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The AMD Driver Thread

TNA said:
Just got a R9 290 Tri-x from members market and run my usual tests on it and even played a few games with no crashes, but when idle I keep getting crashes. Windows 10 locks up on a black screen mostly and I have to hold the power off button for 5 seconds in order to turn pc off. It is not a heat issue btw. It happens when 40-45C.

I uninstalled drivers, run DDU in safe mode and installed latest drivers, still same problem.

I get the feeling it is caused by Wattman which is applying high voltages on lower power states. By default voltage is on auto, but when toggle over to manual most states are 1250 with some being 1212, but the lowest one is 1250 which is obvious way to high and is likely why I get the lock ups I assume?

Can someone else with a R9 290 share with me their voltages for all the states so I can manually enter them please?

@AMDMatt - I know you are very busy right now, but any ideas?
Click to expand...

I used to have a Tri-x 290 with the same issue and if i recall correctly a bios update fixed it. Check the TechPowerUp bios database to see if a newer one is available.
 
Ultra_Extreme said:
Hi M8, im afraid i have no info to give? I bought the card and i put it in my PC ive never altered the bios. Neither did i ever experience black idle hangs either. Im afraid all this voltage testing and overclocking stuff is stuff i did long in the past and im well out of date. The PC it was pulled from was basically on 24/7 and only in use hour or 2 a day at most, generally a file server. Never had any issues. I think those cards have a physically switchable bios dont they?
Click to expand...
Thanks for getting back to me. I will have a look and see.

Just found a new problem. Now the GPU gets stuck in 300MHz state so when I try a game that requires more power like say Doom, I get 16fps slide show.

A format usually solves these problems, I will just have to do that.


40Four said:
I used to have a Tri-x 290 with the same issue and if i recall correctly a bios update fixed it. Check the TechPowerUp bios database to see if a newer one is available.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that info. Will do a format and see if that fixes it first.
 
TNA said:
All I see there as a temperature is GPU Temp. The rest display V (Vaults).

What should I be looking for, the name?
Click to expand...


"VRM Temperature 1" (That's the core) and "VRM Temperature 2" (That's the memory)

I just loaded GPU-Z myself and couldn't find those values for a second because its update message was covering them, just thought I'd mention in case that was happening.

If you have a spare hard drive perhaps just try that for a clean copy of Windows to trouble shoot.
 
Ultra_Extreme said:
latest official AMD m8, on up to date win 10 pro 64
Click to expand...
Thanks.

I just turned off PC and flipped the BIOS switch. The clocks seem to be the same in GPU-Z, but now UEFI is ticked. Before it was off.

Wattman noticed the change in BIOS and reset itself upon the windows loading. When I click voltage control to change it to manual, I see:

State 1 = 1250
State 2 = 1237
State 3 = 1212
State 4 = 1250
State 5 = 1250
State 6 = 1250
State 7 = 1250

Going to leave it on automatic and see if it freezes up now that I changed the BIOS switch. Will try some games and see if still stick in 300MHz for now.


Pulseammo said:
"VRM Temperature 1" (That's the core) and "VRM Temperature 2" (That's the memory)

I just loaded GPU-Z myself and couldn't find those values for a second because its update message was covering them, just thought I'd mention in case that was happening.

If you have a spare hard drive perhaps just try that for a clean copy of Windows to trouble shoot.
Click to expand...

I see them when I do a sensor log now, but in the app. Happy to use the log anyway. Thanks for your help.
 
Ultra_Extreme said:
i would chime in that it is very very unlikely ive ever updated the bios
Click to expand...

Yeah there were quite a few tri-x cards with different bios versions that i assume is linked to the date of manufacture. I bought mine in mid 2014 and it had an older bios on it.

TNA said:
Thanks for that info. Will do a format and see if that fixes it first.
Click to expand...

There are quite a few bios on the TPU database for the Sapphire 290 so make sure you use one that is for the Tri-x and preferably an increment on the one you already have first. I don't see why any of the Tri-x ones won't work but obviously use caution as you don't want to have a problem, although if i am correct i believe the card has dual bios via a switch.

https://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios...el=R9+290&interface=&memType=&memSize=&since=
 
Played 5 minutes of Doom. FPS back to normal now.

