MSI R9 290 problems

[TinoXtreme]

My R9 290 Twin Frozr from MSI finnaly arrived...

I installed it, fired up my machine, all good.

 

I ran Battlefield 4. After 30 secs of gameplay at 90+ fps, the framerate started dipping. 80, 70, 50 eventually coming to 30 and then I got a blue screen.

After restarting my PC, I opened Afterburner to check temps, clocks etc.

The card was idleing at 48C. While in-game, gpu usage started spikeing,

Looking at the clocks, I got a little bit worried.

 

Temperatures and usage:

 

 

Clocks:

 

PC Specs:

Core i5 3330

8GB dual-channel RAM

r9 290

ASUS P8B75-M LE

Corsair CX600

 

For full specs, check my profile page.

 

Ambient temperature was around 26C

Case has 2 intake 120mm fans and 1 120mm exaust.

At idle, core clock is constantly changing from 300, to 303, then a bit higher etc....but I think that's good, right? Isn't that some AMD feature?

 

Latest Beta Drivers installed.

[Mateyyy]

Can't really explain the BSOD, but I'm pretty sure that your GPU is bottlenecked by the i5 3330, I think that not by much, but the GPU is not at its full potential.

Do you have this problem on the older 14.4 driver?

I'll do some more research and I'll be back.

 

Edit: Also, do you have the Mantle API enabled in your game? I have problems when using Mantle (I also have a 290) in BF4, where I would just get random lag spikes, when I switch to DirectX, the overall FPS is slightly lower but I don't get those lag spikes anymore.

[SkilledRebuilds]

I'd remove the Beta drivers and use the 14.4's

the 300-350Mhz on idle is normal yes.

 

 

 

 

 I can pretty much tell you that your GPU is bottlenecked by the i5 3330, I think that not by much, but the GPU is not at its full potential.

How did you come to this conclusion.

My Sandy i5 didnt bottleneck my R9 290 when it was in there.

99-100% GPU usage in all games.

[Guest]

Can't really explain the BSOD, but I can pretty much tell you that your GPU is bottlenecked by the i5 3330, I think that not by much, but the GPU is not at its full potential.

Do you have this problem on the older 14.4 driver?

I'll do some more research and I'll be back.

 

Edit: Also, do you have the Mantle API enabled in your game? I have problems when using Mantle (I also have a 290) in BF4, where I would just get random lag spikes, when I switch to DirectX, the overall FPS is slightly lower but I don't get those lag spikes anymore.

The CPU is not bottlenecking his R9 290.

[TinoXtreme]

The CPU is not bottlenecking his R9 290.

I was just about to say that since I ran Heaven Benchmark.

 

In Heaven, This problem is still here, but not this strong.

[B1G_WH1T3]

I take it before you bought a amd card you do know that it thermal throttles the card ?

 

my card does the exact same I have a ref asus r9 290, some games when it hits its max temp 95 it starts to throttle the gpu clock thus lowering it, and also a visible fps drop, all I do to correct this is set the fan ramp speed to 100% so the card does not drop that much and can hold a steady fps for much much longer than the standard setting. 

[SkilledRebuilds]

I take it before you bought a amd card you do know that it thermal throttles the card ?

 

my card does the exact same I have a ref asus r9 290, some games when it hits its max temp 95 it starts to throttle the gpu clock thus lowering it, and also a visible fps drop, all I do to correct this is set the fan ramp speed to 100% so the card does not drop that much and can hold a steady fps for much much longer than the standard setting. 

Reading the first post helps.

 

His isn't a reference card.

But an aftermarket one, it shouldn't be throttling Nor getting above 75*c at all.

 

@TinoXtreme

GPU usage related issues, with a strong CPU like yours,.....indicates GPU driver issues.

Leaning towards Beta drivers being finicky, uninstall them, clean the junk left behind, install 14.4

[maazster]

Are you running 2 monitors by any chance? Both different resolutions? If so then that would explain the high idle temps. Because when I had 2 monitors my idle temps were at 51 degrees C

[SkilledRebuilds]

Are you running 2 monitors by any chance? Both different resolutions? If so then that would explain the high idle temps. Because when I had 2 monitors my idle temps were at 51 degrees C

When running more than one LCD the clock speeds do not go as low as they do on a single lcd.

Hence higher running idle temps.

[B1G_WH1T3]

Reading the first post helps.

 

His isn't a reference card.

But an aftermarket one, it shouldn't be throttling Nor getting above 75*c at all.

 

@TinoXtreme

GPU usage related issues, with a strong CPU like yours,.....indicates GPU driver issues.

Leaning towards Beta drivers being finicky, uninstall them, clean the junk left behind, install 14.4

 

Still can give a issue ... 

 

currently also on latest beta will give my imput tonight when I get home and post a screenie of my card in msi afterburner with bf4 on matle

[TinoXtreme]

I changed to 14.4

Same problem, maybe a slight improvment.

[TinoXtreme]

Are you running 2 monitors by any chance? Both different resolutions? If so then that would explain the high idle temps. Because when I had 2 monitors my idle temps were at 51 degrees C

No, single 1080p monitor.

 

I changed to 14.4

Same problem, maybe a slight improvment.

[SkilledRebuilds]

Still can give a issue ... 

If the temps are within reason on all aftermarket cards, why would it throttle?

 

Mine has NEVER throttled, neither has my brothers 290 Twin Frozr.

 

I do get that if their running into the 90's its a given, but aftermarket ones don't.

It already seems with its current issues it gets too hot abnormally ,...If OP's still gets his issues on non-beta drivers I'd RMA it.

[maazster]

When running more than one LCD the clock speeds do not go as low as they do on a single lcd.

Hence higher running idle temps.

I know, the card runs in 3D mode instead of 2D

[dragoon20005]

could it be the CPU is overheating?

 

overheated VRMs and CPU may also throttle the GPU

 

use afterburner to set a custom fan curve and see if the temps will stay below the threshold

[xAcid9]

@OP
Why is your fan is not in Auto?

[TinoXtreme]

@OP

Why is your fan is not in Auto?

Yea, that's my bad, I was trying different settings while playing BF4.

 

Here's Heaven Benchmark: Custom Settings, Maxed Out, 1080p Full Screen: 51fps, 78C avg, fan speed around 50%

 

Clocks and usage were kinda stable.

 

When I'm running synthetic benchmarks, they're stable. When I'm playing games, the card freaks out!

 

Crysis 3: Meh, kinda stable, altho I get bad performance. Maxed out, 1080p with 4xMSAA I get around 30fps. Others get 60+ all the time!

BF4: Card acts like it's on drugs. Clocks and usage freak out, Maxed out, I get around 40fps while others get 80 avg.

 

One more thing, I can't monitor the fan RPM. In MSI, it's 0 all the time, but the fans spin and I can control them....

 

How do I contact MSI? What do I say?