GTX 980ti Vram Problem

[Dark_wizzie]

Hi,

I've had Windows 10 installed for almost a month now with no problems... until very recently. I was loading up multiple instances of Mugen (2d fighting game). By multiple instances, I mean what you think I'm saying - I started up the game multiple times. I noticed it started crashing after multiple instances were up. Checked vram - Afterburner's vram chart shows my vram usage as maxed out at around 3gb. Started Skyrim with all my mods. Loads and I see the vram going from 1gb to 3gb and compressed back down to 1gb and back up. Cell loads, I get intense stuttering. It's out of vram. Kombuster memory test fails (tends to fail once it starts to use over 2.1gb of vram). This is a 980ti. There are 6gb of vram. I've never had any of these issues before, it came out of the blue. This isn't right after a driver update either. Overclocks have been set back to stock, bios set back to stock.

Here's the rub:
I loaded up Windows 7 as dual boot. Did all the tests there: NO PROBLEMS. All my Mugen stuff loads without a problem, Kombuster runs happily. Although Afterburner's graph freaks out and doesn't understand how I'm using more than 3gb of vram, both it and HWinfo agree that I can use up to 6gb of vram.

DXdiag says I have 10gb of vram. CPUZ says I have 4.

I've tried the latest and second-latest drivers. I've uninstalled, rebooted, installed, rebooted instead of being lazy with the install process.

Anybody know why this happens and even better - how to solve this problem? I'd rather not move back to Windows 7 over this problem.

I can't think of any system/software change I've made in the past 1-3 days that could have caused this problem.


Thanks.



SPECS:
4670k @ 4.4ghz

Core temp 30/70C (idle/load)
Mobo: z87 MSI g45 gaming (Bios is the latest version)
Ram: 2 x 4 gb, 2133 10-11-9 (XMP 1866 9-10-9)
GPU: MSI gtx 980 ti (Stock speed, driver. Temp 21/48C (idle, load). Used to do 1.25v 1500/8160 custom bios

GPU hooked up to NZXT Kraken G10 mounting bracket + Kraken x61 AIO.

PSU: 1000w EVGA Supernova P2, 1 month old

Drive config:
C: SSD Samsung 840 Pro
D: Samsung Spinpoint 1gb HDD (drive has SMART errors)
E: SSD Samsung 850 Pro

Case: Corsair 540. Airflow is very good.
OS: Windows 10.
Monitor: Yamakazi Catleap, 1440p, 60hz

 

[Janus67]

try reverting to stock BIOS?

What does GPU-Z say that you have in terms of VRAM?

 

[Dark_wizzie]

try reverting to stock BIOS?

What does GPU-Z say that you have in terms of VRAM?

Thanks for the reply.
One of the first things I did when I noticed the problem was revert to stock BIOS. What I meant in my specs was that I was originally running custom BIOS + overclock, but both are now at stock.

GPUZ notes 6144MB of Vram.
(Sorry about the attached images, not sure how to delete attachements. I took a new picture with the latest version of GPUZ)

 

[Janus67]

What does gpu-z say your memory tops out at when running a game/benchmark/etc?

 

[Dark_wizzie]

What does gpu-z say your memory tops out at when running a game/benchmark/etc?

It is noting what HWinfo is noting. It's hovering at 2088mb to 2206mb (For Mugen) and right now Kombuster is limited to 1982MB. (readings are total Vram usage of course, including Windows) An hour ago I believe it was at 2.1gb.

Performance looks normal apart from the vram problems. Go under the vram usage and everything appears to be in order.

 

[mimart7]

I have had some issues with W10 and my GTX 970. I would run DDU, and reinstall the drivers, that has worked for me.

 

[Janus67]

^^ was going to suggest the same thing. Complete uninstall + using DDU in safe mode to get rid of every last bit of the driver install then do a fresh install of the drivers.

 

[Dark_wizzie]

I have had some issues with W10 and my GTX 970. I would run DDU, and reinstall the drivers, that has worked for me.

Going to rest my head for now, but I will test this as soon as I wake. Not expecting much but then again, that's what I said when a friend told me to try Windows 7 to see if anything changes. What's still really weird is how the problem started from seemingly nowhere.

EDIT: Meh, I'll try DDU right now.

 

[Dark_wizzie]

Just did it, safe mode as well. Problem still remains.

I'm going to download Windows 10 ISO and dualboot Windows 10 twice to see if the fresh install fixes the issue as well.

Fresh restart, Kombuster uses up to 2477mb now.

 

[Janus67]

It's possible Kombuster is only using 2477 because that is all that it requires. Does Kombuster utilize all 6GB in Windows 7?

 

[Dark_wizzie]

It's possible Kombuster is only using 2477 because that is all that it requires. Does Kombuster utilize all 6GB in Windows 7?

No, but it used over 5 gigs (was like 5.4, 5.6gb). On top of that, the message I got while it was loading vram states that it ran out of memory.

 

[Janus67]

Ahh, OK. very interesting. If I get a chance I'll try with my 290x (I realize it isn't a 980ti, but to see how much vram it uses out of the available 4GB)

 

[Dark_wizzie]

Ahh, OK. very interesting. If I get a chance I'll try with my 290x (I realize it isn't a 980ti, but to see how much vram it uses out of the available 4GB)

I use the 3gb ram test @ 1440p with x8 AA. Those settings just balloon far above 3gb of vram used.

At the end of the day the stress test backs up what I've been noticing from these two games (Mugen and Skyrim). Skyrim loads up vram to like 2.4 gigs, then falls back to 800mb, back up again until the cell loads, then chunks of the cell is missing (to put it mildly). I had to go back and doublecheck Windows 7 because it felt so strange that Windows 7 didn't have the issue. Probably a software issue at this point, that's why 7 works and current install of 10 doesn't. That 10 clean-install should tell me some interesting stuff about what's going on. I was going to RMA this, but I guess at this point that would be pointless.

Days ago I remember starting up Skyrim with none of these problems. I really wonder what made the difference.

Check this Skyrim performance monitor shot:

 

[Super Nade]

I think you should try a few more games before blaming the card.

 

[Dark_wizzie]

I think you should try a few more games before blaming the card.

Just tried GTA V.

 

[Dark_wizzie]

Windows 10 clean install still has the problem.
Windows 7 clean install doesn't have the problem. Aero's flipping out.

 

[mimart7]

It looks like your issue is software related, and not hardware related. Did you flash a custom bios to that card? If you did, i'm thinking that could be your problem.