R9 290 overclocking gone wrong
R9 290 overclocking gone wrong
Hi,
I recently upgraded my pre-built XPS 8700 about a year ago with a 750W PSU and an R9 290 graphics card. It performed perfectly until yesterday when I attempted an overclock. I gradually increased the core clock, memory clock, and set the power limit to +50 in MSI Afterburner, then ran 3DMark to check stability. As I pushed further, the screen would freeze and 3DMark shut down. Concerned about the card’s safety, I returned to my last successful overclock setting. When I tested it again, the entire screen went black and didn’t respond for more than an hour. I force-closed the system as there was no other option. I thought the GPU might be overheating, so I removed it for 10 hours until it cooled. The next day, after restarting, my screen would completely black out even after logging in. I couldn’t locate a solution—checked for dust or obstructions, but kept trying to power it on and still faced the same issue.
I have Windows 7 installed.
Then I replaced the R9 290 with my old Radeon HD 7570 to isolate the GPU as the likely culprit. The system booted up and I logged in without issues for over an hour.
Please help—can you identify the problem?
Maybe the MSI overclock failed after a force shutdown, causing a crash?
Also, I read that possibly the PCI-E cables were damaged, but I didn’t swap them out for a different type or connector.
Could the R9 290 have been burned out or the port damaged, leading to the screen turning off?
I’ve tried using both DVI-D and HDMI ports, but they all had the same issue.
I don’t have another PC to test it on.
If you know more about what’s happening or have further questions, reply quickly—it’s urgent for me.
Thanks,
Adam
Completely remove afterburner. Uncertain if you use torrents or not, but definitely you should be able to download a free version of Revo uninstaller. I usually use Revo to uninstall any app because it performs an in-depth scan for remaining files, settings, and registry entries. However, since you're asking this question, it might be worth checking if afterburner leaves an OC then you can quickly uninstall the program and see.
You are connecting the xfx pro750w full wired 80+gold psu to a setup, and you want to know how this change might impact things.
If the power supply were low quality, voltages or ripple might have failed and harmed the card. Your XFX unit is of high quality, so it's more likely a direct damage from overclocking occurred. You might attempt launching Windows in safe mode using version 290 to test. The PCIe power cables appear very durable, so failure seems unlikely.
If the power supply is of poor quality, the voltages or ripple could have failed, potentially damaging the card. However, your XFX unit appears to be of high quality. It's more likely that the damage came from overclocking. You might attempt launching Windows in safe mode using version 290 to test. The PCIe power cables seem solid, so failure is unlikely.
I don't usually anticipate this, but if it occurred, it shouldn't cause a problem in safe mode. Safe mode minimizes resource usage.
Completely remove afterburner. Uncertain if you use torrents or not, but definitely you should be able to download a free version of Revo uninstaller. I usually use Revo to uninstall any app because it performs an in-depth scan for remaining files, settings, and registry entries. However, since you're asking this question, it might be worth checking if afterburner leaves an OC then you can quickly uninstall the program and see.