8800GTS Instability

Dust · Post by **Dust** » 16 Dec 2007, 07:57

Guys, my card is clocked at 625/1900 at the moment but I have found it a bit unstable. Sometimes when I start ATI Tool my rig locks up for a few seconds ans then reboots. Temps are idling at 50 and full tilt at 75.

Is the oc just a bit much? I've seen oc's alot higher than mine here. I'm a wee bit confused as to why it's happening.

I haven't tried bringing the clock down just yet. (stuck at work again)

So, i'd like some advice and insights please. Anything that I can go try later today.

Thanks

Post by **Anthro** » 16 Dec 2007, 08:13

Am I stupid.. why use ATItool for a NVIDIA card /?
Rather use Nvclock.. or google coolbits (registry tweak to clock the card from nv control panel)

DoOb · Post by **DoOb** » 16 Dec 2007, 09:10

or just use Rivatuner 2.06

http://downloads.guru3d.com/download.php?det=163

Gargmel · Post by **Gargmel** » 16 Dec 2007, 09:24

Atitool works perfectly with nVidia cards. I use rivatuner to overclock and then use atitool to scan for artifacts

Dust · Post by **Dust** » 16 Dec 2007, 09:44

Oh yes, forgot to mention that sometimes when running 3d06 the pc also reboots.

Vampyre_2099 · Post by **Vampyre_2099** » 16 Dec 2007, 10:45

What cooling do you have on your card? It might be that your card doesn't have enough cooling and the heat causes it to lock up

Dust · Post by **Dust** » 16 Dec 2007, 12:48

Standard cooler. Was looking at thermalright

SurvivOrX · Post by **SurvivOrX** » 16 Dec 2007, 17:01

Am I stupid.. why use ATItool for a NVIDIA card /?

Exactly Dust, you are an idiot truly.

Dust · Post by **Dust** » 16 Dec 2007, 19:19

And why is that SurvivorX???!!!??? If you can't post something helpfull or constructive, why post at all? Everyone knows that ATI Tool works just fine for oc'ing nVidia cards and it has artifact scanning which the others don't.

Thanks for the link Doobs, works well, also like the fact that it can set the shader clock too.

Hex_Rated · Post by **Hex_Rated** » 17 Dec 2007, 03:13

There's no big difference between overclocking an nVidia card with ATITool, RivaTuner, Coolbits or PowerStrip, they all do the same thing. WTF is up with all the insults?!?

And 625 is a bit high for standard cooling on a 8800GTS 640, AFAIK. Or you might just have a card that doesn't overclock well.

Dust · Post by **Dust** » 17 Dec 2007, 11:11

Ya I dropped the clocks a bit so we'll see how it runs now.

I did read in an older NAG that there was a batch of XFX cards that didn't oc well..

Dust · Post by **Dust** » 19 Dec 2007, 09:50

I was just thinking. Couldn't the problem be my crappy PSU? It locks up in crysis now too which is annoying.

My PSU is a HuntKey 500w and I really think it doesn't have what it takes.

I'm looking at a new PSU in the region of R1000, does anyone have suggestions?

I can have a CoolerMaster 800w for R900 odd. Are they any good?

douglash · Post by **douglash** » 19 Dec 2007, 10:09

Get it if you can... those are good psu's... and 800W should more than cover it...

But, first get someone else's bigger psu and then try it. maybe it's not your psu...

i was running a 8800GTS 320 oc'd to 635/1100 (XFX) and a C2D oc'd to 3.6ghz with a whole bunch of fans, 3 cold cathodes, 2 opticals and 3 hdd's in it and it was running sweet....

i'm starting to think it's not your psu, but borrow another just to test...

Dust · Post by **Dust** » 19 Dec 2007, 10:28

I'l see who can help me out with that.

Could it be overheating then? Like I said earlier in the thread, it would sometimes lock up in ATI tool too.

I'll run the card at factory settings and see what happens. If it still locks up then, I may not blame heat.

Also I don't wanna go spend on a ThermalRight cooler and it's the actual card or psu.

How about I stick my card in a friend's pc?

douglash · Post by **douglash** » 19 Dec 2007, 11:29

that's the other option...

if it locks up at stock settings, it could be heat, but remember if the card is stock, it is still drawing less power, so it could be the psu...

try it in a mate's pc, overclocked and stock and see what happens...

like i say, i never had an issue with heat or power on my card clocked to 635/1100 24/7...

Dust · Post by **Dust** » 19 Dec 2007, 12:07

Just went looking, found a guy with same issues. He found it was his psu.

See the lockup is accompanied by the last sound that played being looped and I'm forced to reset the pc.

So you say it could be the card itself?

I meant that if it's on stock then it can't be heat but if it does it could be power. Like I said my psu is very dodgy. It even has an 'SLI' sticker. Lol.

douglash · Post by **douglash** » 19 Dec 2007, 14:30

so does it still lockup when it's at stock?

it is still not clear whether it is card or psu...

if it locks up and loops the last sound played, it is the card, but it could be the card is drawing too much power from the psu at the time and that's what causes it to lock up... when a card is overclocked it draws more power, so if it still locks up at stock then it's most likely the card...

best solution, another person's pc or psu and process of elimination...

that's the most reliable solution...

WiK1d · Post by **WiK1d** » 19 Dec 2007, 15:15

I also get lockups, but randomly, not when playing games. I just leave the system a few seconds (30 or so) and then it resumes itself

douglash · Post by **douglash** » 19 Dec 2007, 15:41

wik1d wrote:I also get lockups, but randomly, not when playing games. I just leave the system a few seconds (30 or so) and then it resumes itself

that makes me think, drivers could also be the issue... doh!

Dust - what drivers are you using? get the latest 169.25 beta from here[/quote]

Dust · Post by **Dust** » 19 Dec 2007, 16:02

Haven't tested it yet, still at work.

Using 169.01 beta. Got it off the last NAG disc.

Well I'd rather it be the psu than the card. Or even just if the card gets a bit hot.

As soon as I'm home I'll check everything I can and post my findings.

Wish me luck guys!

Dust · Post by **Dust** » 19 Dec 2007, 16:32

Ok ran 3dmark 3 times in a row now with stock clocks, all good. Busy playing crysis. So, let's see what happens. Funny, I just remembered that it has never locked up in NFS Pro Street

Obituary · Post by **Obituary** » 19 Dec 2007, 16:45

So does the ati tool OC and scan to check if its stable?

fiber-optics · Post by **fiber-optics** » 19 Dec 2007, 18:07

Obituary wrote:So does the ati tool OC and scan to check if its stable?

yes it does

Dust · Post by **Dust** » 19 Dec 2007, 21:11

Ok I have almost eliminated heat as a cause because of the cool weather. My case is also in pieces so there is plenty ventilation.

Ok here's the jig. While my cpu and ram are oc'd and I oc my gfx card I get lock ups in Crysis.

Now with cpu and ram still oc'd but gfx at stock it runs with no lock ups.

Now with cpu and ram at stock but gfx oc'd it also runs fine with no lock ups either!

So I can only guess that the psu can't sustain the draw when all components are oc'd and then causes the lock ups.

douglash · Post by **douglash** » 20 Dec 2007, 11:45

is it happening in all games or just Crysis?

but it does sound like the psu...

fibre-optics wrote:
Obituary wrote: So does the ati tool OC and scan to check if its stable?

yes it does

on the old GTS's = yes;

on the new 8800's = no;

not until they release a new AtiTool...

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8800GTS Instability

8800GTS Instability

Exactly.