Frame rate reducing while gaming

[Dekasav]

500 should be enough for a 5750, it takes very little power considering its performance, but starting a game and having the system restart sounds like a PSU problem. Could be that you just got a bad PSU. I'd RMA it.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

I've installed the drivers from the cd of the graphics card. I think it's latest...

That would be highly unlikely. You have it three months....it sat in a warehouse for a while.......Download the latest drivers ....3 month w/o a driver fix would be unheard of.

 

[subinjose]

That would be highly unlikely. You have it three months....it sat in a warehouse for a while.......Download the latest drivers ....3 month w/o a driver fix would be unheard of.

I've installed it...but didn't help...

 

[Maziar]

Can you test your card in another system ?

 

[subinjose]

Can you test your card in another system ?

I think it's not possible, cos i've to remove a warranty seal to open it. I think it's better to give it for a checkup...and let them find it... and what is ur idea? Do u think it's a PSU problem ?

 

[subinjose]

I'm not saying it definitely is, but it could be. To me, that PSU doesn't sound up to it and this is why you're not experiencing the issues immediately but rather after you have been gaming for a while and your graphics card is pulling its peak power etc. On top of that pre-built systems tend to have a bad reputation for using cheap, poorly built PSUs. It's not worth voiding your warranty to have a look at the sticker, but if you can find out the exact model of your PSU that would help. A program like Aida32 or Everest might work. Its just ModeCom have a few models of PSU in the 500W range so I wasn't certain which one it was.

Try everything else the folks above have suggested first but if you're still having trouble, my bet would be on that PSU in which case returning it may be a good idea.

hi moody... seems like u r correct. I tried with Crysis and when i started the game in high 1920x1080 resolution and high settings, my system restarted...

 

[Maziar]

I think it's not possible, cos i've to remove a warranty seal to open it. I think it's better to give it for a checkup...and let them find it... and what is ur idea? Do u think it's a PSU problem ?

If its still under warranty then yes send it for a checkup

 

[Onus]

I'm really surprised no one has thought to mention heat. The symptoms are entirely consistent with something overheating, either the CPU or GPU. The system throttles to bring temps down. I think it might be your CPU, since lowering detail (making it easier on the GPU) doesn't make a difference.

As to the PSU, it may or may not be crappy (I'm inclined to suspect it IS), but if it were the problem here, the symptoms would be different, such as reboots in the middle of the game, or crashes.

Please report your temps, before and during your game.

Edit: Did you move this PC recently, for example into some kind of enclosure? Make sure there is enough ventilation around it. From your comments about the warranty sticker, this sounds like a pre- or custom-build. Can you feel warm air blowing out of the back? If not, you could have just had a fan die on you, possibly the one in the PSU. Make sure your fans are running.

 

[moody89]

I'm really surprised no one has thought to mention heat. The symptoms are entirely consistent with something overheating, either the CPU or GPU. The system throttles to bring temps down. I think it might be your CPU, since lowering detail (making it easier on the GPU) doesn't make a difference.

As to the PSU, it may or may not be crappy (I'm inclined to suspect it IS), but if it were the problem here, the symptoms would be different, such as reboots in the middle of the game, or crashes.

Please report your temps, before and during your game.

Edit: Did you move this PC recently, for example into some kind of enclosure? Make sure there is enough ventilation around it. From your comments about the warranty sticker, this sounds like a pre- or custom-build. Can you feel warm air blowing out of the back? If not, you could have just had a fan die on you, possibly the one in the PSU. Make sure your fans are running.

Agreed it could be down to temps as well. CPUID's HWMonitor is a handy tool to monitor the temperatures of all your hardware. The only issue here is that even if heat is the problem, you still can't take the side panel off to do anything about it without voiding your warranty. Regardless of whether its heat or a PSU fault, I guess its still going to have to be returned to be sorted. It would just give you a better idea of what could be wrong. Check your temperatures first, as jtt283 suggested.

Many people have said that a 500W PSU should be sufficient to run your card, but its the actual amps available on the +12V rails that are important not the total power output of the PSU as a whole. Generally, a poor quality PSU will not have sufficient amps on these rails. Having said that, if it came pre-built then it does beg the question as to why the manufacturers haven't picked up on this issue beforehand.

Post back and let us know more on your temps when you can. Good luck

 

[subinjose]

hi guys... thanks for the comments... i'll try it and let u know..

 

[Onus]

An inadequate PSU wouldn't cause throttling though. If it couldn't handle the load, it would shut down, or cause a crash as the outputs went screwy. If the card weren't getting enough juice at the outset, it would scream at you.
For the game to start ok but then slow down is almost certainly heat. Perhaps the CPU HSF got loose, although that seems unlikely on an AMD board. Does the case have a side window?

