GPU crash seconds after windows boots

[Wyzzy Moon]

I've had this weird issue for a few years and I can't figure out what's happening:
I am running a 290x with 4 screens attached.
Whenever I boot my computer, seconds after getting to the dekstop, the screens fill with artifacts (lines/repeating block patters) for a second before a flash and they all go black.
Windows has stopped running in the background at this point. any audio that was playing will hang and nothing will work but it wont reboot itself, I have to hard reset it.
This whole process will happen for about 3 to 5 times before my pc stays on.
And when it's on it's completely stable. 

Sounds like a dead GPU right?
But here it gets interesting:
- it never happens in the BIOS
- it never happens in linux
- it never happens during a windows install

So? Driver issue? nope!
DDU'ed the driver, reinstalled a different driver, reinstalled windows on a new drive without any driver.
It all still happens.

So what happens in the first few minutes of getting to the windows desktop, that can cause the GPU to totally crash but only happens in windows that is not driver related?
Any ideas?

[191x7]

13 minutes ago, Wyzzy Moon said:

So what happens in the first few minutes of getting to the windows desktop, that can cause the GPU to totally crash but only happens in windows that is not driver related?
Any ideas?

The GPU driver loads and the GPU can finally use all it can.

So, it's a dead card. Steps you can try to bring it back - a thorough clean and repaste, a Bios reflash, a reflow (baking it)

[Applefreak]

9 minutes ago, Wyzzy Moon said:

I've had this weird issue for a few years and I can't figure out what's happening:
I am running a 290x with 4 screens attached.
Whenever I boot my computer, seconds after getting to the dekstop, the screens fill with artifacts (lines/repeating block patters) for a second before a flash and they all go black.
Windows has stopped running in the background at this point. any audio that was playing will hang and nothing will work but it wont reboot itself, I have to hard reset it.
This whole process will happen for about 3 to 5 times before my pc stays on.
And when it's on it's completely stable. 

Sounds like a dead GPU right?
But here it gets interesting:
- it never happens in the BIOS
- it never happens in linux
- it never happens during a windows install

So? Driver issue? nope!
DDU'ed the driver, reinstalled a different driver, reinstalled windows on a new drive without any driver.
It all still happens.

So what happens in the first few minutes of getting to the windows desktop, that can cause the GPU to totally crash but only happens in windows that is not driver related?
Any ideas?

What version of windows are you running? Did you install any software, connect something new or change out a component recently? If it does not happen in Linux, I would rule out hardware but it could be a general driver issue. Windows is using newer drivers as well as default. Linux on the other hand, with AMD, relies on community supported drivers for the most part. If you were to install an official driver, if those even exist, the issue might come back as well, maybe not. Try DDU on windows and then install an old driver from years back. Most Windows 7 and 8 drivers should work fine under windows 10. You want to disconnect your network while DDU and afterwards so windows cannot download a new driver package. You want to have said package (the old one that is) already downloaded before DDU. 

 

I did experience something similar, no artifacts though, on the HD6850, turned out to be one the helper utilities that loaded on startup that crashed windows.

[Wyzzy Moon]

30 minutes ago, 191x7 said:

The GPU driver loads and the GPU can finally use all it can.

So, it's a dead card. Steps you can try to bring it back - a thorough clean and repaste, a Bios reflash, a reflow (baking it)

That sounds reasonable. But why would it still happen even without any driver installed on windows. And not happen anywhere else without de driver.

[Wyzzy Moon]

25 minutes ago, Applefreak said:

What version of windows are you running? Did you install any software, connect something new or change out a component recently? If it does not happen in Linux, I would rule out hardware but it could be a general driver issue. Windows is using newer drivers as well as default. Linux on the other hand, with AMD, relies on community supported drivers for the most part. If you were to install an official driver, if those even exist, the issue might come back as well, maybe not. Try DDU on windows and then install an old driver from years back. Most Windows 7 and 8 drivers should work fine under windows 10. You want to disconnect your network while DDU and afterwards so windows cannot download a new driver package. You want to have said package (the old one that is) already downloaded before DDU. 

 

I did experience something similar, no artifacts though, on the HD6850, turned out to be one the helper utilities that loaded on startup that crashed windows.

Windows 10 22H2 at the moment. But it has been happening for at least 2 years on all the versions of 10 in between.
And I have already tried a different drive, with a fresh windows install, no internet and no gpu driver (just basic windows drivers) and it still happens.

[Goldilock]

It sounds like to me the GPU are having physical issue. For example the GPU are not fed the juice correctly during startup.

 

Can try swabbing with other PSU and see if the issue persists?

[191x7]

4 minutes ago, Wyzzy Moon said:

That sounds reasonable. But why would it still happen even without any driver installed on windows. And not happen anywhere else without de driver.

Are you going to do the steps I mentioned and check after each step?

[Applefreak]

8 minutes ago, Wyzzy Moon said:

Windows 10 22H2 at the moment. But it has been happening for at least 2 years on all the versions of 10 in between.
And I have already tried a different drive, with a fresh windows install, no internet and no gpu driver (just basic windows drivers) and it still happens.

Very likely your GPU is at fault here. Sad to see a card like that die but they do at some point. Maybe get something used before you can find a new one to replace it? Cards that match yours in performance can be found at quite reasonable prices in used condition. If you buy from a private seller, ask if he or she can send you a 30 second clip of the card running Furmark.  

[Wyzzy Moon]

1 hour ago, 191x7 said:

Are you going to do the steps I mentioned and check after each step?

 

1 hour ago, Applefreak said:

Very likely your GPU is at fault here. Sad to see a card like that die but they do at some point. Maybe get something used before you can find a new one to replace it? Cards that match yours in performance can be found at quite reasonable prices in used condition. If you buy from a private seller, ask if he or she can send you a 30 second clip of the card running Furmark.  

My computer is due for an upgrade anyway, its a 290x and fx8320 so almost 10 years old at this point.
(and my energy bill will be happier with modern hardware) 
So I'm not going to put in to much efford since I'll be building a new system in the coming months anyway.

I was just curious what I could be since everything seems to point to a hardware issue but ONLY with windows.
It's been acting like this for at least 3 years so I can live with it. once it boots it still preforms fine.
So I might keep this 290x just as a linux card

[Applefreak]

1 minute ago, Wyzzy Moon said:

ts a 290x and fx8320

Sadly you will loose that free space heater  when upgrading.