Nasty Artifacts + Driver Crashing

[Jakus]

Ok, Well it is definitely a Heat/load related problem otherwise it would fail instantly, You need to test the GFX card in another system and/or try similar power card in Yours (a low powered card would not load the system enough and make You think it's the GFX Card...(which it still may be )

It could be a power issue PSU/Mobo, try underclocking everything in turn, but again that could lead You up the Garden path, actually overclocking everything in turn May give You more useful feedback !

 

[Boogle]

I know its not heat and its not power. Tried it in housemates PC and its fine for him, hot at 75 degrees, but doesn't crash. Hes a smaller PSU too.

If the card is fine, you're left with:

- CPU
- Mobo (just update the BIOS, mobos don't get outdated to the point of not running a GPU)
- RAM
- Software

Run Prime95 blend for 12hrs minimum (24hrs ideal), make sure to enable rounding checking in the advanced menu first otherwise it won't pick up much. If blend passes, then its probably a software issue. If blend fails, then its probably a hardware issue with either the CPU or RAM. You can use Small FFT test to check the CPU only - if that fails, its the CPU. If it passes, its probably the RAM.

 

[Le_Petit_Lapin]

Hmm.....pretty sure it is the graphics card now, went to turn it on this morning and got no display.

Where do I RMA it? I'm over my 28 day limit with OCUK, and on the Powercolor site there doesn't seem to be a UK section.

 

[Boogle]

What 28 day limit? You buy the card B-Grade?

 

[Le_Petit_Lapin]

No, new....does it not say here than I only have 28 days to return it to OcUK after which I need to send it to Powercolor for RMA?

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/support.php

 

[Boogle]

Norty OcUK!

http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/consumers/fact-sheets/page38311.html

You have the full warranty period as a minimum for returns direct to OcUK. Remember UK law trumps little notices various retailers put up re statutory rights. Statutory rights for the win!

 

[Le_Petit_Lapin]

Urgh, does that mean I have to ring up and whinge at them to get it replaced?

 

[pastymuncher]

I now have the same card as you and have had the same problems. Crashes, lock ups and BSODs. It is definately not heat related. I have tried loads of things and for me it seems that the ATI CCC is the cause of the problems. I downloaded several drivers and found that it will work with the 8.9 bare driver. The one by itself with no CCC. Not happy though. You should'nt have to mess around to get a new card to work properly.

 

[Rimsy]

Urgh, does that mean I have to ring up and whinge at them to get it replaced?

indeed you do. Good luck!

 

[Le_Petit_Lapin]

Hmm. Well it looks like it IS the motherboard afterall.

Now I'm basically getting a no-display, so I've been swapping out old bits an pieces with whats in the PC, and it will intermittantly boot, no matter what hardware is in it. Everything works, and boots in any combination, except you have to turn the PC off and on at least 20 times to get a display.

Does that make sense? I can't switch out the motherboard to make sure if its that which is at fault, as I don't have another LGA 775 motherboard here, and the housemates PC is AMD AM2.

What should I do? Order a new motherboard and see how I get on with that?

I'm at a loss here tbh. I can't seem to pin down exactly what is wrong with the damn thing.

Any suggestions anyone can offer at this point would be greatly appreciated.

 

[pastymuncher]

I now have the same card as you and have had the same problems. Crashes, lock ups and BSODs. It is definately not heat related. I have tried loads of things and for me it seems that the ATI CCC is the cause of the problems. I downloaded several drivers and found that it will work with the 8.9 bare driver. The one by itself with no CCC. Not happy though. You should'nt have to mess around to get a new card to work properly.

Forget this ^. I am back to having the same problems. I reckon there is a bad batch of cards seeing as we are having similar problems.

 

[mikeo]

The graphical distortion looks almost identical to problems I had with an old 7900 GS a while back and that was the memory on the way out!

 

[Le_Petit_Lapin]

Well, I've got a new motherboard in there now, (and shiny new case... ) and the PC once again boots!

However much to my disappointment, about 10 minutes into playing Fallout 3, it crashed to desktop, and came up with the "atikmdag.exe has crashed and been recovered" message in what is becoming a bloody irritating speech bubble at the bottom of the screen.

