Radeon 5770 runs slow when overclocked

[vexun11]

Hello, I recently purchased a radeon 5770 and 650 watt corsair psu, everything runs okay but I tried to overclock the video card because I want to squeeze a few mor FPS in battlefield bad company 2 because I average like 28fps

I know I need a new cpu mobo and ram but I am not upgrading for another 6 months or so

When I overclock the video card my score in 3dmark 06 goes down a bit not too much, my score went from 10512 to 10316..

Any ideas?

 

[JDFan]

That is because DDR5 is a bit different than the older DDR2 and DDR3 - It has error correction that will have the memory resend info if an error occurs - ((instead of just displaying it as an artifact) - so when you OC too much and start having alot of info resent due to errors the processing slows down due to the card having to wait extra cycles for the info to be received without the error so the card performance will actually drop with too much of an overclock !!

From an article discussing DDR5 RAM :

New error detection mechanisms in GDDR5 can also help increase the accuracy of calculations by identifying errors and re-issuing commands to get valid data. This capability is a level of reliability not available with other GDDR-based memory solutions today."

 

[saaiello]

your problem isnt the video card its your CPU that AMD x2 5600+ is killing your framerate I play Bad company2 on my 9800 GT and Core 2 duo and i average 45 to 50 FPS with all settings maxed @1680x1050 now my 9800gt is less powerful as your 5770 so overclocking the gpu will solve nothing you need to upgrade that processor.

 

[Micccx]

I completely agree with SAAIELLO, definetly upgrade the CPU! That thing is way too old for such a new graphics card, it will not bottleneck if you get an upgraded amd processor such as the Phenom X2, X3, or X4. I have an Intel E8500 dual core processor and an 8800 gt overclocked, and it runs bfbc2 higher than 28 fps lol

 

[vexun11]

I am ordering a quad core cpu and ram soon, I just need to figure out what the best purchases should be with a budget of 350, I have everything except ram cpu and mobo

How would ur core 2 duo be so much better that it would make ur framerate that high? and btw I do a get 50-70fps normally but im talking about when I am in intense combat it drops to like 25-28 ish Thats what I really want to fix.

Also with the video card, I only overclocked it a little bit, like 50mhz on the core and 50 on the memory that's why im confused.. and my psu is easily enough

I know the core 2 duo is a better processor but I dont understand how it could make a huge difference.

Anyway thanks everyone for your responses, now I just need to figure out what I can get for 350 or tops 400$ including shipping and everything

 

[Micccx]

Some graphic intensive scenes are completely cpu intensive and the others are gpu intensive, that is why some scenes that are cpu intensive will give you lower fps. A combination of an excellent cpu and gpu will indeed give you superior fps.


Now, as for a $350 - $400 budget, I searched newegg for deals and here is the best that I could find and would personally buy if I were in your shoes..


Combo Deal with: CPU + Motherboard

ASUS M4A79XTD EVO AM3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail

349730AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor Model HDZ955FBGMBOX - Retail

Original Price: $279.98
Discount: -$20.00
Combo Price: $259.98

- $10 mail in rebate
+ Free Shipping

= $249.98

Memory:

OCZ AMD Black Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model OCZ3BE1600C8LV4GK - Retail

Original Price: $129.99
You Save: $5.00
$124.99

- $20 mail in rebate
+ Free Shipping

= $104.99


Total:
$249.98 + $104.99 =



$354.97 + Taxes (not sure how much, but lets say 7% tax) that would put you at: $379.82 for Cpu, Motherboard, and Ram (everything above is compatible with what you have)


Total: $379.82
Better hurry though I don't know how long those rebates will be there as well as that combo deal!

 

[Micccx]

links:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227496&Tpk=OCZ%20AMD%20Black%20Edition%204GB%20%282%20x%202GB%29%20240-Pin%20DDR3%20S

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.349730

 

[vexun11]

Wow, great feedback and as for that setup, thats the perfect suggestion, I won't be able to order the parts for a week or two but I will for sure find something good on newegg, its just all about me finding out what I should get, then I can do the price hunting, quick suggestion. Would it be a bad idea to get a motherboard that supports DDR2 and use the current 4GB ram that I have right now, and with the money I would have spent on the new ddr3 memory I would be able to upgrade this 5770 to a 5850. I purchased this video card from best buy for 200$, I am tempted to take it back and order a new card online getting something much nicer for under 100$ more.

Would you suggest I go for an amd processor over intel? Mainly because of price or what?

