1080ti - help please

Jay_t · 3 Apr 2018 at 10:01

Hi,

I bought an EVGA 1080ti SC2 just before Christmas to replace my aging 7950 boost crossfire setup. For a month or 2 everything was fine, but then games started crashing and the Valleys benchmark would crash to desktop after about 10 minutes.

Reinstalling Windows and running without non essential hardware changed nothing, so I sent my card back to EVGA for RMA. I paid 900 euro for an advance card which behaved in a identical way crashing after 5 -10 minutes into a benchmark/stress test. The card seems stable on a single monitor, but not with 3 monitors connected for NV Surround.

I swopped out my PSU for a Corsair TX750M and didn't notice any difference, so I swopped out the whole system. I bought a Asus Prime A, I7 8700k and 16 GB of Corsair DDR4 and guess what.... Yep - no change.

I'm now down a shed load of money and only want to play Planet Coaster with my son. Should I go the whole hog and buy a brand new PSU? or RMA both cards or something else?

Any help will be gratefully received as I've never had such an expensive carry on in twenty years of building PCs.

Thanks,

Jamie

GTiPUG · 3 Apr 2018 at 11:27

I'd definitely go the new PSU route - It's an odd decision to replace everything else before the PSU?

Perhaps try a phat EVGA Supernova 850W or something to be certain?

JediFragger · 3 Apr 2018 at 11:32

GTiPUG said:
I'd definitely go the new PSU route

Read it again.

Woodsta888 · 3 Apr 2018 at 11:48

Looking at your system a 1080ti isn't going to run flat out with one monitor, but will do when running 3 as it will be rendering 3 screens. Your case isnt the biggest and not many fans in it especially with all those spinny drives in it (If indeed they are inside that case). That EVGA will be dumping all that heat inside the case and that is a positive pressure case?

I'd run afterburner and watch the GPU temps. Post a picture of the innards of your case.

One thing I find with new cards is that they run a higher OC when new and once bedded in after a couple I cant get them to hold the OC I achieved when they were new. But that CAse doesn't have that many fans and you are running quite a powerful system. Take all the sides off and run it then.

But you have gone the expensive route. Very frustrating but you do have a lot of shiny shiny. Maybe a new case is in order as I reckon you have a cooling issue. Wouldn't say that was the best cooled case if you have all those drive caddies installed impeding the flow from the fans at the front. Looks like you have 1 fan in the front and one in the top - 2x 180mm and 1 x exhaust. Is your CPU air cooled also?

If that was me I'd have bought a new case and a liquid CPU cooler.

JediFragger · 3 Apr 2018 at 12:13

Also try to underclock your GPU using Afterburner, just in case it's boosting beyond your cooling capabilities/or it's faulty.

GTiPUG · 3 Apr 2018 at 13:37

JediFragger said:
Read it again.

He didn't say a new PSU, he said he "swapped in" a CX750.

At the end, he says "Should I go the whole hog and buy a new PSU". I'd answer yes to that, especially before replacing CPU, RAM, Mobo.

JediFragger · 3 Apr 2018 at 14:25

GTiPUG said:
He didn't say a new PSU, he said he "swapped in" a CX750.

Ahh, I read that as he changed PSU.

Jay_t · 3 Apr 2018 at 15:12

Many thanks for all your help so far.

I know the case is a little bit toasty with all those hard drives in, but I have both sides off and all the old mechanical drives switched off while I'm trying to troubleshoot this. The CPU is cooled with a decent (but old) Noctua NH U12P with LGA 115X converter kit. The GPU boosts up to just shy of 2000MHz @ around 72 degrees C. Nothing is overclocked beyond what it left the factory at.

I've just spoken to an EVGA support technician who tried his best to be genuinely helpful. He claimed that because I can get the card (both cards) stable on one monitor then the fault was to do with NV Surround or an incompatibility. I mentioned I'd already had 2 months of trouble free gaming using my 5920 x 1080 triple monitor setup, but he seemed to think it would be a monitor timing issue / driver fault or the DisplayPort to HDMI adaptors I use to connect it all up. That seems a little unlikely to me, as one monitor is not pushing this card in the slightest.

I'm at a loss because the PSU is the only major part not replaced with a brand new equivalent, but surely both PSUs cant be bad :confused:

JediFragger · 3 Apr 2018 at 17:09

Are you running new drivers? Maybe DDU and try the older ones again?

It is sounding that the hardware is fine, you've changed it all!!

Bugbait · 3 Apr 2018 at 17:27

Does the GPU run stably on each individual monitor you have connected? To rule out cable and or monitor input faults. I had a faulty 17" a very long time ago that was fine with D-Sub (VGA) but flaky with DVI. It developed the fault after 18 months or so of use (replaced under warranty though).

evohicks · 3 Apr 2018 at 19:10

Jay_t said:
Hi,

I bought an EVGA 1080ti SC2 just before Christmas to replace my aging 7950 boost crossfire setup.

