Problem with PC crashing due to GPU

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Hi,

I’ve had a problem with my pc where it crashes when loading into games with the graphics card R9 390.

When removing the graphics card and playing on on-board graphics from the mobo the pc works fine.

I built the pc myself back in 2014 and haven’t upgraded anything since.

This is the build:

MSI Radeon R9 390 GAMING AMD Graphics Card 8GB

Intel Quad-Core i7-4790K

EVGA Super NOVA 850W PC Power Supply - Gold

Gigabyte Z97X-Gaming 7 Intel LGA1150 Z97 ATX Motherboard (4x DDR3, 6x USB3.0, 6x USB2.0, HDMI, DVI-I, DSUB)

Crucial BX100 250 GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal Solid State Drive

WD 1TB 3.5 inch Internal Hard Drive - Caviar Blue

Alpenfhn Matterhorn Pure Edition CPU Cooler 120 mm

NZXT H440 Mid Tower Case with Side Window and 4 Quiet Fans for PC - White/Black

Team Group TLRED316G2400HC11CDC01 - TeamGroup Vulcan RED 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 PC3-19200C11 2400MHz Dual



It has been kept well ventilated but I did notice it crashing from time to time over the last year.

Only recently it just crashes every time I load a game.


When removing the graphics card I noticed it was very dusty so I gave it a good clean unscrewing all the parts and I also re-pasted the GPU.

Nothing changed. Still crashes every time I load a game.

It’s not only when loading a game… it also crashes when I have multiple apps open.

Everything on windows just freezes all of a sudden then it goes to a black screen and you can’t get it back without turning the pc off by button.


My friend says that this could be something with the PSU and the graphics card but I can’t see that being the issue? I’m not sure, I figure the graphics card is just past its days.

What would you suggest? Bite the buck and get a new graphics card? …


If so, based on my build what graphics card would others suggest?

I’ve been recommended by friends to go nvidia but I don’t mind – just looking for the best card available based on my build.

Please note I don’t really play any high end games that would require the latest graphics.

I play games such as valorant, escape to tarkov, csgo, rocket league but don’t mind slightly upgrading other parts in my pc to allow me to be able to play the latest games – if that’s even possible with my build now it’s getting a bit dated.

Would anyone recommend upgrading the ram (up to 32gb?) or some other parts to get better performance out of the pc?
 
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Ask your mate can you test your graphics card in his pc or borrow one its the only way to tell if the gpu is faulty.

Any temp issiues ?
 
Yes I can take to my friend to test in his pc.

Temps are okay - I kept checking them before , during and after crashes and all seemed okay for all hardware.
 
Have you installed the most recent drivers? It would be worth uninstalling the driver and running a driver cleaning tool such as ddu. Rebooting and installing the most recent. If this fails then backup and do a fresh install of Windows and test the card with most recent driver.
 
I think get a New graphics card. AMD one, because in direct X 12 games a Nvidia card will heavily bottleneck in your system.

Seriously? Are you actually paid by AMD or something to make a comment like that? I mean I'm familiar with fanboys of particular companies (Intel vs AMD, Nvidia vs AMD etc...) but that's just, damn.

Here's my retort then, I'll have to go super mega hyperbole lying to outclass that one... erm... Don't get AMD one, if you do aliens will come abduct you and also a kitten will die. Nvidia only!
 
Seriously? Are you actually paid by AMD or something to make a comment like that? I mean I'm familiar with fanboys of particular companies (Intel vs AMD, Nvidia vs AMD etc...) but that's just, damn.

Here's my retort then, I'll have to go super mega hyperbole lying to outclass that one... erm... Don't get AMD one, if you do aliens will come abduct you and also a kitten will die. Nvidia only!

I'm pretty sure he's referring to this:



No idea if this has been resolved or not yet, but if not he's correct that AMD could be better for you depending on the game and resolution/settings you use.

It's purely academic regardless, good luck finding a GPU of any sort.
 
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Tbh during these times I'd grab any GPU you can as choice is something of a luxury right now unless your paying scalper prices.

