Dying ASUS R9 290 GPU or faulty PSU?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
A

Arkatakor

Distinguished
Oct 12, 2010
34
0
18,530
My system freezes when playing graphically demanding games. By freeze, I mean total system lockdown, with black screen, sound stuck in a loop, not even a BSOD, and no alternative but to press a hard reset or shutdown. Here are some titles that will always freeze my system after running a few minutes:

- Battlefield 1
- Witcher 3

Here are some titles that will not freeze my GPU (even after running a whole day):

- Civiliation 5
- Hearthstone
- Dota 2 (though this one did crash for the first time last night)

So the consensus seems to be that the GPU fails when running more demanding games. Below are my specs (PC is 3 years old):

System Specs:

  • GPU: ASUS Radeon R9 290 4GB DirectCU II OC (R9290-DC2OC-4GD5)
    MOBO: ASUS X99-DELUXE
    CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K, Socket-LGA2011-3
    RAM : 4x Crucial Ballistix DDR4-2400 SP QC - 16GB
    SSD: Samsung 850 Pro 512
    HD: Seagate Barracuda 2TB
    PSU: EVGA Supernova G2 850W
    CASE: NZXT Phantom 410
    HSF: Noctua NH-U12S
Below is a series of diagnostic steps / attempts to fix the system that I performed. Note: The PSU outlet is plugged directly into the wall, not a plug extender.

Power Diagnosis Steps

- Ran power supply tester; voltages were within range. I used Power Supply Tester as in this pic (I plugged the ATX and the GPU chords into it).

System Steps Performed

- Updated BIOS to latest version
- Updated GPU BIOS to latest version (NOTE: my system froze towards the end of this update. Upon restarting and attempting to reinstall the GPU BIOS, it already told me I had the latest version).
- Reformatted Windows 10, and without internet access did a full installation of the latest chipset / other drivers downloaded for my X99 Mobo from the ASUS website.
- Reinstalled latest AMD GPU driver

Hardware Steps Performed

- Switched the GPU to a different PCI Express slot
- Switched the DVI -> HDMI cable to my monitor to and HDMI -> HDMI cable

The problem persists despite all these steps. System will freeze when running demanding games. It also froze when I ran Furmark lasting only 3 minutes into the test (GPU hit 80 degrees).

The only thing I am not able to diagnose is if the PSU is delivering enough power when demand ramps up (I would need to buy a more expensive multimeter for this and test the system under full load). Minus that, everyhing seems to point to a dying GPU. Why its dying is another quesiton; its barely 3 years old, and very rarely ran close to full capacity (I am on 1080p, vsync on). Also the EVGA Supernova G2 850W PSU should have been way under utilized with a single GPU. So it all seems strange that this is still happening.

The reason for me posting here, is I would like to ask, is there any other diagnostic step anyone thinks I should perform?
 
Solution
Darkbreeze
Any cheap multimeter, even something like this, will work fine. As long as it works, it will work fine. Try to avoid used units unless you are certain they are accurate and in good working condition. It might even be worth taking to a repair shop and just paying them to test the power supply. I don't know what shops charge in your area though, so maybe not. Plus, there is an amount of satisfaction involved in doing things yourself.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/DT-830D-Digital-Multimeter-Test-Leads/dp/B004V40JOS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1509300566&sr=8-3&keywords=multimeter


Sort by date Sort by votes
Darkbreeze

Darkbreeze

Retired Mod
Jun 24, 2014
80,404
7,629
176,790
Download HWinfo. Install it. Open HWinfo and choose "sensors only" when the choice is given.

Scroll down in HWinfo to the system voltages. Take a screenshot.

Run a demanding game that would normally freeze the system, making sure the HWinfo window is visible. Take another screenshot of the system voltages. Post the screenshots here.

http://www.tomshardware.com/faq/id-2583515/basic-troubleshooting-layman.html
 
Upvote 1 Downvote
A

Arkatakor

Distinguished
Oct 12, 2010
34
0
18,530
Thanks for the suggestion. I will screenshot this while running furmark when I get home tonight.

