x1950xt should I rma?

[pmvdpx]

I have a new sapphire x1950xt. I find that after a couple of hours of use (dirextx 3d game, and maybe 3 hours use) the performance goes to pot, it starts 'stuttering', that is, being smooth for a few seconds then dropping a whole bunch of frames and skipping. I'm pretty sure this is a heat issue with the graphics card (the whole machine is new, but it seems like a gfx card issue, no?).

It's pretty much what my old geforce used to do but only _if you overclocked the memory too aggressively_. This new card is not overclocked at all. Is it possible I have one with slightly duff memory, and should I return it? Or are all sapphire cards a little optimistic with their memory clocking? The case temperatures and cpu temps are pretty cool (2x12cm case fans), the temp report in the catalyst drivers claims only 61 degC immediately after closing down the game (haven't checked during play). Would fitting a front case fan (in addition to side and rear ones) help?

Is it worth updating drivers, the fact that it appears after a couple of hours surely means it has to be a heat issue?

But really, it shouldn't be doing this, right, so its worth the inconvenience of returning it?

 

[imported_Wolfkin]

Download ATI Tool here
http://www.techpowerup.com/atitool/

Install and then run the program, click "Show 3D view" (button bottom left corner) and let it run for about 5 min.
This will stress the card to about 100% and you will see what temperature your card run at. Without changing any fan speeds you should be below 90 degrees Celsius.

Make sure the card speed (top white box) is the default, on my Sapphire 1950XT they are 621mhz core and 900mhz memory.

 

[thegimp03]

This definitely sounds like a heat issue. I'd take a few minutes and clean up any loose wires or anything that would impede airflow around the card in your case. Also, I assume you don't have that baby sitting in front of your heater or it'd have already overheated.

 

[bobsmith1492]

Don't assume heat so quickly. Are there any programs running in the background? How much RAM do you have? What is your processor (a P4 might overheat and cause that rather than the video card)?

 

[Newfie]

Eliminate all possible variables before you come to a conclusion. I recommend you do what bob said to do, list your system information. Personally I think that sounds like a memory issue. Don't assume right away that its the video card, but make sure you do test it using ATI Tray Tools as Wolfkin said.

 

[pmvdpx]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I will give ATI tool a go.

I'm a bit confused about the 'overdrive' option in the catayst drivers. I haven't 'unlocked' it, but when I alt-tab to that page when running a 3d game, I note the memory speed is given as 900mhz (slider goes 900-950, set @900 by default), but when at the desktop it drops to 594mhz. Is this a feature of the drivers, that they throttle the memory back to below the spec speed when not running anything? Or is something odd going on? The temperatures don't seem to go above 61deg when stressed, 45deg at desktop.

I have 1Gb ram, no other applications running, athlon64 3800+ single core.
Cpu temp and mb temps come out as barely above room temperature (20 deg), according to pcprobe utility, which I'm not sure I believe, the cpu temp is sometimes _below_ room temp.

But the concensus is it might not be the card that's to blame? The sound skips in synch with the dropped frames, if that means anything.

ps having googled 594mhz, I find this (slower memory speed being displayed at desktop) is a question people ask all the time about this card, and despite being unable to find an actual _answer_ it seems its not something to worry about - presumably it _does_ throttle back when in 2d mode. Still doesn't explain the choppiness though.

 

[thilanliyan]

It could also be your CPU causing that. Use a program like Coretemp or a program specific to your motherboard to check CPU temps after using a program like Orthos to fully load the CPU cores.

 

[40sTheme]

Heat would be my first concern. BTW the 900 to 594 clock issue is it going from 3d-2d clocks. Don't worry about that.

 

[pmvdpx]

Well the problem has gone away. Everything working fine now. I'm not sure what cured it, but most likely it was moving the case and clearing USB cables that were obstructing the gfx card fan exhaust.

I tried that ATI tool program - kind of nerve wracking, its like those scenes you always get in movies, where the hero is trying to shut down some VeryDangerousMachineryThatMightBlowUp and the dial keeps creeping up into 'danger', 'critical', 'meltdown immenent'. 'run away now' etc. The temp reached 89degC before the fan went up to 50% and made it start dropping again. I kept expecting the core to melt through the bottom of my case and make its way to China.

There's got to be a point when the power use and heat output of PCs becomes absurd.