Interference on Powecolor 4870 X2

[Dkcode]

I have a slight issue with my new card. Basically i am getting a slight interference on my monitor: horizontal wavy lines shimmering slightly in the background, the sort you get if your using a crap VGA cable on a digital flat panel.

The interference is only minor, but it is noticeable in 2D mode, certainly enough to know something is going on with the picture. Certain colours extenuate it more than others. Such when you click the shut down button in Windows XP and the screen fades to grey. Call of Duty 4 extenuates it quite badly when your stood still in dark areas.

I have tried the latest 8.8 official and the 8.54 betas. I get the problem when out of the OS, such as booting Vista CD's.

I have tried 2 different monitors with 2 different data cables.

I have also installed Windows XP pro on a spare hard drive with same affect.

I have also installed Windows Vista x86 on a spare hard drive with same affect.

Tried reseating the card, also pushed the card in as far as it would go without screwing the backplate in to prevent the slight lift at the back.

The power supply is a Corsair HX620 and the card is connected via 1 6 pin PCI-E plug and 1 8 pin PCI-E plug. No molex adapters have been used or tested.

This also occurs on my other LCD monitor, so its not the cables nor the screen. Does anyone else have this issue before i decide to RMA? If anyone is using an X2 can they test out if they get the same problem? Best way to test is to load COD4, go to a dark area and stare close up at the wall.

 

[Dkcode]

bump

 

[apoppin]

If anyone is using an X2 can they test out if they get the same problem? Best way to test is to load COD4, go to a dark area and stare close up at the wall.

i am testing 4970-X2 .. i benchmarked it yesterday with 7 games and i don't get what you are talking about

What sort of FPS are you getting when it is most noticeable?

there IS "micro stutter" present, and a slight stutter - even a slight waviness i guess, when the frames don't synch perfectly
- i can see it but i am not bothered by it

Try running your X2 with at least 4xMSAA, adaptive AA enabled, and make sure you are using tent or edge detect settings so it is no longer AFR. You FPS might take a dive but you will not have micro stutter.

EDIT i see you also get it in 2 D

perhaps the GPUs are not synched properly; someone mentioned something similar happening with 3870x2 .. and it would happen with my 2900xt crossfire if the drivers were messed up, occasionally. They would be out of synch with each other
Your LCD is connected to the DVI? no adapters?

 

[Dkcode]

Thanks for posting,

The issue is not performance related, something is interfering with the display.

Its strange, could be something to do with drivers, as i don't notice the issue in the BIOS, but colour is limited to test. When booting from a Vista CD, i notice the issue on the backdrop during the first setup screen. Maybe the default driver does not sync up the GPU's as you mentioned?

I am using a dual link DVI cable on my 30" monitor. I have also used my old 24" monitor with the DVI - HMDI cable and the problem still exists.

I have also used both DVI ports on the video card and the same happens.

I will take this card to my friends and try it on his machine if he is ok with that, if the problem still exists on a second machine i'll RMA the card and get it replaced.

 

[Dkcode]

Just forced Vync through CCC and it has reduced the flickering considerably. There is something there, but barely noticeable.

I take it syncing of the GPU's is a lower level function? Something i can not sort out unless i change drivers (something i have done).

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: Dkcode
Thanks for posting,

The issue is not performance related, something is interfering with the display.

Its strange, could be something to do with drivers, as i don't notice the issue in the BIOS, but colour is limited to test. When booting from a Vista CD, i notice the issue on the backdrop during the first setup screen. Maybe the default driver does not sync up the GPU's as you mentioned?

I am using a dual link DVI cable on my 30" monitor. I have also used my old 24" monitor with the DVI - HMDI cable and the problem still exists.

I have also used both DVI ports on the video card and the same happens.

I will take this card to my friends and try it on his machine if he is ok with that, if the problem still exists on a second machine i'll RMA the card and get it replaced.

the X2 might just be faulty

let us know what happens at your friends and also when/if you get you new one back from RMA, please

 

[ntemples1]

The card isn't faulty I have been through 2 cards (Sapphire and Powercolor) and they have both done the same thing. I don't get it on desktop though but it is there in COD4 especially when looking at a dark wall or something, it goes when I switch Vsync on, also on the main menu in crysis I get flickering lines on the top 1/3 and bottom 1/3 of the screen, also they go when i enable vsync. We are not the only ones as I posted this issue in futuremark and other people there have the same issue. I think it is driver related as I DON'T get any problems when running Bioshock, HL2, STALKER or Mass Effect, no problems whatsoever. I was on the 8.8 betas and now I am on the 8.9 betas and it's still doing it.

 

[Dkcode]

Damn, i was hoping the card was faulty as i have ordered a Sapphire card to test.

Guess i'll have to send the card back then.

I do get the issue in 2D mode, certain backgrounds suffer the most and its annoying. I can live with it in certain 3D games but not in 2D mode, its not acceptable.

