Question GPU screeching, artifacting and eventually a black screen ?

[XX_RedDragon_XX]

Hello All,

I have an NVIDIA reference GTX 480 GPU that is acting a bit strange. No matter the build (MB, CPU, MEM combination), the card will power on with a very loud high pitch tone (coil whine) which ascends in pitch for approximately 2 - 5 seconds. This tone is loud enough to be easily heard outside the room. During those few seconds the GPU will output a display which is artifacting significantly. Eventually the tone reaches its peak and suddenly stops, causing the screen to either become one solid color or entirely black.

Minus the screeching noise, the display behavior reminds me of what happens when you pass the stable limit of your card when overclocking. This makes me think the card could be saved and that the previous owner flashed an unstable configuration to the card's VBIOS.

Some details of the case:

• GPU-Z detects the card and receives telemetry. The card behaves normally to an equivalent card at idle.
• Card threw several code 43 errors on Windows 10, though once it was in the primary PCIE slot, this disappeared.
• GPU-Z can read the VBIOS, I was able to save it once the code 43 errors stopped. NVIDIA NVFlash 5.128.0.1 can also save the VBIOS (newer versions cause a blue screen).
• NVFlash threw a invalid offset error when I attempted to flash the latest NVIDIA VBIOS for this card which I downloaded from TechPowerUp. Maybe this indicates that someone may have installed a modified VBIOS previously?

So now I'm on the forum that's helped me many times asking a few questions:

1. What component on the board could cause this screetching ? How does this component usually fail? Why does the tone (coil whine) which it emmits ascend in pitch? How would a failure of this component affect the GPU?
2. Any additional ideas of how to help stabalize the card or what could be going wrong?

 

[Aeacus]

This makes me think the card could be saved

My question is, why do you want to resurrect the already dead, 14 year old GPU, that is long obsolete?

As little as 100 bucks, you could get much newer and better performing brand new GPU,
pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/v...0,378,373,525,443,500,476,416,395,392,521,517

E.g even GTX 1050 is ~20% better than that ancient GTX 480,
comparison: https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-480-vs-Nvidia-GTX-1050/3157vs3650

Or when you look 2nd hand market, then even cheaper than 100 bucks.

What component on the board could cause this screetching ? How does this component usually fail? Why does the tone (coil whine) which it emmits ascend in pitch? How would a failure of this component affect the GPU?

What you describe, are GPU chip artifacts, which is responsible for actually drawing the image. It is common for GPU chip artifacting to get more severe, until image isn't recognizable at all or GPU chip stops completely working (black screen).

Usually, this kind of artifacting is to do with GPU chip temperature. The higher the GPU chip temperature goes - the less clear image it produces, until chip is cooked and stops working completely.

Brand new GTX 480 idle temp was 63C. While under load, it reached easy 96C. At which point, the blower fan started to spin at max, bringing the GPU temp down to ~91C.
GTX 480 is rated for 250W, while in testing, it pulled max 320W. That is a lot of power to use and due to the blower-type cooler on it, also will run very hot. Nowadays, any GPU that goes past 80C, is bad news. Past 90C - even worse.

GTX 480 review: https://www.techpowerup.com/review/nvidia-geforce-gtx-480-fermi/3.html

The fact that GPU chip isn't stable even when idle, with stock blower cooler, means that to attempt it to stabilize, there are only 2 options:
1. Better cooler on GPU itself. Either open-air type (e.g what is currently common with GPUs, with beefy heatsink and 2-3 big fans on them), or better yet: a cryogenic fluid cooling.
2. Downclocking the GPU frequency. This way, lower operational frequency - less heat produced by the GPU chip.

You can try both, but since GPU is ancient, was hot running from the get-go, consumes loads of power, and GPU chip itself is already damaged over the years by the high temps - it would be like flogging a dead horse.

Any additional ideas of how to help stabalize the card or what could be going wrong?

Junk it (or keep it as paperweight) and buy a new GPU.

 

[stonecarver]

A few things come to mind, first one is last Nvidia driver for the GTX 480 was.

Driver Version:391.35

Release Date:Tue Mar 27, 2018

File Size:467.03 MB

Windows 10 got weird as after every big anniversary update 10 would do the older video cards stopped correctly working on Windows 10.

• GPU-Z detects the card and receives telemetry. The card behaves normally to an equivalent card at idle.
• Card threw several code 43 errors on Windows 10, though once it was in the primary PCIE slot, this disappeared.
• GPU-Z can read the VBIOS, I was able to save it once the code 43 errors stopped. NVIDIA NVFlash 5.128.0.1 can also save the VBIOS (newer versions cause a blue screen).
• NVFlash threw a invalid offset error when I attempted to flash the latest NVIDIA VBIOS for this card which I downloaded from TechPowerUp. Maybe this indicates that someone may have installed a modified VBIOS previously?

You mentioned bios and messing around with them and that can always go south.

The high pitch whine could mean a few things. The card trying to spin up with a bad or inadequate power supply.

The card is dirty and needs a full dismantle repasted and dust clean out. What do you have to loose but gaining knowledge and maybe a working card.

The card was released when most PC were still on legacy BIOS and not UEFI. If your using on a newer PC that does not get the hand shake from the GPU " UEFI compliant" to a UEFI compliant motherboard you could get issues.

The most basic test to rule out is try the card booting up the GTX 480 in a USB live Linux OS.

You will see if it's a card issue, a windows issue, or a systems issue between Legacy vs UEFI.

Parts are parts those who have had the hands on look at it as another challenge. Most of the time you win fixing parts, and even if you can't bring a few things back to life you still walked away with knowledge for the next time.