You do realize that the clock movements you are talking about in Windows 2D environment are normal? Since Vista and onward MS have been increasing the use of the GPU in the desktop environment. Many things like animated emoticons in a web browser are now accelerated; Windows Explorer is fully accelerated, almost any program using a scroll bar is accelerated also. AMD are just taking advantage of this to give you a smoother desktop experience. On my Nvidia rig it does the same but not as fully implemented as AMD is pushing.
I know the clocks do move, but was nowhere near as bad on my 7970, when i used to open FF or whatever on that, the clocks used to jump by a small margin, might have only gone from 300 to 305 on the core, but only for a split second or so, before settling back down to 300, where it stayed, on my 290, they are constantly jumping up and down, even with just the Overdrive open on the desktop, the cores constantly going anywhere from 300 to around 314 (slowly), then when i open programs, they go absolutely berserk, spiking/dropping, sometimes massively (can go from 302 to 650+), until i close those programs, where they'll then settle back to 300-314 slowly again. Even on my 7970 with just the Overdrive open, the clocks were rock solid 300/150, until i opened a program, where i would then get the small jump from say 300 to 305 for the split second, before they settled back as said, so it must be a 290 thing, if the constant movement, and massive spikes/drops constantly when opening programs (and constant while those programs are open) is as you say normal. Ive had no problems at all since i locked the clocks in Afterburner on Saturday, so far, need to give it more time, as my 2x blackscreens, BSODs were a week apart.
CPUs have done this for the longest time, adjusting core clocks to load. GPUs do it now also. You could lock your GPU using AB unofficial overclocking method which locks the clocks as you say, but to what end, if the GPU isn't accelerating that part of the environment then the CPU will do the work. You perceiving a problem where there is not one. Locking the GPU core also disables AMDs zero core parking on the GPU, which is a nice little feature I have to say I like. Edit. Hope you realize bud that I am just talking about what I perceive to be a merit and I totally realize your point of view cause the very same thing irked me at first on my 670GTX when I noticed it.
Which variety of HD7970 did you used to have? I can't say I've ever experienced one changing clocks from something like 300 to 305. The way I saw it, you had 300, 500/501, stock 3d clocks, boost 3d clocks, and then the throttle state which I've seen go from 1ghz+ down to 293MHz. I'd be happy to learn something today. I've been unaware of this behavior previously.
Was a ref Sapphire, but i can't remember now if the clocks used to jump at all on it now tbh, wasn't a boost one, or the Ghz Edition, as i got it just after they were first released, those ones came later.
I had at first when installing 14.1 driver blackscreen and freeze few seconds. After few new clean installs seems ive manage to get rid of blackscreens and freeze. But the fps is unstable it go up down up down. With latest driver i have constant variations in fps(clock speed). I play skyrim one boot i have 12 fps reboot i got 48fps and when i brows some or open some app it can jump back to 30fps. Latets driver seems very unstable? So is this hardware related or driver related or both? Also have the feeling i can get more out of this card but its stuck at 60-62 fps? Any change AI SUIT also got something to do with this? Did already a clear csom see if that helps, well slightly i still dont use gen3? MSI 290X GAMING 4G.
Right before I got rid of my R9-290, I found that MSI Afterburner caused most of the black screens, but then I still got them at stock on the XFX R9-290, for a while it would stop happening, then out of the blue started happening again. Which was odd because it originally stopped happening after AMD first release that driver that originally fixed it for me, I had to use sapphire to make a fan curve since i normally used MSI After burner to do it for the R9-290 but sadly that wouldn't stick, I had to keep reapplying it.
20 days ago, I sent my Asus R290 to RMA , because of this "Black Screen "problem. Also it causes BSOD . And today , it is sent back to me, cause they didn't find any problem with it. Thank you Asus and AMD , for manufacturing a malfunctioning card, and not taking responsibility for it. At least they can make a statement about the problem . And what am i supposed to do with this? Shall i just throw it in the garbage?
Well ive past a week rock solid since i locked the clocks in AB, so so far so good. ^ Have you tried flicking the BIOS switch on the card to the other, updating Motherboard BIOS (if theres a new one available). The blackscreen problem really put me off from buying, was going to just go for a 780 instead, but when the MSI Gamings came in stock @ a place i use, i thought why not, as can easily send it back, then i'll just get a 780 and be done with it, but its running fine up to now, well since i locked the clocks in AB anyway, could give that a try as well if you havn't already.
Where is that bios switch on the card? I use a reference design Asus card, i didn't see a switch on it.
Pic of it on the top of this page, its a tiny little bugger http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/radeon_r9_290x_review_benchmarks,15.html Could see if you can flash its BIOS with another one as well, if you feel confident in trying that out, as be risky, or returning it to the place you got it from (unless you've already tried that as well).
I had this problem but for me it was a PCIE 2.0/3.0 issue with my Motherboard. I went in to Bios and all of my PCIE slots were set to Auto I set and locked them on 3.0 and no more problems.
Updated my P8Z77-V LE PLUS bios from 0605 to 0908 and the black screen issue hasn't appeared for two weeks now. They do say on the Asus Downloads section that it has "Improve system stability", but didn't have issues with it with my previous card. Never really thought PCI-E would have issues like this... brings back memories of AGP days. (Assuming it really is the PCI-E)
Updated my bios for my mobo, change energy levels, make a flic flac, did some praying, stand on my hands, but no dice, blackscreening in 2 minutes playing Crysis 2. If the next driver don't adress the issue I'll send the card(s) back for RMA. Also AMD stay's tight lipped on allmost everything, (blacksreens V-sync issues etc.)
Does it happen even with 9.2Beta? If it does, I would have sent those cards back some time ago. I had issues too but I found out that my mobo is a pos.