Game run at 100 FPS, randomly the screen goes black, my GPU load maxes out, and then I get 15 FPS.

joobjoob

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Here's a screenshot of before the black screen and after.

Basically, I can be playing any game and have over 100 FPS and everything will be fine. Then, at some random time (could be 1 minute or 20 minutes in), my screen will go black for 3 seconds, and then when the picture returns, my FPS is between 15-20 for the rest of the game. Then, more and more black screens will appear more frequently until either my game crashes or I quit out of frustration.

If you look at the picture I linked, you can see that my GPU Memory Clock is very steady and almost maxed and then just drops from 1500 MHz to 162 MHz. After this my GPU Load almost maxes out. My theory is that because my memory clock MHz is so diminished, my GPU has to work extra hard to maintain the paltry FPS it now maintains. Sometimes after this happens at the bottom right I get a balloon popup that says "display driver nvidia windows kernel mode driver version 320.00 stopped responding and has successfully recovered."

Here is the page for my graphics card specs. Other than that I have an Asus P8Z77-V PRO LGA 1155 Z77 Motherboard, a Corsair CX750 ATX12V 80 Plus Bronze Power Supply, 16 GB Crucial RAM, and Windows 7 64-Bit Ultimate. I haven't overclocked anything and other than installing drivers for all my hardware, everything is factory settings.

I have tried changing "Power Management Mode" in "NVIDIA Control Panel" to "Prefer Maximum Performance", changing the game's graphics settings, turning V-Sync on and off, closing all non-system processes except the game, adding TDR to the registry, updating/rolling back graphics drivers, doing a RAM memtest (all RAM fine), checking temperatures (everything always cool), re-installing the game, installing latest updates from Windows Update, changing PCI Express to OFF in Control Panel's Power Options, disabling UAC and firewall, running as an Administrator account, disabling unneeded services and startup in msconfig, installing the latest version of DirectX and flash, changing the CPU affinity and process priority of the game, and much more.

I don't think my GPU is defective because none of this happens with 90% of the games I play (only HoN and LoL). The GPU is only a couple months old as well and this has been happening the entire time.
 

praeses

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I have had similar symptoms (although it would miss a few textures before dropping to low fps which was a hint it was about to happen) and it only showed up in one game, which wasn't even the most taxing. Anyways, through frustrations I noticed it was better with my side panel off, then better yet if I forced the GPU fan to run at 100% even though my temps showed fine (60 - 65C). The cause was overheating VRMs on the video which weren't mating properly with the heatsink. I'm not saying it's the same issue, but try increasing the ventilation in the case as much as you can and running the gpu fan forced and see if it makes a difference, it should take an hour or so to test.
 

joobjoob

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Is it safe to run the fan at such speeds for so long? Usually the system has them run at between 5% and 10%. 100% seems for a bit much which may take hours to test if the black screen of death takes that long to appear.
 

Quaddro

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Your card is overheating..because usually the fan speed factory setting is way too low..
You can customized fan speed base on temperature..
exp: if your card at 50'c, then the fan will spin at 50%, 60'c then 60% etc

Just install MSI After Burner and enable user define software automatic fan control..
 


 

akshayghai29785

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yes make a curve like this if 40c is gpu temp & fan should run at 50% which better aggressive profile to keep the temp down & save from overheating. you should be woried about the gpu more than the fan even if conks off
 

joobjoob

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How could my card be overheating if nothing in my computer ever gets passed 50 degrees Celsius? I checked GPU-Z and CPUID Hardware Monitor and nothing ever gets past 50 degrees.
 

Quaddro

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Have you tried after burner method ..?
Because based on the gpu-z screen shot, it doesn't sensing vrm, memory temp, board temp.Just GPU core temp only.
So maybe, (just maybe) the others component in your graphics card gets too hot.

Actually, "driver not responding and has successfully recovered" usually because hardware failure, that's means something wrong with your card..
But..
since you said that it's happens only single with game that you play..
Okay, the easiest way to check..
Please run Furmark, and see, is it show you same symptom?
Drop speed of FPS and black screen..

If it's yes, then you have a faulty graphics card..RMA your card
If it's no, then you have a faulty driver/software..Reinstall your windows
 

joobjoob

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May 9, 2013
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Can't Furmark destroy hardware? If it's not a hardware problem as of now I really don't want to make it one. I've never done any overclocking/stress test stuff and I don't want to void my warranty in case I will need to RMA it. I wouldn't even know how to do the test. Assuming this picture do I just hit "BURN-IN" Test? What about benchmark test and the other options? What happens if it gets too hot or my screen goes black? Should I turn off my computer, kill the program, hit stop, let it finish, or turn off my computer? Thanks
 

Quaddro

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you dont have to furmark-ing your graphics card 24/7, right..?

Just for 3-5 minutes, to check your GPU stability.



Yes, you do



That's why i tell you to install MSI After Burner and enable user define software automatic fan control.. it'll adjust fan speed based on your temperature, if it's getting hot, then your fan is spinning faster..
If your screen goes black, then you have faulty graphics card or faulty PSU..(well, since it's CX series, lowest tier of corsair's PSU...)
 

joobjoob

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May 9, 2013
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Ok, I installed MSI Afterburner. The auto button next to Fan Speed at the bottom was already green (I think that is the one you are referring to). Do I just leave the program (MSI Afterburner) running while I do the BURN-IN test? Also, if my screen does flash black, what should I do? Kill the process, close the window, turn off my computer immediately, or what?
 

Quaddro

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in MSI Afterburner, press button setting, then go to Fan tab, and click "enable user define software automatic fan control" checkbox






yes, you do


Kill the process, close the window, turn off your computer immediately, and RMA your card.. :)