Need Help With Sapphire HD7970 Vapor X

[ViperGTS]

Hi,

I was wondering if someone could help me out with OC'ing my sapphire HD7970 vapor x ? I would like to have this resolved soon so if it is a bad card I only have about a week left to send back to newegg. Stock clocks 1050/1500 at 0.947V idol - 1.150V under load. MVDDC 1.500V

My first issue is any time I increase the memory core I get screen flashing, along with the VDDC will increase from 0.947 to 1.246 while idol.

Next is if I use sapphire trixx to OC (any version) it will crash, my computer even with constant voltage enabled.

Trixx has my stock voltage set to 1.256V, but no matter where I set it with DLPS disabled along with constant voltage enabled my VDDC will drop much lower then where I have it set during activity(like 1.160V). Board Power Li is set to +20%, I have tried disabling and enabling CCC overdrive while using Trixx to OC with no change.

I have tried different drivers of CCC(13.4,13.5 ect) with no luck, also switched the bios on the card its self. I did clean installs/uninstalls of drivers.

I downloaded Afterburner and it had Voltage control lock even with me enabling it in the options. Did not crash my system like Trixx.

I had read that with AB you could change the MVDDC and thought maybe that would solve my issue with increasing the memory core but because it was locked for me I never got the chance to try it.

But I still do not understand why increasing the memory will increase the VDDC at idol but then still drop it during activity with constant voltage enabled and DLPS disabled.

Why can I get a pretty good OC on the GPU core but can't increase the GPU memory by 1 without the screen flashing and my VDDC increasing from 0.947V to 1.246V at idol then still dropping to around 1.150V at full load? no matter if I am using trixx or ccc to OC and that's with DLPS disabled along with constant voltage enabled in trixx.

As for settings using trixx to OC do I have it right, disable overdrive in ccc, disable dlps, enable constant voltage, +20% board power li, start at stock voltage 1.256V ?

Temps seem fine during stress testing, never goes above 71C with fans on auto.

My max OC without having issue so far is 1175/1500 at stock voltage 1.256V Board Power Li +20% (Still have the VDDC Drop during load)and I would like to know what I am doing wrong or is this a hardware/software issue ? My ASIC is 65.9%

System Specs -
Intel I5 3570K 4.5GHz
Asus Sabertooth Z77 MB
G Skill Sniper 16GB 1866MHz
Corsair HX750 power supply

Let me know if any more info is needed to help trouble shoot.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Xeon_KI]

found the following

"gpu-z doesn't read voltage right for this specific gpu and will always report some false reading , howinfo will always report 1.256 so it's wrong as well "

"believe me all those apps show you wrong voltage because they don't support the new vapor-x and the proof is no matter how much voltage you put through the gpu it will still report 1.256v constant
newest sapphire trixx version 4.4.0b NOT 4.3.0 !!!
only that version will let you adjust the voltage putting your gpu on a real 1.256"

What version of Trixx are you using?

 

[ViperGTS]

I was using Trixx 4.6

Thanks for the help

 

[ViperGTS]

Bump for help, Please!!!

 

[Efonzerellie]

Try the 2nd Bios on the card

 

[ViperGTS]

Thank you for the response

I have and it is no different then the first bios, also now my card is dropping the GPU clock while gaming from 1175 to 1000 to 501. It does that no matter what clock speed I run it at, does that mean the card is faulty ?

 

[Efonzerellie]

if it's a boost card I believe that's normal

 

[ViperGTS]

Its the Sapphire HD7970 Vapor X 3GB card.

 

[Xeon_KI]

Is it down clocking to 501 ingame? becasue that is not normal.

I really can't find anything you are describing about the mem overclock crashing with 1mhz increase.
I have read that overclocking the memory does not provide much of a performance boost

What card did you have prior to the 7970?

 

[ViperGTS]

Thanks for the response back

Yes it will fluctuate around from 1175 down to 1000 then back to 1175 and down to 501 ect.

The only issue I have noticed with increasing the memory was the screen would flash for a second then never again after I would make the change and the VDDC would increase from 0.945V to 1.244V by just increasing the memory clock by 1 or more.

Sapphire HD6950

Thanks

 

[ViperGTS]

So aside from me having issues with my OC does it seem like maybe this card is starting to fail ? because if so I need to get started on the RMA before my 30 days is up.

Still have not heard back from sapphire support and I only have a few days left to send this card back to newegg, I am kind of wishing I spent less money and got the normal 7970.

Thanks

 

[Xeon_KI]

how are you confirming clock speeds ingame? are you using the OSD in afterburner?

 

[ViperGTS]

I have CCC and GPU-Z on my second monitor while in game.

 

[ViperGTS]

I also just tried the 13.6 beta with no change, and I should also mention that I did a fresh windows install when I got the card because I also replaced my old motherboard at the same time. So there should be no issues with old drivers, plus I always do a clean install any time I upgrade to a new driver.

Thanks

 

[Xeon_KI]

Does it drop to 500 during gameplay? or its like a load screen or something?
500 is the 2d clocks for the 7970 and there is no reason for the the 2d clocks to kick in while in game.

 

[ViperGTS]

Yes it will jump around in game, at load screens it stays at 500 but during game play it fluctuates between 1175-1000-501 and it is never the same pattern, always different as for what clock its at.

Thanks

 

[Xeon_KI]

well that definitely sounds wrong. 2d clocks should not be kicking in during 3d gaming.
I would return it

 

[Efonzerellie]

you can try this if you feel comfortable. Basically it will disable Powerplay so your clock speed should stay at what you set them to.

http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=338906

 

[ViperGTS]

well that definitely sounds wrong. 2d clocks should not be kicking in during 3d gaming.
I would return it

Yeah that's what I was thinking as well. I did not notice this happening until yesterday while testing my clocks in games.

I setup a RMA with newegg a few minutes ago for a refund. It does suck how long this is going to take before I am refunded my money so I can purchase a new card.

I wonder if I would be better off with a different card for OC'ing and save a few bucks or just reorder the same card.

Thanks guys for all of your help on my problem.

 

[ViperGTS]

you can try this if you feel comfortable. Basically it will disable Powerplay so your clock speed should stay at what you set them to.

http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=338906

I gave that a try along with Trixx 4.4.0b mod and also disabling any power saving modes in the reg with no change

Thanks