Odd problem with X850XT, maybe something else?

[wazzledoozle]

Well I just built my new system with the following specs-
A64 3200+ Venice
EpoX 9NPA+ SLI
Corsair 512x2 pc3200
Sapphire X850XT

I am running Omega based on Cats 6.5, and the latest Nforce4 drivers for this board from Epox. Even have the latest bios.

Now the problem:
I am not sure what exactly causes this, I cant reproduce it in any specific procedure, it just happens randomly. It seems to happen a lot when I am switching between my desktop and a game, or going from a game back to desktop-
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/wazzledoozle/wtf_1.jpg

My screen becomes garbled as hell and the only fix is a reboot. Upon reboot, if I let windows load normally, I come to this-
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/wazzledoozle/wtf_2.jpg


I have to hold F8 and go to last known good configuration for windows to boot properly after an occurance of the first screenshot.

Any ideas? This is starting to really piss me off.

Some additional info-
-XP Pro SP2 fresh install for this build, latest updates
-Hanns G 19" widescreen LCD 1440x900 through DVI
-I got the 3200+ and Epox board 2nd hand from fellow AT'r, although I dont see how the motherboard could be causing this. I have absolutely no stability problems or artifacting in games.

 

[Gautama2]

Is it all games are just one?

 

[apoppin]

try running the regular Cats from ATi - not Omegas
[the 2nd latest]

 

[Nightmare225]

Either overheating or driver issues.

 

[wazzledoozle]

I went back to the ATI Catalyst 6.7 and I am still having the problem. My card never goes above 55 celsius, and this is a fresh install of windows so I dont know what could be conflicting...

And yes, it seems to happen on all games at some point.
I forgot to mention, I have an Audigy 2. Think that could be causing it?

 

[OCNewbie]

I had the same problem with that monitor and a Connect3D X800GTO card, using the DVI cable. I did not try the VGA cable. I'm not 100% sure but I believe I tried the monitor with my Nvidia 6800 card via DVI and didn't have the issue. Might be a bad DVI port, have you tried another LCD via DVI? Or perhaps it's a conflict with ATI chips and that monitor, but I had the EXACT same problem.

My "solution" was after I booted up, I could still see the mouse cursor if I moved it around, and I waited for the hourglass to go away, then used a keyboard combo to access my "Quake 2" shortcut, which changed the monitor's mode I guess, then I just dumped out of Q2 and back to desktop and all was fine, took all of 10-15 seconds. But hardly a sufficient fix =)

 

[wazzledoozle]

Originally posted by: OCNewbie
I had the same problem with that monitor and a Connect3D X800GTO card, using the DVI cable. I did not try the VGA cable. I'm not 100% sure but I believe I tried the monitor with my Nvidia 6800 card via DVI and didn't have the issue. Might be a bad DVI port, have you tried another LCD via DVI? Or perhaps it's a conflict with ATI chips and that monitor, but I had the EXACT same problem.

My "solution" was after I booted up, I could still see the mouse cursor if I moved it around, and I waited for the hourglass to go away, then used a keyboard combo to access my "Quake 2" shortcut, which changed the monitor's mode I guess, then I just dumped out of Q2 and back to desktop and all was fine, took all of 10-15 seconds. But hardly a sufficient fix =)

Did you ever get this problem when switching out of games to the desktop?

I ran this LCD on an AGP 6800nu for a while and didnt have this problem.

 

[apoppin]

do youhave another card totest in its place?

possibly a bad install of windows . . . or corrupt drivers

or

Hardware failure . . . do you have another PC to stick the x800xt in?

and REMOVE the audigy , , , just in case

my 'guess' is HW . . . RMA the card if the above steps fail

EDIT: AND try reseating the card . .. make sure it is firmly in place . . . check the VGA cooler to see there are no gaps . . . the Fan IS spinning? . . . letsee, there is no additional powercord with PCIe videocards . . . how is your PS? . . . no problem with the DVI connection to your monitor? Try another adapter or the other input if you have it . . . is it set up for WS?

running out of ideas

 

[OCNewbie]

I don't think it's a traditional problem since it's almost the same video card and the exact same monitor. Just wish I had another LCD to test my vid card with. I've never had any problems with this card prior to that LCD (course I never used the DVI connector prior to that either).

And yes, I would get it occasionally when exiting games, but always when rebooting. I think it's maybe an ATI issue with that resolution? Not sure.

I no longer have the monitor, and I probably won't be able to re-test the video card in any fashion till this Wednesday, hopefully, when I get my DFI mobo I RMA'd to Newegg back. I'm hoping for a Wed arrival anyway.

 

[apoppin]

are there newer drivers available for that monitor?

 

[wazzledoozle]

The monitor doesnt have drivers, just plug and play. The only thing on the cd it came with was a pdf manual.

I will try re-seating the card and removing the audigy 2 soon and post my results here. I need to find a way to reproduce the error.

 

[wazzledoozle]

I re-seated the card, and havent had the problem again, yet. If I do, I will remove the Audigy 2.

 

[OCNewbie]

Wow, that'd be great if that's all it was

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: wazzledoozle
I re-seated the card, and havent had the problem again, yet. If I do, I will remove the Audigy 2.

awesome . . . sometimes a big problem turns out to be the simplest thing . . . glad it worked!

