Asus r9 290x DirectCU II OC usage heavy spikes

[PwnedByNighty]

Hello guys so about 2 months ago i bought my new and first ever rig to build
specs here :
asus maximus VII ranger
cpu: i5 4690k
ram: 2x4gb g.skill ripjaws 2133mhz
ssd: 120gb kingston
hdd: 1tb wd green
psu : 750W gold corsair
gpu : asus amd radeon r9 290x directcu II oc

everything was great until some weeks ago i was getting random fps drops on different games even low gpu-cpu usage ones
then i started monitoring my cpu and gpu only to see that my gpu has tremendous random usage spikes up to 100% even while idle or gaming doesnt matter
i formated SSD,did clean unistall and installed chipset from amd,did clean unistall and installed chipset from asus but the problem is still here and i'm kinda out of ideas any help wil be appriciated .
Thanks in advance
P.S it does not over heat while gaming max would be arround 67 C and an average of 50C

 

[Darkbreeze]

Why would you install the AMD chipset drivers when you have an Intel CPU?

I'd suggest not just a RE-INSTALL, but a CLEAN install, which means deleting all the existing boot and OS partitions and reinstalling as follows:

Windows 8 CLEAN install: http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2299-clean-install-windows-8-a.html


Windows 7 CLEAN install: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html



And then go to the following link and install the GPU driver:

http://support.amd.com/en-us/download/desktop?os=Windows%208.1%20-%2064


Followed by installing all of the relevant drivers from this page, depending on your OS version, as well as making sure you have the most current BIOS version installed:

http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/MAXIMUS_VII_RANGER/HelpDesk_Download/

 

[PwnedByNighty]

my bad i didnt clarify this correctly, i ment i did i clean unistall via device manager the drivers of the gpu and downloaded the drivers from amd site instead of asus[tried both]
http://support.amd.com/en-us/download/desktop?os=Windows%208.1%20-%2064 <-- this one i ment
let me explain:
i) first try to fix it was format ssd and install again win7 64bit still got spikes
ii) then i went and uninstall the gpus driver from device manager and installed http://support.amd.com/en-us/download/desktop?os=Windows%208.1%20-%2064 this one the one u linked [my gpu could not be identified i was getting a standar vga graphics adapter] and it was like i had no gpu on so that had to go
iii) then i did clean unistall again and installed back again from asus official site it identify it as my r9 290x but i still got the spikes.
here's a photo of the usage http://postimg.org/image/qr4at0jx3/

and i have updated to the latest VBIOS of my gpu via gpu tweak [asus official tweak prog]
i am not familiar with updating my mobas bios anything specific i should download and update from there or something to be careful about?
thanks again for your time

 

[Darkbreeze]

So I'd install BIOS version 2601 which was released just this month, here:

http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/MAXIMUS_VII_RANGER/HelpDesk_Download/



That board supports the flashback feature so all you need to do is put that bios file on a suitable USB flash drive, insert it in the correct rear USB port assigned for use with bios flashback and press the bios flashback button, with the power off I believe. Here's how:

http://event.asus.com/2012/mb/USB_BIOS_Flashback_GUIDE/

 

[PwnedByNighty]

i see.thank you so much for your time. im gonna do it now.will test afterwards and update ^ ^ thanks again

 

[PwnedByNighty]

it seems i updated correctly the bios but looking at the usage the spikes are still there [ idle pc at this picture]
http://s23.postimg.org/gakyz2acb/spikebios.png
if needed i could run some games aswell to observe the usage

update : heres while gaming really light
http://postimg.org/image/roqpqkp0d/

 

[Darkbreeze]

When you say you did a clean install of the GPU drivers, did you express uninstall all AMD software, use the display driver uninstaller and then reinstall the latest AMD drivers?

 

[PwnedByNighty]

by clean uninstall i uninstall from this panel here http://postimg.org/image/hy18zjubv/ and also used ccleaner and uninstall amd catalyst thingie

 

[Darkbreeze]

Nope. This:



**CLEAN DRIVER INSTALLATION**

The next big issue for many users is having a CLEAN driver installation. Many users upgrading from older cards or integrated graphics that use older driver versions by the same OEM, meaning Nvidia or AMD based, often assume it will be a bang, bang process. Sometimes it is if they've kept up with keeping the drivers current but more often it is not.

