Did the MSI R9 290x Lightening affect your graphics card?
Did the MSI R9 290x Lightening affect your graphics card?
Hello,
I own an “MSI R9 290x Lightening” graphics card.
A few days ago, I installed the newest version of “MSI Afterburner” for the first time to explore its capabilities.
As you are aware, the “MSI R9 290x Lightening” comes with the following factory clock rates:
Core Clock = 1080 MHz
Memory Clock = 1250 MHz
Additionally, it prevents changes to “Core Voltage” in “MSI Afterburner” (displayed grayed out).
I began testing by setting the “Power Limit” to its maximum of 50% and adjusting both “Core Clock” and “Memory Clock” to their highest values.
Immediately after, the GPU would crash, forcing me to restart Windows 7.
Later, I experimented with different settings, which I believe were around:
Temp Limit = 94°C
Power Limit = 50%
Core Clock = 1145 MHz
Memory Clock = 1345 MHz
My system had powerful fans, a cool environment, and a large external fan blowing air into the case. This kept temperatures well below 75°C (definitely not possible otherwise).
I maintained these settings for several hours but noticed instability. I then reset them to defaults, uninstalled “MSI Afterburner,” and resumed normal GPU usage.
However, the situation changed. After a few days, my “Core Clock” automatically dropped to about 1050 MHz, which is lower than its default 1080 MHz.
Occasionally, when it exceeded this value, random dots appeared on my Windows 7 screen.
Eventually, the instability worsened. For a while, I saw the GPU crash whenever it reached above 1070 MHz.
If it surpassed 1050 MHz (possibly due to driver behavior), I experienced frequent crashes and screen activity.
At this point, I’m concerned about permanent underclocking. I’ve had to repeatedly use “MSI Afterburner” to stabilize the GPU, but now I must keep it below 1000 MHz for stability—just like before I overclocked.
This issue seems to be affecting my GPU negatively.
Is this a well-known problem with overlooking?
Could this damage my expensive card?
Is there still hope? Could it be a driver-related issue?
I’m very frustrated, as only a few hours of use with “MSI Afterburner” led to such a disastrous outcome. Why was this software designed this way?
Afterburner leaves a trace of voltage. A different voltage setting can cause MHZ issues. Reinstall it and refer to this guide: http://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/msi...ew,30.html. It will bring your GPU up to 1180 stable, and our cooling system will maintain 60*C.
Afterburner leaves a trace of voltage. A different voltage setting could cause MHZ issues. Reinstall it and refer to this guide: http://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/msi...ew,30.html. It will bring your GPU up to 1180 stable, and our cooling system can handle 60*C.
Afterburner removes voltage, which could cause different settings than before and lead to MHZ issues. Re-install it and refer to this guide: http://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/msi...ew,30.html. They say it can get your GPU stable at 1180 and with our cooling it reaches 60*C. Useful tips. Thanks for the helpful advice. I try it and hope to achieve similar performance.