Hello,
I am a first-time builder, and this is my first post so please be patient with the long-winded explanation. System info at the bottom.
For xmas, I put together a gaming PC for my son, and the graphics card keeps crashing -- either black screen (no signal to monitor), gray screen, or vertical lines. The computer remains powered up, but with no display, I'm forced to do a hard shutdown holding down the power key.
It works fine for every day computing, but when he plays Skyrim, it will crash after, at most, 10 minutes. It will also crash at least 50% of the time when I try to run the Windows Experience Index performance test, usually at the ALU section (whatever that is).
I spoke with Gigabyte support, who told me it could be an incompatibility with a 2.0 PCIe slot. I know this is a PCIe 3.0 card, but shouldn't it work in a 2.0 slot without crashing? (My asus p8z77-vlk motherboard is 3.0 capable, but I've just discovered the i3-3220 cpu is not). I've installed the latest drivers. In AMD catalyst, I even dialed down the GPU to the stock 860 mHz, and it still crashes. My son tried lowering the settings in Skyrim to medium (it defaults to Ultra), and it still crashes. I have also updated the motherboard bios to the latest version. The highest GPU temp I've seen is 49 C at full load.
I am hoping someone can tell me if it is indeed a PCI slot incompatibility issue, or if you think I just have a defective card. My other computers are macs, so I can't test the card in another machine.
Here are the options as I see them, depending on what the problem is, but I'd definitely like to get some expert advice.
1)Upgrade the CPU to an i5 to allow 3.0 speed on the motherboard (Expensive)
2) Warranty return to gigabyte -- this could take weeks, which is certainly not easy for a 12-year-old. (I can't exchange it at newegg because there was a $30 rebate, so no UPC code.)
I also notice in the MB bios, that PCIe_16 slot 3 (black) can be set from 2x to 4x. I don't know if this would help, but even so, it doesn't look like there's any way the 7850 would fit since that slot is at the edge of the MB, right above the power supply. Right now the card's in slot 1 (blue).
thanks in advance for your input.
System info:
OS: Windows 8 64-bit
cpu: i3-3220 Ivy bridge 3.3 Ghz
mb: asus p8z77-vlk bios v 908
ram: gskill ripjaws 2x4GB
graphics: gigabyte gv-r785OC-2GD
amd catalyst v 12.10; drivers 9.2.0.0; gpu bios 015.017.000.000 (5/29/12)
Power: Antec neo eco 520c 80+certified
HD: seagate barracuda ST500DM002 500GB
case: coolermaster elite 431 plus
I am a first-time builder, and this is my first post so please be patient with the long-winded explanation. System info at the bottom.
For xmas, I put together a gaming PC for my son, and the graphics card keeps crashing -- either black screen (no signal to monitor), gray screen, or vertical lines. The computer remains powered up, but with no display, I'm forced to do a hard shutdown holding down the power key.
It works fine for every day computing, but when he plays Skyrim, it will crash after, at most, 10 minutes. It will also crash at least 50% of the time when I try to run the Windows Experience Index performance test, usually at the ALU section (whatever that is).
I spoke with Gigabyte support, who told me it could be an incompatibility with a 2.0 PCIe slot. I know this is a PCIe 3.0 card, but shouldn't it work in a 2.0 slot without crashing? (My asus p8z77-vlk motherboard is 3.0 capable, but I've just discovered the i3-3220 cpu is not). I've installed the latest drivers. In AMD catalyst, I even dialed down the GPU to the stock 860 mHz, and it still crashes. My son tried lowering the settings in Skyrim to medium (it defaults to Ultra), and it still crashes. I have also updated the motherboard bios to the latest version. The highest GPU temp I've seen is 49 C at full load.
I am hoping someone can tell me if it is indeed a PCI slot incompatibility issue, or if you think I just have a defective card. My other computers are macs, so I can't test the card in another machine.
Here are the options as I see them, depending on what the problem is, but I'd definitely like to get some expert advice.
1)Upgrade the CPU to an i5 to allow 3.0 speed on the motherboard (Expensive)
2) Warranty return to gigabyte -- this could take weeks, which is certainly not easy for a 12-year-old. (I can't exchange it at newegg because there was a $30 rebate, so no UPC code.)
I also notice in the MB bios, that PCIe_16 slot 3 (black) can be set from 2x to 4x. I don't know if this would help, but even so, it doesn't look like there's any way the 7850 would fit since that slot is at the edge of the MB, right above the power supply. Right now the card's in slot 1 (blue).
thanks in advance for your input.
System info:
OS: Windows 8 64-bit
cpu: i3-3220 Ivy bridge 3.3 Ghz
mb: asus p8z77-vlk bios v 908
ram: gskill ripjaws 2x4GB
graphics: gigabyte gv-r785OC-2GD
amd catalyst v 12.10; drivers 9.2.0.0; gpu bios 015.017.000.000 (5/29/12)
Power: Antec neo eco 520c 80+certified
HD: seagate barracuda ST500DM002 500GB
case: coolermaster elite 431 plus