Upgraded to 6850 - issues :(

[dunn2k]

hi guys,

recently upgraded my ASUS 512Mb HD4850 to a MSI cyclone 1Gb 6850 (core 775Mhz, memory 1000Mhz)

im using a 'cheap' 700W PSU (cables not sleeved etc)

was getting some flickering in the monitor upon install..........ran some msi kompressor benchmarks doing some overclocking in the process (850Mhz core, 1200Mhz memory) all was good.

turned off pc to disconnect 1 hard drive and 1 disk drive to free up some extra PSU power

flickering disappeared upon reboot

started to play Black ops - cranked all the settings up to MAX max (one i set to extra lol) and after a few games i started getting issues, occasional freezes - 2 minutes later blue screen crash........

Uable to get PC to reboot so changed back to old 4850............. note new 6850 didnt feel hot at all

after reinstall of old card, pc booted fine.............


What do we think gents, my gut (along with previous knowledge given to me prior to upgrading) im thinking that my 700W Power supply isnt up to the job of this 500W gpu - 2 x HD, 2 x DB, MoBo, 3 x fans, etc........

????? thanks

 

[coffeecoffee]

Your gut feeling is serving you well; While the ATI 6850 has a max power draw of only 127Watts, you shouldn't take manufacture PSU requirements seriously - they always overestimate. But I would invest in a solid PSU if I were you - they don't cost that much [they're under $100]. As far as I'm concerned with "el cheapo PSUs", they could be 400W units branded/labeled at 700W. So you never knew when your "el cheapo" will die and take part(s) of your system along with it.

This is what I propose/recommend:

1) Get a solid PSU [see below]
2) Uninstall your old drivers and double check [Uninstall via control panel => programs]
3) Install new driver for your ATI 6850

I would recommend the Corsair 650W Enthusiast - it's quite cheap even before rebate on top of the fact it has a "tested and true" design along with a solid track record.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020

~Coffee

 

[dunn2k]

thanks for the advice mate, im from the uk so the cheapest iv found that PSU is £70

would £650 be enough!? my next power supply will need to be able to run a 6950 minimun - might end up with a 7xxx series in my next build.

Question; after installing a new graphics card - should i then uninstall the old drivers? that could of been one of my issues!?

I definately agree that i need a new PSU, a new build is around the corner though so i was hoping to wait.,..... lol

PS; at the moment im using my 4850 with the new drivers installed also lol - yeh i know games arent working!

 

[dunn2k]

lol £650 was meant to be 650W

 

[festerovic]

@dunn2k - I think the part where you uninstall the drivers and then reinstall it with the new hardware is the way to go, and could have given you instability. I think that the memory is meant to hit 1100mhz, not 1200mhz, read some of the benchmark and review articles around the net. I think it was the memory is rated for faster speeds than the memory controller on the card.

The point of diminishing returns hits my 2 cards at 900mhz/1100mhz @ 2.1 volts.

Do your cards have 2 x 6 pin pcie power connectors or just 1?

 

[FunSurfer]

@dunn2k could be also PCIe compatibility issue if your MoBo has PCIe 1.0 and the new card is PCIe 2.1 (need to flash BIOS) . Check that after you tried the previous solutions and the problem persists.

 

[coffeecoffee]

would £650 be enough!?

Don't let the raw numbers fool you, Corsair makes very high-quality PSUs, the 650W is more than enough for the average gaming system with a 6950 2GB assuming you don't install an additional 10 Hard Drives and Dvd/blue-ray optical drives and run them ALL at the same time while gaming.

~Coffee

Edit: The 6950 2GB has a max power draw of 200W - you'll be hard pressed getting your current system with a 6950 2GB to use 500W - which gives you a generous amount of headroom for extra RAM, HDDs and SSDs.

 

[kilo_17]

Wow, I'm using a Rosewill 500w that came with my case (going to be replaced eventually) and it handles my 6850 fine. Out of curiosity, what brand is your 700w PSU?

 

[dunn2k]

thankyou all for your information - i think i need to flash the bious for pci-e 2.1 if available (i have an ASUS M4A78 mobo) not updated bious since purchase!!

will do that and sort out the drivers and report back

 

[4745454b]

M4A78 should handle that card just fine. Its PCIe 2.0, so no problems there. I doubt its a power issue as well. I'm pretty sure the power difference between the 4850 and 6850 is next to nothing.

I'd try reinstalling the drivers. And remove any OCs to see if thats the issue as well.

