Experiencing "Display Driver stopped responding and has recovered"

[fosho]

Yesterday I recieved my new Sapphire AMD HD6970, and since installing it I am experiencing the "Display driver stopped responding and has recovered" error. It happens while idling at the desktop, surfing the internet, or while playing a game.

Before I installed the new card, I first uninstalled the previous ATI drivers, rebooted in safe mode, ran Driver Sweeper and CC Cleaner, shutdown, installed the 6970, booted up and installed the latest drivers from the AMD website (10.12).

I was experiencing the same error before with my ATI Radeon HD4650, and I was hoping the new card would fix it, but alas it has not. I have tried most of the "fixes" I have read about on the internet, and none of them has fixed the problem.

My specs are:

Core i7 860
ASUS P7P55D-E
Sapphire AMD HD6970
G.skill Ripjaws 8GB
1 TB Seagate Barracuda 7200 rpm

Can anyone help me? I am sure you all know how frustrating it is to get a new component (especially the GPU), and not have it work properly.

Thanks!

 

[Pallimud]

What fixes did you try? Did you try to up your idle clock speed?

To do that here are some quick instructions:

Go to CCC, then turn on ATI Overdrive (unlock it first). Then go to the Profile manager (in the old CCC it was on the top right) and create a new profile and save it. Don't apply it just yet. Now you'll need to edit that profile file, the location is somewhere in your C:\Users\AppData\Local\ATI\ACE\Profiles\ . Then you will find the profile you created, open in notepad, and change the lowest 6 digit number there up (it is for the clock speed). Depending on your card, but change it to maybe 300000. Then save the doc and then load that profile through CCC.

 

[fosho]

I tried uninstalling and installing various versions of drivers. I tried editing the Atikmdag file that some had suggested. I disabled Aero, UAC, and other stuff I can't even remember.

I created a profile as you said, but I am not able to locate the folder where the profile is located, so I can't edit the profile.

I was really hoping the 10.12a hotfix CCC package would solve the problem since it says it added support for 6900 series cards, but alas it did not.

I just don't know what to do next.

 

[bystander]

What your PSU like? Could your PSU gone bad?

 

[fosho]

I have a Corsair 650TX, which is roughly 4 months old. So I wouldn't imagine that would be the source of the problem.

 

[Pallimud]

When you say you couldn't find the profile file, what do you mean? Did you find the folders? I think that is your best bet to try right now.

 

[fosho]

Yeah I couldn't find the folder that the profile was located in. But I am not sure exactly what to change. I increased the memory clock, but I wasn't sure if I should increase the core clock speed too. The core clock speeds were like 25000 or something like that. In addition there are three values to change for each clock, want 0, want 1 and want 2. So I am not sure exactly which ones I should change, or how much I should change them.

 

[Pallimud]

Okay good so you found the profile file. You'll want to change want_0 for the core clock.

Can you copy and paste what is there in the file? We can edit it and then you can paste what we edited.

 

[nforce4max]

This is also the same symptom of thermal and power issues and if it is driver related I see no point to getting another modern ati card any time soon. Check your volts on that psu and check for any odd noises coming from the unit while under heavy load.

 

[fosho]

Here is the profile, if you could let me know what to change that would be awesome.

<Profile>
<Caste name="Graphics">
<Groups>
<Group name="Overdrive5">
<Feature name="TimeUnlocked" />
<Feature name="OverclockEnabled">
<Property name="OverclockEnabledProperty" value="True" />
</Feature>
<Feature name="AutoTuneSupport" />
<Feature name="CoreClockTarget_0">
<Property name="Want_0" value="25000" />
<Property name="Want_1" value="50000" />
<Property name="Want_2" value="88000" />
</Feature>
<Feature name="PowerControl_0">
<Property name="Want" value="0" />
</Feature>
<Feature name="MemoryClockTarget_0">
<Property name="Want_0" value="30000" />
<Property name="Want_1" value="137500" />
<Property name="Want_2" value="137500" />
</Feature>
<Feature name="CoreVoltageTarget_0">
<Property name="Want_0" value="900" />
<Property name="Want_1" value="1000" />
<Property name="Want_2" value="1175" />
</Feature>
<Feature name="MemoryVoltageTarget_0">
<Property name="Want_0" value="0" />
<Property name="Want_1" value="0" />
<Property name="Want_2" value="0" />
</Feature>
<Feature name="FanSpeedProtocol_0">
<Property name="FanSpeedProtocolProperty" value="Percent" />
</Feature>
<Feature name="FanSpeedAlgorithm_0">
<Property name="FanSpeedAlgorithm" value="Automatic" />
</Feature>
<Feature name="FanSpeedRPMTarget_0">
<Property name="Want" value="1146" />
</Feature>
<Feature name="FanSpeedPercentTarget_0">
<Property name="Want" value="50" />
</Feature>
</Group>
</Groups>
<Adapter name="PCI_VEN_1002&amp;DEV_6718&amp;SUBSYS_0B001002&amp;REV_00_4&amp;113C73B2&amp;0&amp;0018A">
<Aspect name="Overdrive5" />
</Adapter>
</Caste>
</Profile>

