XFX 4870X2 Major Issues - NEED HELP !!

[OILFIELDTRASH]

4.2 is a serious overclock. How many hours prime stable? Intel burn test?

 

[mrbubbles]

Are you using a driver cleaner before installing new drivers? Using 64 bit drivers?

In response to those questions, yes i am using a driver cleaner before each reinstall, and I am indeed using 64* drivers. This is beginning to becoming frustrating

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

You have to try the card in another rig.

 

[spinejam]

You have to try the card in another rig.

just make sure the other rig has a decent PS and memtest that DDR3.

 

[lavaheadache]

Got an idea... Do you have another hard drive( so you don't mess up your current OS) and maybe windows vista or xp that you can install briefly to see if you can get it working with a completely different software config?

Another idea, Don't install The full catalyst suite. Just install the tray tools

 

[lavaheadache]

Mr bubbles, I think I've figured it out.

Seems as though powerplay is messing with your system. It is quite common amongst Ati cards because it seems as though windows doesn't like the video card to be switching clockspeeds during apps. I remember hearing about this in the summer or 08 when i first got my 4870 512 but it didn't affect me, and slipped my mind.

There are a few ways to remedy this.

You can make a custom bios(back up your old one first) that eliminates the 2d clock mode.


Or go to this link http://forums.amd.com/game/messageview.cfm?catid=260&threadid=100048&enterthread=y for a useful thread


I stole this qoute from the thread


"In Windows 7 Windows Media Player is always active, a quick check in the task manager will show it running as wmplayer.exe. If your card is not clocking up to the correct speeds you can kill this process and the speeds will reset to normal.

The AMD GPU Clock tool will allow you to see what the UVD status is, if it's flagged as "BUSY" your card will be locked lower. The issue at hand is that, if you exit Windows Media Player, it doesn't truly exit it stays active and hidden, it also doesn't release the UVD status.

If you override the clock speeds of in my case the 5870, to hold at stock speeds 850/1200, and run WMP to play a UVD supported video this will stick the system in a crashing loop until you alt+f4 the playback screen.

It seems that the UVD chip simply cannot handle the higher clocks speeds of the 3D processor. One thing that AMD/ATI should have considered in this release is that some of us actually multitask while using our computers. Personally I keep windows open on different monitors with different things happening on each.

I've investigated this with my other system running 4870's and Windows 7, if you play a video that triggers UVD it moves the clocks up to 750/900 and sticks them there, much higher than the 5870's. It also doesn't release them once the video is closed, unless again, you end process on WMP.



The problem here is two fold, the UVD processing units (2.2) included on the 5870's cause the 3D clock to not run at full speed, and secondly, Windows Media Player doesn't release the UVD status. Anyone can verify this for themselves using the tools mentioned. I am very concerned that at this point I might not be able to run dual applications on this card, say watching a movie on one monitor, and having a game on the other without the clocks being turned down. Currently this is the case.

People running the Logitech Game Panel Software version 3.03 are seeing this issue a lot more prominantly, 3.03 activates the WMP extentions for Sideshow, this locks UVD as active until the Wmplayer.exe is forced to close."

 

[mrbubbles]

Mr bubbles, I think I've figured it out.

Seems as though powerplay is messing with your system. It is quite common amongst Ati cards because it seems as though windows doesn't like the video card to be switching clockspeeds during apps. I remember hearing about this in the summer or 08 when i first got my 4870 512 but it didn't affect me, and slipped my mind.

There are a few ways to remedy this.

You can make a custom bios(back up your old one first) that eliminates the 2d clock mode.


Or go to this link http://forums.amd.com/game/messageview.cfm?catid=260&threadid=100048&enterthread=y for a useful thread


I stole this qoute from the thread


"In Windows 7 Windows Media Player is always active, a quick check in the task manager will show it running as wmplayer.exe. If your card is not clocking up to the correct speeds you can kill this process and the speeds will reset to normal.

