PC Graphics

[zombi3killer]

RX 580 8GB
AMD Ryzen 5 1600 6-core
B350M Gaming MB
Patriot Viper 4 Series DDR4 16GB (2 x 8GB) 2400MHz Kit
PSU Corsair TX550MI bought this RX580 back in November 2017 for what is currently a very good price. I tried installing it on my former system and it worked for a little bit (like an hour) then the buzzing noise, blue screen, and total PC shut downs started. After a couple of days of T/S I had to revert back to my old Nvidia GT750 Ti 2GB card and was able to keep on playing games as before.

I ordered a new Corsair PSU having been told my old Seasonic was junk, it made no difference. After 9 straight hours of effort no change, PC wouldn't boot, no video signal. In the end I was no longer able to boot my system even with the Nvidia card. After more hours and hours of T/S I was told by MSI support that the MB was toast and needed RMA. The support rep insisted the RX580 was NOT the cause of any of this drama.I couldn't wait for 6-8 weeks to get another MB from MSI so I forked out $100's of dollars for my parts which you see above. It worked. Played for hours at highest settings. Meanwhile....I had decided to try out an SSD with my new build. I installed WIN10 but chose PRO instead of HOME so my activation would not work. I decided to go ahead and reinstall WIN10 HOME. Around 2 am the reinstall finished. All drivers updated. Back where I was before when it worked fine. Fired up XCOM 1 LW. Started mission, 10 minutes later....
BZZZZZZZZZZZZZ...BLUE SCREEN......CRASH.

I don't know what else to try except get rid of the card. The last thing I found to try was MSI Afterburner. I was told you can go in there and UNDERclock the card thus making it more stable. Others said RAISE some settings would fix it. I cannot seem to find a guide to UNDERCLOCK the RX580 and make it more stable (not crash). I have only tested it on XCOM 1 due to time limitations but that should not make a difference. I played XCOM with my Nvidia 2GB for over a year with never an issue, just lower graphics settings.

[elstaci]

Have you tried activating Wattman from the AMD driver set when you installed it. Wattman is the official feature for OCing your AMD GPU card.

Also 3rd Party software like MSI Afterburner has some compatibility issues with Wattman even if Wattman is not activated or installed.

Also your MSI Motherboard has a very new BIOS Update:

BIOS - 7A39v2F - 3/20/2018

[zombi3killer]

Hello. Okay I thought Wattman was part of the MSI Afterburner package? Not sure how to access it from the driver set as you suggest? I will check. What settings do you recommend for Wattman? I understand there are several fields that can be changed and I have no clue.

I will look into the Bios update as well tonight.

Thanks!

[elstaci]

Here is how to "enable" Wattman after you installed the AMD Driver set: How to Tune GPU Performance Using Radeon Wattman and Radeon Chill

Someone with experience with Wattman like kingfish or someone else can explain how to install and activate Wattman and make the correct configuration for your GPU card.

MSI Afterburner is MSI own Overclocking software (very popular) whereas AMD Wattman is strictly AMD's Overclocking software. But unfortunately, the two normally don't agree with each other when installed at the same time. In some computers it doesn't cause problems but in others it does. AMD Forum recommends to uninstall MSI Afterburner or any other 3rd party OC software to prevent conflicts with AMD's Wattman.

[zombi3killer]

Ok. So I uninstalled all the MSI Afterburner and anything else that looked like 3rd party SW. I updated the bios you pointed out. I accessed Wattman and selected the "AUTO" options I found since I cannot find any guidance on how to stabilize the damn card.

Went into XCOM settings and lowered effects, shadows, etc. Launched game. 2 seconds without even moving...Crash. Buzzing. Black screen. Had to push power button and restart.

It seems worse in fact then before. Just for the sake of trying I will install another game and see if it crashes. However, as I stated before my old Nvidia 750 Ti 2GB ran XCOM for a year without ever a glitch. I think this card is junk based on the hundreds of reports I have read of people having the same issues. And MSI support doesn't even bother to respond in their own forum. Shameful.

[zombi3killer]

UPDATE:

I saw a suggestion from a user on a forum, I forget who and where, who said he lowered some GPU MHz settings to 1060 from states 3-7 and it helped him. I did the same:

I also increased the power limit to max (+50%). Went into XCOM again, lowered ALL graphics settings to LOW. Played for about 15 minutes and not one crash. Going to try raising some graphics settings a touch and see what happens.

[cronien]

The buzzing sound usually means faulty condensers. You should return it to the seller, and if you have a warranty on it, they will send you another GPU.

And i almost forgot! You should get a 650W+ PSU, because you're on the edge of your PSU's capabilities with the RX 580.

[zombi3killer]

MSI support insisted it was a good card...but I hear you. Might be something wrong with it.

RE: the PSU requirement....where do you get that conclusion from? According to to the Tom's Hardware rec I have plenty of juice for this card. Explain what you mean by "on the edge of the PSU's capabilities." If you would. Thanks

[zombi3killer]

And by the way, I have been gradually increasing the graphics settings in XCOM and so far have not had one CTD.

[cronien]

Cooler Master: Power Supply Calculator

You can check here. Remember: Power supplies only have around 80% efficiency, so your PSU only works safely around 440W. Of course, you can use around 550W too, but it's not safe for your PSU. (MB, PCIE cards, Fans, DVD-writer, Sound cards, Leds, Storage drives consumes energy too.)

[zombi3killer]

Got thru 2 missions at high settings. Seems to be working. No idea why it works now as opposed to before but very happy. Will follow up with results.

[zombi3killer · Accepted solution]

I have adjusted the graphic settings upwards since and no crashes yet. Fingers crossed!! Maybe my Wattman settings have worked.

[zombi3killer]

It ran all night without crash. I actually fell asleep and found it idle at one point. I don't know why cronien keeps telling me I need a 10,000W PSU but it seems to be working=me happy.

[elstaci]

This website gives a good indication of how powerful of a PSU you need for Total System Wattage when using different GPU Cards : PSU REQUIREMENTS - RealHardTechX

According to the above link, you have the Minimum PSU Wattage ( 550 watts) to use in a computer system with an RX-580.

[zombi3killer]

It was recommended to me by a Tom's Hardware moderator. I'll look into a stronger model soon. At least it is working for the moment.

[elstaci]

You should be okay with the PSU you have. As long as it doesn't cause problems while under heavy loading I would wait. But if you should install a stronger GPU or CPU or upgrade your Motherboard and RAM memory in the future, then you might start having strange issues. But until then enjoy your games.

Thanks for posting what you did on Wattman to get your RX GPU Card to work without crashing or going black. I am sure that maybe others here at AMD Forum will try the same thing to see if they get the same results as you did.

Its possible after uninstalling MSI Afterburner and all other 3rd party GPU software and then using strictly Wattman, Wattman may have placed the GPU card in default which then made it easier for you to Over or Under clock the card. It's possible you GPU card wasn't in "Default" parameters for some reason which may have been causing the problems. Just guessing though.

Good job of finding a fix for your AMD GPU card.

[plumboby]

MSI I found is a horrible brand to deal with had bad experiences with it why I will not touch MSI for anything. Your PSU will be be fine just err on the side of caution when playing any more demanding games if your PSU is maxed out as you can actually overloading them surging them to take out your whole build. ! suggestion would be for safety would be wind up your case fans & APU fan so that your whole case is running a lot cooler might save temps creeping under load saves replacing the PSU for a few months. I do it with my PSUs that are under load I run up all my cooling fans so my build runs cooler on all my stepsons builds has saved alot of throttling to. I suspect its probly been throttling due to heat build up & coils will wine underload they do that its not safe tho try keep all your temps way down & crank up you fan settings on your card to save it from accidently getting nuked if it all goes wrong. I always go over on PSU sizing & I dont go off Toms I bought a PSU using there advise & had 2 identical units fail in 18months both decent Antecs. When I size for PSUs I use 3-4 diffrent PSU calculators there a few around & calculate the results I average them then buy a PSU 100w-150 above whats recommended for incase or as I do add extra cooling fans & added extras as some people do. I do it that way to as then my PSU is not underload & not always cranks full tilt which can take out a whole build seen it done before with wrong size PSU, with PC crashes then Cards coils whining PSU coils whine runs good then random bang or power surge all over. Tho good to see you found your solution , your PSU will do for the moment but suggest to upgrade it in 6 months or so if it doesn't cause any more issues for a while. I dont always trust advise given on Toms & I am a regular on Toms forums as well & know quite a few things. Some there moderators I have proven points & shown a few things most of them on Toms are paid Craptel Crapvidia supporters & most of them dont care about us AMD brethren most the time they get given craptels & crapvidia for free to test & dont really know as much  as they think or act. If purchasing stuff ask on Toms for advise but dont always go off it when buying I go with 10 diffrent sites & get reviews from 10 diffrent sources & people who own or use the item I buy before I shell out good $ to buy its pays to shop around & get heaps of ideas, good to see you found a solution happy to see good luck.