Attention HD5970 owners

[safan80]

OMG this card seems to be a pain in the a** as of yet. Glad i didn't jump on the train and stayed with my 4870X2...

How so? This card is so much better than the 4870x2. As for the waterblock problem. I'm starting to believe it has to do with the way people are mounting their EK block because if it was a real problem with the card it would not matter what waterblock was used and we would be gearing more about it.

[JoeBar]

^^
Don't get me wrong m8, 5970 would probably be my next card. I just read about ppl having quite a few probs with it and not all of them wc it with EK fc. In my country u already see ppl selling them and this isn't something that happens often.

I just stated that i'm glad i'm not an early adopter...

[Levesque]

After disabling ULPS 4 days ago, my 5970 + EK waterblock system is now rock-stable in 2D and 3D. I'm gaming non stop almost 12 hours a day, and didn't got a single BSOD, freeze or any other issue in games (I'm playing Dragon Age, Resident Evil 5, Batman AA, Torchlight).

I also did a couple of hours of Phtoshop CS4 and AVC-HD video editing without a single problem.

So it must be the way people are mounting the EK waterblock. Or a really strange driver problem. I don't know.

I had some problems the first 2 days. But now everything is working fine for me. Disabling ULPS and letting my computer working 24/24 solved all my problems.

[JoeBar]

I had some problems the first 2 days. But now everything is working fine for me. Disabling ULPS and letting my computer working 24/24 solved all my problems.

I guess u understand that this can't be called a solution nor "everything is working fine for me"...

[coltsneck]

What is ULPS?????

[Lord_Farken]

What is ULPS?????

low power mode in reg
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...=105:rolleyes:

[WaterFlex]

low power mode in reg
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...=105:rolleyes:

Thanks, will show this my friend

[Levesque]

I guess u understand that this can't be called a solution nor "everything is working fine for me"...

I know. But I have over 25 computers in my 2 business that are on 24/24, and even some pretty old ones that are 6-7 years old... working 24/24 since the first day. Not a solution for you maybe, but for me it's ''standard procedures''.

If I power off my computer, I only have 1 message ''Driver has successfully recovered''' blah blah blah, once, and only once, in the first minute at start-up. Then I'm good to go until the next reboot. Not a single problems if I don't close my computer, and a single message if I do.

So I don't call this ''major problem''. I can game for hours and do everything I want to do for hours.

I know that for some it me be ''major'', or ''fubar''... But for me, I can live with this. If I can game 12 hours in a row without a single hiccup. And then edit over 200 gigantic fullframes Holidays pictures, and then edit gigantic AVC-HD video files for hours without any problems... Why would I say I have ''major problems''? That ''solution'' is fine for ME.

Hope the next drivers will be better and solved that small annoyance.

[sargatanas]

Srsly I don't think that the EK is the problem. I use em too and not a single problem at all.
At the moment most of the problems are due to the drivers.

I had these 2d problems with the stock cooler too. Check this thread and try it: http://forums.amd.com/game/messagevi...hreadid=122942
Guess it's easier to blame somebody else instead of searching somewhere else...

[jcool]

Hey guys,

sorry I was on holiday for a few days. Just put the stock cooler back on my Diamond card, and used MX-3 for TIM on the GPUs.
Booted up, immediately started FUR - freeze

Rebooted again, worked fine. If I had waited even 1-2 minutes before firing up FUR, it would have worked too. I guess it really is one of the cores being temperature sensitive, since with the stock TIM I couldn't reproduce the issue. ATI really needs to revise these cards...

[Levesque]

Since last sunday morning, I didn't had a single look-up, error message, BSOD or freezing. Heavy gaming sessions, Photoshop CS4, HD video editing all day long. 6 days without a single problem. Boot, re-boot all I want. I even re-enabled ULPS in the registry. The only ''tweak'' I did was raising 2d clock settings from 157/300 to 400/900 (thank you Sargatanas).

EK waterblock + 5970 is rock solid for me. My temps are really low, idle and load, so I don't think there is any ''cold bug''. OC or not.

I think it's more related to the way people are mounting those waterblocks... Or drivers related... Hardware is fine IMHO.

[coltsneck]

OK can you give us some guidance then about how you think the mounting is causing this? What did you think you did differently?

[lowdog]

OK can you give us some guidance then about how you think the mounting is causing this? What did you think you did differently?

Yeah I'd like to know as well because I personally feel the mounting has nothing to do with the issue but please prove me wrong.

[jcool]

I think it's more related to the way people are mounting those waterblocks... Or drivers related... Hardware is fine IMHO.

Yeah right.... cause I'm a real noob, and it's not like I have proven that MY card does indeed suffer from a "warm-bug" - the hardware is fine

YOUR hardware might be fine, mine certainly isn't. Like I said, I have mounted the same block on a new Sapphire card and everything went perfectly well. It seems to me that ATI has some severe QA issues with the 5970 series.

As for the EK block, it is fine, probably with or without the "double pad mod" - still can't hurt to do it if you got a level card, so all your chips will make good contact.

[Levesque]

I'm sorry. I'm really ''the noob'' about all this. I'm a pharmacist/biochimist/chemist, with over 60 employes working for me, and all woman!!!!! so I REALLY need to relax at the end of the day... so I'm playing with computers to relax and have fun. It's a hobby. Didn't want to imply that people in here are noobs. Far from it! I learn SO MUCH reading those forums! I'm french, so sometimes I'm having problem explaining myself in english. English is my third language. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding.