The AMD GPU Clock tool will allow you to see what the UVD status is, if it's flagged as "BUSY" your card will be locked lower. The issue at hand is that, if you exit Windows Media Player, it doesn't truly exit it stays active and hidden, it also doesn't release the UVD status.

If you override the clock speeds of in my case the 5870, to hold at stock speeds 850/1200, and run WMP to play a UVD supported video this will stick the system in a crashing loop until you alt+f4 the playback screen.

It seems that the UVD chip simply cannot handle the higher clocks speeds of the 3D processor. One thing that AMD/ATI should have considered in this release is that some of us actually multitask while using our computers. Personally I keep windows open on different monitors with different things happening on each.

I've investigated this with my other system running 4870's and Windows 7, if you play a video that triggers UVD it moves the clocks up to 750/900 and sticks them there, much higher than the 5870's. It also doesn't release them once the video is closed, unless again, you end process on WMP.



The problem here is two fold, the UVD processing units (2.2) included on the 5870's cause the 3D clock to not run at full speed, and secondly, Windows Media Player doesn't release the UVD status. Anyone can verify this for themselves using the tools mentioned. I am very concerned that at this point I might not be able to run dual applications on this card, say watching a movie on one monitor, and having a game on the other without the clocks being turned down. Currently this is the case.

People running the Logitech Game Panel Software version 3.03 are seeing this issue a lot more prominantly, 3.03 activates the WMP extentions for Sideshow, this locks UVD as active until the Wmplayer.exe is forced to close."

Lavaheadache,

I must thank you for your help, this has indeed solved the problem. I wasnt particularly into flashing the BIOS so i followed Spyrals profile editors guide within that link you sent. It now changes seamlessly between 2D Clocks and 3D Clocks when moving into 3D Applications, after about a 10second delay - but thats nothing of much.

The crashing issue I think is down to possibly my RAM or PSU, so when i get around to testing them, I will post back on this post.

Thanks again, you have been of great help and thank you to the rest of forum for your input

Damien

 

[lavaheadache]

glad i could be of assistance. Now on to the crashing. In my honest opinion I think it is stricktly ram related. Psu , should handle your rig fine.

First off is to pull all but one stick of ram and let her rip. Even try switching them out. You could run the memory diagnostic tool windows provides too.

Make sure the bios is detecting your latency timmings correctly and voltage too.

I know in the OP you originally stated you were prime 95 stable. Which test did you run? One of those tests doesn't hit the ram much and just stresses the cpu.

 

[Elvis2]

I had this same problem on my new build last week. Everything's new except my Asus 4870 x2 which is a year old and bought on the b/s/t forum. Games would run fine for a while then lock up and this piercing screech would eminate from by speakers.
I tried disconnecting thing's like one of hd's (before I went to RAID 0 ), Then I'd alternate video cards, Disconnect optical drives yada, yada. ran the cpu @ stock speeds. Nothing worked. Turned out to be the 8 gigs of system ram I was running. Took out the second 4gig kit and my rigs been rock steady ever since @ 4.36ghz and ram timings @ 5-5-5-15.

 

[mrbubbles]

Hi there,
Thanks for your advice, I am currently running 6GB DDR3 Ram and it would be a shame to have to remove 3 gb ( I would like to keep it in triple channel) in order to solve these crashes. Do you thinking boosting the voltage to the ram by a notch would have the desired effect ?

Damien

 

[bryanW1995]

Hi there,
I check it within a variety of programs - gpuz, rivatuner, CCC, and HWMonitor Pro, they all report idle temps of around 80 on GPU 1 and 50-ish on GPU2 - with clocks forced to 750-900. The only interesting thing is when i boot up games like L4d2 and Crysis the temperatues barely increase- damaged sensors possibly ?