So....got an RMA number off OcUK today and sneding it back tomorow. However their e-mail states:

"if found faulty, a replacement will be issued."

Now given that the bloody thing in my tests will scan for artifacts fine (run Furmark, etc hours on end without issue) and in general it will not give a hic-cup until you try and actually use the PC to do something productive, I'm getting the worrying feeling that OCUK is just going to run a standard set of tests on the card, tell me its fine, charge me a tenner and send the duff thing back to me.

Any suggestions?

 

[mikeo]

Hi

The message / failure "atikmdag.exe has crashed and been recovered" is such a generic one (see numerous threads on this, including one from me). If this is the only thing that's happening now, then "yes" OCuk could well test it in another machine and find it's fine. Not a lot of use to you I know, just warning you. As you would almost certainly be charged to have it sent back!

Now if you were getting graphical anomalies like you first mentioned and can easily reproduce this, then I would still say memory problem myself (in the card that is).

About all you can do, if you are sending it back. Is write a nice little letter to go with it, outlining all you problems and including screen shots to back it up.

Plus I'm assuming you've tried all the usual things (temp checking, PSU OK etc. etc.).

Sounds to me like you are almost at the end of the line. So might have to just bite the bullet and RMA it.

I'm assuming from what you say, that you've tried looping 3Dmark Vantage several times in a row!?

If not using Vista 64 (because it will not work with this) then have you tried stressing it with ATItool for a couple of hours?

Is it still giving problems with Fallout3? Just a thought here, but I had a similar problem in Stalker shadow of C. when it was night and you got thunder storms (turned out to be a known problem in the game). Have you tried GOOGLE to check if anything similar in Fallout 3? And does it do anything similar in other games? if not, then I would suspect the game itself. Though obviously this does not help with your general driver failure.

Good luck.

 

[pastymuncher]

Well, I've got a new motherboard in there now, (and shiny new case... ) and the PC once again boots!

However much to my disappointment, about 10 minutes into playing Fallout 3, it crashed to desktop, and came up with the "atikmdag.exe has crashed and been recovered" message in what is becoming a bloody irritating speech bubble at the bottom of the screen.

So....got an RMA number off OcUK today and sneding it back tomorow. However their e-mail states:

"if found faulty, a replacement will be issued."

Now given that the bloody thing in my tests will scan for artifacts fine (run Furmark, etc hours on end without issue) and in general it will not give a hic-cup until you try and actually use the PC to do something productive, I'm getting the worrying feeling that OCUK is just going to run a standard set of tests on the card, tell me its fine, charge me a tenner and send the duff thing back to me.

Any suggestions?

I rejected mine under the DSR's, just in case. Got my full refund today and have a factory overclocked 4870 wining it's way to me from another retailer for an extra £26. Just hope this one works.

 

[Le_Petit_Lapin]

I'm assuming from what you say, that you've tried looping 3Dmark Vantage several times in a row!?

If not using Vista 64 (because it will not work with this) then have you tried stressing it with ATItool for a couple of hours?

In regards to ATitool I stuck windows in test mode and signed the Atitool driver, it ran fine then.

3D Mark Vantage however (completely forgot about it), I've just downloaded that and tried running that, about 35 seconds into Jane Nash, it crashes with atikmdag.exe error. Tried again, and while it lasted a bit longer, it crashed again.

So....get it boxed up and send it to be RMA'ed tomorow?

 

[mikeo]

O'well.. at least it sounds like you can re-produce the fault.

Though I would still advice including a letter detailing everything. You would be amazed at how many people just package up the card and send it back with little, or no explanation. I'd also probably Email them with a copy of it as well (paranoid... that's me).

Though a word of caution. There is still no cast iron guarantee that when they come to test it on a totally different machine, that they will have problems! It could still be a Windows/driver/graphics card/mobo etc. incompatibility.

Let us know how you get on.

PS. This is why thrashing the pants of a new graphics card in the first few days is a good idea. Then like the gent above, if problems occur like this, you can use the DSR to return it.

 

[weta]

I've got a PowerColor HD 4870 and the "copper strips" are actually aluminium strips anodized copper.
Personally I don't feel they're adequate so I intend to exchange them for ramsinks.

 

[Le_Petit_Lapin]

Sent it off with a letter, with a link to this thread.