Calling all ATI guru's...I need some help please

[miahallen]

I recently purchased two used 4870x2s. One of them works perfect. The other one is giving me problems.

The problematic card only works in the basic VGA mode....once drivers are loaded, it stops outputting any image.

For instance, a fresh load of Windows Vista, without any pre-loaded drivers. The card is working fine. While attempting to install the drivers, about half-way through, when the display normally cuts in and out....the screen goes dark, and my only option is to hard reset the system.

Using the known good card, I can install the drivers fine, and everything works as it should. If I get everything working with the good card, and then insert the other one. When the machine boots up, everything is normal until after the Windows Vista splash screen disappears. Right when the desktop would normally appear. The display goes dark.

I've attempted to use the card with Windows XP x86, Windows Vista X86, and Windows 7 x64...all with the same results. I've attempted flashing the factory BIOS, and then I tryed another BIOS...no change.

I also had a waterblock waiting to be installed on it, but wanted to get the problem fixed first. When I was unable to solve the problem, I went ahead and installed the waterblock tonight. While I had the card naked, I gave it a close inspection, but everything looks good. So I proceeded to install the waterblock, but that didn't change anything either.

Is this something anybody has seen before...is there any hope for the card? I'd really like to do some quad-fire benching, but I'm stuck until I can get the second card working...:shrug:

Thanks

[zithe]

I'm pretty sure that card is dead or overheating. Is the fan spinning? Also, do you have the ability to RMA?

[Kreij]

When it is working with default Windows drivers, does GPU-Z show any irregularities?
(Like not reporting something it should, or reporting something wrong)

[Lionheart]

sell em and get 2 HD5850's

[Marineborn]

this might sound stupid but have you tried installing the old hotfix drivers for the 4870x2 i think theres like cat 9.0 hotfixes or something i had a problem way back with my 4870x2 if i didnt use those hotfix drivers and tried to instal other ones the card would stop responding and crash the system

[miahallen]

Originally Posted by zithe

I'm pretty sure that card is dead or overheating. Is the fan spinning? Also, do you have the ability to RMA?

Did you even bother to read my post?

I started with an Accelero Xtreme heatsink (and yes, all three fans were spinning). Later I installed a Koolance full cover block. So no, the card is not overheating. And, no I cannot RMA...I bought it used.

Originally Posted by Kreij

When it is working with default Windows drivers, does GPU-Z show any irregularities?
(Like not reporting something it should, or reporting something wrong)

I hadn't check this before, so thanks for the suggestion
Right now I'm running both cards in quad-fire, seeing if it'll work fine slaved off the working card, but I'm still having the same problems.

Before drivers are loaded, GPU-Z reports most of the info correctly. But the GPU core and memory clocks are way off on one of the two adaptors (200MHz core, 3150MHz mem)

I'm wondering though, is GPU-Z looking at the two adaptors on the primary card, or GPU 0 on each card?

Originally Posted by CHAOS_KILLA

sell em and get 2 HD5850's

Great idea...but I've already got plenty of Cypress laying around, and I'll have some Fermi action soon. I'm a bencher, and I'm playing with these for fun

Originally Posted by Marineborn

this might sound stupid but have you tried installing the old hotfix drivers for the 4870x2 i think theres like cat 9.0 hotfixes or something i had a problem way back with my 4870x2 if i didnt use those hotfix drivers and tried to instal other ones the card would stop responding and crash the system

I've tried Cat 9.6, 9.12, 10.1 and 10.2 for Vista x86. I've also tried 10.1 for WinXP x86

[Reefer86]

the defect 4870x2, when installed as a single card will this post on its own and load into 'full' windows. If not the card is defective and i would contact the person that you bought them from asap.

[Marineborn]

yes miahallen have you tired the (HOTFIX) drivers, there diffrent. im just saying it what fixed my problem no matter what normal cat drivers i tried it always crashed my computer until i tried the hotfix drivers

[Kreij]

I'm not sure how GPU-Z reports on a quad-fire setup, as I only have one x2.
Check it with only the questionable card installed.

I have no problems with my card and normal drivers.

[miahallen]

Originally Posted by Reefer86

the defect 4870x2, when installed as a single card will this post on its own and load into 'full' windows. If not the card is defective and i would contact the person that you bought them from asap.

Yes, the single card will load into "full" windows, as long as there aren't any graphics card drivers installed.
I already talked to the person who sold it to me, they assured me that it was fine when it left their hands (I'd like to believe him).

