Crash while playing specific games

[geref22]

Hello everyone,
I'm experiencing an annoying crash which forces me to hard reboot the pc everytime.
This happens while using specific kind of games (like Battlefield play4free or Dishonored) or (but this happened only once) while running a Direct3D test (I was rating my computer through Windows). All I can say is that sometimes is a BSOD (because windows automatically reboots and tells me that it was a BSOD) and other times is not (simply the last 5 seconds of sound loops over and over until I reset), it happens at random times (could be 5 seconds after starting a game or 30 minutes) and, when it crashes, the screen goes black, blue or whatever is the background main colour, with vertical lines.

I've already RMA the graphics card once for a defective pci-e connection and I hope I don't have to do it again.

These are my specs:

OS: Windows 7 Ultimate x64
CPU: AMD Phenom II x4 965 @stock (3.4 GHz)
GPU: Sapphire HD 7770 Vapor-X OC Edition (GPU clock @1.1 GHz, Memory Clock @1.3 GHz)
RAM: Corsair 2x2GB XMS3
MB: AsRock 960GM/U3S3 FX
PSU: Cooler Master 500W

inb4: All the temps are good (the cpu never goes over 60 °C after 30min of Prime95, the gpu never goes over 60 °C after hours of Battlefield 3 on high settings) and I tested the RAM with the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool with no problems. The drivers are up-to-date and I already tried to reinstall again Windows with no success. DirectX 11 is installed and up-to-date.

Any ideas?

 

[wanderer11]

Sounds like you overclocked the gpu too far. Put it back to stock and see if it keeps happening.

 

[geref22]

Sounds like you overclocked the gpu too far. Put it back to stock and see if it keeps happening.

No, the GPU is factory overclocked and I didn't overclock futher than that

 

[wanderer11]

Oh my mistake. It still sounds like a gpu problem to me. Do you have another gpu to test with or another computer to test the 7770 in?

 

[geref22]

Unfortunately not.. It's strange because with some games works like a charm, in others don't. I can play Dirt 3, Battlefield 3, Portal for hours with no problems at all.

 

[wanderer11]

Are you using the beta driver? If so uninstall and install the latest certified, 13.1 I think.

 

[geref22]

I'm currently using the 13.1
I've also tried to use the 12.4 and the 12.6 but nothing

 

[wanderer11]

Might want to rma the gpu. The vertical lines sound like a gpu problem to me. Turn of automatic restart in control panel so you can read the BSOD code.

 

[geref22]

Yes, I think I will do that. Again *sigh*.
I just tried it downclocked to a normal HD7770 (as AMD would sell it, so GPU @1 GHz and Memory Clock @1.25 GHz) and the issue seems vanished.

 

[wanderer11]

There is a chance your psu is bad. Coolermaster is not a good brand. Do you have another one to test with?

 

[barto]

There is a chance your psu is bad. Coolermaster is not a good brand. Do you have another one to test with?

I disagree, while the issue could be a PSU problem, Coolermaster does make good supplies. Some of their supplies are made by Channelwell which is a good manufacturer.

@geref22, When a BSOD occurs, there should be an error listed which you can look up. Sometimes this is helpful when troubleshooting. I would hate to think that your motherboard would be the issue, but normally you wouldn't get two bad GPUs like this. Have you tried a bios update?

 

[cris0126]

We have the same problem and the same GPU also, Please message me if you solve your problem.

 

[geref22]

I disagree, while the issue could be a PSU problem, Coolermaster does make good supplies. Some of their supplies are made by Channelwell which is a good manufacturer.

@geref22, When a BSOD occurs, there should be an error listed which you can look up. Sometimes this is helpful when troubleshooting. I would hate to think that your motherboard would be the issue, but normally you wouldn't get two bad GPUs like this. Have you tried a bios update?

@wanderer11 I thought that too, but why does it happen only for some games? It should happen on every game I play or things which put some stress on the PSU.

@barto If only I could see it! When the error occurs I can't see anything but a black/blue screen with vertical lines..

The bios is at the latest version of course, 1.20
I thought too that it could be the MB so I'm changing that as well.. The new one should be here by tomorrow.

 

[geref22]

UPDATE: The new MB arrived today as I predicted and.. Nothing's changed. *sigh*
The new graphics card is on its way, maybe it will be here on wednesday.

 

[geref22]

UPDATE: The new graphics card arrived today and, hooray, the problem seems solved.
Anyway, soon I am going to buy a different PSU (maybe a Corsair) to make sure this won't happen again.

Thank you all for your help!