In reference to your question, Mem(1.65?), yes the memory is set to 1.65V, validated by CPUZ. I will post back results of AutoTune soon. My main concern now is whether or not my HX620W Corsair PSU is enough for an EX58 mobo, i7-920 chip, 6GB Ram and 4870x2. Some have said no, others have said plenty - may i have your opinion.

Thanks

Damien

psu theoretically is fine. I used an hx520 for an x3350 @ 3.6 and a gtx 260 running boinc 24/7 for over a year in a room with 27c ambient without a hitch. I now have an hx620 with my i7 920 and the gtx 260, and it is definitely overkill.

It's possible that something went out in the psu during the switch to the new rig, but I agree that ram or mobo is a much more likely culprit.

 

[lavaheadache]

Hi there,
Thanks for your advice, I am currently running 6GB DDR3 Ram and it would be a shame to have to remove 3 gb ( I would like to keep it in triple channel) in order to solve these crashes. Do you thinking boosting the voltage to the ram by a notch would have the desired effect ?

Damien

it could..... I didn't say remove 3 gigs. I said take out all but one stick. IT's not gonna kill you to remove it for a few hours to either eliminate or confirm this as a problem. I'm not asking you to take it out and put in the blender. If it is any consilation, I have 8 gigs of ram and pulled 6 of it when I was trying to figure out what was wrong with my rig. This is COMMON troubleshooting proceedure.

 

[mrbubbles]

Sorry Lava, but my response earlier wasn't directed at you. I understand no one was saying put it in the 'blender' as you quoted. My point was that, I am running 6GB ( 3 x2GB) in triple channel, removing one stick of RAM would have a large performance impact if it came down to the fact that the RAM was causing the issues; I was only asking for other solutions before I begin taking things out of my PC. No need for the CAPS.

 

[lavaheadache]

Sorry Lava, but my response earlier wasn't directed at you. I understand no one was saying put it in the 'blender' as you quoted. My point was that, I am running 6GB ( 3 x2GB) in triple channel, removing one stick of RAM would have a large performance impact if it came down to the fact that the RAM was causing the issues; I was only asking for other solutions before I begin taking things out of my PC. No need for the CAPS.

I understand that taking out the ram will decrease perormance... We are trying to trouble shoot here. How elese are we supposed to find the problem? How hard is it to take ram sticks out? Open case, pull all the sticks but 1. Turn on PC, and run whatever app was causing to crash. If still crashes, ram may not have been the problem and put them back in and we move on to other possible things to try.

Listen, I'm putting the effort here to help you fix your rig and have already "fixed" your hd4870x2. I'm telling you things to try that are proven and common techniques. I'm troubled that you are troubled anout pulling out a couple pieces of ram.

Sorry if it is coming across that I'm being a dick. I'm just bored and wanna get your pc up and running =)

 

[Hauk]

I'm glad flashing the bios did the trick for the X2. When I had mine that was the first thing I did because Powerplay sucked (at the time) and I don't like running 3rd party software just to OC or have a decent fan profile.

Out of any card I've messed with, my X2 benefitted the most from a little bios tweaking. It ran much cooler with a minimum 40% on the fan. Never spun up past it actually.

Good luck with the rest, fear not the troubleshooting tips. I haven't looked what Corsair sticks you have, but I know mine needed the next setting after the 1.65v max. I think it was 1.67 on my Asus Rampage II Extreme. It ended up being 1.66 or so..

 

[Elvis2]

Sorry Lava, but my response earlier wasn't directed at you. I understand no one was saying put it in the 'blender' as you quoted. My point was that, I am running 6GB ( 3 x2GB) in triple channel, removing one stick of RAM would have a large performance impact if it came down to the fact that the RAM was causing the issues; I was only asking for other solutions before I begin taking things out of my PC. No need for the CAPS.

You gotta be kidding us. The objective here is to isolate your problem. You asked for help. We're offering our advice (as ugly as some of the solutions might be like removing one or two sticks of you precious ram). If that is the culprit, then that ram isn't worth shit in your rig.
Geez...your not sleeping with it are you?!?