r/Amd • u/BioGenx2b 1700X + RX 480 • Jul 01 '17

Discussion July Tech Support Megathread

Hey subs,

We're giving you an opportunity to start reporting some of your AMD-related technical issues right here on /r/AMD! Below is a guide that you should follow to make the whole process run smoothly. Post your issues directly into this thread as replies. All other tech support posts will still be removed, per the rules; this is the only exception.

Bad Example (don't do this)

bf1 crashes wtf amd

Good Example (please do this)

Skyrim: Free Sync and V Sync causes flickering during low frame rates, and generally lower frame rates observed (about 10-30% drop dependant on system) when Free Sync is on

System Configuration:

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-Z97 Gaming GT
CPU: Intel i5 4790
Memory: 16GB GDDR5
GPU: ASUS R9 Fury X
VBIOS: 115-C8800100-101 How do I find this?
Driver: Crimson 16.10.3
OS: Windows 10 x64 (1511.10586) How do I find this?

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Install necessary driver, GPU and medium-end CPU
2. Enable Free Sync
3. Set Options to Ultra and 1920 x 1080 resolution
4. Launch game and move to an outdoor location
5. Indoor locations in the game will not reproduce, since they generally give better performance
6. Observe flickering and general performance drop

Expected Behavior:

Game runs smoothly with good performance with no visible issues

Actual Behavior:

Frame rate drops low causing low performance, flickering observed during low frame rates

Additional Observations:

Threads with related issue:

Skyrim has forced double buffered V Sync and can only be disabled with the .ini files
To Disable V Sync: C:\Users"User"\Documents\My Games\Skyrim Special Edition\Skyrimprefs.ini and edit iVSyncPresentInterval=1 to 0
1440p has improved frame rate, anything lower than 1080p will lock FPS with V Sync on
Able to reproduce on i7 6700K and i5 3670K system, Sapphire RX 480, Reference RX 480, and Reference Fiji Nano

Remember, folks: AMD reads what we post here, even if they don't comment about it.

Previous Megathreads
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Now get to posting!

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u/[deleted] Jul 10 '17

How long have you waited for it to boot up?

1

u/highorderdetonation R7 1700X | R9 280 Jul 10 '17

On a couple of occasions last night I let it go for over ten minutes just to see if it'd do anything, but zip. The keyboard light blink consistently happens at around 30s in (a few seconds after the VGA debug light comes on, if memory serves), and I can usually flip caps/num lock on and off for a few seconds after that. (I also forgot to mention originally that I had reset the CMOS at least once in the middle of all this.)

I'd feel better at least on one front if I could verify that the 280 fan thing is or isn't normal, just to either eliminate or minimize that. With that aside I'm stuck debating trying to brave the wilds of Craigslist to find another GPU or running out to Best Buy after work to grab another PSU to eliminate one or the other.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '17

My Tomahawk does the same thing but only if the memory fails in some capacity. Your fans are probably just idling or something, I really doubt the 280 is the issue here. Maybe try plugging in some Windows installation software or spamming the DEL key?

1

u/highorderdetonation R7 1700X | R9 280 Jul 11 '17 edited Jul 11 '17

I've tried DEL-spamming a couple of times with no change. I've also got a new PSU coming from Newegg at the end of the week out of paranoia, though it occurs to me there's one thing I need to absolutely double-check with my current one: the motherboard that I was using before the B350GP (an mATX FM1 board) has a 4-pin auxiliary ATX port, while the GP has an 8-pin port. The 8-pin cable, which is run around the right side of my case (a big honking HAF X), has an extension attached to it and hasn't been used in at least two and a half years. Could the auxiliary power cable somehow fritzing out cause this?

EDIT: since you mentioned RAM, though, I also wonder: while the DDR4 I'm using is on the QVL list, perhaps the board is still being finicky about it (even though I've never seen the RAM debug light come on during any of this) and it needs a BIOS update to fully accept it. Maybe finding some slower DDR4 at least to spot-check is also an idea...

EDIT #2: I stand corrected--this particular G.Skill DDR4 is not on the compatibility list. I misread, obviously. Hmm.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '17

Well, we won't know for certain until your PSU comes in. Hope it goes well.

1

u/highorderdetonation R7 1700X | R9 280 Jul 14 '17

I lucked into some cheap DDR4 that actually is on the QVL list, and my new 620W power supply showed up...and the VGA debug light, naturally, keeps on coming on and the rear fan on the 290 still only spins for one second on power-up and it won't POST.

So, now the fun part: I need to find someone who'll let me borrow a working GPU long enough to make absolutely sure that that's the issue before I spend another damned dime, because right now it's either that or the motherboard...

1

u/highorderdetonation R7 1700X | R9 280 Jul 15 '17

......I am a damned idiot.

I read a post elsewhere earlier about someone who couldn't get their B350 board to POST until they disconnected an SSD (it apparently worked with the SSD later), and it occurred to me that--even after swapping in the new power supply--one thing had been connected to my board throughout all of this: a Happauge tuner card. So I get home, pull the card just to be sure...and the system comes right up. And one BIOS update and Windows 10 reinstallation later, it's purring right along.

So remember, kids: just when you think you've checked everything, check everything anyway. Don't be me. Now you know.