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Author Topic: Crash and 0% GPU activity problem.  (Read 2841 times)

bpchia

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Crash and 0% GPU activity problem.
« on: December 22, 2011, 04:20:11 pm »

I have been experiencing crashes when playing mkv's in which the screen goes a single colour, grey or black but with horizontal lines through it, and at the same time a split second sample of audio plays repeatedly.

I have tried doing a clean install of Windows 7 32bit and only installing drivers and MC17 (no filters).

My setup:
Core i5 750
8GB RAM
Gigabyte motherboard
Radeon HD 5670 with latest CCC/drivers
RO HQ
Sony 1080p LCD TV connected DVI to HDMI

I noticed when troubleshooting that with mkv's the GPU activity is at 0%, but with H.264 TS files the GPU activity goes up to 60-65%, similar bitrates between files.  My early impression is that with RO standard the problem goes away, but I'm not sure what part of the chain is the problem.  On MadVR settings I have noticed that there are two Dell monitors in the devices, what are these?

Any help with troubleshooting appreciated.  Thanks.
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JimH

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Re: Crash and 0% GPU activity problem.
« Reply #1 on: December 22, 2011, 05:06:40 pm »

Please try RO Std, just to see if madVR is the problem.
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bpchia

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Re: Crash and 0% GPU activity problem.
« Reply #2 on: January 04, 2012, 05:37:20 pm »

I've just started testing with RO standard, but back on RO HQ it happenned again, the screen went a mustardy colour, the audio repeated milliseconds of an audio sample over and over, the last frame briefly showed back on screen, and I saw a blue screen with text, I only managed to remember seeing "hardware error" before the PC rebooted itself.  The log from the crash was as follows:

Problem signature:

Problem Event Name:   BlueScreen

OS Version:   6.1.7601.2.1.0.256.48

Locale ID:   3081

Additional information about the problem:

BCCode:   124

BCP1:   00000000

BCP2:   86BE601C

BCP3:   BE000000

BCP4:   00800400

OS Version:   6_1_7601

Service Pack:   1_0

Product:   256_1

Files that help describe the problem:

C:\Windows\Minidump\010312-32541-01.dmp

C:\Users\Ben\AppData\Local\Temp\WER-39203-0.sysdata.xml

Read our privacy statement online:

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=104288&clcid=0x0409

If the online privacy statement is not available, please read our privacy statement offline:

C:\Windows\system32\en-US\erofflps.txt
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bpchia

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Re: Crash and 0% GPU activity problem.
« Reply #3 on: January 11, 2012, 04:44:21 pm »

Update on my issue:

The system crashed in the same way today using Red October Standard.  Therefore it is very unlikely to be a MadVR problem.

I noticed that when I force rebooted the HTPC using the reset button on the case, I watched the same file that had just crashed the system, and was able to watch it without problem until it finished (around an hour).  I have noticed this on several occasions, and I am pretty sure that the system has only crashed when I watch a video after the HTPC has resumed from SLEEP, which could be another clue.

The crash only occurs with MC17, no other software.

It may be a side issue, but I also have the following 2 questions:
1.  With H.264 MKV files the GPU activity is at 0%, but with H.264 TS files the GPU activity goes up to 60-65%, similar bitrates between files.  Why would this be?
2.  On MadVR settings I have noticed that there are two Dell monitors in the devices, what are these?

Many thanks.
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bpchia

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Re: Crash and 0% GPU activity problem.
« Reply #4 on: January 15, 2012, 07:51:31 pm »

Just checking if anyone has any ideas?
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CountryBumkin

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Re: Crash and 0% GPU activity problem.
« Reply #5 on: January 16, 2012, 07:00:03 am »

Is it crashing on the same file each time - or randomly crashing on different files?

If it is the same file, you can upload a copy to my ftp site I would be happy to try the file on my machine. PM me. Maybe you have one corrupt file.
If it is crashing on multiple files, then there is no need of course.

Be sure to upgrade to the latest version of MC17 before retesting. I don't use an ATI card, but I read over at AVSforum that sometimes the newest drivers are buggy so you may want to try an older set.

The Dell monitors are the devices the programmer used/had when writing the program. You can delete these once your gear is detected and setup - or leave alone. They won't hurt anything.
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bpchia

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Re: Crash and 0% GPU activity problem.
« Reply #6 on: January 16, 2012, 08:21:59 pm »

It is crashing on DIFFERENT files each time, at least 20 different files.

I always update to the latest MC17.

I will try an older ATI driver.

Why would the GPU activity be at 0% for H.264 MKVs, but 60-65% with H.264 TS files?

Thanks.
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JimH

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Re: Crash and 0% GPU activity problem.
« Reply #7 on: January 17, 2012, 07:01:13 am »

Do not use Red October HQ until you've got RO Std running well.

Run the Benchmark feature under MC's Help menu and post the results here.
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CountryBumkin

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Re: Crash and 0% GPU activity problem.
« Reply #8 on: January 17, 2012, 08:19:09 am »

Why would the GPU activity be at 0% for H.264 MKVs, but 60-65% with H.264 TS files?

Thanks.

