Graphics Driver Crashing in web browsers

[lampboy2000]

Hi,

I have an AMD Radeon HD 6970 graphics card. It plays games great and fast, but there are problems when using simpler apps like web browsers.

For any website that uses something more than basic text, or for example a google image search, the whole window corrupts and hangs, leaving little image artifacts, then 'stop starts' and the only way to fix it it to close the application and open it again.

It's happening very often, despite me updating the Radeon graphics driver to the latest version. Can anyone help?

screenshot example below

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/4613/screenom.jpg

Thanks,
John

 

[americanbrian]

Probably gRAM problem (frame buffer corrupting). It is unusual that it happens in 2D modes but hey, these are complex things.

Try underclocking your gRAM using an overclocking utility and also temporarily put GPU fan speed to 100%. If this solves the problem you can be fairly sure it is the gRAM.

People have used the "oven trick" to resolder the points and generally have success at reviving cards with this type of problem.

 

[ricardois]

depending on your driver version, sometimes there are incompatibilities with browsers, try using another, see if this problem continues, i remember nvidia had some problems with firefox, so i've stopped using it for a while.

you could try other graphics driver versions also (older ones).

try uninstalling your driver and reinstalling again latest version.

if it does not happen in games i don't think it is a graphics clock problem, try running a graphics card stress test and look for Artifacts on screen, (MSI Kombustor can be used).

 

[lampboy2000]

I'm getting crashes on both Chrome and Firefox, and both on google maps and this page http://uk.ign.com/wikis/the-elder-scrolls-5-skyrim/interactive-maps - which always makes the browsers hang and fragment.

How do I 'underclock my Gram'? I've gone into thr Catalyst control centre and enabled the AMD overdrive and then turned the GPU clock down to 500 (it's lowest setting) but I'm still getting hangs.

 

[americanbrian]

Not the GPU clock, you need to lower the memory clock...

Also don't forget to increase the fan speed to 100%.

I don't suggest you use it this way, it is just to test if the RAM on the graphics card is at fault.

Overdrive is not the best for underclocking teh RAM. Try amd gpu clock tool or ati tray tools

Bitcoin miners underclock the memory all the time to prevent overheating and that is what they seem to use.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=40005.0

 

[americanbrian]

oh, and if the card is in warranty it is probably worth just sending it in... saves you the bother and will probably get a better unit back...

 

[lampboy2000]

No, I'm just out of warranty. I'm still having problems and it's driving me nuts.

IE, Chrome andfi firefox all crash within minutes of opening, the machine hangs, then and I get the "amdkdap crashed and has recovered".

I tried several uninstalls of the graphics driver, and without any graphics driver everything is fine and fast, but I can only surf the web in 640x480.

I've installed MSI afterburner, but I can't find what the 'GRAM' is or how to change it or what to change it to. Very frustrating.

This is what things look like far to often.

In a 3D game everything is fine and fast, in basic 2d apps, mainly the web surfing it all sucks ass.

 

[americanbrian]

You should disable all hardware acceleration in your borwser/ flash settings.