 

[dunn2k]

im going to update the bios anyway - sure it could do with it

about the over clocks - MSI do 2 versions of the 6850 cyclones, one rated at 775 / 1000 and the other is OC to 860 / 1440 !!! im 90% sure the cards are essentially the same - check the links

http://www.msi.com/product/vga/R6850-Cyclone-1GD5-Power-Edition.html

http://uk.msi.com/product/vga/R6850-Cyclone-1GD5-Power-Edition-OC.html

 

[larkspur]

about the over clocks - MSI do 2 versions of the 6850 cyclones, one rated at 775 / 1000 and the other is OC to 860 / 1440 !!! im 90% sure the cards are essentially the same - check the links

The card with the higher memory clock is going to have memory that is rated for that clock. Your version's memory isn't necessarily going to overclock beyond its factory setting. But you are pushing it further. It sounds like you are overclocking your card too heavy and getting instability as a result. Others mentioned drivers too. Always completely uninstall drivers before installing a new card. Uninstall your drivers, then reinstall them and let your clocks stay at factory clocks. If you still get the flicker, then maybe it is your PSU.

 

[dunn2k]

Ok well this is disappointing, try to reinstall the new card and i cant even get it to boot to windows now!! The PSU is making strange noises so im thinking its not going to work iv updated the bios and uninstalled old drivers.

thanks for yyour help though guys

 

[dunn2k]

ok so a new psu is going on order - i agree this corsair tx 650W v2 looks good and thats enough for up to what graphics setup???

6950 2Gb,
2 x 6850 1Gb,


just trying to look to the future - i dont like to waste money..... (who does lol)

 

[festerovic]

im going to update the bios anyway - sure it could do with it

about the over clocks - MSI do 2 versions of the 6850 cyclones, one rated at 775 / 1000 and the other is OC to 860 / 1440 !!! im 90% sure the cards are essentially the same - check the links

http://www.msi.com/product/vga/R6850-Cyclone-1GD5-Power-Edition.html

http://uk.msi.com/product/vga/R6850-Cyclone-1GD5-Power-Edition-OC.html

The memory on one is 1000mhz, and the other card is 1100mhz. I think its the highest available pre-overclocked speed (4400mhz) because that's the end of the hardware limit for these cards. Highest OC on the gpu core (without water cooling) is around 960mhz @ 2.27 volts (this was gotten from the ASUS directCu 6850 reviews. That has proved too much for my cards to be stable, they both will only do 925mhz stably enough to play games.

 

[festerovic]

ok so a new psu is going on order - i agree this corsair tx 650W v2 looks good and thats enough for up to what graphics setup???

6950 2Gb,
2 x 6850 1Gb,


just trying to look to the future - i dont like to waste money..... (who does lol)

This is a hard question because seeing new games come out that taxes my 2 x 6850 1gb makes me think that my choice of cards was a little on the mainstream side vs. high end. To be honest, there are hardly any games that aren't running at 60 fps @ 1200p with my rig. But BF3 and some others make me think this wasn't as good a choice as 2 x 4870s were. If I had a do-over I would get the 6950 1gb, then get another when I felt I needed it. Higher RAM is more valuable if you use 4x and 8x AA at high res. Most of the rest of the time its a waste unless its for a specific game (like GTA 4)

 

[dunn2k]

This is a hard question because seeing new games come out that taxes my 2 x 6850 1gb makes me think that my choice of cards was a little on the mainstream side vs. high end. To be honest, there are hardly any games that aren't running at 60 fps @ 1200p with my rig. But BF3 and some others make me think this wasn't as good a choice as 2 x 4870s were. If I had a do-over I would get the 6950 1gb, then get another when I felt I needed it. Higher RAM is more valuable if you use 4x and 8x AA at high res. Most of the rest of the time its a waste unless its for a specific game (like GTA 4)

excellent reply mate - i was hoping to use the 6850 for a couple months whilst i built a whole new system (maybe the 1155 2500k etc etc) but now i see i need a new PSU anyway im going to start the build now then upgrade the GPU to a 2Gb 6950 or 7xxx at the begining of next year

My Question though was would a 650W psu be enough for a 2gb 6950???

What psu do u have for your 2 x 6850 thanks

 

[dunn2k]

options for new pus - was suggested the corsair tx v2 650W psu for £70
http://www.ebuyer.com/257232-corsair-tx-650w-v2-psu-80plus-bronze-certified-cmpsu-650txv2uk

Im slightly impatient however and have found 3 possible options that i can pick up after work - what do you guys think??

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/corsair-gaming-series-gs700-700w-power-supply-unit-07656749-pdt.html
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/xfx-pro650w-power-supply-unit-09641834-pdt.html
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/ocz-700w-modxstream-pro-atx-power-supply-unit-07656726-pdt.html

 

[4745454b]

I'd stay with either the TX2 or the XFX PSU.

 

[dunn2k]

grrr.......lol well the only one PC world had in stock was the 700W OCZ Xtreme. But only £56 (mates rates lol) so i cant complain. Ill do with this for now and when i make a new build ill probably use a TX2