Originally Posted by Marineborn

yes miahallen have you tired the (HOTFIX) drivers, there diffrent. im just saying it what fixed my problem no matter what normal cat drivers i tried it always crashed my computer until i tried the hotfix drivers

No, and searching around, I'm not finding one matching your description, the closest was 8.12 hotfix which added support for the 4850x2

Originally Posted by Kreij

I'm not sure how GPU-Z reports on a quad-fire setup, as I only have one x2.
Check it with only the questionable card installed.

I have no problems with my card and normal drivers.

I'll have to check it later, right now the cards are linked and full of water

[Reefer86]

well if it boots into windows fine then it shouldnt be much, but i also had a 4890 that was water damaged (by myself) and that would boot into windows but upon installing drivers would crash or blue screen. I would try installing the drivers via device manager and see what happens.
You could put the 'good card' in and then install the drivers then add the second and try installing drivers via device manager.
Do you get an error code or anything when using 2 cards.

I would really like to see your system specs of the machine in question and also what power supply you have?

[miahallen]

Right now they're in a P55A-UD7 with an i5 670, 4GB of HyperX. PSU - 750W PCP&C

After attempting to install the drivers, I can load up windows in safe mode and see the driver was properly installed on three of 4 GPUs.

Attempting to reinstall the driver using the device manager in safe mode says it is successful, but when trying to boot again, I get the same results

Now going back into safe mode, viewing the device manager, it looks like all four are properly installed. Disabling the one that failed the first time doesn't change the results.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys, I gotta hit the sack. I'll check in with you tomorrow

[DRDNA]

Try reflashing the card in question...and the 10.2 are fine if your on an X58 mobo.

[stinger608]

Take the questionable card totally apart, and bake that sucker! :-)

[eidairaman1]

take the faulty card and swap it in for the known good one and see if it does the same thing, that will tell you whether the card is bad or the Motherboard is giving you fits.

[pantherx12]

Originally Posted by eidairaman1

take the faulty card and swap it in for the known good one and see if it does the same thing, that will tell you whether the card is bad or the Motherboard is giving you fits.

I'm certain the guy would of tried the card individually in the all available slots, he seems to have a good technical knowledge.


Anyway as you said clocks are WAAAAY off, especially ram, try reflashing the card with its original bios.

[mastrdrver]

XP only does 2 gpus max.
Vista x86 could give to problems depending on how much system memory you have.
Windows 7 would be the best option since it is x64.

Which GPUz do you have (the newest I assume)?
Go in to device manager and make sure all four gpus are listed correctly. I've had a problem with Vista where it would disabled one of the gpus on my 4870x2 and never really got fixed until CCC 9.5.

[miahallen]

Originally Posted by eidairaman1

take the faulty card and swap it in for the known good one and see if it does the same thing, that will tell you whether the card is bad or the Motherboard is giving you fits.

Tried it....from OP:

Originally Posted by miahallen

Using the known good card, I can install the drivers fine, and everything works as it should. If I get everything working with the good card, and then insert the other one. When the machine boots up, everything is normal until after the Windows Vista splash screen disappears. Right when the desktop would normally appear. The display goes dark.

Originally Posted by stinger608

Take the questionable card totally apart, and bake that sucker! :-)

First time someone has suggested this, and it's something I've never tried before....thanks for the suggestion, I might have to give this a shot

Originally Posted by mastrdrver

XP only does 2 gpus max.
Vista x86 could give to problems depending on how much system memory you have.
Windows 7 would be the best option since it is x64.

Which GPUz do you have (the newest I assume)?
Go in to device manager and make sure all four gpus are listed correctly. I've had a problem with Vista where it would disabled one of the gpus on my 4870x2 and never really got fixed until CCC 9.5.

I know how many cores XP can handle. All my quad-fire testing was done with Vista. When testing XP, I was using a single card.
I tested Win7 x64 with a full build and it does not complete installation because it has drivers for the 4870x2 built in, so as soon as they load, the screen goes black, and the installation stops
I've checked the device manager in safe mode....from an earlier post:

Originally Posted by miahallen

After attempting to install the drivers, I can load up windows in safe mode and see the driver was properly installed on three of 4 GPUs.

Attempting to reinstall the driver using the device manager in safe mode says it is successful, but when trying to boot again, I get the same results

Now going back into safe mode, viewing the device manager, it looks like all four are properly installed. Disabling the one that failed the first time doesn't change the results.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys

[overclocking101]

Dont bake the card yet. it could make the situation worse and at this point is un necessary. Try using ati flash or ati winflash and flashing the good cards bios over to the bad card. sounds like the guy before you was trying to flash the card or did flash the card and one of the bios' got currupted try forcing the flash and see what happens. after this you have tried everything then I would bake it, but all baking the card will do is heat up the solder joints. the only way it would help is IF there was an improper solder joint to begin with.

