Screen goes black for a few seconds while playing games (R9 290)


  1. kozy2013
    Posts : 3
    Windows 7 64 bit
       New #1

    Screen goes black for a few seconds while playing games (R9 290)


    I come here in need of some help, I've been troubleshooting this issue for quite some time and have not been able to find the solution on my own.

    The issue:

    Sometimes when I play games my screen will go black at a random time for a a period of time (sometimes only lasting 5-10 seconds, other times lasting up to a minute) and then recovers itself and i'm able to continue playing. The sound continues playing during the black outs but i have no control of my computer. Can't see anything and cannot use commands like ctrl+alt+del. Sometimes when my computer recovers from the black screen i can hear the fans on my GPU boost up to about 80%. I have setting in MSI afterburner to increase my fan speeds as the temperature of my card goes up. Sometimes when recovering from a black screen my fans will go up from 25% to like 80%. Then it stays at 80% for the remainder of the time until i reset my computer. Once my computer is reset, my card will run at the 25% again.

    Background and computer information:

    This issue did not start happening until I installed and new graphics card and reinstalled windows 7. The GPU was tested before I reinstalled windows 7 and everything ran perfect. no blackouts. I reinstalled windows 7 because I got an SSD.

    here are my specs as of now:

    CPU FX-8350
    MOBO Asrock 970 Extreme3
    RAM (2) 4 gb 1600 DDR3 and (2) 8gb 1866 DDR3
    SSD 120gb w/ windows 7 installed on it
    GPU Radeon r9 290 (upgraded from a radeon 6950 which ran perfect)
    PSU 800w Corsair

    few last things to add that may be helpful:

    - I have not experienced any black screens when using my computer and not playing games.
    - I typically play low-end games like league of legends. which aren't too intensive on the gpu
    - When i load into the UEFI, my RAM displays as all sticks running at 1600 MHz. Even though 2 of my sticks are 1866.
    - my gpu has never gone over 74 degrees since ive installed it, so i dont think its an over-heating issue.


    If you need any other information, let me know and ill be happy to provide it. Any help will be EXTREMELY appreciated. I'm going crazy right now because i can't figure this thing out lol

    Thanks so much - Nick
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  3. Mellon Head
    Posts : 3,487
    Win 7 Pro x64/Win 10 Pro x64 dual boot
       New #2

    Before I answer your main question...
    When i load into the UEFI, my RAM displays as all sticks running at 1600 MHz. Even though 2 of my sticks are 1866.
    That's normal. Your RAM will always clock at the lowest speed for the sticks in use. In this case 1600, because they are the lower speed of the two sets, so all the RAM clocks at that speed.

    On to the video problem...

    I have the same issue in Bioshock Infinite, the screen will black out after about 5 minutes of play, but I can hear everything. I discovered that its a problem in Catalyst Control Center. Setting the fan to auto speed will have it run about 20% and that's fine for normal use, but it never increases with the card temperature. It seems to be a bug. What I had to do was to set the fan to manual and run the fan at about 60% (can barely hear it). No more black screens.

    I don't have the same card as you, but the problem I was having is the same as yours. I can't say I think much of AMD's temperature sensors on their graphics card either. Mine is always about 20 lower than my fan controller's temp reading says. No wonder my fans won't go faster. Afterburner may be having the same problem and not increasing your fan speed enough. If it's reading the wrong temperature...
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  4. kozy2013
    Posts : 3
    Windows 7 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       New #3

    Thanks so much for your reply! I truly appreciate it. I actually just figured this out not too long ago today. AND YES YOUR EXACTLY RIGHT!

    I basically found out that the presets I had put in Afterburner weren't working and my fan speeds were not going up as the temps went up.

    Tried running my r9 290 at 60% fan speeds. Never got a black screen again. Glad I can play games now. Only thing that sucks is my r9 290 is a powercolor card that uses a single intake fan and blows the air out the side. THE THING IS EXTREMELY LOUD AT 60% lol but i managed to get the r9 290 for only $200 so i can't complain.
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  6. kozy2013
    Posts : 3
    Windows 7 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       New #4

    Mellon Head said:
    That's normal. Your RAM will always clock at the lowest speed for the sticks in use. In this case 1600, because they are the lower speed of the two sets, so all the RAM clocks at that speed.
    Also thanks for the tip, I never knew that. Must have just by-passed it whenever i was in the UEFI. It looked strange to me, thats why i thought maybe it had something to do with the gpu being funny.
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