R9 290 Vapor-X Bad factory OC?

jakesnake · 2 Jul 2014 at 18:23

Sapphire R9 290 Vapor-X OC

- Core Speed: 1030MHz
- Memory Speed: 5600Mhz
- Memory interface: 512-Bit
- Memory capacity: 4096MB GDDR5

When its running on my Samsung Syncmaster (1920x1080p 60Hz) I get random black screens. I booted up at one stage and got 2 black screens within first 5/10mins and I was only browsing the net. The blackscreen needs a hard shutdown with powerbutton and restart to fix.

I decided to buy a Benq XL2411Z 144Hz monitor thinking that my current monitor (5years old) just couldn't handle the ultra settings and amd drivers. I hooked the new monitor with fresh amd drivers and instead of black screens im now getting bad flicker. Video of flicker here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jypkW8zSGU

Now, I droped my GTX470 back in to test the Benq @ 144Hz and it is fine. My old monitor obviously is fine with my 470 also.

Do you guys think its a bad factory overclock?? or could it be something else?

im thinking of RMAing the card.

Qitarah · 2 Jul 2014 at 18:44

Did you install your 290 on a PC with fresh windows? Or did you remove old drivers and simply install new ones?

Try display driver uninataller to make sure all Nvidia drivers are gone.

That being said it's probably going to need an RMA, don't loose too much sleep over it. Try DDU, maybe a fresh install at the most (make sure motherboard bios and all drivers are up to date as well). If not just RMA it, my first 290 was the Same. Black screen every time u did anything. Second 290 has been a lot better.

~Mike~ · 2 Jul 2014 at 19:09

Use DDU and install latest drivers first.

jakesnake · 2 Jul 2014 at 19:14

I did not format but I uninstalled nvidia drivers and rebooted before I installed amd drivers. Windows updates are also up to date aswell.

AlamoX · 2 Jul 2014 at 19:41

sounds like driver issue to me, can you test it on your friend's PC ?

jakesnake · 5 Jul 2014 at 12:32

hopefully get a test on another pc 2day. il post back.

Sayso · 5 Jul 2014 at 14:08

Wouldn't surprise me at all i had a 7970 ghz vapour and it was badly factory clocked.

jakesnake · 5 Jul 2014 at 17:37

I only have steam, avg and ccc running. When i browse net (google chrome) this is how the memory clock looks in the gpu-z log.

150 1400 150 150 1400 1400 150 and so on

no other inbetween numbers. just from low to max clocks.

could this be the reason why im getting flickering when i bootup and randomly the rest of the day? or is those readings normal?

win8.1 · 5 Jul 2014 at 18:25

Try downclocking your memory using Msi Afterburner and see if that stops the flickering.

Your card is using powerplay so it will fluctuate between the lowest clocks (150) and highest clocks (1400) depending on what it needs. It looks like your card has a pretty high memory overclock for stock so trying downclocking the memory to the normal 1250 instead of 1400 which it looks like it is going to, would be worth trying.

win8.1 · 5 Jul 2014 at 18:34

Also trying downclocking the core just to see if it gets rid of the flickering.

jakesnake · 5 Jul 2014 at 23:21

Nothing running. Memory clock shouldnt be maxed with no load? I mean this could burn the chip out with only 1 fan going. Should i RMA card?

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Gerard · 5 Jul 2014 at 23:25

IFC (intelligent fan control) controls the fan via a switch on the card, 1 fan spins until 3d is engaged then all three spin up. Not sure why the ram is at 3d clocks though, it can bounce up and down but shouldn't stay constant like that I don't think. :confused:

Space Monkey · 5 Jul 2014 at 23:59

What driver are you using, aren't folks having issues with 14.6? Tried 14.4, I had no issues on my 290 with 14.4

win8.1 · 6 Jul 2014 at 00:06

jakesnake said:
Nothing running. Memory clock shouldnt be maxed with no load? I mean this could burn the chip out with only 1 fan going. Should i RMA card?

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Temps are normal at 50c. As already said the vapour-x has intelligent fan control and by default only 1 fan is used in desktop mode. (Can be changed to run all three fans in desktop mode if wanted)

Bit strange the memory clocks going to 1400 constant with no gpu load.

I would use DDU display driver uninstaller in safe mode and then boot into normal windows mode and install 14.4 Whql to see if that cures the problem.

jakesnake · 6 Jul 2014 at 00:14

i was having the same problem with 14.4 when i first dropped the card in. I formatted and fresh installed 14.6 to see if it would fix it.

would the memory clock run constant when the monitor is on 144Hz? or should it still down clock because of no load?

Space Monkey · 6 Jul 2014 at 00:16

Are you running multiple screens at once?

win8.1 · 6 Jul 2014 at 00:24

jakesnake said:
i was having the same problem with 14.4 when i first dropped the card in. I formatted and fresh installed 14.6 to see if it would fix it.

would the memory clock run constant when the monitor is on 144Hz? or should it still down clock because of no load?

It should be running at the lower clocks with no gpu load unless as Space monkey said that you are running multiple screens at once.

Here's mine for example with no gpu load running one screen:-

Silent_Scone · 6 Jul 2014 at 06:51

Vapor-X are apparently binned chips but I don't believe it for a second TBH

SiDeards73 · 6 Jul 2014 at 12:47

I had a Tri-X that was excatly the same, had to RMA it in the end, i think the card is probably faulty. Have someone try it in their PC if possible and if its still playing up you'd say the cards fubar and get it RMA'd

Gerard · 6 Jul 2014 at 16:51

MjFrosty said:
Vapor-X are apparently binned chips but I don't believe it for a second TBH

Why exactly? Its not as if cards advertising specific clock speeds not working at those speeds is something confined to these cards. Seen the same with gigabyte cards, evga cards, asus cards etc.