 

[Micccx]

I would go for the ddr3 modules at 1600 because that motherboard will allow you to even upgrade that should you need to some day for gaming standards And yes definetly return that to best buy they overcharge on every graphics card, for $200 you could get a much more nice graphics card off of newegg! I would just sell your old ddr2 modules on eBay if I were you, it's a small performance increase but with tweaking (possible overclock) it can make your system great especially for gaming. Go with a better card if you have the money too, but just remember two low tier cards aren't as good as one power-house of a card. Try to get a graphics card that is atleast 256-bit or higher (the higher the better) and maybe GDDR5 if you can, since you can't physically overclock those specs of the graphics card. When I get home tonight I can look up some graphics cards for you.

 

[Micccx]

Well I own intel, but I see AMD as a great company as well and also slightly less expensive which is always a plus. The quality are both good though, I would say to go with that AMD package, AMD and ATI just seem to go well together just like Intel and Nvidia.

As far as the graphics card goes, here is a great card in the range of $200 - $300:

SAPPHIRE 100297L Radeon HD 5830 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card w/ ATI Eyefinity Technology - Retail

Original Price: $259.99
You Save: $10.00
$249.99
+ Free Shipping

w/tax you are looking at about $267.49

This card is definetly better than the one you got from best buy

link:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102878

The 5850 will put you just over $300, which isn't too much of a performance increase compared to the 5830, and to justify the spending of an extra $70 it's not really worth it in my opinion! I listed it below incase you wanted to compare.

DIAMOND 5850PE51G Radeon HD 5850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card - Retail

$314.99
+ Free Shipping

w/tax you are looking at about $337.04

link:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814103085&cm_re=5850-_-14-103-085-_-Product

 

[xrome]

Wow, great feedback and as for that setup, thats the perfect suggestion, I won't be able to order the parts for a week or two but I will for sure find something good on newegg, its just all about me finding out what I should get, then I can do the price hunting, quick suggestion. Would it be a bad idea to get a motherboard that supports DDR2 and use the current 4GB ram that I have right now, and with the money I would have spent on the new ddr3 memory I would be able to upgrade this 5770 to a 5850. I purchased this video card from best buy for 200$, I am tempted to take it back and order a new card online getting something much nicer for under 100$ more.

Would you suggest I go for an amd processor over intel? Mainly because of price or what?

CPU and RAM/Mobo more important upgrade than Vid card. This is my take:

Ram: $105
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231277

MoBo and CPU: $249
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.349730

Video card: $149
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127484&cm_re=5770_msi-_-14-127-484-_-Product

Total after bestbuy return = $303.


I just bought the same parts so i wanted to fill you in on what i bought yesterday after shopping around for 2 weeks to get the best deals.

 

[vexun11]

Ok awesome, I will be returning the video card once that comes in the mail, but first thing first, I have the money on me, I wonder if I should get a motherboard that is inexpensive that will support my ddr2 memory and a quad core cpu, this way I will have enough money for the new 5850 and the motherboard wont be too expensive to replace with a ddr3 mobo that way when I upgrade to a ddr3 board I will have the ddr2 board I could make a new system with and sell it to family or friends, I would only run the 4x1gb ddr2 800 for mabey 6 months to a year until I can afford a nice motherboard and ram.

I would really like to save as much money as possible, I am on newegg right now looking for a cheap mobo and decent quad core for around 180-200 that supports ddr2, mabey I could overclock the ddr2 a little bit?

What do you think?

Also my heatsink on my current motherboard is pretty decent for a dual core low power amdx2 5600+ But I am worried if I put a quad core in I will have to get a new heatsink fan. I wanna make sure I am all set up correctly and wont have anything go wrong

 

[xrome]

Edited my post right above yours with the best scenario I can think of. Cost $303 to get great award winning ddr3 board. Super high rated ddr3 1600 ram, and award winning Phenom quad, plus the exchange of your overpriced 5770 for a different one (net profit ~$50 right?)

Could always sell your DDR2 board, RAM and CPU now to fund part of the upgrade? before they get any older...

 

[vexun11]

Wow thats nice, I want to order that same cpu but with a ddr2 mobo thats cheap and that I can upgrade to that motherboard in a few months, I really want to upgrade the video card for now instead of getting that ram

 

[xrome]

Not trying to offer ideas about something you're not interested in, so sorry if my posts sound pushy ^_^.

Personally I just wouldn't buy a new board if the plan is to only have it for a few months. If you're gonna upgrade your board, then upgrade.

