Powercolor x1950 crashing/artifacts. please help

Hi,

I just became a reader of TomsHardware and was inspired to build my own rig. Everything runs great accept my powercolor x1950 pro crashes/artifacts in games (it's fine in 2d,windows). I've tried different drivers and nothing seems to work.

The two games I've tried are the witcher and Medieval 2 and both give me about 1 to 2 minutes of perfect gameplay until a crash. I've downclocked my board using tray tools from (core 594 to 480 and mem from 695 to 560). Doing this lets me play both games for about 10 minutes before the usual artifacts/and crash.

It's not a heat issue because the board doesn't even have a chance to get hot. I'm starting to think that I got a bad board.

Anyone know what the problem is and also, I've noticed that there is a jumper on the board. I've searched every where (manual, google) and I still don't know what it does. Thanks you for the read.

My system specs:
intel dual core e2180
asus p5n-e sli mobo
2 gigs wintex mem
500 gig seagate hd sata
psu seasonic m12 700w
windows xp sp1 (could this be the problem?)

Ohh DL ATITool and run the 3d view, watch the board/GPU temps.

Which revision of the board do you have? The one with the reference cooler (red plastic one that covers the whole side if the card) or the new one with the other cooler that looks like this http://www.powercolor.com/Global/b [...] e_a_xs.jpg

Oh so you got this cooler on it?

Well that cooler is very good, I got this poop:



Yours is alot quieter and alot cooler. Perhaps the card is faulty? Mine runs very loud because the cooler sucks, but it never artifacts.

If it's been returned after use, it would have to be listed as open-box I think. Somebody who actually buys stuff from the egg would have to clarify that.