HELP! Can no longer get 1080p with 60hz!!

[Camphero]

Hey guys. I have searched this issue for the past 4 days and cannot solve it. At some point in the recent past, my 1080p tv, which is hooked up to my computer, has stopped being able to display 1080p at 60hz, but instead only gives me a 59hz or 59.94jz option that is not smooth, but looks stuttery. In the recent past, I had tweaked the monitor settings using apps like CRU, and AmdDownsamplingGUI to achieve better graphics while gaming. Also, catalyst and the windows resolution settings report the display correctly as 1080p/60hz, but in game, it only lists 59 or 59.94 as an option for 1080p. Here are the details

My rig: asus m5a99x rev 2.0 motherboard, amd 8350 processor, with a 7970/280x in crossfire running windows 8.1 64-bit (the problem also existed during windows 7).

What I have tried to fix, or pinpoint the source of the issue:
1. Reinstalled catalysis drivers (even uninstalled using various uninstall utilities for amd drivers).
2. Connected second pc to tv to rule out an issue with the TV. My other oc has a 6870 card and it gave me the 1080p 60hz option correctly.
3. Installed the exact same catalyst drivers the 6870 was using to rule out the drivers.
4. Installed latest beta drivers.
5. Switched the order of the top and bottom gpu and reinstalled to rule out crossfire issue.
6. Removed GPUs and installed each one separately to rule out the individual GPUs being the issue.
7. Upgraded to windows 8.1 from windows 7 to rule out OS issue.
8. Double clicked "reset all" on the CRU folder to restore CRU settings in case that was the cause.
9. Tried different cables and ports (hdmi, dvi, vga)
10. Surprisingly, VGA gives me the 1080p 60hz option in games, but VGA is nowhere near as sharp as hdmi or divi, and I wouldn't consider that a solution at all as there would still be an underlying issue.
11. Updated the firmware on mt tv (Sony bravia).
12. Reset my tv.
13. Updated the bios on my mobo

It isn't my tv since my other pc works just fine in 1080p 60z. It isn't the drivers for my gpu. It isn't the video cards since I tried each gpu separately and in either case I couldn't get 1080p 60hz. What else could it be. It seems that I've eliminated everything from being the cause. The only thing I can think of is CRU and/or amddownsamplinggui having changed something somewhere that isn't fixed my merely reinstalling catalysis drivers! or by simply upgrading from windows 7 to windows 8.1. Could it be some bios setting, or some windows registry that was edited by these programs that I need to unedit? Does upgrading from windows 7 to 8.1 count as a clean install, or does it leave registry files as is from the previous windows 7 installation. If upgrading does perform a clean install, then what else could be causing this?

[ToastyX]

CRU creates EDID overrides, but it doesn't leave anything behind if you run reset-all.exe. Try disabling the extension block. The TV might have another 1080p @ 60 Hz defined in there. If you need basic audio, enable the extension block and import this file using the latest CRU: https://www.monitortests.com/hdmi-audio.dat

AMD Downsampling GUI uses timing overrides that might still be installed. Run regedit and search the registry for DAL2_DATA. Delete all the DAL2_DATA__2_0 folders and reboot. That should remove any AMD-specific timing overrides and display adjustments.

[Camphero]

Thank you for replying. I erased the two folders in the registry and restarted. When I restarted, the folders were back (which I assume is normal?), but it didn't fix the issue. I then hit reset all again, and restarted, and no change, then I tried the CRU. Import file, and it doesn't seem to change anything (when I import it, nothing in the CRU settings seems to be changed), then I tried the file with extensions block disabled and enabled. It still lacks 60hz for resolutions higher than 1280. As I mentioned earlier, it claims to allow 60hz for some low resolutions, but even these don't look 60hz. Here are the resolutions and hz I have as options in games:
640x480 59.94hz
720x480 60hz
720x480 59.94hz
720x576 50hz
720x576 60hz
800x600 60hz
1024x768 60hz
1920x1080 59.94hz

Also, I notice that the lists change often. I went to bf3 and a lot of resolutions between 1024 and 1920 are missing this time. What could it be? Do I need to do a clean install of windows. Is a physical issue, like psu or an incorrectly connected cable somewhere? Thanks

[ToastyX]

That doesn't sound like a physical issue. That sounds like a game or driver issue. I don't know where it's getting 59.94 Hz from, but even if it were 59.94 Hz, it shouldn't be stuttering.

Check the Catalyst Control Center under "My Digital Flat-Panels" and make sure "Reduce DVI frequency on high-resolution displays" is NOT enabled, and check under "HDTV Support" and make sure none of the custom HDTV formats are added.

The resolutions that are available can change depending on what you have defined with CRU. Make sure 1920x1080 @ 60 Hz is defined as the first detailed resolution.

If you use CRU to remove all the resolutions except the 1920x1080 @ 60 Hz detailed resolution and disable the extension block, there shouldn't be a 59.94 Hz. If that doesn't work, edit the resolution and try the "LCD reduced" timing option to use non-HDTV timing parameters, and if that still doesn't work, try changing the refresh rate to something like 60.01 Hz.

If that doesn't help, then I don't know what it could be. Have you checked if disabling CrossFire makes a difference?