static/white snow and then a green screen

Discussion in 'Videocards - AMD Radeon Drivers Section' started by squirrel007, Jan 13, 2020.

  1. squirrel007

    squirrel007 Master Guru

    Messages:
    423
    Likes Received:
    6
    GPU:
    PNY 4080
    I haven't played any games for a while on my PC. Recently, though, I upgraded my CPU, RAM, and motherboard so I decided to test the new CPU out. Almost every game I have tried is having the same problem. If I run it anything higher than 1080 @ 60hz I will start to see white snow/static on the screen. It will just be a flash at first but it will gradually get worse. Then it turns to a green screen. Alt-tabbing out of the game usually fixes it but it starts again as soon as I get back into the game. There are a few older games (like AoE 3 and Half Life Lost Coast) that don't do it even at the higher resolutions but it seems that every newer game does it (Metro 2033, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Battlefield 3 and 4, Witcher 3).

    I've tried different drivers. I've tried reseating the GPU. I've tried different HDMI cables. I've even tried putting the card in a different slot. I haven't tried a different monitor, yet. The only other 4k monitor I have is my TCL TV. I'm gonna drag my PC into the TV room on my day off and try that. Has anyone else had this problem? Anyone find a fix for it, yet? The only thing I can think of is that it's the VRAM and I'm only noticing it at the higher resolutions because it's not filling up at the lower ones. But, then again, if I run the games at 4k and lower the refresh rate to 30hz, the problem goes away. It only happens at higher resolutions AND higher refresh rates combined.

    The monitor is a Westinghouse 50" 4k TV that I got on sale two Black Fridays ago, if that helps.

    Edit: I should add that the display is fine in 2D. It's only in games that it happens.
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2020
  2. Passus

    Passus Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    2,553
    Likes Received:
    1,028
    GPU:
    MSI 4070 Gaming X
    does sound like failing vram to me

    higher resolutions is making it work harder maybe
     
    Fox2232 and jaggerwild like this.
  3. squirrel007

    squirrel007 Master Guru

    Messages:
    423
    Likes Received:
    6
    GPU:
    PNY 4080
    I read on another forum that they turned off HDCP support. I tried that and it seemed to work. I was seeing occasional flicker but not the full screen static like before. Could that still have something to do with the VRAM?
     
  4. mbk1969

    mbk1969 Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    15,541
    Likes Received:
    13,561
    GPU:
    GF RTX 4070
    Everything's crashed.
    I am the green screen of death.
    Your scream is in vain!

    Sorry, could not resist to cite this classic haiku.
     
    patteSatan and Wolter like this.

  5. JonasBeckman

    JonasBeckman Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    17,564
    Likes Received:
    2,961
    GPU:
    XFX 7900XTX M'310
    Odd that it happened now after upgrading the rest of the system though AMD 480 HDMI Green Screen through Google reveals several reports on the same, wonder if Display Port through a adapter would work or if it's a GPU limitation or display issue with connectivity although both seem a bit unlikely.

    Don't know if the 480 actually even supports the newer HDCP standards so that could be why some of the problem disappears after disabling it and that'd be a workaround if so, certainly seems like a possibility but then other posts say it does work and it'd be down to the displays firmware or having a quality cable although if you've tested several HDMI cables that might rule that out already.
    https://www.reddit.com/r/Amd/comments/6l0rqe/why_doesnt_my_rx_480_support_hdcp_22/
    (Well as long as it's not the not-quite-quality bundled HDMI cables coming with displays or other hardware same as it turns out was a problem with the former Display Port cable I was using until recently.)

    Certified cable is a cost though for what might not be the solution anyway and if HDCP = off and reboot does the trick then that seems OK for now unless you happen to need it at some later point.
    Curious on the stress testing and gaming though as older titles didn't show any issues but newer ones did.

    Error checking via something like OCCT might pick up errors that could hint at VRAM but it could be something else causing it too.
    https://www.ocbase.com/

    Download, run, pick the memory and run for a few minutes stopping if it changes from 0 to any other number indicating errors were found during testing. :)
    Though it seems more like the drivers and HDCP interfering because that shouldn't have done anything if it was in the actual hardware but confirming the GPU hardware is error free could also count as to mostly rule out that possibility.


    EDIT: Mostly just some suggestions and what I found from searching around.