It's also often not enough to simply install the drivers that came on disk with the graphics card or to just find and download current drivers. In many cases the system has seen repeated driver updates, partial or damaged driver installations or the installation of differently tiered graphics products in addition to a variety of different "tweaking" utilities, all of which may have left behind varying levels of registry entries and system file versions that are likely to cause complications with the installation or implementation of new drivers.

This can have a wide variety of results including no problems at all, refusal of the new drivers to even install or anything in between as well as driver conflicts and poor performance. It's imperative that you start with a clean slate by removing ALL previous graphics drivers for that architecture or platform that might interfere with the transition to the new drivers. Making sure you are trying to install drivers INTENDED for use with your GPU model or Windows version is extremely important as well.

There has been a high level of success resolving these kinds of issues by doing the following.

Remove the current drivers or driver framework from the "Add/Remove programs" or "Programs and features" applet in Windows control panel first.

Download, but do not yet install, the drivers that are appropriate for your graphics card and operating system from the Nvidia or AMD website.

Nvidia graphics drivers

AMD graphics drivers


Download and run Wagnard tools "Display driver uninstaller" which I highly recommend and is fully endorsed by many top level tech websites including Guru 3D and Tom's Hardware. Choose the option from the drop box that applies to your platform, AMD, Nvidia or Intel, and when it asks to reboot into safe mode in order to perform the uninstall process, click yes and allow the program to proceed.

Guru3D Display Driver Uninstaller



After the uninstallation process is complete, install the new driver package you previously downloaded followed by a reboot of the system to ensure the new drivers are properly initiated.

Using the DDU to create a clean environment is sufficient for a large majority of users but is not going to be the immaculate solution for every user and every situation. Some issues are more involved and may require a new Windows installation or further investigation to determine hardware and other driver compatibility.

 

[PwnedByNighty]

took me some time but i did everything spikes are still there. could it be a malfunctioning one?but it doesnt make sense because for the first 2-3weeks i didnt have any spike or fps drop

 

[Darkbreeze]

Check out the info at the following link, focus on the portion related to HWinfo (NOT HWmonitor) and posting images here, and post screenshots (3 will be needed to catch all the sensors) here. If possible, do it both under load and at idle. A gaming load like Furmark or during a session similar to when it's spiking would be best.

http://www.tomshardware.com/faq/id-2583515/basic-troubleshooting-layman.html

 

[PwnedByNighty]

okay sorry for the images but the link about how to post images in tomshardware is propably deleted i get unauthorized access error.
while idle screen from HWinfo are :
i) http://postimg.org/image/hc0f92gw3/
ii) http://postimg.org/image/eteq8dv5v/
iii) http://postimg.org/image/h0nka1ptv/

while using furmark on full load [we dont get usage spikes since its already on 100%usage]i can try diff games if needed though
i) http://postimg.org/image/tmgstzw2d/
ii) http://postimg.org/image/we02klul1/
iii) http://postimg.org/image/4f5wtqsyd/

 

[PwnedByNighty]

the fps drop at heroes of the storm is making the game unplayable oO
http://postimg.org/image/6mofhp54x/

 

[Darkbreeze]

The link seems to be working fine from three different computers I've tried it on. The forum sometimes has some server cache issues and won't resolve pages at times. I'd try again at this link just for future reference if you ever need to do this again sometime:

http://www.tomshardware.com/faq/id-2580030/detailed-instructions-posting-images-tom-hardware.html

 

[Darkbreeze]

Couple of things. PSU voltages look ok as far as the sensor readings go.

One, you have a WD Green drive, which I just noticed. That's a poor choice and while I'm sure it's not the sole cause, it could certainly contribute to it since it's a power saving drive and they are constantly spinning up and down. Green and Red drives are about the worst choices you can make to install a OS or game files on. I'd swap that out for a Caviar Blue or Black series drive and use the Green drive for backups and data you don't access that much.

Two, I'd try turning off Intel Speedstep in the BIOS and then go into the Control Panel power options and set the profile to high performance. Reboot and re-test.