I just want to help, that's all. I just want people to have fun with their 5970 like I'm am. I only wanted people to know that there is some "hope", that there is really some 5970 out there working fine with the Ek block. That's want I wanted to say. Not to imply that people in here are noobs! Not at all! Sargatanas is also rock-stable with a 5970 and Ek waterblock. So there is some 5970 working fine on water.

I just hope people in here will solve their problems. Really. Even if I'm ''the noob'', I have the feeling that all those problems are drivers related. Or at least a major part of it is because of non-optimized drivers. Changing my 2d idle clocks solved all my problems.

So if there really is a harware problem with the 5970, I hope we will find a solution together to solve it. That's what I wanted to say.

[Lord_Farken]

Damn that some apologize
hey can get some painkiller I twist my ankle and the only give me Tylenol LOl
just joking

[Levesque]

Damn that some apologize
hey can get some painkiller I twist my ankle and the only give me Tylenol LOl
just joking

Hey. That's a change! Usually I receive e-mails from people to get them some Viagra or Cialis without prescription. And I receive ALOT of them...

And I'm not joking. Particularly on french forums where I go regularly, you would'nt believe the number of e-mails I get about the ''blue'' pill.

[sargatanas]

Well it's quite difficult to say what causes the problem.
So far, I used the EK block on 4 Powercolor 5970s. For me, it made no difference with one or two pads because I mounted the first 2 EK with just 1 pad (and it was rock-stable too). Seen that later in this thread and changed it too just to be sure.

I had problems with the 2d clocks, even with the stock cooler but I was able to fix it with a new 2d profile.
Haven't seen any "warm-bug" so far too since my cores run at about 20°c without any problems.

I don't think that Levesque wanted to call anybody a noob at all but I got what he meant: I've seen enough ppl who did a lil mistake and were blaiming the fabricator of the product.
It's like using the swiftech xt with bitspower comp fittings and complaining bout leaks cause you didn't used the right o-rings.

AMD has alot to fix cause most of the problems are driver related....I talked with some of em earlier, they know some of the bugs but not all of em like the 2d/powerplay issue with Win7 64.
I think we must be patient and see what they will change with the next catalyst release.

[Lord_Farken]

well I just got mine today ,that thing is gorgeous ,the nickel acrylic
I install it with a problem ,the temp drop in big from 60ide to 28c
now I oc to the max 999mhz and no problem so far
except for fact that my scores drop even a the old clocks
so right now I installing vista 64 in another part. to test againg
that way I will know for shure that is not software or drivers problem
I post later the results ,if it drop my scores again ,stock cooler is back
to stay, burn in hell 5970 it like hot

[lowdog]

well I just got mine today ,that thing is gorgeous ,the nickel acrylic
I install it with a problem ,the temp drop in big from 60ide to 28c
now I oc to the max 999mhz and no problem so far
except for fact that my scores drop even a the old clocks
so right now I installing vista 64 in another part. to test againg
that way I will know for shure that is not software or drivers problem
I post later the results ,if it drop my scores again ,stock cooler is back
to stay, burn in hell 5970 it like hot

SOunds like the card is throtteling back, mine did that as well with the block on.

[JoeBar]

The only ''tweak'' I did was raising 2d clock settings from 157/300 to 400/900 (thank you Sargatanas).

Have u tried any lower than 400/900 to see if it's stable?


BTW your job looks very interesting...

[Lord_Farken]

I,m posting the review on ati forums now
of the results
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...d.php?t=242892

[lowdog]

Yeah right.... cause I'm a real noob, and it's not like I have proven that MY card does indeed suffer from a "warm-bug" - the hardware is fine

YOUR hardware might be fine, mine certainly isn't. Like I said, I have mounted the same block on a new Sapphire card and everything went perfectly well. It seems to me that ATI has some severe QA issues with the 5970 series.

As for the EK block, it is fine, probably with or without the "double pad mod" - still can't hurt to do it if you got a level card, so all your chips will make good contact.

So you have a Sapphire card working fine with the EK block....then what is the issue with my Sapphire then?

Could you please let me know the bios build number and date of your card and if it's possible to upload/email it to me, thanks.

[Lord_Farken]

SOunds like the card is throtteling back, mine did that as well with the block on.

Lowdog please explain what you mean by throtteling back
the water block didn't give me any lockups ,I can't get the darn thing to crash no more even at max oc
the crisis benchmarks are solid , but for some reason my vantage scores when back to like 25,000
is not a big deal cuz runing good now
but I would like to go back to 27,000+
it hard to believe that lower temps give less points
it make no sense
however your issues ,mine and everybody else, might get fix with new drivers

[Diverge]

Lowdog please explain what you mean by throtteling back
the water block didn't give me any lockups ,I can't get the darn thing to crash no more even at max oc
the crisis benchmarks are solid , but for some reason my vantage scores when back to like 25,000
is not a big deal cuz runing good now
but I would like to go back to 27,000+
it hard to believe that lower temps give less points
it make no sense
however your issues ,mine and everybody else, might get fix with new drivers

if the core, or the VRM's get too hot, it with throttle down (reduce the speed of your clocks). I guess the best way to see if that is happening, is to use GPU-Z to check max VRM temps, or use afterburner/rivatuner and have it overlay the clocks so you can see them when stressing the card (if you don't have a G15 keyboard).