 
Upvote 0 Downvote
A

Arkatakor

Distinguished
Oct 12, 2010
34
0
18,530
Ok, I ran the tests using HWinfo alongside Furmark. I excluded the MOBO voltages due to a prompt conflict. Below are the results at 1 (the start) and 2 (after 1 min) and 3 (after nearly 3 min seconds before crash). So I assume the last picture should be most relevant.

1 Start Pic
2 Mid Pic
3 End Pic

Let me know if these numbers appear normal and if I should include the mobo voltages as well.

 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Darkbreeze

Darkbreeze

Retired Mod
Jun 24, 2014
80,404
7,629
176,790
I don't see any of the system voltages in that image like I did in the other three? Is there a reason why that's different?

I was first concerned about the card because in the first pic when you barely started Furmark the GPU clock was higher than after it had been running for a while, but since that was with it running and not at idle, could be normal.

Like to see the system voltages at idle though bc what's weird is that I'm not seeing ANY changes in the voltage readings for +3, +5 and +12v on any of those images, so I want to see what they look like without Furmark.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
A

Arkatakor

Distinguished
Oct 12, 2010
34
0
18,530
Thanks for the reply. There is no reason other than it was in the right hand pane and was not visible as I was scrolled down. I have just screenshotted the PC in idle mode. Here is the link:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-pVmz6MbRi1VFZ5YW1lMXdpbFk

I am doubtful that these numbers are accurate as many of them seem exactly the same no matter if PC is in idle state or not. Maybe Asus has it own sensor reading software. Either way would be curious to know if the numbers look normal.

 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Darkbreeze

Darkbreeze

Retired Mod
Jun 24, 2014
80,404
7,629
176,790
Yep, they look normal. TOO normal. In fact, they look exactly the same regardless of what you are doing. At least, the system voltages do.

I agree that I don't think we can trust that accurate sensor readings are being reported on this system. It's usually NEVER fully accurate, but it IS usually accurate in a RELATIVE relationship, meaning that while the numbers themselves may not be 100% correct, they do usually correspond to a good IDEA of where these readings are at and what is happening when loads are added or removed. In this case, I'm not seeing that happen. No possible way your PSU voltages should be showing exactly the same at idle AND with a 100% Furmark load.

Does the PSU tester you used SPECIFICALLY say that it tests under LOAD conditions? What is the model of PSU tester that you used?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
A

Arkatakor

Distinguished
Oct 12, 2010
34
0
18,530
Thanks again for getting back to me. For some reason when viewing the OP and not being logged in, my list of diagnostic steps (under the bolded headers) are not shown. I removed the list so that they are hopefully viewable now.



As mentioend in the OP, I used Power Supply Tester as in this pic (I plugged the ATX and the GPU chords into it). Voltages were well within range (numbers become clearer when zooming out). These numbers were are at idle mode however. Power Supply Tester does NOT test the system under full load.

Is there perhaps any other diagnostic software you could recommend that I use so that I can cross refernce the voltages with HWinfo under full load? Otherwise I suppose there is no way for me to test the voltages under full load unless I buy a multimeter which is cumbersome.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Darkbreeze

Darkbreeze

Retired Mod
Jun 24, 2014
80,404
7,629
176,790
That power supply tester does not do "under load" testing. It only does "at idle" testing. You will need to test under load conditions. You can either take it to a professional shop to have it tested OR you can test it yourself with a multimeter. There still stands a chance of it being bad under specific conditions because it's difficult to test under the same kind of load that a GPU card provides without complex equipment. But it might give you a better idea of what's going on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac7YMUcMjbw

The PSU testers out there really only tell you if the unit is a pass/fail for basic conditions. There are some other videos out there that explain how to get higher amperage loads by using automotive bulbs that create specific amperage draws but I do not link to those, you can find them yourself, due to the possibility of users creating problems that didn't already exist or electrocuting themselves. Generally they will give you accurate results though if you manage to implement the testing procedure correctly.

