- Feb 20, 2017
- 6
- 0
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TLDR: Specifically, this newly installed PCIe 3.0 x16 card isn't achieving the full 16x bandwidth it is spec'd for even though it's in a PCIe 2.0 16x slot, and additionally, starting up the computer now takes an extra 30 seconds before post- the screens are just black for a while, no signal. Bootup works, just slower, the card does more or less what it should, just in a kind of gimped way. Afaik, PCIe 3.0x16 cards should be fully backwards compatible with PCIe 2.0x16 equipped motherboards.
Here the full information about what is going on, in a step by step fashion relating what happened and how I've tried to fix it thus far. Thanks in advance for any help!
1. Issue appeared after upgrading system's graphic card from Radeon HD 6670 to Radeon R7 350. SYSTEM INFO: Motherboard is ASUS P5Q Pro, CPU Intel Quad Q6600 @2.4ghz. ALL EATX12v Power Cables (1x 8 Pin, 1x 24[?] Pin) are connected to MB and Ecosilent PSU is 750w. 8gb Gskill DDR2 Ram @800mhz. Display: Card is connected to 1x 1280x1024 NEC monitor VGA and 1x ASUS 1920x1080 monitor DVI. There is NO other card in any of the other PCIe 2.0 slots, and the other PCI 1.0 slots are empty as well
2. With the previous card (HD 6670), I confirmed that the PCI-E Bus Interface setting was "PCIe x16 2.0@ x16 2.0" (as shown in GPU-Z and HWinfo). With this old card, the full available bus bandwidth WAS being utilized, and is still utilized when I return the old card to the system to test. When changing cards, I used Display Driver Uninstaller to clean uninstall catalyst drivers before physically switching the cards out. I replaced the HD 6670 card with r7 350 card in the exact same PCIe Slot on Motherboard - that blue slot closest to the CPU, which is the primary, the one which my Motherboard manual said to use if only one graphic card is installed. The slot is a PCIe 2.0 x16 slot and as said, the exact same slot which the older HD 6670 had previously been plugged into. I then installed the newest stable Radeon Crimson drivers.
3. After the first time using the new card, I immediately noticed two changes to computer functionality (and slightly worse than expected gaming performance):
A. 30 Seconds extra time now elapses after starting the PC before the Motherboard Logo first appears, and shutdown time is slightly increased. I have opened the case and noticed that upon starting the PC, the r7 350 Fan runs for a second, then stops, then 30 seconds pass, then the fan turns on again and a signal is finally sent to my monitors. I am not sure what the PC is doing during these thirty seconds, it is running, but the graphic card seems not to be utilized during this time.
B. In AMD settings monitor (driver software), HWinfo64, and GPU-Z the following information about the r7 350's PCI-E Bus Interface is provided: "PCIe x16 3.0 @ x8 2.0" and "PCIe v3.0 x16 (8.0 GT/s) @ x8 (2.5 GT/s)". Basically, the card is being limited by something. In CPU-Z under "mainboard" I see the information "Graphic Interface: Link Width x8, Max Supported x16". The AMD Radeon Settings software (Crimson) simply says "Bus Type: PCI Express 3.0" and "Current Bus Settings: PCI Express 2.0 x8" but I CANNOT change the "x" value to 16 here OR in my motherboard's BIOS, as far as I know. I have spent a lot of time looking.
4. Attempts to fix both the startup issue and to realize full PCI-e bandwidth of card thus far completely unsuccessful. Card PCI-e Bus Bandwidth remains at x8 (not x16) under load, i.e. playing BF3 at ultra settings or running 3DMark Firestrike, etc. Checked power saving settings, PC power plan is High Performance and power saving is not enabled in the BIOS afaik. Updated Motherboard Bios to newest version today, still no fix. Re-installed new AND old cards to test (ultimately leaving NEW r7 350 installed in the PC) and safely uninstalled/re-installed drivers multiple times, with no fix.
Can anyone please help me figure out what to do about these two issues, the 1. long wait to boot and the 2. restricted PCIe bandwidth? Thank you!
Here the full information about what is going on, in a step by step fashion relating what happened and how I've tried to fix it thus far. Thanks in advance for any help!
1. Issue appeared after upgrading system's graphic card from Radeon HD 6670 to Radeon R7 350. SYSTEM INFO: Motherboard is ASUS P5Q Pro, CPU Intel Quad Q6600 @2.4ghz. ALL EATX12v Power Cables (1x 8 Pin, 1x 24[?] Pin) are connected to MB and Ecosilent PSU is 750w. 8gb Gskill DDR2 Ram @800mhz. Display: Card is connected to 1x 1280x1024 NEC monitor VGA and 1x ASUS 1920x1080 monitor DVI. There is NO other card in any of the other PCIe 2.0 slots, and the other PCI 1.0 slots are empty as well
2. With the previous card (HD 6670), I confirmed that the PCI-E Bus Interface setting was "PCIe x16 2.0@ x16 2.0" (as shown in GPU-Z and HWinfo). With this old card, the full available bus bandwidth WAS being utilized, and is still utilized when I return the old card to the system to test. When changing cards, I used Display Driver Uninstaller to clean uninstall catalyst drivers before physically switching the cards out. I replaced the HD 6670 card with r7 350 card in the exact same PCIe Slot on Motherboard - that blue slot closest to the CPU, which is the primary, the one which my Motherboard manual said to use if only one graphic card is installed. The slot is a PCIe 2.0 x16 slot and as said, the exact same slot which the older HD 6670 had previously been plugged into. I then installed the newest stable Radeon Crimson drivers.
3. After the first time using the new card, I immediately noticed two changes to computer functionality (and slightly worse than expected gaming performance):
A. 30 Seconds extra time now elapses after starting the PC before the Motherboard Logo first appears, and shutdown time is slightly increased. I have opened the case and noticed that upon starting the PC, the r7 350 Fan runs for a second, then stops, then 30 seconds pass, then the fan turns on again and a signal is finally sent to my monitors. I am not sure what the PC is doing during these thirty seconds, it is running, but the graphic card seems not to be utilized during this time.
B. In AMD settings monitor (driver software), HWinfo64, and GPU-Z the following information about the r7 350's PCI-E Bus Interface is provided: "PCIe x16 3.0 @ x8 2.0" and "PCIe v3.0 x16 (8.0 GT/s) @ x8 (2.5 GT/s)". Basically, the card is being limited by something. In CPU-Z under "mainboard" I see the information "Graphic Interface: Link Width x8, Max Supported x16". The AMD Radeon Settings software (Crimson) simply says "Bus Type: PCI Express 3.0" and "Current Bus Settings: PCI Express 2.0 x8" but I CANNOT change the "x" value to 16 here OR in my motherboard's BIOS, as far as I know. I have spent a lot of time looking.
4. Attempts to fix both the startup issue and to realize full PCI-e bandwidth of card thus far completely unsuccessful. Card PCI-e Bus Bandwidth remains at x8 (not x16) under load, i.e. playing BF3 at ultra settings or running 3DMark Firestrike, etc. Checked power saving settings, PC power plan is High Performance and power saving is not enabled in the BIOS afaik. Updated Motherboard Bios to newest version today, still no fix. Re-installed new AND old cards to test (ultimately leaving NEW r7 350 installed in the PC) and safely uninstalled/re-installed drivers multiple times, with no fix.
Can anyone please help me figure out what to do about these two issues, the 1. long wait to boot and the 2. restricted PCIe bandwidth? Thank you!
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