 and locks up my computer in rthdribl after less than an hour

Won't be RMAing though, since I messed with the clock speeds and that voids the warranty (yes, downclocking voids it too). So I guess I'll just keep it downclocked a little and use it until I decide to buy a couple evga's (warranty covers EVERYTHING, even OVERclocking damage!!!! )

Thanks for everyone's help though, at least my computer is all up-to-date with BIOS and drivers and whatnot.

-Aip

 

[bcoupland]

I think that you should be fine RMA'ing it (legally and morally). The card simply didn't work properly at factory speeds. You underclocked it, that shouldn't be a problem, you were only trying to figure out whether the card was causing a problem rather than the PSU. As I said before, the card was defective at stock speeds and BFG should be held accountable for that. I don't agree with people rmaing cards that they damaged themselves by vmodding, ocing or otherwise voiding the warranty, but your card was defective from day 1.

 

[AiponGkooja]

Actually, I double checked with BFG, since they already knew everything that was going on because I just kept replying back and forth with their answers and new questions of mine, and they said it was ok.

"At this point, I think we can go a head and deem that card as a defective one.
If you would like to setup a warranty replacement RMA, and are currently in the
US or Canada, please contact BFG via phone at 1-866-BFG-FIXX (1-866-234-3499)."

I think that's pretty awesome of them

 

[Elfear]

Hope your new card works out better for you. Let us know what happens with it.

By the way, the 600+ core frequencies you saw were on cards that had been vmodded to provide more volts to the core and memory. More than likely they were either watercooled or were using dry ice. There is NO way a stock card could pull those kinds of numbers although I have heard of a few that would do 520-540MHz.

 

[AsianriceX]

I know you have a BFG card, but this recent thread on evga's community forums helps address those with evga problems.

Text

Apparently they're going to fix it with a driver update...

 

[AiponGkooja]

Well, it's been a while since I updated, but I hadn't sent my old card until just recently because of some nice harddrive problems I started having. Sent it on the 16th, standard ground fedex, got there the 17th (one day for standard ground... :thumbsup: ). Checked the status of it, and they had already sent out the replacement 5 hours after mine arrived... another :thumbsup: The replacement got here yesterday. Opened it up, checked it out, noticed the BIOS was a ***.01, which I thought was weird since the tech support guy told me .25 was the latest one. Then I took a good look at the heatsink label, and it's a 7800gt............... That's entirely uncool...

Can't use it yet anyway though, since I still need to purchase a new harddrive, but I will definitely be contacting them about that one...

Anyway, once I finally DO get my computer up and running, and receive the right card from BFG, I will update again.

 

[vikingblade]

this entire thing is amazing. i feel for ya man. what a freakin nightmare.

 

[AiponGkooja]

Just an update, I got the replacement GTX a while ago, but have been having problems with something else for a while (http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=27&threadid=1686572). I put it in, set to no overclock, ran rivatuner with rthdribl for about an hour and no crashes. Temps hit 79-80 and sat there, rivatuner read 501/1300 clock speeds. Ran 3dmark05 right after closing rthdribl, and no artifacts and a score of ~8070.

I am happy. Thanks to everyone who tried to help, even though it was apparently impossible since it was a faulty card

-Aip