7870 failed now PC won't POST

[mguitar]

Okay I could really use some help. Two weeks ago I completed my first PC build, and everything has been working flawlessly until today. I was playing a game when the screen went this blueish-grey color (Not a BSOD, more like a fullscreen artifact) and the system shutdown and wouldn't POST into BIOS.

I assumed it was just an artifact where I had overclocked my GPU's core clock from 1000 MHz to 1125 MHz (even though I did rigorous benchmarking to ensure it was stable and I have been playing games for two weeks without problems.) But after the computer crashed the system would not POST into BIOS. My CPU, GPU, and case fans would spin and light up, but my monitor couldn't get a signal. Even my mouse and keyboard were not working.

Thankfully my motherboard has an on-board error code display which was displaying error code B2. After checking the manual it describes the error as: "Legacy Option ROM Initialization". After some research I discovered this can be caused by a faulty PCI device or slot. So I tried removing my GPU and the system posted! Well just to check that it wasn't my PCI-E gen3 slot I moved the card down to another PCI-E 16x slot and again the system would not post. So I dropped an old Radeon HD 5570 into my main gen3 slot and it works perfectly.

So does this mean that my GPU is bricked? I still have two weeks through newegg to RMA it if necessary, but I really don't want to go through that hassle if it's something that can be fixed. I have updated my BIOS but it didn't help, could the motherboard be at fault? I have read that some GPUs and motherboard firmware just don't play nice together. So I am afraid if I RMA the card for a replacement that the same thing will happen with the new card and it will be too late by then to return my motherboard to Newegg.

Can anyone please give me some advice? I would really appreciate the help. Thanks.

System Specs:
Corsair Special Edition White Graphite 600T Case
Intel i5-3570k
Gigabyte z77x-ud4h
HiS Ice-Q Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB (OC: 1125mhz core)
Mushkin 8GB DDR3 1600MHz
Corsair Force GS 360GB SSD
Corsair CX600M 600W PSU
Windows 7 Pro 64-bit

 

[wagex]

rma it

 

[mguitar]

rma it

Okay, thanks for the quick reply. I was hoping it wouldn't come to that. Unfortunately I already redeemed the codes Newegg gives you for the AMD card purchases for Tomb Raider & Bioshock: Infinite. And I read today that newegg charges you the so-called $140 value for the two games to RMA the card. Hope that's not true..

 

[rogbur22]

Okay, thanks for the quick reply. I was hoping it wouldn't come to that. Unfortunately I already redeemed the codes Newegg gives you for the AMD card purchases for Tomb Raider & Bioshock: Infinite. And I read today that newegg charges you the so-called $140 value for the two games to RMA the card. Hope that's not true..

Hmm, that doesn't sound right. Now I may be wrong, won't be the first time

I doubt that they will charge you for the games unless you were to return the card for something else. You are just getting a replacement for a defect of the same card correct ?

That should be fine. Also if New Egg were going to charge me for the games to RMA a card and get a working one I would just RMA through the manufacturer instead

 

[Mandrake4565]

I would bet that they charge you for the game if you return the card not RMA it.

 

[mguitar]

You guys are probably right. That makes a lot more sense! lol, thanks.

I also meant to ask, what is a safe overclock to shoot for with that card? I'm reluctant to overclock the new one after I RMA it. This one I couldn't increase the memory frequency at all without getting artifacts and crashing. I was able to increase the core frequency from 1000 MHz to 1125, and it ran stable in Unigine 4.0 basic & extreme benchmarks for about an hour each. And just to be safe I ran MSI Kombustor for about 30 minutes. I've read other people's clocks on the same card getting as high as 1200 core / 1350 memory without increasing voltage. But my card couldn't get anywhere near those numbers. Is overclocking what fried my card or did I just get a bad one? It ran stable at 1125 MHz for about two weeks. I thought if I didn't touch the voltage it would be safe.. but apparently not so much, heh. Is it safe to overclock the new card when it arrives, or should I just run it stock?

 

[Ivy]

Sounds like GPU popped but thats really a matter of luck. I had a GPU pop almost out of the box without any OC. And the other (7870 both of them) GPU is OCing great and is still going strong for 10 months already. Although, the poped 7870 has been exchanged with a 650Ti because more suitable for HTPC.

1200 core clock without any volt boost is a rather optimistic clock, i would say 1150 is almost foolproof for the average 7870, but 1200 is already a pretty good number and not something always achievable (so as long as your are not binning its not necessarely realistic).

1350 on the memory is surely achievable on almost any 7870 i think, so that should be totaly possible.

Finally, 1150/1350 should be doable for the average 7870. In term it doesnt work its a bad card and you may look out for another one.

 

[Mandrake4565]

If you didn't touch the voltage I would bet that overclocking didn't cause the failure. Also when overclocking every chip is different, one cpu will OC different from another as well as a GPU. Using my self as an example, my 5850 is stock 725/1000, I know many people have clocked it over 1000 on the core and 1250-1300 on the memory. Mine wont budge over 1000/1145 no matter how much V core I push in it, it's just the way it is.

 

[Ivy]

It also depends on situation. Mine would easely exceed 1200 core when i play WoW, but it wont work for Civ 5 or Witcher 2. However, those 50 Mhz more or less is just some kind of number crunching, its not a matter. 150/200 Mhz is some gain (up to 15%) but i would not squeeze out every little bit of additional Mhz, because close to no gain at all, its just unnecessary stress.

 

[mguitar]

Awesome thank you all. I was worried I did something wrong and fried it, lol. Hopefully the next card will do better. From everything I read the HiS Ice-Qs are usually good overclockers with stable temps. I guess I just got a rotten one. Appreciate the help all, as always you guys rock. =)

 

[mguitar]

7870 Voltage question

My first attempt at overclocking my HiS Ice-Q 7870 GHz Edition 2GB resulted in my PC failing to POST when the GPU was installed (Happened after about two weeks of running smoothly overclocked to 1125 core, and memory left stock at 1200-Couldn't overclock memory). After some Q&A on these forums people told me since I didn't increase the voltage it was likely just a bad card.

Now I've RMA'd that card and received it's replacement. As before, I am using AMD Overdrive to increase the clock speeds, and Unigine 4.0 to bench and test stability. (I hope these programs will suffice.)

My question is, in AMD Overdrive, should I increase the "power control settings" slider to +20%? Or is this the same thing as increasing the GPU's voltage in BIOS? I don't want to increase voltage since I heard that is what will brick a GPU. I want to keep this card running stable for atleast two years if possible. Is it safe to overclock in this case, as long as I don't increase the voltage? And should I mess with the power slider? Thanks in advance.

 

[Automata]

Mguitar, since people have provided you with help, I think you will get a quicker and better response in your original thread, so I've merged it back in.