    EDIT: Seems Polaris is set in terms of supporting the feature itself at least, seems Vega was the GPU that had a bit of a slow process one in terms of support with for example Netflix and requirements around that from a few additional searches. :)

    EDIT: It's not just bandwidth here is it? Going into less supported higher requirement ranges?
    Then again if it's proper 2.0 it should cover at least 3840x2160@60 Hz so yeah that's unlikely to happen for 1920x1080@60Hz (1.4 should be good up to 120Hz here also so that theory is completely done with.)

    And I suppose testing drivers also included older drivers from 2019 or possibly even 2018 could have been a thing to try so no display signal issues or wonky behavior introduced more recently due to code changes in later driver releases acting up a bit.
    (Bit more locked in with a newer GPU but a older one opens up for testing a wider variety of drivers should that be needed though usually going that far back isn't required.)


    Well that's going into some additional possibilities that aren't very likely.
    Or complicated workarounds like CRU or Custom Resolution Utility for testing resolution, refresh rates or timings and what not when it's probably not required and the issue lies elsewhere or how to try and explain it.


    EDIT: This is all complicating the matter I suppose.

    Digital signal, on or off and it's definitively on just coming through a bit scrambled or different instead of a lack of signal altogether.

    So if it's a new display it could just be simple enough if it's the cable unless you are certain you have one that can carry the 2.0 HDMI standard or higher instead of older cables or the often not quite so quality bundled ones.
    Those tend to cost a bit though, not quite the overpriced often kinda overhyped or gimmick features in some even pricier models but still a bit of a premium in terms of actual cost.


    That or some smaller issues remaining but it sounds like toggling HDCP to off also took care of the worst of it. :)

    Although 4k@30Hz working should also put some demand on the signal and packets being sent against 1920x1080@60Hz or higher.
    (Bigger width and height after all by quite a ways even at a lower refresh rate.)


    And it wouldn't be interference I suppose through some other nearby electronic devices either or that would likely show up regardless.
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2020
  6. squirrel007

    squirrel007 Master Guru

    Messages:
    423
    Likes Received:
    6
    GPU:
    PNY 4080

    I ran it and it found "1 iteration(s)". I'm guessing it's a memory problem then? I was planning on getting a 5700x this weekend anyway.
     
  7. JonasBeckman

    JonasBeckman Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    17,564
    Likes Received:
    2,961
    GPU:
    XFX 7900XTX M'310
    The iterations are the number of runs seems they're about 45 seconds each then the error counter should be a "0" that increases as the number of errors builds up, it's pretty good from my own tests for the core and memory testing to check the graphic cards stability and not just with overclocking or undervolting but also overall as it does a really good job with it's tests. :)

    Long as the number of errors show zero it's all good I tend to let it run for about five minutes and it's doing it's testing and giving the GPU memory something to work with and usually it doesn't have to be any lengthier sessions over numerous iterations as it tends to be pretty sensitive and quickly reports any errors detected.
    (Same for any GPU core error checking though that's not tested here.)
     
  8. squirrel007

    squirrel007 Master Guru

    Messages:
    423
    Likes Received:
    6
    GPU:
    PNY 4080
    I ran it again this morning. I let it go for about ten minutes and it found no errors. BUT, when I started my computer up, I had a checkerboard pattern across the screen, then the screen went black and I had to reset it. I'm completely lost now because I thought that was a sure sign that the VRAM was going bad.

    Edit: the temps never got above 70c BTW.
     
  9. Passus

    Passus Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    2,553
    Likes Received:
    1,028
    GPU:
    MSI 4070 Gaming X
    Yeah this is how my r9 280 died eventually

    you can probably get a few more months out of it if you reflow the solder in an oven

    otherwise time for a 5700 XT ;)
     
  10. TheDukeSD

    TheDukeSD Guest

    Messages:
    145
    Likes Received:
    11
    GPU:
    MSI GT 1030 2GH OC
    If you haven't done it already visual inspect the gpu and look for any sign of damage. (WIth the solid caps if it's a cap going bad you won't really have a visual sign.)
    If the gpu has temp sensors for vrms see how high is the temp when it start to artifact. If not well you will have to measure that temp on the gpu vrms heatsink (I doubt they are not covered by a heatsink). Maybe the vrms are getting extremely hot and they basicaly start to provide less voltage than it should causing anomalies. I'm not familiar with 480 but for sure it has a couple of phases for core and at least 1 phase for mem. If the vrms are covered by the heatsink and there is no temp sensor for vrms you won't be able to measure the temperature.
    (Way too low voltage to operate at a particular freq has weird behaviour. Usualy you end up with a crash, but in some case you just see anomalies on the screen and there is no crash.)

