R9 290 only works when CPU and RAM not overclocked

tokyorock

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Aug 12, 2014
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I recently purchased a second R9 290 to run in Crossfire, but I've been having weird issues with it.

When I first tried running the two GPUs together, Windows kept stopping the second GPU from working. When I removed my original GPU and ran only the second one, AMD drivers wouldn't load (CPU utilization sitting at 60% trying to load Radeon settings), and GPUz would crash when it tried to get info on the card. I tried using different PCIe x16 slots, different PCI power cables, and ran DDU multiple times.

After playing around with different settings, I found that AMD drivers will only work when I reset my motherboard to stock settings (my CPU is usually 4.2GHz and RAM is 2133MHz).

I don't understand why this makes any sense. I just upgraded my power supply from a Corsair CX600M a couple weeks ago, so I doubt it's an issue with the added power draw from overclocking...

Here's my parts list:

CPU: Intel - Core i5-4690K 3.5 GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - Seidon 240M 86.15 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
Motherboard: MSI - Z97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: PNY - 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR3-1866 Memory
Storage: Plextor - M5S Series 128 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Storage: Hitachi - Deskstar 7K2000 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: XFX - Radeon R9 290 4 GB Double Dissipation Video Card (2-Way CrossFire)
Video Card: XFX - Radeon R9 290 4 GB Double Dissipation Video Card (2-Way CrossFire)
Case: Corsair - 270R ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: EVGA - 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link - TL-WDN4800 PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi Adapter
Case Fan: Cooler Master - R4-S2S-124K-GP 44.73 CFM 120mm Fans
Monitor: Acer - XF240H 24.0" 1920x1080 144 Hz Monitor
 
If your original graphics card worked by itself and the second does not, I think your secpnd card is defective and should be returned.

I think I would return it regardless.
Dual gpu looks great in synthetic gpu benchmarks, but gameplay is better with a good single card.
Dual gpu is prone to stuttering, screen tearing, and non support from an increasing number of games.

I have no suggestions as to why stock settings are necessary.
Your psu is excellent quality and I would have thought 850w was sufficient.
But, this chart of psu sizing has served me well in the past, and it indicates 1000w for R9-290CF
http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page362.htm

XFX recommends a 850w psu for one card:
http://www.xfxforce.com/en-us/products/amd-radeon-r9-200-series/amd-radeon-r9-290-double-dissipation-edition-r9-290a-edfd

Probably best to sell both and buy a GTX1080ti class card.
 

tokyorock

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Aug 12, 2014
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Here's a few updates:

I rolled back my drivers from 19.1.1 to 17.1.1, and now the AMD dashboard seems to be loading fine, even with my CPU and RAM overclocked. However, GPUz is still crashing every time I try to use it.

Additionally, I tried running the two GPUs in Crossfire, and Windows stops the second GPU saying: "Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)". However, if I swap the two GPUs (stick the original card in the second PCI slot and vice versa), I get the exact same issue (it seems it has more to do with the motherboard PCI slot than the GPU itself).

This maybe sounds like a motherboard issue?
 

tokyorock

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Aug 12, 2014
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I bought the kit because it was cheaper, then I played around with the settings a bit to find an overclock that works. It's actually happy at 2133MHz without increasing the voltage.
 

tokyorock

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Aug 12, 2014
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Running my computer with one R9 290 and the CPU overclocked only draws 400W peak from the wall, so I assume an 850W power supply could handle the added load of a second card.

And I got the second GPU specifically for Elite Dangerous and whatever other games would look good in VR. Games with poor Crossfire optimization (specifically CSGO) will still work fine on one card.