Strange problem with Radeon HD 6870

[maj3091]

Hi,

I've got a strange issue with a new build PC and a PowerColor Radeon HD 6870 GPU.

Approximately 40-50 secs after windows start up (logon), the screen will go black for about 5 seconds and then go back to normal and seem to function OK for the majority of the time after that, but on the odd occasion, I get a blue screen (not BSOD). The screen will go blue with black lines and the system has completely crashed. I can't pinpoint this blue screen crash to anything in particular, but it's happened a few times whilst browsing using Chrome.

I'm running the latest Catalyst Control Centre (V12.1) and drivers from the AMD web site.

I have tried the card in my nephew's PC (we built at the same time, so running same specs) and it doesn't experience these issues.

If I uninstall CCC, I don't get the black-out on startup, but it will still experience the blue screen crash on occasion.

If I run from the onboard graphics, I don't seem to get either issue.

Any pointers would be really appreciated.

I'm running the following spec:

Win7x64 Ultimate SP1
i5 2500K CPU (not over-clocked)
16Gb Corsair RAM (Passed RAM Tests OK)
MSI Z68 Motherboard
650W Corsair PSU

Thanks.

 

[mubin]

Hi,
If you sure it is not your video card then may be your mobo's pcie slot is faulty. Check your friend's video card if you can. Download latest motherboard chipset driver to see if it is gone. Lastly go for warranty service if all fail. I think it is your motherboard which cause this problem as you describe.

 

[maj3091]

Thanks for the reply mubin.

I do have a second PCIe slot, which with not thinking straight, I should have tried it in.

I will check out the chipset drivers, to see if there is a newer version available. Excuse my ignorance, but please can you explain why the chipset drivers might cause this? I thought they were only for the on-board peripherals?

I think I might be dealing with two separate issues as the 5 second blank screen will go away if I uninstall the Catalyst Control centre.

I'll post back with my findings later.

Thanks again.

 

[mubin]

Check the slot you are using right now for 6870 with other card. If you see any of these problem then there is a faulty mobo.

Chipset driver help os to recognize the chipset component. And also tell how to operate pcie card. But your mobo's chip dont run pcie, cpu run it directly. For older chip like, lga 775, chipset run pcie. You may be dont need chipset driver.

 

[maj3091]

Thanks for the explanation mubin.

I have solved the screen going blank after login. This was done by installing the monitor drivers! It was displaying as a generic PnP monitor, so after installing the drivers, it shows as the 24" Philips monitor that it is.

So I guess that means there was an issue with the CCC and the generic windows driver for that monitor.

The blue screen crashes didn't occur last night, so at the moment, I'm unsure whether it's solved that problem as well.

I'm more than surprised that the monitor drivers caused such an issue, but I'm happy to have solved at least that problem.

I still have other things to try based on your comments above, if the blue screen shows itself again.


Thanks again for your support.

 

[mubin]

Monitor driver is not always necessary. Check again by playing games. Monitor driver will not cause the system to crash. System will run without connecting monitor.

If games run fine then you may be solve the problem some how.

 

[maj3091]

I agree, but installing the driver stopped the black screen at startup.

The blue screens....only time will tell.

 

[maj3091]

The other strange thing is, it would quite happily play games through Steam and Origin with no issues. (Sorry, it wouldn't let me edit the above post).