Perhaps you are software decoding the MKV files and hardware decoding the TS files. I don't know. However, don't use Windows Task Manager to report GPU activity. It's not accurate.
Use somethng like GPU-Z
Also download MediaInfo program, then drag your file onto the icon (or add the file) and see what is going on with the files. Maybe they all have same audio or are VC-1, etc. That might help figure out what is going on. If you have some movies that play, compare those to the ones that don't. This might be the clue needed to figure this out.
Good luck
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bpchia

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Re: Crash and 0% GPU activity problem.
« Reply #9 on: January 17, 2012, 07:26:18 pm »

Thanks for the responses:

Will run the benchmark with RO Std.

I used CCC (ATI app) and something like GPU-Z to report the GPU activity.

I'm not sure why MKVs would be software decoded and TS files hardware decoded, because they are both the same streams (H.264 video) once they have been split by LAV Splitter...can anyone clarify?
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bpchia

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Re: Crash and 0% GPU activity problem.
« Reply #10 on: January 21, 2012, 12:28:01 am »

benchmark results:

=== Running Benchmarks (please do not interrupt) ===

Running 'Math' benchmark...
    Single-threaded integer math... 4.194 seconds
    Single-threaded floating point math... 2.367 seconds
    Multi-threaded integer math... 2.414 seconds
    Multi-threaded mixed math... 1.386 seconds
Score: 1834

Running 'Image' benchmark...
    Image creation / destruction... 1.280 seconds
    Flood filling... 0.578 seconds
    Direct copying... 0.866 seconds
    Small renders... 2.580 seconds
    Bilinear rendering... 1.555 seconds
    Bicubic rendering... 1.396 seconds
Score: 2665

Running 'Database' benchmark...
    Create database... 0.539 seconds
    Populate database... 2.361 seconds
    Save database... 0.513 seconds
    Reload database... 0.136 seconds
    Search database... 1.398 seconds
    Sort database... 1.161 seconds
    Group database... 0.776 seconds
Score: 3123

JRMark (version 17.0.68): 2541
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bpchia

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Re: Crash and 0% GPU activity problem.
« Reply #11 on: January 23, 2012, 05:51:11 pm »

The system crashed again using RO Std.

See benchmark above.

Also see video and photo of the screen when it crashed using links below, stayed like this until I reset the HTPC using the case button.

https://files.me.com/benchia4/fpseko
https://files.me.com/benchia4/bzds2v
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glynor

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Re: Crash and 0% GPU activity problem.
« Reply #12 on: January 24, 2012, 02:03:58 am »

However, don't use Windows Task Manager to report GPU activity. It's not accurate.
Use somethng like GPU-Z

GPU-Z's GPU Load Meter isn't necessarily accurate for this task either.

I can't find any documentation over what "load" exactly GPU-Z is tracking with that meter.  A modern GPU is made up of a whole bunch of largely independent parts.  Is that load tracking the load on the Shader Cores?  (That would be my guess.)  Or is it tracking the ROP rasterizers?  Or the texture units?  Or the memory controllers?  Or, perhaps most pertinent to this discussion, the hardware video decode logic processors?

Or is it tracking all of these components and producing some kind of aggregate "score" that is translated (at the GPU-Z designer's whim on "importance") into a 0-100% load meter?

I can't find any documentation one way or the other.

It is entirely possible that a GPU could be fully decoding video, via its dedicated hardware, and if GPU-Z is only tracking the shader cores (which may or may not be used for this hardware logic), they could be sitting totally idle so GPU-Z would show 0 or 1% or something low like that.

I'd consider GPU-Z's load meter a very rough guide at best, unless someone can point to some documentation.

None of this says anything about the OP's problem, of course.
That sounds like a hardware or driver problem to me.
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bpchia

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Re: Crash and 0% GPU activity problem.
« Reply #13 on: January 26, 2012, 04:17:02 pm »

Hi glynor, I'm also wondering why the load is 65% with H.264 TS files but 0% with H.264 MKVs...if it showed just the shaders then both should be 0%.....
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bpchia

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Re: Crash and 0% GPU activity problem.
« Reply #14 on: January 31, 2012, 04:59:46 pm »

I'm considering replacing the video card to see if this fixes the problem: any recommendations?  Is nVidia a must given the LAV CUVID to MadVR option?  What do people think of the GT 440?  Is 512MB GDDR5 or 1GB GDDR3 preferable?
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Sandy B Ridge

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Re: Crash and 0% GPU activity problem.
« Reply #15 on: January 31, 2012, 05:26:08 pm »

I run a GDDR3 GT430 and it seems fine mostly. GDDR5 is always preferable due to much better memory copy rates. I had to get a low profile card, so that's why I have the GT430. If I had the choice I would definitely go GDDR5 - if only for the fact that it removes any doubt in your mind that any issues are caused by a cr@p graphics card!

The GT430 is on the cusp of being able to do all that you want with MadVR, a GT440 GDDR5 should definitely do what you want.

With new ATI cards coming out fortnightly and NVIDIA due in April/May, you may be as well to wait a few months to see what happens. If cost is an issue, then the current models will also drop in price when the new ones are announced. I'm still hoping for a nice NVIDIA Kepler low profile GDDR5!

SBR
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bpchia

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Re: Crash and 0% GPU activity problem.
« Reply #16 on: February 01, 2012, 09:29:48 pm »

Good advice SBR
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