 

[subinjose]

I'm really surprised no one has thought to mention heat. The symptoms are entirely consistent with something overheating, either the CPU or GPU. The system throttles to bring temps down. I think it might be your CPU, since lowering detail (making it easier on the GPU) doesn't make a difference.

As to the PSU, it may or may not be crappy (I'm inclined to suspect it IS), but if it were the problem here, the symptoms would be different, such as reboots in the middle of the game, or crashes.

Please report your temps, before and during your game.

Edit: Did you move this PC recently, for example into some kind of enclosure? Make sure there is enough ventilation around it. From your comments about the warranty sticker, this sounds like a pre- or custom-build. Can you feel warm air blowing out of the back? If not, you could have just had a fan die on you, possibly the one in the PSU. Make sure your fans are running.

Yes i bought it from a local company. I've checked the fans, all 3 of them are working. And i had a reboot while playing the game. And lowering the game settings is not helpful. It lags again...

 

[subinjose]

An inadequate PSU wouldn't cause throttling though. If it couldn't handle the load, it would shut down, or cause a crash as the outputs went screwy. If the card weren't getting enough juice at the outset, it would scream at you.
For the game to start ok but then slow down is almost certainly heat. Perhaps the CPU HSF got loose, although that seems unlikely on an AMD board. Does the case have a side window?

yes there are 2 medium size windows to both side for air circulation or for additional fans. Yes it did shut down once..when i started Crysis in full load it restarted.

 

[Onus]

It doesn't explain the throttling, but a restart under heavy load could be the PSU. Quite frankly, you could have both problems, which make diagnosis difficult. To preserve your warranty, take it back and let them deal with it. If at all possible, insist on a replacement PSU that is 80+ certified for efficiency, since at the very least it will have been tested under full load for at least 30 minutes. You probably got a $10 special that came with the case. A 380W Antec Earthwatts would have no trouble with your rig, none at all; the older 500W Earthwatts is only $45 at Newegg now, so wherever you got your PC has no excuse to charge you an arm and a leg for a decent PSU.

As to the original issue of throttling, you may be able to tell through a window if the HSF has come loose, otherwise you may just need a better one. If the one you got can't keep your system cool after only 3months' worth of dust accumulation, you should get a better one; $20-$30 should do, especially if the system is not overclocked. In case it matters, and fwiw, people smoking around a PC will cause it to accumulate dust and dirt at a PHENOMENAL pace, which will hinder cooling.

 

[subinjose]

go download GPU-Z and check "Log to file", Play the game and check the File later, and give us the maximum temp on the file and the "sensors" tab.

ok... here is the log file: sorry alignment is not correct..... I saw that while playing game the GPU core clock is only 157. Is it correct ?

Date , GPU Core Clock [MHz] , GPU Memory Clock [MHz] , GPU Temperature [°C] , Fan Speed [%] , GPU Load [%] , Fan Speed [RPM] , GPU Temp. #1 [°C] , GPU Temp. #2 [°C] , GPU Temp. #3 [°C] ,

2010-04-06 18:48:10 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 46.0 , 36 , 4 , - , 45.5 , 46.0 , 46.5 ,

2010-04-06 18:48:13 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 46.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 45.0 , 45.5 , 46.0 ,

2010-04-06 18:48:14 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 46.0 , 36 , 1 , - , 45.0 , 45.5 , 46.0 ,

2010-04-06 18:48:15 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 46.0 , 36 , 3 , - , 45.0 , 45.5 , 46.0 ,

2010-04-06 18:53:30 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 56.0 , 38 , 0 , - , 55.0 , 55.5 , 56.0 ,

2010-04-06 18:53:31 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 55.0 , 38 , 0 , - , 54.5 , 55.0 , 55.0 ,

2010-04-06 18:53:32 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 55.0 , 38 , 0 , - , 54.0 , 54.5 , 55.0 ,

2010-04-06 18:53:33 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 54.0 , 38 , 0 , - , 53.5 , 54.0 , 54.5 ,

2010-04-06 18:53:34 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 54.0 , 38 , 0 , - , 53.0 , 53.5 , 54.0 ,

2010-04-06 18:53:35 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 53.0 , 38 , 0 , - , 52.5 , 53.0 , 53.5 ,

2010-04-06 18:53:36 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 53.0 , 37 , 0 , - , 52.5 , 53.0 , 53.5 ,

