New 7950 from RMA, still problems

[Ianesz]

In my original topic a month ago, i described some problems with the GPU, and some other (assumed) non-related stuff. Anyway, i had my card RMA'd and i got a new one back. Well, while the noise is gone, thank god, it would seem the other, more pressing issue isn't.

 

While the monitor signal loss isn't happening with the old frequency, it still seems to occur (and well, with the old card it initially didn't happen often either). Happened yesterday for example, and the sound and stuff was working normally after the monitor went blank, so definitely not a freeze.

As described in said original topic, the PC would sometime instead simply freeze (looping sounds, no responsiveness). Another issue I haven't observed before though, is that occasionally a game would stutter like crazy, 10FPS where there should be 40+. This can be fixed by exiting game, sometimes restarting PC (one time it BSODed shorty after).

In the meanwhile, there appeared an additional problem. When i turn on the PC or sometimes when i restart, it wouldn't POST, the fans would just be spinning, but no picture and no POST: If i turn it off and on again, it mostly fixes it.

 

I've also noticed an interesting phenomenon, and that's that the GPU-Z will never report my current PCI-E mode go over x8 2.0 (and yes, only 1 GPU installed).

Now the real issue here, IMO, is there there's almost no way i got 2 defective cards. So its most likely there's something else at play here. I'm guessing either motherboard or PSU (i really hope its not PSU tho, cause sending it to UK for repair is gonna take ages...and i got no replacement).

Anyone have a clue how to confirm what's really going on?

[Uberskills]

try different pci-e slots in your mother board

[Ianesz]

I was under the impression GPU's are always put in the upper slot unless you're doing crossfire/SLI.

[Uberskills]

I was under the impression GPU's are always put in the upper slot unless you're doing crossfire/SLI.

i doesn't really matter but it might be the pci slot

[BroKenFingers]

 Just some other areas to consider :

Have you check for any changes in the system with the CPU/RAM at stock values? Have you tried the system with just the basic hardware installed? Have you tried testing for bad DIMMs? Have you checked the PCI latency in your BIOS? Have you looked into the BSOD ? 

[Ianesz]

No, haven't tried stock settings, that's true, but quite frankly, 3500 is a really low OC, and my ram timings/frequency are relaxed like crazy, so realistically i could say there's issues there regardless if it can't handle that.

 

Basic hardware...well to be honest the only thing i could remove is the sound card. That's it. Might try it if im desperate enough.

 

I ran memtest (overnight, several passes) like a month before i got the original 7950, it was clean.

 

Not sure about the PCI frequency, what's the setting i'm looking at?

 

I've no idea how to check the BSOD, the only tools that are supposed to be able to read memory dumps that i seem to be able to find won't install (the windows driver SDK or whatever).

[Quaker]

Update all of your drivers - chipset, audio, etc - and make sure Windows is up to date. These sorts of freeze up problems are often caused by driver conflicts.

Also, of course, make sure you clean the dust out of everything - including the power supply - and make sure all fans run normally - also including the power supply.

[Ianesz]

I don't think the drivers are to blame, as during testing with the original card, I installed a fresh OS on a different drive, and the screen was still going blank.

[BroKenFingers]

What we are trying to do is get a better understanding on why the system fails.The only way to do this is revert back to a clean system, with updated drivers. We cannot assume anything. The system was having troubles prior to the first GPU..and now with the second GPU., problems persist.So..start with the basics and move forward. You can use this program to view your BSOD.  http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/blue_screen_view.html

[Ianesz]

I have nothing in either C:\Windows\minidump or C:\Windows (in my advanced settings i had it set to kernel dump not mini dump). However, i do have a bunch of .dmp files in C:\Windows\LiveKernelReports\WATCHDOG\.

 

Are these the same thing?

[BroKenFingers]

Can you read them?

[Ianesz]

There's alltogether 11 files. The "culprits" according to them are as follows (in order from newest file to oldest):

 

atikmpag.sys

TDI.SYS

rasl2tp.sys

serenum.sys

usbhub.sys

atikmpag.sys

serenum.sys

drmk.sys

serenum.sys

kbdhid.sys

serenum.sys

 

Also, tried some stuff today. Dusted out the PC with my air compressor, took out the soundcard and put the GPU in the 2nd slot. Checked GPU-Z info under render test, still at x8 2.0 maximum. Decided to switch back to old setup, GPU in first slot and sound card back in.

 

Now, what's really interesting...all of a sudden, GPU-Z is finally giving me PCI-E x16 2.0 under render test. The only thing i really changed, is that after i put the GPU in the old slot, i also removed the crossfire connector plastic covers. Weird.

[BroKenFingers]

Well that is good news. have you ever run CCleaner on your system? http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner . Other people have a similar issue with BSOD with the

atimpag.sys file. The recommended thing is to clean the registry . I hope it may just work for you.. 

[Gugos]

i used to have the first 2 problems with my 7850, i tried everything but nothing worked, it turned out it was a driver issue (12.8) solved when the new release came out, what version do you have?