The 5770 is pretty solid still though. And as prices on it come down, could always Crossfire it later on if you find a really nice deal. Just a thought. Instead of dropping $300+ on a 5850 now when money is tight.

Money is better spent on upgrading mobo, ram and CPU in my very humble opinion anyways.

 

[xrome]

You bought an XFX from BestBuy. if you want that brand over the $149 MSI i linked, there is an XFX for $10 more:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150447&cm_re=5770-_-14-150-447-_-Product

 

[vexun11]

Ok thanks, I just am not sure if I want to spend all of it because I doubt I would notice a difference right now between the ddr2 vs ddr3 plus I just barely spent 90$ on this ram like a month ago and it would be hard to sell it, I think I might just get that cpu u showed me plus a ddr2 motherboard, then when I really need to upgrade in the future for games where I would lose heavy performance because the ddr2800 is slow, then I will upgrade to ddr3. What motherboard and quad cpu should I go for thats around like 160-180..

Would I really notice a difference between the ddr2 over ddr3 other then just a few FPS in the hardcore games?

Also this 5770 can get really hot in games if I don't control the fan, I have seen it get up to 84 a few times it really scared me, I had to turn the fan to like 65% and turn some shaders down in order to keep it around 75, Should I get another cooler? I have good airflow in my case.

 

[xrome]

Well I wouldn't buy a cooler for the 5770 if you are returning it or exchanging it. If you exchange it for a different 5770 online, see what kind of temps that one gives you first.

Check out this site. It has customizable benchmarks for a huge list of CPU's. Pick the two you want to compare and click compare. Then scroll to the bottom where it shows game performance.

It is a quick easy way to compare CPU's, and maybe help you pick the best one for the money and your needs.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/default.aspx?b=2&c=1

 

[Micccx]

The Sapphire I recommended idles at 34C/35C and has load temps of 60C, therefore you would not need to spend any extra money on cooling your GPU.

xRome I'm pretty sure that's the exact same mobo + cpu combo I recommended to him earlier in this thread........ xD

The MSI that xRome suggested would be eaten up by the Sapphire mainly because of the 256-bit to 128-bit difference, as well as the Sapphire having much more stream processors. I would suggest going with the Sapphire for now, then if you ever need more performance, get a 2nd one and crossfire! The board and ram I recommended will give you a future-proof build with the Sapphire 5830 graphics card.

Also if you're going to overclock your CPU, definetly go for an aftermarket CPU cooler, you will thank yourself for it!

 

[Micccx]

Also the Ram is virtually the same, same price too. And the Ram I chose is guaranteed to be compatible with your system, it's been tested and proven compatible so no need to worry with it not being compatible with your motherboard and such. The g skill ram also has higher rated timings.. something you don't want. 9-9-9-24 instead of 8-8-8-24. Seems like that wouldn't be the best choice to make, since they are the same price. Though if that ram were cheaper I would suggest getting it since it is decently good ram (for overclockers because of lower voltage). DDR3 is a good purchase to make today, if we were talking 1 -2 years ago I would say go with DDR2, but it's gone down in price to what DDR2 used to cost so I say upgrade!

You can sell your old stuff on ebay, you will get most of your money back!

 

[vexun11]

Damnit guys I just got my rent bill :X I cant afford to get the ddr3 setup I can spend like 200-250

 

[vexun11]

What about cooling the cpu? Does that cpu come with a heatsink? I have a thermaltake heatsink that cools my x2 5600+ decent, Idle temps are around 38-42 but I have seen it get up to 60C under full load so I presume I will need to get a new heatsink as well.

Will I be able to play crysis at max settings in the open? I can get like 50-60fps in areas where there is not much view distance but I have to turn the settings to High in order to get 30fps steady in areas where I am lookingat a ton of stuff, that mostly is cpu intensive, also would the ddr3 make a big difference in games like crysis and battlefield bad company 2?

 

[vexun11]

I might just save up for a little while and get that cpu and mobo

 

[Micccx]

I'd save up for it if I were you, they do make a difference in high end games such as those you listed, especially the quad core with ddr3, you will see a very large boost in frame rates with both of those. If you save up and get the mobo, cpu, ram, and graphics card I told you, you won't be disappointed that's for sure!

 

[Micccx]

Games coming out in the near future will most definetly star utilizing the quad core and ddr3 as well. So future proof your system


Looks to me as if you have enough money already for the CPU and Mobo combo... now just save up the $105 for the ram and the $70 difference between returning your graphics card to best buy and ordering the new one off of newegg. $175 is all you need!