Crossfire, Zero Core and Afterburner

[the54thvoid]

Hi all,

I'd appreciate responses from AMD/ATI owners with crossfire configs (because they're very relevant and will keep the issue in controllable parameters).

I've now got two 7970's running in crossfire and apart from some weird tubing arrangements for my water loop (res - pump - 120.4 rad - cpu - gfx2 - 120.1 rad - gfx1 - res) it's all quite nice. My cards (factory OC'd) are running at 1010 & 1050 core, temps get to 50-55 with low rpm fans.

I can get zero core to work but even though crossfire is enabled, I need to disable then re-enable it (crossfire) in CCC to make zero-core work so the 2nd card shuts off completely when outside gaming. So that's all cool.
But if i restart my PC i need to do the whole 'disable, re-enable' to make zero core work - it doesn't survive PC reboots or power downs?
Also, with zero core, Afterburner stops registering the 2nd gpu's temp and clocks but will still display usage.

So:
On reboot, crossfire works fine but zero core doesn't.
I need to disable crossfire then enable it again to make zero-core work.
With zero-core on Afterburner doesn't register the 2nd gpu's core or temp.

And launching gpu-z just freezes my system now (but my workaround is that i don't use gpu-z much).

Any help on the zero-core problem (i.e., keeping it on).

I figure there's a regedit ULPS answer coming up and maybe my two factory overclocked BIOS.

Any insight appreciated.

 

[the54thvoid]

Bumping my own thread looking for answers. Webs got nothing

 

[cadaveca]

my 7950's work fine with ZeroCore, even in Crossfire, got them installed now, second card is cold to the touch(system has been on since yesterday).


I do NOT use Afterburner. I use Sapphire Trixx to OC, since I don't care for the monitoring or any of that stuff that Afterburner offers.


I have ZERO ideas if your problem is Afterburner related.

 

[manofthem]

What driver are you using? I had issues back with 12.3 or 12.4, but those aren't here anymore. currently using 12.8

 

[the54thvoid]

I think it's the factory BIOS on the cards. I'm on 12.8 Catalyst drivers.

I've restarted with Afterburner off (not set to start up with windows). No matter what I do the second GPU doesn't kick into sleep. It's actually running at 500MHz and full memory.

First GPU is at 300MHz and 150 memory.

But if i disable and then re-enable crossfire, I can guarantee it'll make zero core work.

Lol, yup, exactly as I say. Makes no sense at all to me. Any software guru's got any clue's? CCC is enabling crossfire, works flawlessly for me (98-99% usage in BF3 on both cards) but i need to do that annoying disable/enable crossfire to jump zero core into life.

 

[cadaveca]

If you overclocked past CCC limits, you disabled ULPS, right? That'd be the problem, perhaps.

 

[the54thvoid]

I've not manually disabled ULPS.

I can rule out the BIOS. Used the second BIOS (which reset to 925/1375, stock of a vanilla 7970) and same issue. When I used this card on it's own it would also sleep when not in use (on screen time out).

It has to be CCC not picking things up properly. Even the idle is 500MHz of the 2nd gpu but after i run a 3D program (Heaven 3.0) it then decides to downclock to 300/150.

It's a very small niggle but more niggly for being so weird.

I mean I can just disable/enable every time i reboot but that's not the point. Crossfire works period. Zero Core needs to be reminded to work. And when it's on, it's very on. As soon as the 3D app stops, the cards out for the count

EDIT:

Hah! I'm not alone. Someone else on another forum has exactly same problem and same nuisance fix:

http://www.overclock.net/t/1218333/zerocore-not-working-why/10#post_16548730 (post 11).

 

[rv73566]

I had the same problem with driver version 12.8 and two HD7970. No i'm using the 12.9 Beta from amd homepage and crossfire and zerocore works fine.
Both cards are on at starting my PC and after the first logon, the second card switches off and starts when needed and switches off again when game/benchmark is over.
But i haven't tested any game yet, i only run 3DMark2011 and had no significant differences between 12.8 and 12.9 Beta.

 

[the54thvoid]

Nice one!

Installed the 12.9's and the zero core issue has gone.

Thanks!

 

[H82LUZ73]

I think it's the factory BIOS on the cards. I'm on 12.8 Catalyst drivers.

I've restarted with Afterburner off (not set to start up with windows). No matter what I do the second GPU doesn't kick into sleep. It's actually running at 500MHz and full memory.

First GPU is at 300MHz and 150 memory.

But if i disable and then re-enable crossfire, I can guarantee it'll make zero core work.

Lol, yup, exactly as I say. Makes no sense at all to me. Any software guru's got any clue's? CCC is enabling crossfire, works flawlessly for me (98-99% usage in BF3 on both cards) but i need to do that annoying disable/enable crossfire to jump zero core into life.

Try to uninstall Afterburner,uninstall the drivers,Clean sweep then install drivers again,Then install the cap 12.9- 1 drivers.Never use Afterburner or have it installed while updating cats.