 

[wazzledoozle]

Yup, I think that is all it was. Just for good meaure I removed some other programs that might be causing a conflict, ATI Tray tools and multires. Everything is spiffy now.

 

[Sonikku]

I thought it might have been high temps with a low fan speed. Might wanna try ATI tool to see how hot it's running.

 

[wazzledoozle]

Originally posted by: Sonikku
I thought it might have been high temps with a low fan speed. Might wanna try ATI tool to see how hot it's running.

I have ATITool set to run at 5% when under 45 c, and above is 100%. Idles around 37 and never goes above 55.

 

[TheRyuu]

Glad the re-seat fixed the problem.

Also, ever try the Warcats from Tweaksrus??

They already have a tweaked driver for 6.7 (Omegas are at 6.5 I think)
http://www.tweaksrus.com/
I think they even have the chuck patch working for 6.7

 

[wazzledoozle]

ARGGG its happening again

First, I had gone into BF2 from the autorun menu, meaning I was at 1024x768 instead of the usual 1440x900, and I exited out once I realized that and my screen was garbled. I was able to ctrl-alt-delete and close the bf2 process before it was done exiting, and the garbling went away (first time ctrl alt delete worked).

Second, I clocked my 3200 down to 2.2 GHz because 2.4 wasnt prime stable, upon reboot I get the garbled screen

This is seriously pissing me off, at this point I think it could be anything. The mobo, psu, vid card, ram, I dont know!! I didnt mention before, but I have a 4 month old XClio 450BL 350 watt PSU with 16/17 amp 12v lines, maybe it isnt sufficient? At this point I am thinking of just selling my pc and getting out of pc gaming. Pain the the ass, expensive too

 

[apoppin]

sounds like HW . . . or a Power issue
but you are right., . . it could be 'anything' . . .

[i had this happen with my 9800xt and it ultimately died from 'heat' . . . . defective HW . . . but FIRSt, i had to get rid of a defective MB that never seated the card right]

unless you can stick the Vcard in another computer or another Vcard in your rig, i'd RMA it
[before then, all you can do is 'eliminate' variables . . . try running with one stick of ram, then the other, reinstall Windows . . . etc]

ask the guys on xbox360 what they think of the PC guys playing the Great Oblivion Mods . . . they are 'stuck'.

PC gaming has it's 'rewards' - when everything is working right.
good luck

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Try lowering the core and clock speeds below defaults say 20%, one at a time.

 

[OCNewbie]

This only happens when video modes change, not during games, so I don't see how fan speed, core/mem clocks would have anything to do with it. It's generally only when displaying the desktop for the first time, whether it be on first boot or exiting a game. I think this may be an issue with that particular Hanns-G monitor AND/OR the X8** line of ATI video cards as I experienced the identical problem with an X800GTO using the DVI connector hooked up to the exact same monitor the OP is using, and I'm pretty certain I did NOT have this issue with my 6800NU using the DVI as well.

OP, try using the VGA connector on the back of the Hanns monitor and see if you experience the same problem. Also, if you could somehow get ahold of another LCD with DVI input you could possibly eliminate the monitor as being a problem.

 

[wazzledoozle]

Originally posted by: OCNewbie
This only happens when video modes change, not during games, so I don't see how fan speed, core/mem clocks would have anything to do with it. It's generally only when displaying the desktop for the first time, whether it be on first boot or exiting a game. I think this may be an issue with that particular Hanns-G monitor AND/OR the X8** line of ATI video cards as I experienced the identical problem with an X800GTO using the DVI connector hooked up to the exact same monitor the OP is using, and I'm pretty certain I did NOT have this issue with my 6800NU using the DVI as well.

OP, try using the VGA connector on the back of the Hanns monitor and see if you experience the same problem. Also, if you could somehow get ahold of another LCD with DVI input you could possibly eliminate the monitor as being a problem.

I will try that soon, I still need to find a way to reproduce the error. It happens so randomly :Q

I think changing my HTT will cause it, I will try that later.

 

[wazzledoozle]

Well, I have found the problem. The guy who sold me this board told me to use the secondary slot for single card mode, he said that EpoX support had assured him that it was the correct slot despite the manual saying otherwise. I noticed in everest, I was only getting x1 bandwidth in the secondary slot, which was choking my card.

When the X850XT is in the primary slot in single card mode, the video just doesnt initialize at all. I put in a PCI card and I will get video off that, but the X850XT fan doesnt spin down (it spins down on successful boot). I tried the bios the board came with, and the newest one from Epox, both are the same.

My solution is the put the board into SLI mode, and run my X850XT off the primary slot which gives me x8 bandwidth, which raised my 3dmark05 score by about 1000 points and games are running much smoother.

Now, did this guy sell me a bad board? He has said some conflicting things, at first he told me about using the secondary slot, and then later he told me he only used SLI setups on this board, but when the board arrived it was in single card mode

 

[OCNewbie]

My board was a DFI Lanparty UT nF4 Ultra-D, just for reference. I did have to RMA my board for apparently bad SATA ports though. I'll be getting that back soon, this week sometime.