Could you post me a link to your other thread ntemples?

Originally posted by: apoppin
let us know what happens at your friends and also when/if you get you new one back from RMA, please

Sure.

Edit: Appopin: you mention you do not get this issue, what brand of 4870X2 do you have?

 

[ntemples1]

Yeah sure here is the thread

http://futuremark.yougamers.co...showthread.php?t=88859

But i would hold on a bit as i think this is a driver issue that the will fix, and i went back to a GTX280 and was really surprised how much grunt the HD4870X2 had compared to it, it's a fantastic card, just need to iron out some issues..

 

[Dkcode]

Thanks for the link.

As for the driver issue i am not so sure, i notice it before any drivers have loaded. BIOS, Windows setup ect.

Maybe i just have a defective card, i'll report back soon.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: Dkcode
Damn, i was hoping the card was faulty as i have ordered a Sapphire card to test.

Guess i'll have to send the card back then.

I do get the issue in 2D mode, certain backgrounds suffer the most and its annoying. I can live with it in certain 3D games but not in 2D mode, its not acceptable.

Could you post me a link to your other thread ntemples?

Originally posted by: apoppin
let us know what happens at your friends and also when/if you get you new one back from RMA, please

Sure.

Edit: Appopin: you mention you do not get this issue, what brand of 4870X2 do you have?

VisionTek

if you are getting it in several games, or on startup, it appears to be a bad card. Let us know

i do see a little micro stutter in mine. But frankly i hate my 4870 at 19x12 .. it is not smooth at the framerates it is showing
- perhaps 512MB is insufficient

 

[Dkcode]

New card suffers the same issue. Must be a characteristic of the X2.

What annoys me is this is visible in 2D mode also, maybe i am sensitive to this kind of thing, it does not jump out in your face but its there enough for me to know its happening.

Very disappointing really as this card has some serious power, but it has been very troublesome. Issues with drivers which took many hours to get right, had 2 crashes last night loading a game and it gets so hot the sticker has started to bubble away from the cooler - my case has pleanty of airflow and is fairly large inside (Akasa Mirage 62).

What annoys me the most is i bought this card for a brand new 30" monitor, i would quite happily go back to my old 24" LG and 8800GTX but i threw the box away for this screen, now i am stuck with it.

 

[ntemples1]

I still think it is driver related, hang in there and see what they come up with. Also going back to an inferior card isn't easy, i tried rolling back to a GTX280 and it just seemed so slow in comparision!

 

[Dkcode]

What monitor are you using mate?

 

[ntemples1]

I am using a Dell 20.1 2007WFP Ultrasharp monitor, but I am looking to get a 24" monitor if i can just find one without input lag!!

 

[MichaelD]

Sorry to hear that you're having problems w/your X2. I have run my Sapphire 4870X2 in the rig in my sig, and an Abit IP35 Pro/Q6600@3.2GHz systems and have no flickering whatsover in 2D or 3D. I even ran CoD4 on the rig in my sig and don't see what you do.

I was going to suggest a possible powersupply problem, but you've tried the card in a few different systems with diff cables, so that rules that out.

The card's got to be bad. I don't have perfect vision by any means, but I too am sensitive to flickering/stuttering and I just don't see it on my card.

I think you'll have better luck w/the Sapphire; mine is great. Good luck.

Side Note: How's the power in your area? I run off a pretty beefy UPS with Auto Voltage Regulation...the power where I'm at SUCKS. It goes up/down +/- 5-10 volts every few hours. If your power is bad and your friend's in the same neighborhood is too, that would effect your PC/monitor.

 

[nitromullet]

Originally posted by: ntemples1
I still think it is driver related, hang in there and see what they come up with. Also going back to an inferior card isn't easy, i tried rolling back to a GTX280 and it just seemed so slow in comparision!

Originally posted by: ntemples1
I am using a Dell 20.1 2007WFP Ultrasharp monitor, but I am looking to get a 24" monitor if i can just find one without input lag!!

I'm really surprised you noticed a difference between the 4870 X2 and a GTX 280 at 1680x1050. For me, the performance difference wasn't even significant in most cases at 1920x1200.

 

[Dkcode]

I decided to send both X2's back for a refund. My GTX 280 arrived today and took less than 15 minutes to install and get working properly. No wavy lines this time round.

The X2 has some issues as we all know, but i have never used a piece of hardware that has been so troublesome. Its a real shame as the card is very, very fast. Twice the speed of the GTX 280 in some of my games.

I may sell this 30" monitor and go back to my 24" as i don't think the 280 will hold out on Christmas titles very well @ 2560x1600.

Anyway, thanks for all your suggestions.

