Advice - display breaks down as card heats up

[Axon]

I'm running an ATi 9800 Pro. Everything looks perfectly fine right after a boot, but as I leave the system on, my visuals begin to break down. Text becomes blurry (like your refresh rate is too low) and windows icons become blotchy.

Is this a known phenomenon, or is my card possibly defective? I wish I had another 9800 pro just to test to be certain. Games run fine. The card is not overclocked nor has it ever been. My case could be cooler, but who's couldn't?

 

[MDE]

Try to underclock the card and see what happens. Also, try aiming a fan (anything will do) at the card with the side panel off the case.

 

[modedepe]

Well how cool is your case? What is the airflow like?

 

[Axon]

I really don't know how to define my airflow, but I don't have a lot of fans in there. Other than the fan on the GPU, the heatsink, and the fan that blows outward, there's nothing else going on. I know my chip stays around 98 degrees farenheight, but the case feels pretty warm. I know I need more.

The problem is wheter or not this does happen when a vid card gets too hot. I'm not sure if the card is defective, or if it's just the heat.

 

[Zap]

I'm not sure if it would be considered "faulty" but it is not an unknown phenomenon. A friend of mine has a Radeon 9700 Pro AIW and he has a similar problem. His temporary solution is to use a fan (Nidec Gamma 28 blower, actually) pointed at the card (also, never been overclocked). This solves all his video problems (but doesn't make him play games any better, LOL). I think probably nVidia erred on the side of safety with their FX5800U "leafblower" coolers while ATI just plain erred with not putting enough cooling on their high-end cards.

 

[Boogak]

I'm inclined to say it's a defective card. My old 9700 Pro AIW and current 9800 Pro do not exhibit these problems, nor do alot of other folks' cards. If it's already crapping out in 2d, that's a broken card.

 

[Mem]

I would have to agree! It does sound like a defective card,you could try it in another PC to make sure, but my money is on a faulty card.

 

[Axon]

I'm leaning that way too...I hesitate to call ATi, as they want $20 for a live consultation! Jeez. I guess I'll just e-mail.

 

[Pete]

Why not throw an extra $3 fan into the front of your case? A card that hot, on top of a hot CPU, really requires decent airflow. I don't think a single exhaust fan constitutes decent airflow, particularly if you have a powerful CPU in there, too (2.5+GHz).

If you want to try to eliminate an overly hot case as the culprit before blowing $5 on a fan, remove the side of the case and try replicating the progressively blurrier display.

 

[Viper96720]

Well how hot is it in there? Use on of those temp monitor programs.

 

[Axon]

Please suggest a program - I'm sort of a n00b at this.

EDIT: Got Mobo Monitor.

96 degrees CPU Socket

123 degrees in the case

377 on the CPU Diode.

Is that like, terrible?

 

[modedepe]

If that case temp is right, then that would be your problem. Your case is a complete oven. However, I don't think it's right, especially with it reading your socket temp being lower.

 

[Defector]

This story reminds me of the day I screwed a 486 fan to my TNT1, and my random Quake2 lockups went away.

Take the side off your case and aim a desk fan at the internals.

See what happens.

 

[Defector]

Any chance it could be your monitor?

 

[Axon]

My other comp's display is crystal-clear and always perfect no matter what the conditions. I guess it could be the monitor, but I doubt it.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: Axon
Please suggest a program - I'm sort of a n00b at this.

EDIT: Got Mobo Monitor.

96 degrees CPU Socket

123 degrees in the case

377 on the CPU Diode.

Is that like, terrible?

Those temps cannot be right.

As suggested by Defector, take off the side panel and aim a desk fan at it.

Also, post your airflow specs (intake, exhaust fans) - or better yet, remove the side panel and take a picture.

- M4H

 

[Axon]

Even in Farenheight?

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: Axon
Even in Farenheight?

Yes. The CPU socket temp would not be that low if your CPU diode was showing 377F.

For an idea of how hot that is, you bake cookies at 350F. Your CPU would be very, VERY dead.

- M4H

 

[Axon]

Supposedly, this board is missing a particular sensor. Obviously I'm a n00b at this, so I can't say exactly what's not there.

Anyway, how about the other two readings? Within reason?

 

[Cerb]

If it's case at 96, CPU socket at 123, and random screwed up reading at 377, it would be OK, *if* you ambient temp is around 75F.

 

[BenSkywalker]

If that case temp is right, then that would be your problem. Your case is a complete oven. However, I don't think it's right, especially with it reading your socket temp being lower.

If his 'case' temp sensor is next to the AGP slot with a R9800Pro his 'case' temp could easily be higher then the under socket temp. Prior to some shuffling around of fans in my case I was seeing my temp sensors from the AGP slot edging out my socket temps also, and that was when I had two lower volume fans already blowing directly on to the board(attatched to a side panel). Moved one of my higher CFM fans over next to and slightly below the R9800P and another slightly above and behind the board and my 'case' temp readings dropped ~10C.

123 degrees in the case

That's about what I was seeing for temps(slightly higher, but close), it's down to a bit over 100F(40C). For comparison, the ambient temp on the top portion of my mobo is 83F(28.2C) right now, my AGP based sensor is @104F(41C)- 21F/13C over the 'case' temp. The R9800Pro runs extremely hot, I'm planning on getting the Arctic Cooler to put on the board that exhausts the heat outside of the case, you might look in to that also.

 

[Axon]

You guys are correct on both counts - my house is typically around 75-80 degrees and the 9800 Pro is very close to the sensor.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: Axon
You guys are correct on both counts - my house is typically around 75-80 degrees and the 9800 Pro is very close to the sensor.

Then get yourself some more cooling.

If you can post a pic of your case internals, that'd be great - otherwise, describe where the fans are located in your machine, size/speed, etc. My guess is you've got some airflow issues.

- M4H

 

[Axon]

Most definetly have airflow issues. I have no extra fans in there beyond the heatsink/fan that came with the AMD chip, the exhaust fan on my case, and the fan on the 9800.

However, I've discovered that aiming a Vornado desk fan directly at the case is very helpful. No problems once I did that....

 

[Cerb]

OK, cool.
Now make a mental note to get a new case when you upgrade