I basically did this from 2 X 7970's to the Aorus 1080Ti and found the NV Surround slightly different to the Eyefinity of ATI.
It wouldn't have anything to do with refresh rates on the different monitors would it?
I only use the 3 screens in Surround for racing games but I do find it not as smooth setting up as Eyefinity.

TheGentry · 3 Apr 2018 at 19:42

Do you have any friends that you can try replace ur GPU in there computer to eliminate the possiblity of faults on ur side

Woodsta888 · 3 Apr 2018 at 21:30

Jay_t said:
Many thanks for all your help so far.

I know the case is a little bit toasty with all those hard drives in, but I have both sides off and all the old mechanical drives switched off while I'm trying to troubleshoot this. The CPU is cooled with a decent (but old) Noctua NH U12P with LGA 115X converter kit. The GPU boosts up to just shy of 2000MHz @ around 72 degrees C. Nothing is overclocked beyond what it left the factory at.

I've just spoken to an EVGA support technician who tried his best to be genuinely helpful. He claimed that because I can get the card (both cards) stable on one monitor then the fault was to do with NV Surround or an incompatibility. I mentioned I'd already had 2 months of trouble free gaming using my 5920 x 1080 triple monitor setup, but he seemed to think it would be a monitor timing issue / driver fault or the DisplayPort to HDMI adaptors I use to connect it all up. That seems a little unlikely to me, as one monitor is not pushing this card in the slightest.

I'm at a loss because the PSU is the only major part not replaced with a brand new equivalent, but surely both PSUs cant be bad

Feel your frustration.

That's a very high boost at factory settings - never heard one boost that high without an overclock, not that I trawl the web for OC's. Full crashes'lock ups though normally point to failed Overclock so I'd set the clocks to boost to 1800Mhz and test then.

I have seen those adaptors go bad as I was involved in a full Boeing 737 simulator that used 3 1080p projectors and we had issues with adaptors. What we did was go to that big national rubbish PC shop, purchase 3 new adaptors - best in there and carfully unpack them so you can take em back (make sure they dont come in those sealed bubbles) and test with those. Repack and take back - depending where you live - online may still be quicker and easier.

DDU > drivers - get latest release (or maybe try some old drivers for the time when it did work) and reset up NV surround.

Check all monitor settings are the same as Evo suggested

Dunno what to suggest after that.

Painful.

Jay_t · 4 Apr 2018 at 12:05

Thanks once again Gents, for all your help.

A bit of an update. Even on a single monitor connected by HDMI, both cards are now crashing on Heaven and Valleys benchmark within 10 mins. I have used the latest drivers and also the EVGA recommended 388.59 driver from last December. DDU or a fresh installation of Windows has been used in every case.

Sadly I have no friends with the same calibre of computer to swop parts with, so I have a 1000W EVGA PSU incoming. Fingers crossed this fixes it!

While I'm in the process of going bankrupt - why not add a Corsair Crystal 570X case and H150i cooler? It's not like it can make it run any worse.

JediFragger · 4 Apr 2018 at 12:36

Jay_t said:
570X case

Cack airflow apparently, just try to make sure one of the fans is hitting the card.

smsmasters · 5 Apr 2018 at 00:59

Just a random thought, how about testing everything outside the case?

Ensure all power cables plugged in firmly.

Any errors in memtest?

mikedigitales · 5 Apr 2018 at 11:27

As above, these sorts of crazy problems are the worst - try to swap out everything - the last one I helped a friend with was the keyboard. Everything pointed to graphics card, but after changing everything else it was the Logitech wireless keyboard/mouse thing he used causing the freeze ups and crashes. Swapped to a normal wired board and mouse, no problems. You totally have to take it back to basics in these cases, hope the psu fixes it!

Guest2 · 6 Apr 2018 at 21:48

Are you running a single PCI-E power connector or 2 individual connectors from your PSU? It is always recommended to use 2 individual. Also try the standards with troubleshooting - 1 monitor, default clocks etc.

Jay_t · 13 Apr 2018 at 15:33

Thanks for all your suggestions. I've had to RMA the second card in the end as there is nothing else it can be. I tried a brand new EVGA GQ 1000W PSU (2 individual connectors for GPU power) and had the same result. I also tried with just a single monitor and an HDMI cable in case the Displayport converters were faulty. There are no overclocks, no case shorts and I've basically built a brand new rig!

My son and I are currently using intel on-board graphics and a single monitor to play Planet Coaster on low settings - but at least everything is now completely stable!

Lets hope EVGA send me a new card this time instead of someone else's broken one with a badly bodged repair. :mad: