problem with x800XL

A

amdownzintel

Limp Gawd
Joined
Oct 24, 2004
Messages
201
ok I got the X800XL (AGP version)for a little over a month and well I think I overlcocked it too high and it died or I already had a bad core and this totally killed it. Basically I get very bad artifacts just inside of windows reguardless if the card is underclocked, and I mean by a lot. In games though I won't get an artifact at all! In safemode I don't get any as well so I figured it might be a driver problem or something? I've tried many different things and it seems that nothing is working. I can't send it back either because it's been more than 30 days because well of course that would have been my first thing. Any suggestions? Also my OC was just at 450/550 so no even like a huge thing. Then all of a sudden it just went nuts. Basically within probably 5-10 min. or so I will start getting artifacts on my desktop. Weird thing is I can run a game right then and there and there will be no artifacts what so ever. Please help!

~Thank You!
 
More than likely you overclocked the cards' 2D mode instead of its 3D mode. That would explain the artifacting on the desktop instead of in a graphic intensive game.

What software utility did you use to overclock it? I recommend downloading ATI Tool and putting the 2D mode back to its stock setting.
 
yeah I'm using ATI Tool and well I don't even see a 2D setting in it. I just saw the regular thing so I decided to OC that. That's what I was thinking as well, but I don't see that option. Plus I also put the card in another system and that would put the settings back to default right? And well it was still messing up in that system as well. BTW my tempatures are at idle ~30C and at load ~45C
 
I believe after setting the overclocked speeds it automatically saves them in the GFX BIOS. So that would explain for it doing the same thing in another rig. I could be wrong however...

Beings I don't have ATI Tool installed on this computer (not my comp.) I can't tell you where to look :( Theres another program called ATI Tray Tools which I believe may have the seperate 2D/3D overclocking settings. I would give that program a try as well.
 
yeah I've used that program as wel and I'm pretty sure actually that it didn't have 2D settings in it, but even then I'm pretty sure I would know if it was in 2D just due to the fact that it wouldn't start out at 500 for the core or whatever the default is it would be way lower correct? It definately makes sense though that it would be the 2D because I don't get artifacts in 3D, but it just doesn't seem to be the case.
 
tha x800xl doesn't have seperate 2d/3d clocks. If it does I don't think anyone that writes the o/c utilities knows.

setting an o/c in the software does NOT write the setting to the card's bios. Not sure where that idea came from, but if you want to edit the card's bios, then there are seperate dedicated utilities for that.

most x800xl's are LUCKY to get a core o/c of 450. most top out around 440. Have you tried the card in a system with a fresh install of windows. IE, no other drivers of any kind loaded before you load the x800xl drivers? Almost sounds like you either hosed the core or memory when you o/c'd it. I'd bet on the core, b/c the memory can take that 550 clock easily enough without harm. Your temps sound decent, but then again, if you damaged the core, I wouldn't trust them. fwiw, my card reaches a temp of 75c-79c when o/c'd to 445. but then again, it's PCI-E so dunno if that makes a difference.

Starting from a cold boot when the PC's been off for a while, are the artifacts instant or do the take a few minutes to appear?
 
when I shut down my PC and then start it back up again it usually takes a few minutes for them to appear. For whatever reason it seems to make them appear faster when I hit the start menu. Have no idea why, but it seems when I click on the start menu more often the artifacts will come faster. Then it's pretty much green/purple all over my screen. Although if I put a movie on or something they go away on the screen.
 
Eh, I was just merely trying to help. I didn't realize the X800 XL didn't have seperate 2D/3D clocks...and about he BIOS, I wasn't confident that I was right. Twas' just a thought... :(

I just don't see why the core would simply get "hosed" because you overclocked too high...without any voltage boost, etc. However, I guess there always is a possibility of having a weak card that can't handle it.

Overclocking stresses components and might have inherently damaged your card :( I agree with nst6563 thought, you should try a fresh install of XP and go from there.
 
what brand is it? Maybe re-flash the bios if it got corrupt?

one thing to check is that if those programs are automatically overclocking your card at startup. I don't remember if it was ATITool or ATI Tray Tools, but one of them had an option to o/c the card at startup. The reason you get artifacts on the screen faster if you click on the start menu is b/c it's updating the screen information, and if the core is feeding the memory bad bits (or the memory is at fault corrupting the bits) then you'll get the artifacting.

my 9600xt did the same thing if i o/c'd it too far. 2d would display artifacts, but 3d worked fine.

first thing after you boot, check the card's clock speeds. If they are anything but 400/500 then set them to defaults, save it and reboot.

