System Crashes - Graphics card issue (GTX 560 GigaByte)

[apoxius]

Hello everyone and a happy new year!

Just the day before yesterday I managed to build my rig (I hope specs are shown below cause I can't see them in preview - 2nd post of mine).
Drivers and S/W are all up to date.

I had absolutely no issues until I launched a game to play. After 2-3 minutes I got a system freeze with no sound stuttering. I said "hey, things like that happen - reboot". I re-checked drivers and validated that all were up to date. The problem persisted with a different game.
After that I got really suspicious because during the whole setup phase the PC was really impressive and fast and so I went to the System Rating of windows which I know that this test performs a check on Direct 3D. When it reached that phase the computer froze again.

Until now I only had a little time left to browse the internet for a possible solution and the conclussion I have at least for the time being is that my gtx 560 is causing this (driver wise - despite the fact that its the latest). Apparently my old staff are long gone and I dont have any other card to try anything.

An other thing that I watched was the temps in all four cores when I had to reboot after the freezes from the bios. 40-48 deg C an all four (so I personally think this could not be the reason of crash).

Any help would be appreciated and sorry if I was too chatty in the first place.

[Crap Daddy]

Hi there and welcome aboard. First the temps on the CPU are what you see in the BIOS, right? That's OK. Is it a new card or have you used it before in another PC? Both 6 pin power connectors are attached? Install MSI Afterburner and check the temperature for the GPU under load. Try older drivers.

[apoxius]

Hey mate. First of all thank you for your reply.

The temps that I mentioned are from the Bios, yes.
This card (Gigabyte gtx 560) is a new one and haven't used it on an other rig. As for your suggestions, I will try those and come back with feedback.

I also have two more questions:

Have you heard this issue before, about Nvidia cards causing this system freeze cause of lack of voltage control ? Or is it just a few incidents popping around tech forums ?

As read in another site someone proposed the increase of the voltage on the graphics card. Is it safe that I proceed with it ? If so, is there any specific software that is Gigabyte product oriented and allows me to do such thing ?


Thank you a lot in advance,

[Crap Daddy]

I wouldn't mess with the voltages yet. Any card has to be functional at stock settings. Your card is not factory overclocked so keep it as it is for now.

[apoxius]

Good morning,

Yesterday I did try some things and the results seems foggy.
First I installed two 3dmark benchmarks (dx10 & 11) just to see if it would pass them and it couldn't pass the 1st test in performance mode (both benchs) and so it crashed several times.
Then I rolled back on legacy drivers for 500 series but it didn't made it through the benches and it crashed again.

After that, I installed MSI Afterburner, as you suggested, saw the temps and realized that nothing goes wrong
(gtx: 35 deg C max temp @ some point before the upcoming crash) which led me do the following.

Tried:
1. Removing the card and place it in an other PCI-E
2. Removing the power connector PCI-E and selecting an other pair
3. (I dont know why but...) re-pasting my CPU with Arctic Silver 5 (had stock)
4. Changed DDR slots (from 1-2 -> 3-4)
5. Installed Memtest

After the 4th step I tried to run the benchs again and it passed the tests (all of them - yes, tears were about to drop off my eyes). After completion I tried to launch WoW just to see the performance and surprisingly the system remained alive ... or so I thought. After letting it idle for like 15 minutes, my wife told me that the system restarted on its own.

On a search I did in the event viewer I saw that the event was marked as kernel-power id 41 and so were the previous crashes... The difference between the freezes and the latest one was that it is actually a restart and not a freeze.

After the auto-reboot I got Memtest running with multiple sessions (as it suggests) and on 100% coverage it found 0 errors on my RAM.

Advise me... I think I'm loosing it here...

[Crap Daddy]

So, WOW was running as long as you played?
Are you sure there wasn't a power outage?
Run the memory at default settings (no xmp enabled)
Run Prime95.
Use realtemp to check your CPU temps.
Let's see what happens.

[itsakjt]

Yous should install the RAMs in the 1st and 3rd slots for dual channel mode. Also run Furmark-A GPU stability test. It should eliminate any GPU related problem.

[Crap Daddy]

Originally Posted by itsakjt

Yous should install the RAMs in the 1st and 3rd slots for dual channel mode. Also run Furmark-A GPU stability test. It should eliminate any GPU related problem.

On his mobo DDR3_1 and DDR3_2 are for dual channel. Furmark is totally useless and downright dangerous. The amount of stress it puts on card will never be replicated in any real life scenarios.