2010-04-06 18:53:37 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 53.0 , 37 , 0 , - , 52.0 , 53.0 , 53.0 ,

2010-04-06 18:53:38 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 53.0 , 37 , 0 , - , 51.5 , 52.5 , 53.0 ,

2010-04-06 18:53:39 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 52.0 , 37 , 0 , - , 51.0 , 51.5 , 52.5 ,

2010-04-06 18:53:40 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 52.0 , 37 , 0 , - , 51.0 , 51.5 , 52.0 ,

2010-04-06 18:53:41 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 51.0 , 37 , 0 , - , 50.5 , 51.5 , 51.5 ,

2010-04-06 18:53:42 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 51.0 , 37 , 0 , - , 50.5 , 51.0 , 51.5 ,

2010-04-06 18:53:43 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 51.0 , 37 , 0 , - , 50.5 , 50.5 , 51.0 ,

2010-04-06 18:53:44 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 51.0 , 37 , 0 , - , 49.5 , 50.5 , 50.5 ,

2010-04-06 18:53:45 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 50.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 49.0 , 50.0 , 50.5 ,

2010-04-06 18:53:46 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 50.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 49.0 , 50.0 , 50.0 ,

2010-04-06 18:53:47 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 50.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 49.0 , 49.5 , 50.0 ,

2010-04-06 18:53:48 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 50.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 48.5 , 49.5 , 49.5 ,

2010-04-06 18:53:49 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 49.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 48.5 , 49.0 , 49.5 ,

and the values of sensors tab is:

GPU core clock : 157MHz
GPU memory clock : 300 MHz
GPU temerature : 37
Fan speed : 36%

GPU is not taking full load ?

 

[moody89]

According to the specs on the ATI website your card should have a core clock speed of 700Mhz and a memory clock speed of 1.15GHz. As you can see you're nowhere near this. I can't think why your card would be running at these speeds but at no point do your temepratures ever look particularly high either.

 

[subinjose]

I did an auto tune using catalyst utility. And now the values are different.

2010-04-06 19:52:48 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 41.0 , 36 , 1 , - , 40.0 , 41.0 , 41.5 ,

2010-04-06 19:52:49 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 41.0 , 36 , 3 , - , 40.0 , 41.0 , 41.0 ,

2010-04-06 19:52:50 , 500.0 , 1000.0 , 42.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 40.5 , 42.5 , 42.5 ,

2010-04-06 19:52:51 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 42.0 , 36 , 66 , - , 40.5 , 42.5 , 42.5 ,

2010-04-06 19:52:52 , 760.0 , 1150.0 , 45.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 41.0 , 45.5 , 44.5 ,

2010-04-06 19:52:53 , 760.0 , 1150.0 , 45.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 41.5 , 45.5 , 44.5 ,

2010-04-06 19:52:54 , 760.0 , 1150.0 , 45.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 41.5 , 45.5 , 45.0 ,

2010-04-06 19:52:55 , 760.0 , 1150.0 , 46.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 41.5 , 46.0 , 45.0 ,

2010-04-06 19:52:57 , 760.0 , 1150.0 , 46.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 42.0 , 46.0 , 45.0 ,

2010-04-06 19:52:58 , 500.0 , 300.0 , 44.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 42.0 , 44.0 , 44.5 ,

2010-04-06 19:52:59 , 760.0 , 1150.0 , 46.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 42.0 , 46.0 , 45.5 ,

2010-04-06 19:53:00 , 760.0 , 1150.0 , 46.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 42.5 , 46.5 , 45.5 ,

2010-04-06 19:53:01 , 760.0 , 1150.0 , 47.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 42.5 , 46.5 , 45.5 ,

2010-04-06 19:53:02 , 760.0 , 1150.0 , 46.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 42.5 , 47.0 , 46.0 ,

2010-04-06 19:53:03 , 760.0 , 1150.0 , 47.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 42.5 , 47.0 , 46.0 ,

2010-04-06 19:53:04 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 45.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 42.0 , 45.5 , 45.0 ,

2010-04-06 19:53:05 , 760.0 , 1150.0 , 47.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 43.0 , 46.5 , 45.5 ,

2010-04-06 19:53:06 , 760.0 , 1150.0 , 47.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 43.0 , 47.0 , 46.5 ,

2010-04-06 19:53:07 , 760.0 , 1150.0 , 47.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 43.0 , 47.0 , 46.0 ,

2010-04-06 19:53:08 , 760.0 , 1150.0 , 47.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 43.0 , 47.0 , 46.5 ,

2010-04-06 19:53:09 , 760.0 , 1150.0 , 47.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 43.5 , 47.0 , 46.5 ,