:EDIT: mluke - don't take it personal...it's been a rough couple days b/c that damned new virus. I still haven't caught up on sleep yet. was awake from 6am on Tuesday until last night at 10pm. If I knew who wrote it...I'd be sure to send them a "thank you" letter laced with poison.
 
Yeah I've tried all of those things, except redoing the bios. I've already reinstalled XP and definately checked my clock settings, as I said before even if I underclock like dramatically (at least by 100) it will still show artifacts, but come up slower than normal, but will still sooner or later come up.
 
definatly sounds like your 2d is messed up if you've re-installed and still get the artifacts.

one question...did it artifact BEFORE you installed the ATI drivers or after when you did the fresh install of windows?

here's a link to a bunch of Bios files...
http://www.techpowerup.com/bios/

There's always the possibility of a bad flash, and then again, there's the possibility it could fix your card. Use them at your own risk though, and be sure to use one for your card (same brand and bus type) and not another branded ATI x800xl.
 
ok I'll be doing some testing and get back to you guys later. I've been at Circuit City all day and that's how this thread got started ( I work at Circuit City). Thanks for all your help so far and I'll try and finish doing everything else that I wanted to test. Thanks!
 
hope you get it resolved...the x800xl is too nice a card to just up and die like that :( I love mine. It may not be the fastest card out there...but seeing as how I upgraded from a 9600xt it's about as big a jump as I've ever made in a video card.
 
ok well I flashed my video card and no good. Did it the proper way as well as in removing all the drivers and such and then flashing it. I didn't even install the ATI tool yet and boom right when I restart after installing the newest drivers (5.8) I start seeing artifacts just right on the login screen. You think I can just start yelling at ATI and maybe they might let me RMA it? Of course I aint telling them I OC'd it. My last card was the 5900 and I still have it so I can still make my system work, but I just really don't want to just throw this card out. If anyone has some magic up there sleeves, this would be a good time.
 
i have a similar problem with my BBA X800XL AIW AGP card, my problem is this when i set my card to to defult speeds or higher my memory gives me instant artifaction issues, if i droop the mem down to 420 from 490 this fixes the issue. is the memory tosted or what? the CPU can go as high as 500.
would ocing the core that much casue problems for the memory long term wise?
 
I have a 9600xt that exhibits that same behavior if you o/c it far enough. Anything past 655Mhz on the core and I have to drop the speed of the memory in order for it to be stable. I was kinda thinking it was maybe a problem with not enough power/current distributed on the board.

my x800xl doesn't do that though. The core maxes out at 445.

afaik, the BBA X800XL AIW cards used the X800XT core, which explains why most if not ALL X800XL AIW cards can hit 500Mhz without mods.
 
afaik, the BBA X800XL AIW cards used the X800XT core, which explains why most if not ALL X800XL AIW cards can hit 500Mhz without mods.
Click to expand...

I Think your right as i notice a few things that would point to this being the case, such as some programs like the ATI drivers (most if not all) detect the card as an XT, the core doesnt strugle at at at 500+ speed, and i think i saw the micron print at .130nm and not .110nm like the X800 XL are suposed to be(less power use amoung other things).... its a 4A4B R420 core asell...

I also must update. that the effects (artifacts) are no were near as noticable in games as they are in ATi Tool when useing the defualt artifact tool (250-230 varible amounts of artifacting with the tool and like 5 max in games but only noticable if you look at place from a serten perpective??). Also ive tested with the old (more compatible?) scanner and didnt pick up artifacts untill i set the GPU/MEM (575/600) clocks to insanely stupid speeds.. even then it was only a few (less than 20). Does that scanner even work right?

is ATi tool just glitchy?

Does ATi Tool have problems with drivers above 5.5 as i noticed that it says "5.5+" as if it wasnt meant to be used with any thing higher than 5.5
 
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