[apoxius]

Hello to both ,

Originally Posted by Crap Daddy

So, WOW was running as long as you played?
Are you sure there wasn't a power outage?
Run the memory at default settings (no xmp enabled)
Run Prime95.
Use realtemp to check your CPU temps.
Let's see what happens.

I had WoW running for 15 minutes after the 3d Mark Vantage and 11 were passed and after those 15 minutes passed my PC restarted.
Power outage didn't occur as the other PC would have shut down too, or even restart (they are on the same ups).
The memory was running with disabled XMP @ 1333 Mhz
As for Prime95, will do this evening and comeback with feedback.
Realtemp defers from HWMonitor and if so what are the benefits of it.

Just for the record when Benches ended (CPU tests included) I checked on CPU temps and it recorded a max of 53 C.


Taken from the http://www.ozone3d.net/benchmarks/fur/:
"FurMark requires an OpenGL 2.0 compliant graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce 6 (and higher)"

I have a Nvidia 5 series card (gtx 560) should it work ? Also, when you say that "It should eliminate any GPU related problem" are you implying that this S/W really "fixes" some instability issues ?

My Dimms are placed as they should be, when I said about placing them @ 3-4 I was talking about the other same color slots. They work as dual channel.

[Crap Daddy]

Originally Posted by apoxius

I have a Nvidia 5 series card (gtx 560) should it work ? Also, when you say that "It should eliminate any GPU related problem" are you implying that this S/W really "fixes" some instability issues ?

As I said earlier, Furmark puts useless strain on your card and it should not be used. It will not. eliminate nothing.

Also you might try to run with only one stick of memory inserted.
Your PSU is Corsair TX750, right? Bought new?
It's hard to imagine it fails to deliver but can you try with another PSU?
Are all the standoffs properly mounted?
Take out the card and try to run some tests only with CPU and its integrated graphics.

[apoxius]

Also you might try to run with only one stick of memory inserted.
Will try

Your PSU is Corsair TX750, right? Bought new?
Yes bought new

It's hard to imagine it fails to deliver but can you try with another PSU?
I don't have an other PSU to try it

Are all the standoffs properly mounted?
What are the standoffs ? lol

Take out the card and try to run some tests only with CPU and its integrated graphics.
Thats the last thing I would do but I will eventually this evening (if everything else fails).

What you haven't commented on is that kernel-power event id 41. Shoud l worry too much or just a bit ?

[Crap Daddy]

Standoffs are spacers that go between your mobo and the case. Like this:



That Kernel event shows an improper shutdown. Is there any warning/error message in the event viewer before that?

Checking only the CPU with the GPU out might give you a hint if the GTX560 is faulty (That is if it works under stress)

[apoxius]

Thanks for your time mate. This pic makes it clear

Yes ofcourse I have those. To be honest tho, I dont have those little "rings" that fit right beneath the tip of the spacer screw and get in touch to the mobo.
Now that I think of it, could it be a grounding problem ?

Jee, so many to think of.

I'll post again when I have feedback.

[xorbe]

Originally Posted by Crap Daddy

I wouldn't mess with the voltages yet. Any card has to be functional at stock settings. Your card is not factory overclocked so keep it as it is for now.

No, 560 cards are renowned for needing bumps in voltage for BF3, etc. I just bumped mine with a reflash -- all 1 second hang glitches eliminated. And mine is also a stock non-oc model. I would get MSI AB and lower the gpu MHz to 732 and raise the voltage to 1.0625v and see if that suddenly cures all his issues.

[Crap Daddy]

Originally Posted by xorbe

No, 560 cards are renowned for needing bumps in voltage for BF3, etc. I just bumped mine with a reflash -- all 1 second hang glitches eliminated. And mine is also a stock non-oc model. I would get MSI AB and lower the gpu MHz to 732 and raise the voltage to 1.0625v and see if that suddenly cures all his issues.

Never heard of this as in "a general problem". Why must somebody start to tweak a card that should work out of the box? And he doesn't have a problem with one particular game but his whole system is unstable.

[xorbe]

Originally Posted by Crap Daddy

Never heard of this as in "a general problem". Why must somebody start to tweak a card that should work out of the box? And he doesn't have a problem with one particular game but his whole system is unstable.

It was noted at the official NV forums before they went down. When BF3 came out, tons of people solved their 560 crashes with a notch or two of gpu voltage. And yeah it should work out of the box, lol. It's an easy thing to test with MSI AB without opening the computer case. You've already got OP pulling ram and checking mobo stand-offs, hehheh.

edit: And now you know why!

[apoxius]

And... here I am again

Good morning to ya all.

So, let us get into details.

