This isn't normal is it?

[man_bear_pig]

Card is about two weeks old, and I just noticed this in the riva log.

I was seeing the exact same thing in game as you see in that graph. It does the same thing at default clocks as well.

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/7310/graphaa9.jpg

[XFX Tech]

Can you try the card in another system? If not than can you try another power supply? What kind of power supply are you running? Can we get full system specs? You didn't actually say what your issue was in the games. Is it stuttering or something? I can see the clocks dropping in the graph. That card is also running quite hot at 94C but it won't underclock itself at that temperature. Do all of your tests at stock clocks.

[man_bear_pig]

Can you try the card in another system? If not than can you try another power supply? What kind of power supply are you running? Can we get full system specs? You didn't actually say what your issue was in the games. Is it stuttering or something? I can see the clocks dropping in the graph. That card is also running quite hot at 94C but it won't underclock itself at that temperature. Do all of your tests at stock clocks.

I am currently running this on an Asus P5E with an E8400, 4gigs ddr2, and vista 64. The Psu is an ENERMAX FMA II EG565P-VE 535W.

I do have a Corsair CMPSU-750TX coming first of next week I can test with.

The graph is misleading about the temps, and I have never seen this card go over 72 degrees, even when doing a furmark stress test. This is a very cool running one. :up:

About the performance, I was seeing really bad slowdowns in TF2, and it was almost frame for frame sometimes. Which were pretty much like what the graph showed, it would slow and then go back to normal. Turning down AA didn't help.

I was really wondering if it should be fluctuating like this when in game?

[XFX Tech]

I have honestly never seen a card fluctuate frequencies on its own like that. The BIOS on that card won't underclock the card until 105C so it isn't doing it. I suppose a weird software glitch could possibly cause it. :shrug:

If it does the same thing with another power supply let me know and I will see if I can think of anything else and if you are in the North America I can get an RMA issued for that card.

[man_bear_pig]

Thanks for the help so far, and maybe the new power supply will fix it. This is a pretty fresh vista install, didn't think it was supposed to be up and down like that.

I will post back after I test in the new psu. I do have an
am2 rig I can throw it in to test as well if that doesn't work.

Edit...

I have been doing some more testing and it seems that this only effects Source games, so it is a software issue.

[XFX Tech]

Odd. Try the other system with the same games and see if it happens there. I would also contact Valve to see if they have an explanation but I have never seen this before. What games are you seeing this in? Is this with the new power supply or has it not arrived yet?

[man_bear_pig]

Well it is TF2 and HL2 I have tested in, I will do others as well when I get the time (crysis, bioshock, R6V2, and CSS.) Power supply will be here tomorrow. Here is the last three tests I did..

TF2
http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/8336/tf2dm9.jpg


And Hl2

http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/7454/hl2ct9.jpg


Finally COD4

http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/1828/cod4nt3.jpg

Someone just today suggested something I haven't tried yet, and they were experiencing this and it fixed it. If I don't find a fix, I will open a ticket with valve.

[XFX Tech]

Can I get your driver version, version of Riva, and version of Vista with which SP you are running? One thing comes to mind. The latest Riva does not have official support for the GTX200 series drivers. If you uninstall Riva and manually delete any left over files does the problem go away?

[man_bear_pig]

Running 177.41, and Vista U 64 sp1. I also have this hotfix (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/953186)installed. Its a stability fix, and I had the issues before, but I have removed it to test as well.

Riva v 2.09, and I will uninstall it and see if it helps.

It isn't happening in COD4 or Bioshock, so there has to be an issue with source thou right?

[XFX Tech]

I would think it has to be. I also say it can't be just Source because we have TONS of customers running Source with GTX200 cards and this is the only time I have seen this. If it were as easy as Source and the GTX200 drivers than we would get complaints about people having performance problems and I haven't seen that.

[man_bear_pig]

It isn't just me who is complaining about poor performance in Tf2 using different nvidia gpus.

There are hunderds of posts on steam forums, and think no one knows why. It seems completely random with different set ups across XP and Vista.

My AM2 8800gt set up didn't have these issues, so I dunno. I would do a fresh tf2 install, but others report it doesn't help..

I just so happened to be monitoring because this card overclocks like a beast, and was watching the temps when I noticed these fluctuations.

Thanks again for your time.

[man_bear_pig]

Just wanted to report the beta drivers fixed this issue.

[XFX Tech]

Well I don't have an answer on why but I am glad to hear it was fixed.