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Need help troubleshooting artifacting/crash problem..

A

asperity

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 19, 2014
Messages
143
A friend of mine is having trouble with his comp.

System Specs:

i7 4970k @ 3.5 GHZ stock
8 GB G. Skill DDR3 Ram
Gigabyte R9 290 Windforce
EVGA Supernova 750W G2 PSU
250 GB Samsung Evo SSD
1 TB WD Blue
Corsair H100i
Windows 7 64-Bit OS

Symptoms:

1. Blue screen with error codes pointing to the AMD graphics drivers
2. Black screen at startup
3. White lines on windows login

With the graphics card inserted, we tried moving around the DDR3 ram in various different slots. The computer still crashed, blue screened, or had white lines on the startup login screen then froze. We have tried everything:

  • Disabled iGPU
  • Reseated the card in various PCI-E locations
  • Replugged/reseated the PCI-E Power cables
  • Uninstalled drivers and installed different versions (clean install every time)

The only way to get the graphics card to work when it is plugged in is to launch windows in safe mode.

When the graphics card is not plugged into the system at all (using integrated graphics), he can leave the system on 24/7 and it has no problems (no lines, blue screen). There was only one instance where the comp shut down randomly without the graphics card plugged in.

Thinking it was the card, we requested an RMA with Gigabyte and they took a look. They said there were no problems with the card through various methods of testing and they sent the same one back to us. He took it back and plugged it in his computer and the same problems showed up again (white lines and freezing).

My only other guess as to what is wrong is the PSU. As I mentioned above there was one instance where he told me his computer lost power randomly while he was playing a game. Should he try sending the PSU in for an RMA?
 
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Sounds like it might be the power supply to me. Maybe it's already marginal and then adding the consumption of the card makes it worse. Maybe you could try swapping the power supply with a known good one?
 
Still no good he bought a brand new PSU from Corsair the AX 760 and its still getting black screens upon new driver installation. The only way to get into windows is to either uninstall driver and have nothing installed or safe mode.
 
Does the motherboard have the latest BIOS available?

Are the latest chipset drivers installed for the motherboard?

How about trying the video card from a different computer?
 
cyclone3d said:
Does the motherboard have the latest BIOS available?

Are the latest chipset drivers installed for the motherboard?

How about trying the video card from a different computer?
Click to expand...

To clarify, this is my friend who has very little experience with computers. I made the computer for him and shipped it out to him.

I had him use the DDU in safe mode as well multiple times with different driver versions but they all act the same way. Either white lines on the startup screen and into a BSOD on login, or its just a black screen after the Loading Windows screen.

This is the motherboard I am using (Gigabyte Z97 M-ATX Gaming 5):
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4968#bios


I do not think it has the latest BIOS available. But seems like they haven't updated much: add Pentium K CPU overclocking function, Improve SSD Performance, Add Pentium AE G3258 CPU overclocking function.

I do not think he has the latest chipset driver as well.

As for trying the vid card with a different computer, he has no other computers to test with unless he ships it out to somebody else. I previously mentioned that gigabyte said they have tested it through various methods (I don't know how thorough they were) but they returned the same card back saying there were no problems. They even seemed to have cancelled the warranty on that card now for some reason.
 
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They always claim to test products when you return them, and they send them back. But it's probably total BS.

The only thing he can do now is troubleshooting with different parts, PSU, GPU, then MB. One last thing, maybe a different cable/output for the display, before giving up.
 
Well, I talked to Gigabyte and they're going to RMA again but this time they will replace it with a refurbished R9 290.. Hopefully, this solves my problems.
 
Last edited:
vick1000 said:
They always claim to test products when you return them, and they send them back. But it's probably total BS.

The only thing he can do now is troubleshooting with different parts, PSU, GPU, then MB. One last thing, maybe a different cable/output for the display, before giving up.
Click to expand...

You were right. Their claims that the previous card was in perfect condition and working was BS. He just received a refurbished replacement today, put it into his computer and it started working fine. I can't believe that they wouldn't issue him a brand new card but rather a refurbished one. If anyone is reading this, stay far far away from gigabyte. I am definitely not going to buy any of their products anymore after this experience.
 
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