 
Upvote 0 Downvote
A

Arkatakor

Distinguished
Oct 12, 2010
34
0
18,530
Thanks again for the information. I don't know if you saw my previous post but is there really no other diagnostic software that I could try out before taking it to the multimeter level?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Darkbreeze

Darkbreeze

Retired Mod
Jun 24, 2014
80,404
7,629
176,790
Not really. Software is representative only. You can only REALLY trust what software is saying if you compare it to actual readings on a multimeter. If they are the same then it can probably be assumed that what the monitoring software says is accurate. Otherwise, it's a gamble. Often, programs like HWmonitor and CPU-z will report sensor readings that are not even remotely accurate, laughable even. HWinfo is USUALLY pretty accurate, but some chipsets make it bonkers. Even some specific boards can.

You can get a cheap meter at harbor freight if you are in a us city.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
A

Arkatakor

Distinguished
Oct 12, 2010
34
0
18,530
Thanks again for the reply. I have thought about your response over the last few days hence my delay in getting back to you.

Ok, I'll bite the bullet and look around for a multimeter. I am located in Sweden so the place you suggested would not work for me. I have though come up with a list of multimeters (its in Swedish but I guess the specs are international). Can you let me know if the cheapest of these alternatives would be enough to perform the correct PSU measurements?

https://www.clasohlson.com/se/b/El/M%C3%A4tinstrument-&-elm%C3%A4tare/Multimeter

http://www.biltema.se/sv/Verktyg/Matverktyg/Matinstrument/Digital-multimeter-2000018521/
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Darkbreeze

Darkbreeze

Retired Mod
Jun 24, 2014
80,404
7,629
176,790
Any cheap multimeter, even something like this, will work fine. As long as it works, it will work fine. Try to avoid used units unless you are certain they are accurate and in good working condition. It might even be worth taking to a repair shop and just paying them to test the power supply. I don't know what shops charge in your area though, so maybe not. Plus, there is an amount of satisfaction involved in doing things yourself.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/DT-830D-Digital-Multimeter-Test-Leads/dp/B004V40JOS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1509300566&sr=8-3&keywords=multimeter


 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
A

Arkatakor

Distinguished
Oct 12, 2010
34
0
18,530
I'll make sure to buy a new one as per your advice. I decided i'm gonna settle for this one:

https://www.clasohlson.com/se/Multimeter-UNI-T-UT120A/36-5255

I'll check the video you linked on how to test it on full load (hopefully it also explains how to use the multimeter since I know next to nothing about the measuring units). Thanks again for your ongoing support. If I have another question on how to use the multimeter i'll post another thread.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Darkbreeze

Darkbreeze

Retired Mod
Jun 24, 2014
80,404
7,629
176,790
How to use a multimeter for beginners:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiq_9Cz6JjXAhVQ5GMKHaFnDa4QtwIIWDAH&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DZBbgiBU96mM&usg=AOvVaw1mywW4xuGTX0q_spE7pabU


Another video on testing the power supply. This one might actually be a bit clearer than the one I linked to the other day but they both offer good instruction for beginners. I'd recommend you watch ALL three of the videos I provided in their entirety to familiarize yourself a little bit, and then watch them again before actually testing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMP_zqlgzDc


Also, having and knowing how to use a multimeter will present WAY more value to you than just for testing your power supply. All manner of things in life these days are electronic and there are usually videos for testing just about anything you could possibly own out there somewhere. Automotive problems, washers and dryers, televisions, computer hardware, bad wiring outlets, heating and air conditioning, most of it can be diagnosed when something goes wrong so long as you have a multimeter, knowledge and common sense. Having a wiring diagram or a video guide doesn't hurt either.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
A

Arkatakor

Distinguished
Oct 12, 2010
34
0
18,530
Thanks for the further information, darkbreeze :) I will make sure I watch all those videos you linked before getting started. Looks like I have a bit of a mini project on my hands!

Btw do any of those videos show how to test a PSU under full load?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
A

Arkatakor

Distinguished
Oct 12, 2010
34
0
18,530
Understood, because at the end of the day, thats what I really need to test. I have already done a test under idle load as indicated in the OP and the results came out ok. I'll search around for this then.

 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom