Specs:
desktop PC running Windows 7 Ultimate sp1, x64
Motherboard Model: ASRock 870 Extreme3
16Gb RAM
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 390 (https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/sapphire-nitro-r9-390-with-back-plate.b3536)
Monitor Name (Manuf): BenQ EL2870U, connected through HDMI with resolution 3840 x 2160 621 x 341 mm, Pixel Clock 533.29 MHz
Tried various AMD Radeon Software Adrenaline 2020 from last fall to April 2021.
Symptoms:
When booting, before windows, the 3 fans of the graphical adapter spin. As soon as Windows starts, they stop.
If left by default (after Factory Reset), the AMD tuner (WattMan?) does not seem to properly control the fan speed.
First, it misreports the speed: as I mentioned, the fans stop at Windows start but Adenaline and other tools such as HWiNFO64 report them at 1200rpm.
Then, if fails to adjust the speed properly when the temperature rises. Sometimes it starts two of the fans but not the one in the middle. Whatever it does, it's not enough and at some point I get a black screen although the PC seems to be still running and I have to hard reset.
If I manually control the tuning with Advanced Control, it properly starts and revs up all the fans, together, but not exactly to the speed I set and while it manages to control the temperature if I pay constant attention to it and adjust it manually, that's no way to run a PC where the load varies every few second.
It used to be that I got the black screen only when playing a particular game and only after a while, when the GPU temperature was around 65Celsius. But now I get it sometimes even when the temperature is around 45C.
I did amdcleanuputility, I did factory resets, I've tried multiple driver versions, even installed only the driver without the rest of the package, at some point I still get the black screen.
Questions:
1. Is the black screen related to the fan speed tuning issue? I seem to be able to avoid it by manually controlling the temperature and being aggressive with it (high rpms).
2. Why would the fan speed be misreported by the sensors?
3. Is Adrenaline supposed to properly tune the fan speeds on my rather old adapter?
4. If yes, why would the default tunning fail?
5. Any advice? Is there a better fan speed controller out there? I was also thinking to take the adapter apart and check/reapply the thermal paste.
Thank you,
Florin