2010-04-06 19:53:10 , 760.0 , 1150.0 , 47.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 43.0 , 47.5 , 47.0 ,

2010-04-06 19:53:11 , 500.0 , 1000.0 , 45.0 , 36 , 19 , - , 43.0 , 45.5 , 45.5 ,

2010-04-06 19:53:12 , 500.0 , 1000.0 , 45.0 , 36 , 9 , - , 43.0 , 45.0 , 45.0 ,

2010-04-06 19:53:13 , 500.0 , 1000.0 , 45.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 42.5 , 45.0 , 45.0 ,

2010-04-06 19:53:14 , 500.0 , 300.0 , 45.0 , 36 , 19 , - , 43.0 , 45.0 , 45.0 ,

2010-04-06 19:53:15 , 760.0 , 1150.0 , 46.0 , 36 , 62 , - , 43.0 , 46.0 , 45.5 ,

2010-04-06 19:53:16 , 760.0 , 1150.0 , 47.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 43.0 , 47.5 , 47.0 ,

2010-04-06 19:53:17 , 760.0 , 1150.0 , 47.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 43.5 , 47.5 , 47.0 ,

2010-04-06 19:53:18 , 760.0 , 1150.0 , 48.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 44.0 , 48.0 , 47.0 ,

2010-04-06 19:53:19 , 760.0 , 1150.0 , 48.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 43.5 , 48.0 , 47.0 ,

2010-04-06 19:57:02 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 61.0 , 41 , 2 , - , 59.0 , 61.0 , 60.5 ,

2010-04-06 19:57:03 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 59.0 , 41 , 2 , - , 58.5 , 59.0 , 59.0 ,

2010-04-06 19:57:04 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 58.0 , 39 , 1 , - , 58.0 , 58.5 , 58.5 ,

2010-04-06 19:57:05 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 58.0 , 39 , 0 , - , 57.0 , 57.5 , 58.5 ,

2010-04-06 19:58:20 , 157.0 , 300.0 , 43.0 , 36 , 0 , - , 42.0 , 43.0 , 43.5 ,

 

[moody89]

That looks a bit better 😉 I'd hazard a guess that the lower values are due to some form of power saving when your card isn't at full use. Still, your temps look fine. How about the rest of your temps? CPU in particular.

HWMonitor from CPUID is a good utility for monitoring all of your hardware and will also show you the temperatures of most of your components:

http://www.cpuid.com/hwmonitor.php

 

[subinjose]

It seems like it was a problem of GPU clock speed. I checked the speed using GPU-Z and noticed that the speed is only 157 while playing game. So i did an autotune using the Catalyst utility and set the speed to 760MHz. It seems like ok now.

Thanks for all the inputs

 

[Onus]

Excellent. Better than a heat problem, which might have meant spending money.

 

[subinjose]

I'm planning to upgrade my GPU to Radeon 5870. My current PSU is enough for that ? It's a 500w PSU and not 80+

 

[moody89]

Glad you found the source of the problem and that it wasn't expensive to fix!

Here are the minimum power requirements from ATI for the Radeon H 5870:

500 Watt or greater power supply with two 75W 6-pin PCI Express® power connectors recommended (600 Watt and four 6-pin connectors for ATI CrossFireX™ technology in dual mode)

This refers to the entire system not just the card.

You're just on the borderline here with your PSU as far as power output goes. But we'll also need to check the amps available on your +12V rails and even then you can't guarantee you would have enough juice to run that card since a lot of lower end PSUs can't sustain the output they are rated at for any long periods of time. I personally haven't heard of your PSU so I can't comment just yet. I'll have a dig around when I get home from work and post back, although in all likelihood it looks as though you may need a new PSU if you do wish to upgrade to that GPU in the future.

Hope this helps!

 

[subinjose]

Most probably i'll crossfire it after one year. But is there any risk to my computer if the PSU is just enough to run it?

I think this is the url to my PSU:

http://www.modecom.pl/product.php?category=6&id=599&lang=en&arch=0

 

[subinjose]

Seems like it's better to build a system myself than buy a crap one 😀
We can save money and build a power house better than a branded one...

 

[Onus]

If that's it, then no. Your PSU has a single PCIE power connector. Two are needed. While it may be possible to use an adapter, odds are your PSU really isn't designed to sustain a high 12+ load, and would die. When cheap PSUs die, they tend to take other parts with them.
Especially since you're planning on Crossfire, it would be safest to replace your PSU. A 650W Antec, Corsair, or Seasonic would be an excellent, safe choice.