The 4800 series Driver, OCing, Cooling and Tweaking Thread

[ShadowFold]

Think this is safe?

[Urbklr]

Use the locked setting, and edit table 7, it is a 3D table.

Edit: Those 2D clocks are the improved 2D ones, found on the MSI. I use them, no problems here.

[ShadowFold]

How do you know which are 3d?

[Urbklr]

3D clocks would not work if I didn't set that table to 3D.

[ShadowFold]

Bout to save and flash, look good?

[Urbklr]

Looks good, flash it.

[BraveSoul]

hey Shadow,, i got similar bios clock settings,, except "clock info 00" i set it to default
625/993 got to work

[EastCoasthandle]

This news is interesting if true about furmark. As I've said before, I do not recommend anyone using this program with a 4800 series card. Things may change with Cat 8.8
source

I know that HD4870 runs very HOT - about 70-79c at idle, how much percentage you can crank up the fan - before you start hearing noise from fan, but with reduce heat from GPU at idle for the card?
I've fixed the fan speed at 35% with a custom CCC profile (it doesn't bother me much, really).
The other thing is a new BIOS with reduced idle GPU voltage, I've flashed, and reapplying tin layer of AS5 to the heat-sink. The final addition was a 120mm side-case silent fan, blowing air straight to the card.
Now, after all this, my idle temps (as viewed in GPU-Z) are 47/58/47° idling and 77/83/76° under the spinning FurMark (way above average game load).

By the way, speaking of FurMark, ATi's driver team obviously decided to axe the notorious "heater" application, by detecting the executable at startup, halving down the performance and thus the heat output, in the latest Catalyst 8.8 beta leak.
Just so lame...

For some who don't know, the issue is the vrm not the gpu.

[Kaleid]

They really need to fix this the way it should be fixed with the next series of cards. Better default cooling. Larger heatsinks and larger fans.

3870 was perfect for after market coolers. All you needed to do was to remove the cooler and it left heatsinks for the RAM and the VRM still in place. Now all you had to do was to attach your own cooler for the GPU...

[LuxZg]

@EastoCoast - I actualy agree with this decision. Furmark was way over any normal load that you could achieve in games or benchmarks. Good to heat up the card, but I'm still avoiding it with my 4870 cos I simply don't want it to burn out or something. If it's stable in all games and 3dmarks and similar, it's good enough for me.

@4870 idle BIOS settings - had anyone yet tried flashing with lower voltage and GPU clocks lowered to let's say 200MHz? Like 4850's have..
I've compiled data from all factory BIOS files I could get, and only one had lower voltage in 2D (1.203V) and none had lower than 500MHz GPU in 2D. I believe 200MHz could be fine, and with 1.203V it would be much less power consumption, and thus less heat, but it is really weird noone yet made a BIOS like that. I'm even unaware of home-made BIOS that would be similar to these specs..
As much as I've figured out, you just have to keep GDDR5 clocks always the same, otherwise card gets unstable when changing between 2D & 3D.
If anyone had tried, pls post what were your findings, tnx!

[EastCoasthandle]

Originally Posted by LuxZg

@EastoCoast - I actualy agree with this decision. Furmark was way over any normal load that you could achieve in games or benchmarks. Good to heat up the card, but I'm still avoiding it with my 4870 cos I simply don't want it to burn out or something. If it's stable in all games and 3dmarks and similar, it's good enough for me.

@4870 idle BIOS settings - had anyone yet tried flashing with lower voltage and GPU clocks lowered to let's say 200MHz? Like 4850's have..
I've compiled data from all factory BIOS files I could get, and only one had lower voltage in 2D (1.203V) and none had lower than 500MHz GPU in 2D. I believe 200MHz could be fine, and with 1.203V it would be much less power consumption, and thus less heat, but it is really weird noone yet made a BIOS like that. I'm even unaware of home-made BIOS that would be similar to these specs..
As much as I've figured out, you just have to keep GDDR5 clocks always the same, otherwise card gets unstable when changing between 2D & 3D.
If anyone had tried, pls post what were your findings, tnx!

It is my understanding that it's not necessary the GPU clock but the combination of the GPU voltage and memory clock that is contributing to power consumption while idle. If you noticed, the HD 2900 and 3800 series cards down clock in idle (2D mode):
-GPU Clock Rate
-Memory Clock Rate
-GPU voltage
-memory voltage (I believe)
This is not happening with the 4870 cards that I know of. The only thing getting reduced is the GPU clock rate in 2D mode. Memory Clock Rate and GPU voltage remains the same.

If I am correct (and I believe I am at the moment) there is no reason for this what so ever. We may need to start a new thread to verify what is a good bios to flash with lower GPU voltage and memory clock rate in 2D mode only (leave the other 2d mode alone as is) if the driver team doesn't address it IMO. Many have changed bioses to reduce this with no ill effects so we need to pool these people together so we can have 1 unified way of executing this, hassle free. Also, to make sure there are no ill effects when updating from one Cat version to another.