    Depending on how bad the problem is I might run a live Linux to see if the problem happens in linux too. Assuming here I have tried several drivers but I haven't reinstalled Windows.

    **** Assuming it's not a software problem: ****
    That gpu is probably gonna die in the near future. (Unless we are talking about a case when the gpu came with lower voltages from day one and in time the voltages dropped to values that made it unstable. Something that I call a barely stable gpu from day 1, but it should give signs that something is not that ok from the start (like high fps but not really smooth).)
    A reball might save it (both core and vram), but it might cost you around a similar performance gpu. (I wouldn't trust the way they soldered them to be honest. Heck I have gpus that are 8+ years old and are still running without problems.)

    You can try to underclock it, undervolt it and tdp limit it and hope that it will not show the artifacts. But this is not a real fix, if it somehow works it will just delay the death of the gpu and nothing more.
    You can even mod your vbios to report less vram than you have and hope that if the artifacts are caused by vram the lower reported amount of vram will just excluse the faulty one/not properly powered (mem chips don't actually get same voltage, there is a minor voltage variation, in time the voltage circuit might degradate and if it happens to have a chip that gets lower voltage from the start and have a low tolerance to low voltages you will see problems at some point (sure relative rare case but not impossible)) from being used.
    I would try both for learning purposes but even if one works I wouldn't trust the gpu.

    Sure you can try a reflow but well I tried with a hotgun and the result was smoke out of the gpu after I started the pc. The pci-e slot and motherboard were not affected.
     
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2020

  11. mbk1969

    mbk1969 Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    15,541
    Likes Received:
    13,561
    GPU:
    GF RTX 4070
    I feel your pain, dude! I was romping with PC since they were in diapers. But I am lucky to be a programmer, so I still fancy technology evolution on daily business...
     
    Wolter likes this.
  12. squirrel007

    squirrel007 Master Guru

    Messages:
    423
    Likes Received:
    6
    GPU:
    PNY 4080
    I stood there in Best Buy about to get a 5700xt. After a lot of back-and-forth in my head about which card to get, decided to go with the 2070 super. I got them to price match Amazon, though, so what would have been almost two hundred dollars more turned in to only hundred more (over the cheaper 5700xt). I uninstalled the AMD drivers (using DDU) and installed the new EVGA 2070 super. Everything is running fine now. I'm going to have to take the back plate and the heatsink off of the 480 (whenever I get around to it) to see if I can see any obvious problems. Until then, I'm happy that I at least know what component was giving me problems.
     
    AlleyViper and JonasBeckman like this.
  13. mark-1978

    mark-1978 Guest

    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    1
    GPU:
    radeon 5970
    Probably you need thick hdmi cables for 60hz 4k 8bit to work.
     
  14. JonasBeckman

    JonasBeckman Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    17,564
    Likes Received:
    2,961
    GPU:
    XFX 7900XTX M'310
    Hah well Display Port manages a bit better with the current standards but 4k 60 is doable though with a loss of detail due to having to drop the 4:4:4 bits lower to accommodate for the bandwidth requirements although reducing the hertz also works but it's either a reduction of image quality or a reduction of update frequency which I would say is the worse of the two but I suppose it's down to user sensitivity for either and which is more important.

    Or a custom resolution and maybe going for something closer to 60Hz without dropping these bits at all.

    Should be less of a problem with the newer HDMI specs and also Display Port when going up to 120Hz or higher plus 10-bit or HDR for additional bandwidth demands but then you're looking at a new GPU, display and depending on specs also the cable.
    (Actually need to look into if DP is still just certification and otherwise back and forward compatible or if the pins changed this time.)


    Not that I'm that good at electronics but the whole active HDMI is more for certain hardware and I believe they may also be recommended when going beyond the usual 1.5 - 2 meter length and signal degradation or well being digital I guess it's image on, image off it either sends and receives these packages or it does not. :p

    Actually not sure if the upcoming hardware has full support for what it's going to be HDMI 2.1 and Display Port 1.5 or 2.0 I think but I would expect the already existing and slowly appearing in consumer hardware 2.1 HDMI spec to be supported for both AMD's and NVIDIA's newer cards.


