Picked up an 8800GTX OC and I think it's artifacting? HELP!!

840 Views 26 Replies 12 Participants Last post by schneider5, Mar 16, 2009

PR1M3R

Discussion Starter · Mar 15, 2009

Never really tested a video card for artifacts etc... But I just picked up an 8800GTX OC.

Brand new, fresh install of OS.
Installed newest drivers from Nvidia
Installed ATItool
Run scan for artifacts and it only runs for 4 sec at the most before it errors. Then it will run a couple more sec. and error. and again, and again, and again.

I let in run for about 60 sec. and it reached 75c, which should not be a problem at all for this card.

When it shows the little yellow pixels and the time restarts, and it says Delta found in pixel blah blah blah (or something like that) That is a bad thing right?

I read that sometimes ATItool artifact scanner sucks, and looping 3dmark is better? Any truth to that?

1 - 20 of 27 Posts

venom55520

· #2 · Mar 15, 2009

download rivatuner and set the fan a little higher.

but for the most part, try different drivers.

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PR1M3R

Discussion Starter · #3 · Mar 15, 2009

Different drivers? Could that really make a difference?

Anyone know which driver version works good for the 8800GTX? I am an ATI guy normally

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d3v0

· #4 · Mar 15, 2009

Sounds like the card is sporting an overclock it cant support.

What to do?

1.) Crank up the fan speed to 50ish, it should eliminate temps from the equation, though they arent bad right now anyway. Just do it.

-If you are still getting artifacts:

2.) Install the 181.22 Vista 32-bit forceware driver to eliminate any driver conflict from perhaps being the issue. The best way to do this is to first uninstall your current display driver, restart in safe mode, run driver sweeper or driver cleaner pro (google these), restart and install the 181.22s.

-if you are still getting artifacts:

3.) Using Rivatuner, downclock the card to stock settings. It could be an error on the part of the manufacturer by mistakenly badging a chip as the OC version when it wasnt high-binned enough or the voltage is too little. The stock clocks are 575core/900 memory.

-if you still are getting artifacts:

4.) RMA. You could also choose to RMA after step 2, because you arent getting what you paid for, which is a stable overclocked card from the factory.

One more thing, do games crash?

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PR1M3R

Discussion Starter · #5 · Mar 15, 2009

I am actually running this on an XP machine.
Have not tried any games, but am downloading 3dmark06 right now.
will crank fan speed up and test again, then lower the OC to stock and test.
I can't RMA the card as I bought it used.

PR1M3R

Discussion Starter · #6 · Mar 15, 2009

well, bumped the fan speed to 100% and it seems to be running OK. just passed 2 min. with no errors.

Sounds like this card has just had a hard life, and can't take the HEAT anymore

Any opinions?

EDIT: made it passed 5 min.

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d3v0

· #7 · Mar 15, 2009

Reseat the card with AS5, MX2, or OCZ Freeze. I'm betting the gunk they put on it at the factory has seen better days.

PR1M3R

Discussion Starter · #8 · Mar 15, 2009

13 min. still going

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DesertRat

· #9 · Mar 15, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by d3v0

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Reseat the card with AS5, MX2, or OCZ Freeze. I'm betting the gunk they put on it at the factory has seen better days.

Agreed. My bet is that the memory is overheating tho. I've had 3 or 4 GPUs that at around 80c on the mem it'd start to artifact regardless of core temp.

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d3v0

· #10 · Mar 15, 2009

Yeah you could also check the thermal pads to make sure theyre on properly when you reseat the card

megamatt

· #11 · Mar 15, 2009

Are you using 182.06 drivers? that's what im on and i have an 8800GTX also on winxp32.

crashnburn_819

· #12 · Mar 15, 2009

Install Driver Sweeper. Uninstall the Nvidia drivers from Add/Remove Programs. Reboot into safe mode and run Driver Sweeper. Reboot again and install 182.08 drivers.

Totally sounds like the heat problem is from the memory. My 4830 didn't have memory heatsinks and it limited my OC after a Bios volt-mod.

jacksknight

· #13 · Mar 15, 2009

Actually ATItool will almost always artifact with that card. It does with mine as well and after much searching i figured out that there is a compatibility mode in ATItool for older nvidia cards like yours and mine. You just have to activate it then no more artifacts.

This is almost certainly the cause of your problems.

EDIT:

OK go into settings then under atifact scanning you will find the option. Its called "Use older compatibility mode".

PR1M3R

Discussion Starter · #14 · Mar 15, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by jacksknight

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Actually ATItool will almost always artifact with that card. It does with mine as well and after much searching i figured out that there is a compatibility mode in ATItool for older nvidia cards like yours and mine. You just have to activate it then no more artifacts.

This is almost certainly the cause of your problems.

EDIT:

OK go into settings then under atifact scanning you will find the option. Its called "Use older compatibility mode".

OK, then why did it not artifact or error when I bumped the fan speed up to 100%? It ran for 30 min like that with no errors.

As for memory problems you all may be right. I can see thermal pad without removing the sink. It looks like they have slid out a little maybe? Or are squished until they are being pushed out the sides. Is that normal?

Where do you get thermal pads

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2

crashnburn_819

· #15 · Mar 15, 2009

Just clean them off with isopropyl alcohol and use a non-conductive TIM. Not Arctic Silver 5 as its conductive.

PR1M3R

Discussion Starter · #16 · Mar 15, 2009

clean the thermal pads off? You mean remove them completely and use Arctic ceramic paste on the memory?

crashnburn_819

· #17 · Mar 15, 2009

Yea, Cearmique will work.

jacksknight

· #18 · Mar 15, 2009

You will have to use thermal pads on that GPUs ram, the heatsinks do not contact the ram close enough to use just thermal paste. You will have to use ALOT of thermal paste to get it to work. Or you could get an aftermarket cooler.

Just a warning before you remove the thermal pads.

Reactions: 1

PR1M3R

Discussion Starter · #19 · Mar 15, 2009

Thanks Jacksknight

whe3ls

· #20 · Mar 15, 2009

your can get thermal pads at petras svc ppc ect

Reactions: 1

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