[EastCoasthandle]

Note:
Has anyone tried auto tune on their 4870 to see if it will go higher then 790? This test may take a while though.

Side Note:
It doesn't appear that auto turn allows you to OC above 790 on a stock/unmodified bios.

[nafets]

Power savings in IDLE (2D) for the HD4870 don't come from lowered GPU clocks, but rather lowered MEMORY clocks.

2D IDLE
Going from 500/900 to 160/900 saves only 1W.
Going from 500/900 to 160/225 saves 39W.

The only problem is that you can't use modified MEMORY clocks in the bios as you will get on-screen flashing as PowerPlay randomly moves from 2D to 3DLP/HP states, and vice versa, even when not gaming.

To take advantage of lower GPU/MEMORY clocks, use the AMD Gpu Clock Tool which allows you to set when you want 2D clocks, and when you want 3DLP/HP clocks, avoiding the random on-screen flashing.

Changing the default voltage of 1.263 to 1.203 in the BIOS for 2D IDLE state resulted in no decrease of power consumption or temperatures. It just isn't working right now for the HD4870....

[EastCoasthandle]

Originally Posted by nafets

Power savings in IDLE (2D) for the HD4870 don't come from lowered GPU clocks, but rather lowered MEMORY clocks.

2D IDLE
Going from 500/900 to 160/900 saves only 1W.
Going from 500/900 to 160/225 saves 39W.

The only problem is that you can't use modified MEMORY clocks in the bios as you will get on-screen flashing as PowerPlay randomly moves from 2D to 3DLP/HP states, and vice versa, even when not gaming.

To take advantage of lower GPU/MEMORY clocks, use the AMD Gpu Clock Tool which allows you to set when you want 2D clocks, and when you want 3DLP/HP clocks, avoiding the random on-screen flashing.

Changing the default voltage of 1.263 to 1.203 in the BIOS for 2D IDLE state resulted in no decrease of power consumption or temperatures. It just isn't working right now for the HD4870....

Interesting, if you reduce the gpu voltage and didn't notice any reduce temps or reduce power consumption then I honestly don't believe your video card was actually at 1.203V.

[mat9v]

It wasn't, because bios voltage changing for 4870 is not working. I don't have a multimeter but from temp readings (tested with AMD GPU Tool changing core and mem frequency) at set fan speed @ 20% (to more easily show differences), setting core frequency lower than 450 did not result in lower temps. On the other hand lowering memory frequency did lower temps. Right down to 250, any lower and I could not get any change in temps. Anyway I found memory speeds lower than 300 to be unstable. In one case where memory was set at 900 and core at 160 the system flipped. I would regularly blackscreen and see artifacts when starting any 3d app. I wonder if voltage is not lowered automaticaly with core clock? Why else would so low core clock result in blackscreen (there was no changing clocks by powerplay since AMD GPU Tool disable that function when started), when I set core to 500 in the same situation the problems wanished.
I read somewhere that 4870 has 4 power states that are used automaticaly when core clock changes. But maybe that was wrong.

[LuxZg]

Originally Posted by EastCoasthandle

If I am correct (and I believe I am at the moment) there is no reason for this what so ever. We may need to start a new thread to verify what is a good bios to flash with lower GPU voltage and memory clock rate in 2D mode only (leave the other 2d mode alone as is) if the driver team doesn't address it IMO. Many have changed bioses to reduce this with no ill effects so we need to pool these people together so we can have 1 unified way of executing this, hassle free. Also, to make sure there are no ill effects when updating from one Cat version to another.

I'm all for a new thread if there are more people wanting to give their opinion, so we don't choke this thread. Driver team won't do it cos it's fixed in BIOS as much as I know :/

As soon as I get some more tools I'll try to take a BIOS like ASUS TOP, than tweak 2D clocks/voltages lower, plus adjusting fan speeds.. Aiming for a "perfect" all-in-one BIOS solution for all HD4870's problems.

Originally Posted by EastCoasthandle

Note:
Has anyone tried auto tune on their 4870 to see if it will go higher then 790? This test may take a while though.
Side Note:
It doesn't appear that auto turn allows you to OC above 790 on a stock/unmodified bios.

No, it drives you to 790/1100, than backs down to 780/1090 cos it notices that it had hit the "wall" but doesn't "know" it's artificaly set by BIOS and not a result of unstable card.
On ASUS TOP/Diamond XOC people confirmed that AutoTune drives them all the way where card is stable (I've seen even 870MHz GPU on one ASUS flashed board, and I think it was 1150MHz memory on XOC flashed one..)

Originally Posted by nafets

Power savings in IDLE (2D) for the HD4870 don't come from lowered GPU clocks, but rather lowered MEMORY clocks.

