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HD6870 problems

Last response: in Graphics & Displays
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Hey. Just bought a new VGA - ASUS EAH HD6870 directCU, but am having problems with it. After I installed it, (after under load, like playing games for example) my pc either completely shuts down without a warning or the game freezes for a while and then it says in my task bar that the driver stopped responding, a few blicks of the screen and a BSOD. I've tried clean instal of my OS (win 7), disabling aero... nothing.

My PC specs:
Mobo: MSI p7n sli platinum
CPU: Intel Core2 duo E8400
PSU: Fortron blue storm II 500w
2x 2GB ram DDR

I suspected the PSU to be the cause, but I read that the VGA needs only 500W PSU, which mine is, plus, according to this screenshot: http://imageshack.us/f/254/voltages.jpg/ the voltages seem OK. I don't think overheating is an issue, because the temperature is around beyond 80C, which isn't awesome, but it isn't that much to cause troubles as well.

So, any ideas?
Thanks!

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Graphics card Master

I don't think your PSU is the problem.It's fully capable of powering a single 6870 and the rest of your PC.

I suspect that the clocks on your card are to high for the voltage being allowed.I suggest increasing the voltage just a small amount to see if that is indeed the problem.

Download MSI Afterburner.After it's installed go to the settings and unlock voltage control.After it's unlocked increase the voltage a very small amount.See if that fixes it.
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Graphics card Authority

Your PSU should be good enough to handle everything, although it seems like the culprit seeing as how it only happens during load.

That 6870 is a factory OC model, so you should try underclocking it to stock clocks and see if that fixes it.
Graphics card Expert

Marty33 said:
Trying underclocking it now... What's a very small amount, Purple Stank? :) 


I assume he means something like from 1.0 to 1.05 or 1.1, you really don't want to do it in huge amounts.
Graphics card Master

You can't unlock voltage for a GPU in the BIOS.It's a software only thing.Make sure you restart Afterburner after you check the box to unlock it.If Afterburner doesn't work ASUS supplies their own O.C.ing and monitoring software which you should download.

Do you have the most recent drivers installed?

well, the Asus software only works with their own drivers for the GPU, and those drivers are like half a year old, so I'm using the newest ATi drivers now. (have tried using the ASUS drivers as well, the results are the same, so that's not the cause)
Graphics card Expert

My suggestion is to just RMA it, also how do you have the power connectors hooked up? via 2x6pin or using molex connectors?

If its molex connectors, try putting them on different molex's and see if that fixes it :) 
Graphics card Master

Yah almost every provider will use very old drivers.Cost money to keep it that up to date.I guess as long as it's stable they don't really care.

Is Afterburner working for u yet?

If it doesn't then just try decreasing the clocks in CCC.Reduce both the memory and core by 50mhz.Then try it out.
Graphics card Master

Yah just use the clock settings if the voltage control won't work.The only problem with that though is that IF your card isn't getting the correct amount of voltage that it needs you will either have to return the card or find some other way of increasing the voltage.What's strange is that your card only has a very very small O.C. of 15mhz.
Graphics card Master

Stock voltage for 6870 should be 1.175.
If it is at 1.2 then it would make sense that it's the O.C.ing setting but to me that seems a bit high for such a small O.C.(15mhz).When I use MSI Afterburner the max voltage I can set is 1.30 so anything below that I consider safe.But as I said that seems a bit high for such a small O.C.

Something you should also consider/watch out for is that you said your card was reaching 80c.That is a bit high but make sure it doesn't go over 90c.

Well, it happened only once now since yesterday, and I ran Furmark's test for several hours. However, that one time when the PC did shut down, this is what eventvwr has to say about it:
Critical Failure: Kernel-power: The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.
So it seems that the PSU is the villian behind all this after all, isn't it?

I would put money that it is a PSU issue. That power supply unit may not be supplying enough clean power evenly to all hungry components because it only a 500 watt (plus its not a great brand). I always like a little extra headroom just for this reason. Try getting a nice 600-650 watt PSU such as this Corsair and Ill bet it works fine (**and yes stick with Corsair or Antec).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

A reference model 6870 should have 500 watt min PSU, and like I said I never go with the min. Why chance it. I've seen so many problems caused by people trying to use the min., power requirements and squeeze by.

And how many problems do you see with people having an excess of power. Oh, about none. Components only use what ever power they need, they don't pull extra juice just because its there. I would get a bigger PSU.

http://www.amd.com/us/products/desktop/graphics/amd-rad...
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