Problem With New Build...

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Joined
24 Mar 2011
Posts
74
PC Spec:

Gigabyte P67A-UD4-B3
i5 2500k
2x HD 5850 CF
4GB OCZ Special Ops 1600mhz RAM
500GB SATA HDD
XFX 650W PSU

Firstly, before I say anything else, I have to say that I'm not actually sure that this issue is hardware related at all. It could be, but it could also be to do with driver issues or something else like that. I just really need some help. :confused:

Anyway, after my PC was first built it ran fine for the first couple of days without any issues whatsoever. However, now when I go online, for example, on facebook, the text on the screen is of poor quality - how it looked before any graphics card drivers were installed i.e. when it was running on onboard graphics.

Another problem I've been having, which is most likely related is with Shogun 2. The game ran fine like the PC in general for the first couple of days, however, after a while the game started becoming laggy, as if it was being ran on an inferior machine. The strangest thing was at this stage, sometimes the game ran fine and then when I tried to load it an hour later it was laggy again. Then after a while, it just began to bluescreen every single time I tried to load it.

I thought that I'd fixed the problem yesterday, when I downloaded new graphics drivers from steam and the newest realtek audio drivers. This seemed to fix the problem of the poor quality text on sites such as facebook, and Shogun 2 ran fine for the whole night. But when I booted up the PC this morning, lo and behold, the text on the internet is of poor quality once more and Shogun 2 is bluescreening, without any change to the PC whatsoever.

Another small issue is when I restart the PC (only when I literally restart, not fully shut down and then reboot) to update drivers or whatever, the PC shuts down, starts up again (as you'd expect) then when it has reached the screen from which you'd press delete to enter the BIOS (does it have a technical term?), it shuts down and restarts again every single time. The process the PC goes through when I restart is something like this:

Press restart >> Shuts down >> boots until mobo screen comes up >> shuts down again (??) >> loads perfectly.

This happens every single time, and makes me think that it could be a hardware issue.

So anyway, does anyone have any idea what could be wrong? I'm completely stuck for ideas here, and almost on the verge of taking it into a shop for someone to look at, although I dread to think what they'd charge. :(

Thanks
 
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I think the double reboot is a BIOS issue and could be repaired by updating the bios. Maybe just an OC issue though.

Try installing drivers with one graphics card and installing the other after.
 
Sounds like a display / driver issue to me. Also check if your cards are well seated in their slots. And check with one card at a time. Check in your device manager if you have any warnings, and in the event log if you got some recent display driver crashes.

Also what PSU you using?
 
Checked with both cards in the slot nearest the CPU and the text on facebook and other sites is highly pixelated with both, which I guess means at least that it isn't the cards... However, as I've only tried them in 1 slot, could it be that its the slot itself that isn't working properly? Would it be worth checking the cards individually in the other slot?

Edit: I've put my PSU in the original post.
 
That's a good enough PSU for SLI 5850 so can't be that.

It's possible you have a problem with slot one. Costs nothing trying each card individually in slot 2.

It's difficult to say though, but this is what I'd do.

1) Try cards in slot 2.
2) It works, you know it's a motherboard issue, so either way, ...
3) Update motherboard bios to latest.
4) Reset motherboard bios to default / safe settings (no OC).
5) clean up ATI drivers thoroughly.
6) re-install the latest motherboard drivers (sound, LAN, ect...).
7) re-install latest ATI drivers.
8) Try cards in slot 1.
9) Try XFire.
10) still problems, contact OcUK.

Ultimately, a full Windows reinstall, and bios reset to default. and a thorough check of all the component connections.

It's fiddly work. Would take you the best part of a day / night, and another day for a full re-install.
 
Right, I'll get on and do the above over the next couple of days, I'm guessing (hoping) its software/driver issues rather than hardware.

Edit: tried both slots with both cards, so its not the Mobo or the cards that are the problem, phew.
 
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