Weird GPU and Overvolting BIOS

[Krindor]

At the moment I'm running a hella weird GPU, for some reason it will allows me to run 2 benchmarks at 1120 boost clock and then it crashes at the third, if I reset the clock to stock settings and then change them back after a bench it will allow me to do 2 more benches. Also the stock voltage is changed to 1100 after a failure and GPU-Z shows it as 980 but when the GPU is loaded the monitor shows 1100, still showing 980 on the info screen...

And here is my question, should I give up on this GPU if this is a problem related to the gpu (Probably is not) or just flash it with a new BIOS. In that case a overvolted BIOS as I have a water cooling block so the only problem that might appear with overvolted bios is degradation of the gpu.

The GPU is a PNY Reference 670. So the only bios that I can get is the ones already on the gpu and they might be bugged out...

[HiVizMan]

There could be any number or reasons why your card is falling over after the second run. BUT if you are benching with that card, you should be rebooting between each run. Unless you are testing stuff.....

[Krindor]

I'm testing a stable OC as it crashes in games with a low overclock as well and the GPU is really unreliable. So I'm going to test and see what happens when I try to flash it with overvolted BIOS.

[HiVizMan]

OK all good, it does sound as if you have a Video card problem there in that case.

I assume you have re-installed the graphic drivers? And done all that sort of thing, memtest86+ and so on.

[Krindor]

Only been updating drivers not re-installing. I haven't run memtest 86+ yet, might be due to memory as I have noticed that it have been having it's fun.... But in what way is the memory affected by the overclock of the GPU?

Also for some reason I can't get the USB to boot.... But that is a problem on my part and I will try to see if I can get it to work.

[Zka17]

Krindor wrote:
Only been updating drivers not re-installing.

I found that I can escape a lot of trouble if I'm disabling the VGA driver's auto update function and have a full, clean re-install if I want get a new driver...

This is how I'm doing it at every graphics card switch and/or driver update:
1. Go in BIOS and save your settings.
2. Reset the BIOS settings at defaults (by F5)
3. Boot into OS and uninstall the graphic driver and everything else may came with it - it requires multiple restarts
4. Boot into OS in Safe Mode and use Driver Sweaper to clean up whatever remained from the graphics driver, check all NVidia stuff and hit "clean"
5. Restart your system and boot normally into OS
6. Download and install the driver you want, just choose "Clean install"
7. After restart immediately go to the Nvidia panel and disable the auto updates.

[HiVizMan]

The memory is very connected to VGA performance and will cause video drivers to crash quite easily. There are a large number of threads actually dealing with VGA issues that were resolved by sorting memory out. Just think about it, the information that comes from the VGA has to go some place to be used by the CPU it can not all live in the cache.

And with the IMC located on the CPU these days the memory is becoming more and more important.

[Krindor]

Oh thanks didn't know about the memory and it's connection to overclocks, as the gpu runs fine during normal clocks. Though during overclocking of the CPU I have had several blue screens crashing that in some way seems memory related. For example, I open HWmonitor and I get a blue screen stating something with Hwmonitor being faulty places. Also some of my on startup programs crash. But that is a different matter and I'll run memtest and see if the memory is at fault.

I have been suspecting the ram for some while now but never actually tested it.

[Krindor]

I think the real problem might be the VRM on the VGA that's giving me problems. The GPU usage and power went hayware and while gaming the computer crashed twice, due to the gpu failing, which is no BSOD just the images dissapearing and one hell of a irritating noise.

[Arne_Saknussemm]

Hey Krindor! I saw you reported that card had a strange low WEI score the other day and was wondering if there was a problem. I didn't know Memtest checked GPU memory! (learned something new on here already today). I wonder which program you are using to OC....GPU tweak I have seen cause some weird problems some times with settings sticking after reboots etc.