2X 6GB Sapphire 7970; 4GB DEDICATED RAM????

[ddavij]

Could someone please explain to me why Windows thinks I only have 4096MB of dedicated memory whilst I've got 2x Sapphire 7970 Vapor-X 6GB cards? Windows also states that when I've uninstalled the other 7970 (either cards), I get 2048MB of dedicated video memory...

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1JNDxg5xsrJM2ZJSzlJZ0drS2M/edit?usp=sharing
^ Showing amount of dedicated video memory with cards in CrossfireX

DXDIAG: http://pastebin.com/3gi07ZSx

I've also installed my old 1GB 5770 and Windows is reporting the correct amount of dedicated memory, installed my old 9500GT and Windows is also reporting the correct dedicated memory of 512MB... Does anyone have any solutions to this?

I'd also like to state that GPU-Z states my cards are 6GB each, yet GPU-Z is unreliable as it obtains this information in a general approach, like it's in it's knowledge base.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[ddavij]

I can't tell you why Windows gets its brain scrambled about this (it does on my setup as well), but I can tell you that it's completely irrelevant and you shouldn't worry about it.

Hmm I just find it odd because with my 2x MSI lightning 7970 I got 6gb dedicated video memory with those... I also find it weird as others with the 6gb sapphires get 12gb dedicated video memory. I've noticed that when I game for a long time, my game becomes choppy... I've figured that because Windows knows it has 4gb but in the real world can only use 2Gzb, of which it does, but gets maxed...

That's why I'd really love to get this problem fixed :/

Thanks for your reply!

 

[ddavij]

Choppiness in games probably has nothing to do with why Windows is retarded. Windows reports my cards as having 2 gigs dedicated video memory, but I've not ever had any issues with choppiness playing games.

I mean I guess there could be some underlying issue causing problems, but my guess is that Windows is just stupid and your problem is somewhere else.

Yeah I just have an OCD about what Windows is stating...
Would anyone have any idea of how to fix this issue? Would be greatly appreciate any thoughts!

Thanks!

 

[ddavij]

Not sure - could you post more information about the problem you're having (when it occurs, when it started happening, what your power supply is, etc)

Sure, I believe this started happening a few days ago, I believe I actually saw 12gb total of dedicated video memory initially in the day I installed the graphics cards... I reinstalled windows, did a few things, and it's not going back to it was... Here's the thing, I'm not 100% sure that I did see the 12GB dedicated video memory but I'm quite confident!

I have a seasonic power supply which is rated at 1250W

System specs:

i7 3770K @ 4.4Ghz
32GB G.Skill Trident X 2400Mhz
Asus P8Z77-V-Deluxe
128GB Corsair GS SSD + a few other older HHD's
2x 7970 6GB Sapphire Vapor-X


Btw, thanks for your replies, greatly appreciated

 

[ddavij]

Does Afterburner report your vram use correctly in-game?

That's the thing, I don't really have a great pool of games I have at hand ATM to use to test this, the best I have ATM is a professional version of 3DMark11, would that be sufficient?

Thanks for your replies mate!

 

[ddavij]

Probably not... 3dmark doesn't use much vram because it's designed to be friendly to older cards with 1GB vram. The best vram test would be modded skyrim as that's probably the only thing you could get to push over 3GB of vram use per GPU.

Do you think it's possible with all features maxed on 3D Mark it would at least go over 2.1GB so I can see if Windows is incorrectly showing dedicated VRAM? Cause with a single GPU comp shows 2gb VRAM...

If not I'll then start fetching for Skyrim, would do it but have no idea where I've put the CD...

Thanks!

 

[ddavij]

I mean you can always fire it up and see but I can't ever remember 3dmark11 using 2GB vram. Firestrike Extreme may do so on the new test but even that I think just uses 1.5-2 GB.

What made you switch from Lightnings to 6GB sapphire cards, out of curiosity?

I shall test!

Very problematic experience with the MSI's - with games that had sensitive game engines, I was prone to a lot of artifacting, even with a 15% under clock on either cards, sent the cards in for an RMA, 4 months later, got replacements, one card didn't even function and the pipe was damaged, the other worked very poorly, even worse - took legal action against MSI and recieved a full refund, went to Sapphire, not a hitch in games that the MSI Lightning struggled in... Wasn't a happy camper... I love the lightnings, but only if they worked! Lol. Being constantly lied to didn't help through the process of the RMA either, customer service was shocking, as soon as you blame someone from MSI, and you've been dealing with them for months, all of a sudden the individual says I don't deal with graphics cards, I deal with monitors... And I recorded every conversation with him over a 4 month period and it was always the same person...

Edit: in the end they found that the cards were faulty after extensive testing... By testing I mean, pulling the cards apart and performing full analysis of the components...