I'd also be tempted to pick up a 11400 + B560 and some ram which only comes in just over £300 then sell the old 4790k / mb / ram for around £250 which should make it a very cost effective upgrade.
 
I'd also be tempted to pick up a 11400 + B560 and some ram which only comes in just over £300 then sell the old 4790k / mb / ram for around £250 which should make it a very cost effective upgrade.

I'd agree with this.

It's worth seeing how much you could get for your CPU/Mobo/RAM, for some reason old Intel hardware often commands fairly high prices second hand. For the sake of £50-100 once you've sold your old kit, a 11400F setup is a no brainer.
 
Hi all, Thank you for your replies. I'm bumping this post as I have yet to find a solution.

I have tested a new PSU in the PC with the g card that is problematic and it is still the same - so i am now sure the g card is dead.

I agree with the comments that say I could sell some of my parts and buy new parts as an upgrade, however i dont see myself using this pc forever.

I would like it to last me a couple/few years and the only games i play are cs, rocket league, valorant, all which do not require a high-end pc.

I figure in a couple of years i will buy a new high end pc but as for now id like to be able to have a working pc that can play the above.

So I have started looking around at second hand graphics cards (exact same model as I had - R9 390).

I am following a few on eBay and just saw one sell just now for £150 (unfortunately i missed bid).

Ideally id like to stay AMD for this build since the monitor is designed for amd with freesync, however would anyone suggest or think I should go for a different graphics card based on my build?

I would also like to note that since i run my own company, i can claim the vat back on a purchase if the purchase is for a new graphics card from a shop - I mention this as it can make a big difference on cost.
However purchasing second hand does not allow me to claim back any vat back of course.

I'd really appreciate some feedback and see what other people think would be the best way to go about this?
 
You should set up FE part alert stock alerts and try pick up a founders edition, 3060ti's were up for over 15 mins yesterday and offer excellent performance for just £369.
 
I would also like to add that I would like to be able to play Escape from Tarkov, which as far as I'm aware can be fairly spec intensive for a pc.

Might struggle with the R9 390... A friend suggested this AMD card which got awards for best old card of 2021 - AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB

Would this be a better option to go for or may there be another card i should consider with this build?



You should set up FE part alert stock alerts and try pick up a founders edition, 3060ti's were up for over 15 mins yesterday and offer excellent performance for just £369.
Isn't this overkill for my build?



Have you tried the GPU in the second PCI-E slot?

If it works in there it will be @ x8 not x16, but you will not lose much performance.
Yes i tried both PCI's - neither work.


Tried running memtest?
How do I do this and what will it achieve?
 
That's seriously over-clocked memory you have there. The very first thing I would do is change the XMP setting to off and try that.
You do tend to find that as a system gets older it's ability to overclock reduces. It could well be that it's just falling short now of that very high spec 2400 memory ( well, very high spec for the 4790K ).
 
That's seriously over-clocked memory you have there. The very first thing I would do is change the XMP setting to off and try that.
You do tend to find that as a system gets older it's ability to overclock reduces. It could well be that it's just falling short now of that very high spec 2400 memory ( well, very high spec for the 4790K ).

I don't understand this comment. What has the XMP ram got to do with anything. I believe XMP profile is on but I don't see this being anything to do with the issue. The card is old and got very dusty and wasn't cleaned for years. This has caused internal heating damage to the components. I think I've pretty much tested everything to confirm this being the issue.


Probably but it's still by far the best card you can get for the money right now while a similar amount of cash will only get you an AIB GTX 1660 or an RTX 2060 both of which are considerably slower.
3060TI is an Nvidia card and my build/monitor was made for AMD. Monitor is freesync. Does this mean I should stay with AMD for this build?
 
I don't understand this comment. What has the XMP ram got to do with anything. I believe XMP profile is on but I don't see this being anything to do with the issue. The card is old and got very dusty and wasn't cleaned for years. This has caused internal heating damage to the components. I think I've pretty much tested everything to confirm this being the issue.



3060TI is an Nvidia card and my build/monitor was made for AMD. Monitor is freesync. Does this mean I should stay with AMD for this build?
Which monitor do you have as Gsync generally works on freesync monitors these days?
 
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