2D IDLE
Going from 500/900 to 160/900 saves only 1W.
Going from 500/900 to 160/225 saves 39W.

The only problem is that you can't use modified MEMORY clocks in the bios as you will get on-screen flashing as PowerPlay randomly moves from 2D to 3DLP/HP states, and vice versa, even when not gaming.

To take advantage of lower GPU/MEMORY clocks, use the AMD Gpu Clock Tool which allows you to set when you want 2D clocks, and when you want 3DLP/HP clocks, avoiding the random on-screen flashing.

Changing the default voltage of 1.263 to 1.203 in the BIOS for 2D IDLE state resulted in no decrease of power consumption or temperatures. It just isn't working right now for the HD4870....

I've got some info on memory/voltage. Seems like it's working in SOME BIOS files at very least: BIOS dated 06/17/08, version 113-B50701-105, ATOMBIOSBK-ATI VER011.003.000.001.029335, for a reference board, 1.203V in 2D

First tests on a regular HD4870 by the original poster (The_Firefox) show that a considerable power reduction in 2D can be achieved with the voltage and memory frequency switching supported in this bios:
GPU @ Voltage, MEM freq, VRM (measured in EVEREST)
500 @1.263, 900, ~26A
550 @1.1, 900, ~22A
550 @1.1, 500, ~14.25A

Sooo, lower voltage DOES help in this BIOS (see 1st and 2nd line having same clocks, but 2nd having lower amps cos of lower voltage even though clocks are actually a bit higher). You're right, memory clocks seem to have largest effect. (I'm spekaing under assumption that Everest is monitoring it correctly).

As for 2D/3D flickering... doesn't 4870 have "low 2d"/"high 2d"(or do you call that "low 3d"?)/"full 3d clocks"? So shouldn't card just be swapping between "low 2d"/"high 2D" clocks? And it those are same, there should be no flickering except when going to 3D which is neglible as you're probably looking at loading screen of a game, plus perhaps resoultion changes and other "flickerings" anyway.

[FR@NK]

Originally Posted by LuxZg

As for 2D/3D flickering... doesn't 4870 have "low 2d"/"high 2d"(or do you call that "low 3d"?)/"full 3d clocks"? So shouldn't card just be swapping between "low 2d"/"high 2D" clocks? And it those are same, there should be no flickering except when going to 3D which is neglible as you're probably looking at loading screen of a game, plus perhaps resoultion changes and other "flickerings" anyway.

I've noticed my 4870 will switch between low and high 3D even when gaming. And at the desktop it will switch between 2d and low 3d power states. The flickering was bothering my eyes so I set all my power states to the same memory clocks. I guess if you really wanna save power and avoid the flickering with a 4870....you could just set the mem clock at 600 in all of the power states and still have a faster memory subsystem then a 4850.

[EastCoasthandle]

The 4870 does have a low 2D mode and a high UVD mode. I would not mess with the high 2D mode just the low 2D mode using lower gpu and memory clocks and lower gpu voltage. The problem is that the voltage for all is still 1.263V.

[maudio3]

4850 720 core 1140 mem..

[H82LUZ73]

Originally Posted by EastCoasthandle

The 4870 does have a low 2D mode and a high UVD mode. I would not mess with the high 2D mode just the low 2D mode using lower gpu and memory clocks and lower gpu voltage. The problem is that the voltage for all is still 1.263V.

You sure this is from the AMD Over Drive program,notice the 450mhz low 2d and the volts,Also when the 3d kicks in it goes to 1.276 volts.

[LuxZg]

In case someone missed it - new "low 2D" thread is over here.. I mean, I've missed it so I'm hoping I'm not the only "blind" person around

[Bingo the Clown]

Does anyone happen to know off the top of their head the exact measurement from pin to pin of the Vreg heatsink on a 4850?
I'm looking for a readymade HS if i can find one with the same pin to pin (mounting) holes

Thanks for any info.

Bingo

[Urbklr]

I would say 1.5 inches, don't know exact...I doubt you will find a aftermarket one, but you never know. Just get a pack of Zalman heatsinks, it comes with 4 big ones, and 4 normal sized ones.

[binormalkilla]

Well I installed Crysis again and played it for a few minutes at very high just to see how it ran and I got a driver reset about 5 minutes into the game......wondering if that's from unstable memory or GPU...I haven't put my sinks on a few memory chips yet (water block is in the way from GPUs)......
That's at 750/1125 AFAIK. I'm stable in everything else...

[EastCoasthandle]

Originally Posted by H82LUZ73

You sure this is from the AMD Over Drive program,notice the 450mhz low 2d and the volts,Also when the 3d kicks in it goes to 1.276 volts.

I wasn't talking about amd over drive program. There is no option for 2d low/uvd/3d. I was talking about the bios settings using RBE.