The new installation isn't functioning properly and causes significant slowdowns when connected to a graphics card?
The new installation isn't functioning properly and causes significant slowdowns when connected to a graphics card?
My setup
Dear folks, I am super desperate, because I cannot get my new build to run. Here is what I did:
I bought the following new components:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
- Motherboard: ASROCK A620i Lightning Wifi
- GPU: Radeon Sapphire Pulse RX 7800 XT
- RAM: ADATA DIMM 32 GB DDR5-6000 2x16GB (Link:
https://www.alternate.de/html/product/100011564
)
For the rest of the build, I kept what I already had the
NZXT H1 MiniITX Case, which has a 750W power supply
and an AIO cooler. My OS is installed on an M.2 Drive.
Before assembling the new parts, I hooked the GPU up to my old system and quickly started some games. Everything worked fine no problems there.
Then I put all the new components in the case, plugged everything in and connected my DP cable to the graphics card.
What I experienced
First it seemed like the BIOS felt a bit laggy, when booting the new system the first time. However, I did not really pay much attention to this and installed windows 11 and all the newest AMD drivers for my mainboard and the graphics card. That is where the real issues started, which are:
- booting takes forever
- the system is extremely laggy just using windows (haven't event tried starting games), even moving the mouse is time-lapse
- The GPU keeps showing up with warning symbols in the device manager and shows constant 100% usage spikes in like 1sec 100% - 1sec 0% - 1sec 100% and so on (same is observable in the AMD adrenaline application)
What I tried so far and which outcome it gave
- reading for your sticky post and going through the checklist. Result: Nothing changed.
- Booting the system without the GPU connected and simply using the on board GPU. Result: Everything works fine and lags anywhere
- Booting the system with my old GPU (GTX 1070 TI). Result: Everything works fine and no lags anywhere
- Booting the system with the new GPU connected, but connecting the DP cable to the motherboard. Result: system runs smooth no problems.
- Using the laggy system with the new GPU connected. Result: Not really usable and blue screen after a while.
- Checked various sites about compatability of my components (which I obviously did before buying)
- Did a GPU benchmark of the new GPU but the rest are my old components. Results: Benchmark runs smooth, GPU temp about 60 degrees (case is open) and about 250W GPU power draw.
- Installed various OS (Ubuntu / Win10/ Win11). Results: same weird lagy behaviour with the new components in any OS
- Updated the motherboards BIOS to the latest version. Results: Nothing changes, still same behaviour
- well and the obvious. Googled the whole weekend and even tried ChatGPT, but couldn't find anything that helped.
My thoughs on this
So weirdly enough every component seems to work on their own and only the connection of the new stuff (mb, cpu, ram) and the new graphics card results in errors. I already googled a
<Mod Edit>
ton, but cannot really find a lead, to which could be wrong. Just spent the whole weekend assembling and disassembling everything, but could not get it to work.
If any of you guys have an idea of what I could try next or how to debug this situation, I would highly appreciate the help. Kinda desperate here.
It seems there might be some confusion about memory compatibility. Using an AMD GPU on an AMD platform should normally activate Smart Access Memory (SAM), but having Intel XMP profile RAM installed could cause issues. Checking the BIOS settings for SAM and disabling it might resolve the problem.
Hey Pete, thanks for the suggestion! Just at work, so I won’t test it tonight.
Here’s what I thought:
- The RAM specs indicate it should support AMD EXPO
- Checked the Motherboard site and it does work without RGB, so I thought it would too in RGB mode
- But your explanation matches what I’m seeing now—it only starts with the AMD graphics card installed, not my old NVIDIA one. I’ll try it later.
- Also got another PSU from work, which I can use to check if power supply is enough.
Alright, so I just arrived home and attempted to locate the SAM option in my BIOS settings, but couldn't find it. From this article, I learned that "Above 4G decoding and Re-Size BAR support. Both need to be turned on to use Smart Access Memory." I tried disabling both and again the system behaved exactly as before. 😞
Now I have no clear idea of what to do next or where to start looking. Do you still think it might be the RAM? I was thinking about ordering a new one just to be safe, hoping that would help, but I’m not sure if that’s necessary. On the other hand, I don’t know what else I can try. Thank you very much for your first suggestion—it really means a lot.
I mostly suspected the RAM because of the SAM.
When I built my PC a year ago, I used XMP with a 7600x and it was problematic whenever XMP was enabled... I had to buy an EXPO kit to fix everything properly. That’s why I advise anyone building a Ryzen 7000 series to use EXPO instead of XMP. However, recent BIOS updates have resolved many of these early problems.
I wonder if RAM is the issue? It could be, but since everything works well with the GTX 1070ti installed, it’s unlikely. The other concern might be the A620 chipset paired with a 7800X3D—still should function, though using a budget board with an expensive CPU isn’t typical... and in mini ITX there are often limited good choices.
After further research last night, I discovered a few more BIOS configurations that could be adjusted, like turning XMP or EXPO on or off. Nothing resolved the issue, so I placed an order for new mainboards today—one with a higher-end chipset (same as what I already have), another from a different brand—and a RAM kit, which is mentioned in the manufacturer's support list. I'll wait a few more days for delivery and then check if swapping the motherboard or RAM affects the outcome. I'll keep you posted on any solutions that might help others facing the same problem. 😆
I sent another message to ASRock support and received a reply today. They advised me to configure the PCIE version in the BIOS to 3.0 when my riser cable only supports 3.0. In reality, the BIOS typically handles this automatically, but that’s okay. I then rechecked my case, confident it had a PCIE 4.0 riser cable installed.
Later, I realized my case is outdated and only has a PCIE 3.0 cable. After setting the BIOS to PCIE 3.0, everything functioned properly.
In the end, I was the one who overlooked verifying the case version... I’m glad this helps others facing similar issues.
The key point here is that PCIE 3.0 riser cables and PCIE 4.0 components should work together without compatibility problems. The BIOS should automatically detect and set the correct version. Adjusting the PCIE Version in the BIOS can resolve these concerns. I’m relieved everything is now fixed!