 

[PwnedByNighty]

did both and it still spiking like crazy[i may add while when gaming it spikes like crazy im able to play,ex today i would get a fps drop every like 10min or so in heroes while when i posted the yesterday one it was every 3sec]. yea i guess i did a bad choice with the green one but oh well sh** happens. i have read about hdd being on fault about spikes and it would have made sense to me to format it but i get spikes while idle aswell thats why i cant figure it out

 

[Darkbreeze]

I'd try installing one of the games on the SSD instead of the HDD if it's currently installed on the HDD, and see if it still does it with it there.

 

[PwnedByNighty]

imma give it a try , that wouldnt explain the spike while idle [my OS are in the ssd] correct?
i will say it again thanks so much for helping me

 

[Darkbreeze]

No problem. I'd just like to see you get this sorted out. That's the idea anyhow.

 

[Darkbreeze]

I can't remember if ASUS AI suite has a process explorer to see what processes aside from gaming might also be using the GPU resources, but I know afterburner has one. I'd check that out as it might be another program running in the background that's causing this. I'd go to system restore and create a Restore point, if you use system restore and not another program for creating image backups, and then turn it off. Delete all old restore points as well. This will help cut down on writes to your SSD which will also prolong it's life as well as ensure it's not trying to run while you're doing other things.

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2030074/gpu-usage-spikes.html

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2282988/random-gpu-usage-spikes-idle-taskbar-reset.html


Do you have browser windows or anything else running at the time these spikes are going on? Using hardware acceleration in browsers or other video players can also cause usage spikes. Disabling in-browser hardware acceleration and using software only encoding will stop that if it is.

What resolution are you gaming at and at what settings high, ultra, etc.?

 

[PwnedByNighty]

I have constantly firefox open with lots of tabs[usually more than 10] but as i said that wasnt a problem my pc was doing from the moment i build it and was running 10tabs but after 2-3weeks
im running at 1920x1080 and wanted to get a new screen maybe an 27inch one but if it cant handle it here why bother,gaming settings auto adjust at ultra yea
about al suite its for cpu-fans and power options nothing there about gpu.
i've just disabled hardware acceleration [from advanced options of firefox dunno if theres something else apart from that]
about programms running apart from al suite-gpu tweak im running propably battle net app or steam, skype 100% ,kaspersky ,ccleaner and intel rapid storage techology [i think its for ssd/hdd but no clue really never used it]
downloaded the programm from the first link and as the comment states here is the same gpu is used by window desktop manager and firefox

i never have done a system restore or smth like that but if u think it would be better i could search how and do it

 

[Darkbreeze]

So, does this issue happen when you don't have all that crap running at the same time? Try running the game without anything else open and see what it does. I can tell you for sure that Skype messes with just about every other kind of application under the sun, including gaming. I'd certainly check that I had the newest version of Skype installed as well. I've seen Skype cause more impossible to find problems than almost any other single cause I've encountered. Try the game without anything else at all open and see what happens.

 

[PwnedByNighty]

i just tried, closed most of my tabs[kept 3] instead of 1.5gb ram firefox used 900mb now with skype open.
the weird thing is spikes did exist in the gpu tweak like every 1-2second from 0 to 100 but i had no lag at all like max 1 time fps drop or not at all :S

 

[PwnedByNighty]

http://postimg.org/image/adoga610b/ here it is while i was playing heroes now but i didnt realize any fps drop at all
some hours ago i also tried shadow of mordor which is a demanding game i run the games benchmark [ultra settings ] min was 35 , max 83 and avg 63 i played for like 30mins and there wasnt any issue or i didnt realise any fps drop

 

[Darkbreeze]

This issue is probably that you have too much crap running at the same time you're trying to game, and your system simply can't handle it. When another process needs resources, your GPU usage is going to go up or down, as will your CPU usage. Since you've only got a 4 core 4690k, and not an 8 thread i7 or Xeon, you can't expect to be doing a whole lot of other things aside from gaming, when you're gaming. As to why you didn't have this issue before I can't say but it's entirely possible than an update, driver change or patch to one of the programs that you're trying to run while gaming has been affected by the change to the point where it no longer acts the same as before.

I'd simply avoid doing anything else that isn't necessary while you're gaming. Multiple browser windows can suck up a ton of both CPU and GPU resources as does Skype, so either you don't use them when gaming, get a CPU that can handle it or accept the performance issues.