 

[fosho]

I just check all my RAM and that doesn't seem to be the problem.

My PSU is not making any odd noises, how to I check to see if it is having any problems?

 

[Pallimud]

Under this section:

<Feature name="AutoTuneSupport" />
<Feature name="CoreClockTarget_0">
<Property name="Want_0" value="25000" />
<Property name="Want_1" value="50000" />
<Property name="Want_2" value="88000" />
</Feature>

try changing it to this and then activate the profile through CCC

<Feature name="AutoTuneSupport" />
<Feature name="CoreClockTarget_0">
<Property name="Want_0" value="30000" />
<Property name="Want_1" value="50000" />
<Property name="Want_2" value="88000" />
</Feature>

if that doesn't work, try this and then activate the profile through CCC

<Feature name="AutoTuneSupport" />
<Feature name="CoreClockTarget_0">
<Property name="Want_0" value="50000" />
<Property name="Want_1" value="50000" />
<Property name="Want_2" value="88000" />
</Feature>

 

[fosho]

I tried both clock speeds and it didn't change/improve anything

I just have no idea what to do next.

 

[fosho]

I just tried installing the 10.12a hotfix drivers that I stumbled across on the AMD site.

It didn't fix the problem, but it seemed like it may have taken a little longer for the "display driver stopped responding and has recovered" error to occur.

 

[Pallimud]

Have you tried going back to 10.11?

 

[OvrClkr]

The 10.12's gave me the exact same issue, reverted back to 10.11's and everything is butter..

 

[bystander]

Unfortunately, I do not know if the 6970's can use the 10.11 drivers.

 

[fosho]

I tried installing 10.11 and it wouldn't recognize my 6970. So no luck there.

I re-installed 10.12a and I noticed in the dxdiag that it lists the card generically as a 6900 series card, and that it has 1077 MB of memory. When in fact it actually has 2GB of memory. Does that indicate anything?

Should I try updating my BIOS? (Although I don't know how to do that)

 

[fosho]

Is it worth reformatting my hard drive? I am getting desperate lol, I have this brand new graphics card that I haven't been able to use it yet

 

[nforce4max]

I don't think so unless your instillation of windows is partially corrupted which is something that I have to do due to a perm issue that prevents me from installing programs but for you it is driver related. I suggest that you bitch (hate to use that word) and moan to customer support to accept your return or send you another card i hope that you will not have the same issue. If the same issue for the card you may have to wait for a new driver release in hope that the problems will go away (I have had to do this ended up waiting 3 months once) that will be stable. I stopped buying ati cards due to this issue. Their early drivers for each introduction of a new series always sucks major ass (not forgetting the whole frank and beans).

They can make great cards but their drivers are of tears of blood from thy eyes.

 

[fosho]

Thanks for the advice. I am working for a replacement card right now, so we'll see.

Do you think I should try to update my BIOS? I have never done it, but maybe it is worth a shot?

 

[fosho]

I updated my BIOS and it didn't make a difference.

I have been trying to talk with Sapphire but their support is absolutely terrible. It took four days for them to respond, and all they asked me was if I installed the latest drivers, which I said I did in my original message. I wish I could just call them instead of using e-mail, but I can't find any phone number.

I bought the card from NewEgg, can I just ask for an RMA? And they will just send me a replacement? I wish I could just return this 6970, get all my money back and get a 570.

Anyone have any advice or wisdom?

 

[Pallimud]

NewEgg will take care of it all for you. You can probably return it through them too.

 

[fosho]

If I return it, is there a restocking fee? I am guessing there probably is.

 

[nforce4max]

I think so but I would say that what you have is defective and that you just want to get your money back or exchange it for a different model card.