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    Graphics card busted?

    Discussion in 'Alienware 17 and M17x' started by Android, Jun 3, 2011.

  1. Android

    Android Notebook Consultant

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    Hi,

    I have a m17x R2 with the crossfired 5870s.

    I installed and began to play Witcher 2 yesterday and it recommended me low settings which I took as a bit odd...I played the game on those settings and was getting not much more than about 5fps at the lowest settings.

    I did a 3dmark06 score and got 6000 or so well well under what I used to get.

    Can anyone please assist in diagnosing this problem as I am just hoping I don't have to get the cards replaced.

    Thanks
     
    Android, Jun 3, 2011
    #1
  2. TurbodTalon

    TurbodTalon Notebook Virtuoso

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    Witcher 2

    I would say there's a setting somewhere that's not correct. In your CCC under 3D settings, make sure that everything is set to performance ACCEPT for mipmaps and Catalyst AI. Make sure that Windows' power settings are set on High Performance. Stealth would kill your score more than 6K points, but still make sure you're not in that either. See if background processes are getting out of hand too. Make sure your laptop is running on AC power as well. The battery is just a cheap UPS, and I don't do anything more than web surfing while on it.

    And as usual, it is much easier for folks to help you diagnose issues if you tell us your configuration and post an actual benchmark score.
     
    TurbodTalon, Jun 3, 2011
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  3. Android

    Android Notebook Consultant

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    Full Configuration:

    2 x CF 5870
    i7 940xm
    4gb ram
    1920x1200 wuxga


    3dMark06 Results:
    3DMark Score 5372 3DMarks
    SM2.0 Score 3344
    HDR/SM3.0 Score 926
    CPU Score 2229
    GT1 - Return To Proxycon 41 FPS
    GT2 - Firefly Forest 14 FPS
    CPU2 - Red Valley 1 FPS
    HDR1 - Canyon Flight 8 FPS
    HDR2 - Deep Freeze 9 FPS

    My GPU-z results during the benchmark are attached. My card seems very hot..

    A presumably related problem is that my AC adapter seems to be borked. When running the benchmark it decided that it was no longer a related adapter and is running on battery now. I forgot to mention this before but this has been happening for a couple of days and requires unplugging the ac and plugging it back in - but this only gets me to "plugged in, not charging" an then it mysteriously starts charging about an hour later....

    PS: I have the 11.5b hotfix and the 11.5 CAP


    EDIT: Just did another 3dmark benchmark after resolving the power issue so I could run hwinfo behind it (results attached) and it busted the ac again. There is definitely some connection between stressing the components and the ac...
     

    Attached Files:

    Android, Jun 3, 2011
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  4. Android

    Android Notebook Consultant

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    After disabling Crossfire my 3dmark06 scores are:
    3DMark Score 12987 3DMarks
    SM2.0 Score 5496
    HDR/SM3.0 Score 5064
    CPU Score 4758
    GT1 - Return To Proxycon 43 FPS
    GT2 - Firefly Forest 47 FPS
    CPU1 - Red Valley 1 FPS
    CPU2 - Red Valley 2 FPS
    HDR1 - Canyon Flight 59 FPS
    HDR2 - Deep Freeze 41 FPS

    but Witcher 2 is still recommending the lowest settings - also my single card that was running got up to 109C so presumably thermo throttled a little.


    EDIT: Just took the thing apart and jiggled about with the graphics card etc - definitely think it is a thermo issue because I got 20024 3dmarks on this benchmark but the graphics cards have heated up to 105C now...I think something is awry with the cooling.
     
    Android, Jun 3, 2011
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  5. LVNeptune

    LVNeptune Notebook Virtuoso

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    older ATI usually got quite hot. There's a few cooling mods you can attempt.

    Are you using the latest 11.5 (iirc) drivers? They fixed an issue with Witcher not utilizing X-Fire
     
    LVNeptune, Jun 3, 2011
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  6. Android

    Android Notebook Consultant

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    The cards definitely used to get hot but I used to overclock them to pretty much the point of BSOD and they never saw temperatures as high as they are going now at stock clocks.

    I am running the 11.5 drivers yeh, they don't seem to have resolved anything.
     
    Android, Jun 3, 2011
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  7. TurbodTalon

    TurbodTalon Notebook Virtuoso

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    You're probably throttling with that 109C. How long since you last cleaned the heatsinks and fan blades or did a repaste?

    As for the AC adapter, it is the 240 watt I suppose? Do you have any overclock on your 940XM? If there's no OC on the cards or the CPU, your AC adapter shouldn't be tripping. Have you called Dell to get a new one?

    Are 5870s already 'old'? :D
     
    TurbodTalon, Jun 3, 2011
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  8. LVNeptune

    LVNeptune Notebook Virtuoso

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    It's last gen when we have 6970's now :D
     
    LVNeptune, Jun 3, 2011
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  9. Mechanized Menace

    Mechanized Menace Lost in the MYST

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    Mechanized Menace, Jun 3, 2011
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  10. Android

    Android Notebook Consultant

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    It is the 240 yes, the only oc on the 940xm is the 5% in the BIOS and it has pretty much been running on that the entire time i've had that chip in there...

    Fingers crossed the ac hasn't tripped since my last post...I think I need to do a full deconstruct and clean out the fans and repaste - will have to wait a week though as all my stuff is at home :( Another weeks wait for witcher 2...
     
    Android, Jun 4, 2011
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  11. LVNeptune

    LVNeptune Notebook Virtuoso

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    LVNeptune, Jun 4, 2011
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  12. Mechanized Menace

    Mechanized Menace Lost in the MYST

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    Retention Clip Mod! lol :D
     
    Mechanized Menace, Jun 4, 2011
    #12