"VRM Temperature 1" (That's the core) = 72
"VRM Temperature 2" (That's the memory) = 53

Those seem fine, but it was only 5 minutes.

Will leave everything as it is for now and see if any other strange behavious occours. If so will just do a quick format.

One thing I will say is, the cooling on this card is very good. This card makes a lot less noise than my the MSI Gaming 290 I had in the past.
 
TNA said:
Played 5 minutes of Doom. FPS back to normal now.

"VRM Temperature 1" (That's the core) = 72
"VRM Temperature 2" (That's the memory) = 53

Those seem fine, but it was only 5 minutes.

Will leave everything as it is for now and see if any other strange behavious occours. If so will just do a quick format.

One thing I will say is, the cooling on this card is very good. This card makes a lot less noise than my the MSI Gaming 290 I had in the past.
Click to expand...

I had the msi 290 too m8 and i totally agree, cooler was much louder, the tri-x coolers have always been nice
 
Damn, it just happened again. Just as I thought it was fixed :(

I guess time for a quick clean install of windows. Lets hope that fixes it :)
 
I remember when my MSI Twin Frozr 290X used to bomb out on the desktop while just browsing etc..., but gaming perfectly fine, found it was the clocks bouncing up and down like crazy when opening things up, so i set a profile in Afterburner with the clocks set to their lowest, so they would lock, and never had a problem since.
 
TNA said:
Damn, it just happened again. Just as I thought it was fixed :(

I guess time for a quick clean install of windows. Lets hope that fixes it :)
Click to expand...

Just to add back into this, i had a look at the bios stuff and my card was the og bios, so defo worth a look....flashed mine to one of the later bios's but not the last one for my card as it soft bricked i used the last one from 2014
 
Can confirm, fresh windows same problem.


LoadsaMoney said:
I remember when my MSI Twin Frozr 290X used to bomb out on the desktop while just browsing etc..., but gaming perfectly fine, found it was the clocks bouncing up and down like crazy when opening things up, so i set a profile in Afterburner with the clocks set to their lowest, so they would lock, and never had a problem since.
Click to expand...
It sounds like this could be it maybe. Perhaps a new BIOS would fix it. I really do not want to have to run afterburner just to get the card working :(

EL_JOCK said:
Just to add back into this, i had a look at the bios stuff and my card was the og bios, so defo worth a look....flashed mine to one of the later bios's but not the last one for my card as it soft bricked i used the last one from 2014
Click to expand...

Can you or anyone link me to the BIOS I should try? Maybe the one you are currently using?

For now I have set the power states the same as yours, as you have the same card:

0 N/A
1 1125
2 1112
3 1112
4 1150
5 1175
6 1212
7 1237

Lets see if it will happen again.
 
I've heard of MSI resolving black screen on cards via a bios update, usually because they change the voltages.

Make sure you take a copy of your own bios first by dumping it with GPU-Z that way you know you can always return your card to its factory stock. (Note if you already dumped the bios with the bios switch in the legacy position that'll be a different bios from the uefi switch position so dump both.)
 
EL_JOCK said:
Hi,

If yours is the yellow card like mine i used this bios (they also did a blue one which came out a bit after)

https://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/162230/sapphire-r9290-4096-140320-1

Followed the instructions here...

https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/amd-ati-flashing-guide.212849/

Did the boot usb thing and flashed it in dos


Nice one
Click to expand...
Yep, it is the yellow one.

Used the instructions, was nice and easy to do thank you.

I reset wattman and looked at the voltage states, same as before. So puzzling. The new BIOS has definitely flashed as I looked at the numbers in gpu-z and they show the new bios now.

I have reset wattman and left everything on default settings so voltages is back on auto again. Let's see if it will crash. So far so good. Really hope it works as I really like the cooler on this card :)
 
Pulseammo said:
I've heard of MSI resolving black screen on cards via a bios update, usually because they change the voltages.

Make sure you take a copy of your own bios first by dumping it with GPU-Z that way you know you can always return your card to its factory stock. (Note if you already dumped the bios with the bios switch in the legacy position that'll be a different bios from the uefi switch position so dump both.)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. Did that before flashing :)
 
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