[HELP PLEASE] R9280x Toxic - serious artefacting and voltage issues

[Ritual]

Hi all,

Received delivery of my new R9-280X Toxic yesterday. Since then I have seen severe artefact problems, regardless of what the card seems to be doing. It's happening in a web browser (I use Chrome), WoW, windows itself...while and while not mining. It's driving me fucking nuts.

Some specs:
- Board: Asus P8P67m Pro
- PSU: Corsair non-mod 750W Gold
- Processor: i5-2500K
- RAM: Kingston generic 4GB
- OS: Win 64
- GPU Drivers: Latest
- Overlocking: No
- Overvolting: Yes - the VDDC to 1256 - its default value when I hit "reset" - previously 825, and not (apparently) updating.

I downloaded a couple of utilities:

- Sapphire TRIXX (overclocking)
- GPU Z
- HWInfo 64

It seems it may be a voltage issue with VDDC. I've attempted to rectify it in TRIXX, and I get the following:



So Trixx and HWInfo don't seem to agree. GPUZ says the following: EDIT: Note the difference in min and max VDDC voltage!!! Is this a PSU prob???



So the VDDC seems to be approx 50% too low, and TRIXX is lying to me? Or it's correct and everything else is? Or this is an RMA job? (Please no, there is no stock of these to be gotten!)

I'd really truly appreciate any suggestions or pointers.

Thanks,

Rit.

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[NameTaken]

0.875 VDDC at idle is normal. I personally use the iGPU while my graphics cards are mining so I don't get reduced hashrate or screen lag.

[everything_zen]

Your VDDC is shown differently because your GPU is scaling it down while not in use. If you turn on your miner(at high intensity) it should go to the max 1.266.

[Ritual]

Just checked this, and you're both right - under load the card is pulling the correct voltage.

However, the artefact issues are very very bad. As I type this (miner is running now) there are multicoloured boxes and lines appearing and flickering all over my screen.

As mentioned, this also happens while gaming (miner not runniing obviously) and while just using the web (miner running and not running - happens both circumstances).

I'm beginning to think this is an RMA :/

If I am being a complete muppet, someone please tell me! I'd rather be a muppet with a fix

Rit

[NameTaken]

Try a different display output port?

[Ritual]

Thanks for the suggestion.

I've now tried:

1 x HDMI (with 3D) - does not work AT ALL - "Cable not plugged in!" - BenQ 24" 1920x1080 monitor
2 x Mini-DisplayPort - cannot try these, do not have the correct cables
1 x Single-Link DVI-D - severe artefacting
1 x Dual-Link DVI-I - severe artefacting

Just a note...my PSU comes with 4 GPU (12V rail) cables, which have 6 pin connectors. They also have an extra auxiliary 2 pin connector as well. I have connected the card using 2 of these with both the 6 and 2 pin connectors in each power slot. In the box there were molex to 8-pin connectors. Should I try those instead??

Rit.

[kokalo]

Artifacting without load and on a brand new card is not a good sign.

Try the other 12V rails and also the molex adapters but I suggest you RMA it

[j0achim]

There are two ways artifacts mainly appear.

Card is running with high temperature over a extended period, so the artifacts can be permanent when you push the card to a certain degree.

Or what i believe is most likely the case and i see on my cards as well (22x of them) 1150/1600 will simply cause this, after a extended period of mining. Tune down core clock! (i even get artifacts at 1050 then again i am running all my cards at 1040mv for best Hash:Watt ratio) reboot required, artifacts don't go away just by down-clocking the card.

[ozzy1926]

 i have 4770k cpu and can we use igpu with r290 when minin?

[j0achim]

were a bit off-topic now but using a igpu is practically the same as CPU mining hence its not worth it.

[NameTaken]

were a bit off-topic now but using a igpu is practically the same as CPU mining hence its not worth it.

Heard of the iGPU in the 7850K APU getting 100KH/s.

[ozzy1926]

were a bit off-topic now but using a igpu is practically the same as CPU mining hence its not worth it.

sorry for being off topic but i just want to use igpu as a primary display to use internet explorer etc.and mine with r290s

[NameTaken]

were a bit off-topic now but using a igpu is practically the same as CPU mining hence its not worth it.

sorry for being off topic but i just want to use igpu as a primary display to use internet explorer etc.and mine with r290s

Yes you can do that.

[ozzy1926]

were a bit off-topic now but using a igpu is practically the same as CPU mining hence its not worth it.

sorry for being off topic but i just want to use igpu as a primary display to use internet explorer etc.and mine with r290s

Yes you can do that.

do you have r290? when i enable igpu windows doesnt recognize my amd drivers and re installing the driver doesnt work

[Ritual]

Soooo......to get back on track 

I've now tried reseating the card, different PCIe slots, different 12V rails, using the molex to 8-pins rather than the dedicated rails.....it's the same.

After a bit of light internet reading, it appears this is a VRM issue.

Anyone know of a fix? Or is it just RMA time?

Rit.

[Wipeout2097]

Lower the video memory clock.

Could you post another HwInfo screenshot, showing the important sensors, while mining?

[Ritual]

Sure thing:

HWinfo Idle:



HWInfo Mining:



Check out that current on the VDDC: 128.25A !! I can't figure out if the reported VRM temps in HWInfo are accurate (GPUZ does not report them - version 7.7), but it seems very reminiscent of this post: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=371324.0 - note that the BIOS is the same version on the card too. If I am correct, the VDDC current should be approx 35A or thereabouts...

Note that the artefacting happens even when the card is idle just browsing the web. Also note that it's hashing very well - I'm getting about 740KHash, and have pushed it as high as 790 KHash (although it crashed after a short time and I had HW errors). It also happens while gaming, and seems to get progressively worse (i.e. a symptom of overheating over time)...

I've tried underclocking bothe the memory clock and the GPU clock to 1400 and 1000 respectively, and there's no difference. It just seems that the VRMs are way too hot :/

[Wipeout2097]

Those 128A are at 1.12V, so the value is fine. You should undervolt though and make sure the fan runs at decent RPM while mining, regardless of the core temperature shown.

Unfortunately there are no VRAM sensors there. Some cards show memory voltage. Maybe the RAM chips are slower than what they were programmed for in the Bios or one is actually defective, I have no idea

[Ritual]

VRM 1 seems to be running at about double the temp of VRM 2, and the artefacts start when it hits (according to HWinfo) about 46C. I would not have thought this was particularly hot :/

I'm undervolting the card to 1.1V at the moment (including while mining) but it doesn't seem to solve the problem :/

All the help and suggestions are really appreciated - keep em coming!

Rit.