[miahallen]

Thanks OCing101...

I just went back and flashed the original BIOSes from my good card. It is a VisionTek.

On Deanzo's suggestion, I tried using older drivers....Cat 8.12 for Vista x86 in this case.

Back then, driver installation required reboot, so the drivers actually all installed successfully. But, upon reboot, the screen still want black.

Here is a screenshot before I attempted the driver install. Notice that Vista says it installed one of the two "Standard VGA graphic adaptor" was installed, the other "failed"


After attempting to install the Cat 8.12 drivers...the system screen blanks after the splash screen. So I went in via safe mode, and disabled the second 2 adaptors in the device manager.

Then rebooting into Windows was successful. Here is a screen:

[mastrdrver]

Is it giving you a code 43 (display adapter disabled) in Vista?
What is the date on the bios you are using to flash with?

GPUz will show dysfunctional clocks if you're getting code 43. I've been down this sad path. If you're getting this in W7 (which from your post I'd assume yes?) then I'm not sure why it is giving your problems there as I never had the problem in W7.

Lmk as I was able to fix my problem under Vista (if it is code 43).

Originally Posted by Marineborn

this might sound stupid but have you tried installing the old hotfix drivers for the 4870x2 i think there's like cat 9.0 hotfixes or something i had a problem way back with my 4870x2 if i didn't use those hotfix drivers and tried to install other ones the card would stop responding and crash the system

Originally Posted by miahallen

I've tried Cat 9.6, 9.12, 10.1 and 10.2 for Vista x86. I've also tried 10.1 for WinXP x86

They were CCC 9.3 Hotfix but it looks like AMD has taken them down from their site.

Originally Posted by miahallen

I know how many cores XP can handle. All my quad-fire testing was done with Vista. When testing XP, I was using a single card.
I tested Win7 x64 with a full build and it does not complete installation because it has drivers for the 4870x2 built in, so as soon as they load, the screen goes black, and the installation stops

I've checked the device manager in safe mode....from an earlier post:

Sorry if I came off sounding like a prick. Wasn't my intent. I thought I had caught all you tried but I guess not.

Originally Posted by overclocking101

Dont bake the card yet. it could make the situation worse and at this point is un necessary.

I agree. This is not a failing gpu problem. Lots of people with 4870x2s had this problem and it came and went with the drivers (around CCC 8.10 to about 9.5).

[t_ski]

All kinds of Catalyst drivers here:

http://www.ngohq.com/home.php?page=f...&dwn_cat_id=18

But I see no 9.3 "hotfix"

[mastrdrver]

The 9.3 Hotfix that related to code 43 was listed under the technical support section of AMD's website. They were a "this may or may not fix it" driver.

They were never listed under the "normal" driver location on AMD's site and probably why they are not on that list. Not everyone has the problem so it had it ever harder to nail down. I think it might be along the lines of the GSOD with the 5 series cards. Not everyone has the problem and those that do have it, nothing seems to work for them.

If this is the code 43 thing, someone on the AMD Game forums mentioned that he thought it was a bios thing. He stated that it seemed earlier bios had the problem and later ones did not. It was also believed that Asus motherboards were a source of the problem as quite a few of the problem cards were running on Asus boards but seeing as Mishallen has a Gigabyte we can rule that one out.

[miahallen]

Thanks again for all the suggestions and help guys. I got the card working in single GPU mode. And it's now listed for cheap in the classifieds

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showth...wpost&t=117646

[Lionheart]

Originally Posted by miahallen

Did you even bother to read my post?

I started with an Accelero Xtreme heatsink (and yes, all three fans were spinning). Later I installed a Koolance full cover block. So no, the card is not overheating. And, no I cannot RMA...I bought it used.


I hadn't check this before, so thanks for the suggestion
Right now I'm running both cards in quad-fire, seeing if it'll work fine slaved off the working card, but I'm still having the same problems.

Before drivers are loaded, GPU-Z reports most of the info correctly. But the GPU core and memory clocks are way off on one of the two adaptors (200MHz core, 3150MHz mem)

I'm wondering though, is GPU-Z looking at the two adaptors on the primary card, or GPU 0 on each card?


Great idea...but I've already got plenty of Cypress laying around, and I'll have some Fermi action soon. I'm a bencher, and I'm playing with these for fun


I've tried Cat 9.6, 9.12, 10.1 and 10.2 for Vista x86. I've also tried 10.1 for WinXP x86

Oh I see, fair enough