 

[MichaelD]

I installed Stalker last night (patched to the latest available: 1.6) and the game starts up and I can get to the control panel to configure video/game/audio options. BUT, when starting a new game, I just get a black screen with a ton of flickering, multicolored lines across the top 25% of the screen...and the PC hard locks.

I am running the latest DirectX but still running the Cat 8.8s. I will update the Cats to 8.9 tonight and try again.

This is the only game it happens in so far. UT3/Gears of War/CoD4/Oblivion all run perfectly...and look puuuuurty. My card is obviously good since I can game all day long with the games listed and have no 2D problems at all.

This problem really has me I'm hoping the 8.9CATS fix it!

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: Dkcode
I decided to send both X2's back for a refund. My GTX 280 arrived today and took less than 15 minutes to install and get working properly. No wavy lines this time round.

The X2 has some issues as we all know, but i have never used a piece of hardware that has been so troublesome. Its a real shame as the card is very, very fast. Twice the speed of the GTX 280 in some of my games.

I may sell this 30" monitor and go back to my 24" as i don't think the 280 will hold out on Christmas titles very well @ 2560x1600.

Anyway, thanks for all your suggestions.

is there a problem with running 19x12 on a 26x16 LCD?
- you end up with the screen size being close to 24", don't you? - if you don't mind the black bars around your now downsized screen. i don't have a problem dropping to a smaller size on my 19x12; is it any different with yours?

i have no issues with my X2 .. nor my 280GTX
- i DO have issues with CF-X3, however.

And Clear Sky crashed on me - also with Cat 8,8, Michael - i was in such a hurry to try it, i didn't wait to install Cat 8.9. With 8.9 there are no issues so far and it runs pretty slowly on my X-3 .. barely sufficient FPS at 19x12 with every setting i can max, maxed out

 

[MichaelD]

I am overjoyed to report that the CAT8.9s fixed everything! :heart: I just played Stalker for a few minutes...just running around the first level there and shooting the dogs.

At 19x12 with everything at max and AA set at 3/4's of the max (is that 2sAA? 4xAA??) I get 80-88FPS outside and 120FPS+ inside. I love this card! And I really appreciate the fact that ATI...er AMD still continues to pump out a new release every month which fixes known issues and introduces new capabilities. I have no intentions of updating the driver every month just to update UNLESS I'm having a problem.

@APOPPIN: Ironically, I just ordered Clear Sky today. So, it is a resource pig, huh? Well, 19x12 with all details maxed out requires series hardware (which we have) but I guess these newer games are just incredibly hungry.

If you think about it, it's really no different than when the original Stalker came out. Nobody could max out the settings at high res, so we played with all the sliders at the halfway point and we still loved the game. And that's the point, right?

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: MichaelD
I am overjoyed to report that the CAT8.9s fixed everything! :heart: I just played Stalker for a few minutes...just running around the first level there and shooting the dogs.

At 19x12 with everything at max and AA set at 3/4's of the max (is that 2sAA? 4xAA??) I get 80-88FPS outside and 120FPS+ inside. I love this card! And I really appreciate the fact that ATI...er AMD still continues to pump out a new release every month which fixes known issues and introduces new capabilities. I have no intentions of updating the driver every month just to update UNLESS I'm having a problem.

@APOPPIN: Ironically, I just ordered Clear Sky today. So, it is a resource pig, huh? Well, 19x12 with all details maxed out requires series hardware (which we have) but I guess these newer games are just incredibly hungry.

If you think about it, it's really no different than when the original Stalker came out. Nobody could max out the settings at high res, so we played with all the sliders at the halfway point and we still loved the game. And that's the point, right?

DX10 *kills* performance - by half
- but i *can* play Clear Sky - just like with my 2900xt/8800-GTX on Stalker's first week - with every setting [now DX10] fully maxed; Right now. i bet when i change to x48 MB and get my CPU to 4.5Ghz, it will be decent with CF-x3. i also want to play it on my 280GTX; i need to create some demo runs.

if you use STALKER's max settings, it is still fast and looks better

 

[MichaelD]

DX10, huh? I've stayed away from Vista; though the lure of more than 4GB of RAM has been very, very tempting. But, a GPU with 2GB of onboard texture memory sorta takes that problem away, doesn't it?

if you use STALKER's max settings, it is still fast and looks better

When I first got the game going tonight, I had the AA at default (25%). I raised it to 75% thinking my FPS would probably suffer, but being that I was at 80FPS at minimum I figured I could stand to lose 10% or so.

Much to my surprise, moving the slider to 75% affect the framerate exactly 0%. I love this card! I will try full AA (is it 4xAA or 8xAA?????) tonight after dinner.

 

[apoppin]

there is no "real aa" .. just a blurring of the textures on STALKER; Max the AF and every other setting with a X2; there are still slowdowns but only occasionally; with 280GTX also
.. i don't know about DX10 features in CS yet; i haven't played it an hour

check the new CS tweak guide .. i got to run for work