What I did try yesterday:
1. I drove some kms in order to borrow a sapphire 4870 1gb from a friend of mine (which btw is still an astonishing card for the current era of gfxs).
2. Removed my GTX 560 and installed 4870 instead.
3. Got the best legacy driver for 4000 series.

Run the system for 1 hour or so multitasking (gaming included) and no problems occured. When I realized nothing was wrong with this setup I went to the bios and enabled X.M.P. profile 2 (1600 Mhz) - just to test it. System did run fine.

After that:
1. Removed 4870
2. Reseted all settings to bios
3. Let the system Boot with Intel's HD Integrated Graphics 4000
4. Installed drivers for Integrated HD 4000
5. Reboot.

Run the system for like 2 hours crash-free...
I am "guessing" (no sh*t, Ringo...) that my card was causing all these problems. This afternoon I'm going to the store with my card to try and get a new one.

I would like to thank you all for your time spent

If you want let this post open so I can come back with new feedback when I get the new gtx 560 (if they change it). So far at the very least I am dissapointed from Nvidia as it was the first time I switched to it (used to have Ati).

[erixx]

Don't forget to Deep Clean (c) your computer of Ati drivers.

[apoxius]

If you mean the drivers I installed for 4870 yes they are all cleaned off of my C

Thanks for reminding tho. ...and a happy new year

[Crap Daddy]

Originally Posted by apoxius

So far at the very least I am dissapointed from Nvidia as it was the first time I switched to it (used to have Ati).

Sorry to hear that but you should be disappointed with Gigabyte. Hope the new card will work. Keep us posted.

[apoxius]

Hello all,

The only reply I get from the store that I gave my gtx is: "We are processing a thorough check on your hardware and will be notified as soon as possible".

Sorry for keeping this thread open. I really hope this ends soon with positive feedback

[xorbe]

So after they probably can't find anything wrong with it ...

(1) Use MSI AB to find the actual required voltage.
(2) Dump the gpu bios with GPU-Z.
(3) Edit *.rom to change default 3D voltage from 1.0125 to 1.05 or whatever.
(4) Use nvflash to install modified firmware.
(5) Curse at nvidia for handing out tons of marginal chips to all card vendors.

Though I wouldn't blame you for simply letting MSI AB adjust the voltage on each boot-up!

[apoxius]

The latest news from the store that took back my GTX 560 has it as follows in comparison with the latest reply:

Finally they called me yesterday and told me that they couldn't find anything wrong with the card. At this point I didn't even answer and expected him to continue what he had to say. Then he suggested that I should replace this card with a new GB gtx 560... (wtf ?), or a different chip, or buy another brand (while covering the $ difference).

What we agreed on is to buy a Sapphire 7850 while covering a 20 $ difference. Gonna buy it today.

As far as it concerns the latest reply:

Originally Posted by xorbe

So after they probably can't find anything wrong with it ...

When I wrote my last message I didn't say that they couldn't find anything wrong with the card...

So all of the following quoting text will apply if the new card seems problematic too...

Originally Posted by xorbe

(1) Use MSI AB to find the actual required voltage.

Where can I find step by step instructions on your exact suggestion

Originally Posted by xorbe

(2) Dump the gpu bios with GPU-Z.

Where can I find step by step instructions on your exact suggestion

Originally Posted by xorbe

(3) Edit *.rom to change default 3D voltage from 1.0125 to 1.05 or whatever.

Where can I find step by step instructions on your exact suggestion

Originally Posted by xorbe

(4) Use nvflash to install modified firmware.

Where can I find step by step instructions on your exact suggestion

Originally Posted by xorbe

(5) Curse at nvidia for handing out tons of marginal chips to all card vendors.

I don't want to believe this is true, cause of it is then a lot of customers will be upset .
Bad Customer Experience Equals Failure

Originally Posted by xorbe

Though I wouldn't blame you for simply letting MSI AB adjust the voltage on each boot-up!

Although I understand the words that compile the above sentence, I can't seem to comprehend its meaning.

Last but not least, I would like to thank you all again for your will to help. Will post again when I get the new card.
Let us see...

[Crap Daddy]

The 7850 is a better card than the 560. Is it the 2GB version? Hope it will work out fine.

[apoxius]

Good morning Crap Daddy,

I got the card yesterday, freshly installed drivers etc.

Run the system for some hours error-free.

I think we've got down to the conclusion that the previous card I had (GTX 560) was indeed faulty and was causing all the freezes to my system.

Now, the part that involves my bad luck though, continues as I now encounter an unexplained performance with my totally new rig.

Do you think that this thread should be closed as a confirmed hardware issue with GB gtx 560 and an other be opened elsewhere to check the performance issue ?