    And it seems I just compared a earlier HDMI standard, 2.0 should be capable of 4k 60Hz without any compromises probably goes a bit higher but I don't think it quite matches Display Port. (96 - 98Hz at 4k and then I need to read up on if that was 10-bit or HDR because bandwidth and requirements but I don't think it was.)


    EDIT: Plus whatever upcoming computer displays will be using these new connectivity options and all these improvements for 4k and above plus some other stuff.

    Hah well it's already a bit of a trick to find good info on the display itself and things like the panel type and actual features not just the marketing terms so nothing new I suppose just a lot of searching and comparing or finding more in-depth reviews. :D

    EDIT: 240 - 300Hz must be a pretty smooth update over existing 120 - 144 models plus advantages to display capabilities and overall panel improvements as tech matures or advances or new things are introduced, eye strain and all that but also stuff like motion blur and other means.
    (Although earlier articles already covered this somewhat such as Blur Busters and moving into the 600Hz range or even 1000Hz at some point.)
     
  15. mark-1978

    mark-1978 Guest

    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    1
    GPU:
    radeon 5970
    Hello, I had a green screen with the rx480, everytime i got out of sleep. At the end what did the trick, was enabling some settings in the bios of the system at pci express. Hope this helps.

    *edit: had the screen green again just now. So i disabled powersaving from my denon receiver and i got the screen back. So i have the pc running through the denon receiver to a tv.

    *edit2: still no luck. However someone on the net, wrote something about 10 bit 4k@30hz being more compatible (at least with my tv). So i'm trying that now.

    *edit3: still no luck. Read someplace that the hdmi cable shouldn't run accross a mainscable, so i'm trying that.

    *edit4: last two days without problems with the green screen, so i guess it is caused by ac power cable next to the hdmi cable interference.

    *edit5: still no luck, has worked for days, and then green screen again. It always happens the second time the gpu is trying to show the screen. So, always, first it shows right, then it flashes black again, and then yippa green screen. But after turning on and off the tv and the receiver a couple of times, it works again.

    *edit6: Still not always it did work. So i took my old dp to hdmi converter cable and put one hdmi cable from pc to denon receiver, then the dp cable from the pc to the tv. Now it's working again.

    *edit7: the former did work. Now i'm into 8k hdmi cables, so trying that.

    *edit8: after one day, it's still working with the 8k hdmi cables. No green screen in sight.
     
    Last edited: Jul 19, 2020

  16. mark-1978

    mark-1978 Guest

    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    1
    GPU:
    radeon 5970
    *edit9: after second day, it's yet still working.

    *edit10: after third day, green screen again :(. Didn't change jack in the meanwhile.

    *edit11: disabled hdmi link assurance, now although it is connecting twice to the tv, it's normal screen again.
     
    Last edited: Jul 21, 2020
    Passus likes this.
  17. mark-1978

    mark-1978 Guest

    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    1
    GPU:
    radeon 5970
    *edit12: still no luck. Now i'm trying YCbCr 4:2:0. It means less bandwidth.

    *edit13: not working. Only thing that works are either dp port and hdmi together. Looks like sometimes the driver is reset or something, then it works again for some days i think.
    Finally i patched the driver files, using custom resolution utility (cru).

    *edit14: the reset of the driver, could be a driver failure and it reinstalled the driver next. So that might mean, you could run the gpu for 2 days without problems, then have to uninstall the gpu driver and reinstall it for it to run another 2 days without failure. The other side, maybe the patching has removed some kind of bottle neck there was in the software, making it work for longer time.
     
    Last edited: Jul 21, 2020
  18. mark-1978

    mark-1978 Guest

    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    1
    GPU:
    radeon 5970
    *edit 15: after 3 days, still working :) .
     
  19. mark-1978

    mark-1978 Guest

    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    1
    GPU:
    radeon 5970
    might be a week now, and it's still working. So 8k hdmi cables and cru patching.
     
  20. Strange Times

    Strange Times Master Guru

    Messages:
    372
    Likes Received:
    110
    GPU:
    RX 6600 XT
    edit 16: I'm tired of editing :)
     
    sykozis likes this.

Share This Page