Can I set global clocks for an AMD card?

[eodeo]

I'm hoping to force global 2d clocks to emulate how nvidia cards behave, since AMD cards use much more power while playing a video and/or running multiple monitors.

So, I'd want global 2d clocks most of the time, with 3d clocks only kicking in when I explicitly choose so, such as when starting a game.

Is there something like nvidia inspector for AMD? Is there any way to globally force either of the two states (2d/ 3d)?

On a fairly related note, is there a way to force zerocore to work with 2 monitors?

 

[TRWOV]

I know that you can set 2D and 3D profiles with MSI Afterburner. There's a profiles option in Catalyst Control Center but I don't know if you can force clock speeds with that.

 

[eodeo]

Unless there is something I'm missing, Afterburner cannot come near 2d clocks. It is locked somewhere half way there. Overdrive from CCC can do it, but it makes 2d=3d clocks while video is still played at very high GPU/RAM clocks with no opinion to fix it. Not only is this unfortunate for playing a video, but also for playing a 3d game with 2d clocks.

 

[Steevo]

Have you bothered using google to find that Afterburner only allows 50% higher and lower clocks than current, except you can edit the configuration files, or lower, close it and reopen it and then set the clocks you want? Actually I think we just had a thread about this, and the reason AMD cards have higher power draw is the better visual output of video and lack of stuttering Nvidia gives users on secondary screens at low clocks.

 

[erocker]

Not sure if this still works with newer cards/drivers: http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/updated-amd-ati-2d-clock-guide.117633/

 

[eodeo]

I think we just had a thread about this

We did. I decided to ask the question differently, hoping to find an answer to a better posed question.

Afterburner only allows 50% higher and lower clocks than current, except you can edit the configuration files

I did not know you can edit the config files. Last time you only mentioned:

lower, close it and reopen it and then set the clocks you want

This I've already tried and said it does not work. From it I concluded that they probably just changed Afterburner. Also, I'm hoping for an automated setup, not one I have to setup manualy to either 2d or 3d clocks- but I'll take even manual over none.


As I've mention earlier I can get AMD cards for very cheap since miners selling their cards lowerd their price significantly. Sadly, AMD sux with most of their idle everything as soon as a second monitor is added or a video is played. I recently owned both gtx 660ti and 7950 and if anything, picture quality was better on nvidia since it worked right out of the box- where as 7950 refused to show proper colors on either main or secondary screen if I connected one of them vie HDMI cable. Only using HDMI>DVI cable fixed the color reproduction problem. Unnecessarily high clocks did nothing to improve or diminish picture quality beyond that.

Have I mentioned that even ZeroCore did not work with the second monitor connected, regardless of what cable configuration I used? After using 7950 for a couple of days I only got a feeling that AMD added multi monitor support just to catch up to nvidia. They did nothing to optimize that experience.

I'd also like to mention that no stuttering, flickering or any ill effects affected either main or secondary screen while using 660ti. Clocks were 2d all on their own in all non 3d scenarios and everything played beautifully. I'd know since I am professional 3d animator. Stuttering and dropped frames are particularity annoying to me. Using loads of power to sustain unrealistically high clocks bother me more.

I'd like to get a higher performing AMD card for less money, but before I do that I'd like to be sure that AMD can be configured to work properly- since AMD didn't bother to do it themselves.

Not sure if this still works with newer cards/drivers: http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/updated-amd-ati-2d-clock-guide.117633/

Thanks Erocker, but I'm not a programer and that looks unfamiliar to me. Am I supposed to edit clocks there somehow?

 

[erocker]

ves.



Thanks Erocker, but I'm not a programer and that looks unfamiliar to me. Am I supposed to edit clocks there somehow?

Yeah, it's pretty straightforward and I'm as far away from being a programmer as one can be, lol. Just follow it step by step... If you mess it up, just uninstall and reinstall your drivers.

 

[eodeo]

Since I don't have an AMD card just now, I'm asking this to find if it is even plausible to get one- what does this do- assuming I follow it and do it perfectly?

Will this force 2d clocks for everything but games? Will games run at 3d by default or do I need to set something up? What about video playback? Does it address this too?

 

[Steevo]

Yep, it still uses the AMD preset load to increase core clocks if needed (powerplay) but allows you to adjust the actual speeds of the core and memory, but without voltage adjustment. doing the same with afterburner you can set 2d and 3d clocks, but you need to read up and follow the directions to do it correctly.

 

[newconroer]

Have you bothered using google to find that Afterburner only allows 50% higher and lower clocks than current, except you can edit the configuration files, or lower, close it and reopen it and then set the clocks you want? Actually I think we just had a thread about this, and the reason AMD cards have higher power draw is the better visual output of video and lack of stuttering Nvidia gives users on secondary screens at low clocks.

I didn't have any luck doing this with 290 series, whenever you reopen Afterburner, it forces the clocks back to the previous profile data.

I of course went on a Google hunt for a bit, with no success. Definitely point us in the right direction, if there's still a way using AF.

It's a shame Radeon Pro hasn't got the feature.

 

[Steevo]

Have you tried setting unofficial overclocking mode to value 2? Its supposed to disable power play. Or the method erocker posted?

 

[newconroer]

I checked out Erocker's method though it only applies to CCC?

I'll give OC mode 2 another try.

EDIT :

This is the profile for one of the cards. I've bolded areas of interest :

[Defaults]
Format=2
CoreClk=0
MemClk=0
[Settings]
CaptureDefaults=0
[Startup]
Format=2
CoreClk=350000
MemClk=245000
CoreVoltageBoost=-69
AuxVoltageBoost=0
PowerLimit=0
FanMode=1
FanSpeed=30
[I2C_BUS_06_DEV_30]
Offset00=29 0F 20 01 1A 1E 70 72 80 7E 11 66 66 44 FF FF
Offset10=A2 22 80 10 2A FF FF AE B4 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
Offset20=00 00 60 60 20 1E FF 80 06 21 9E 2D 37 9B 16 2C
Offset30=66 07 FC 7E 6F 05 05 10 81 A0 60 00 00 66 00 00
Offset40=A8 90 00 00 00 00 00 00 14 14 00 40 80 60 A0 FF
Offset50=FF 00 30 88 44 88 44 12 2A 02 A8 00 50 25 00 3C
Offset60=3C 03 0E 60 D1 9C 24 88 80 00 00 00 00 FF 06 FF
Offset70=FF 20 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 15 15 00 00
Offset80=00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 88 88 01 C2 44 02 00 1F
Offset90=00 05 43 59 58 03 70 70 5E A3 7F 80 07 04 25 27
OffsetA0=00 00 00 00 00 00 01 01 08 55 80 A0 9F 00 00 0F
OffsetB0=02 00 00 00 00 00 23 74 00 00 74 73 8C 15 00 00
OffsetC0=00 00 FF 7B B3 00 00 00 00 00 00 0D 03 44 00 00
OffsetD0=00 00 AD 50 0C 00 10 00 3F 00 00 00 23 C0 F0 00
OffsetE0=00 00 00 10 01 03 01 88 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
OffsetF0=00 00 00 00 00 33 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
[Profile1]
Format=2
CoreVoltageBoost=-69
AuxVoltageBoost=0
PowerLimit=0
CoreClk=947000
MemClk=1250000
FanMode=1
FanSpeed=30
[Profile2]
Format=2
CoreVoltageBoost=-62
AuxVoltageBoost=0
PowerLimit=0
CoreClk=1000000
MemClk=1300000
FanMode=1
FanSpeed=30
[Profile5]
CoreVoltageBoost=-69
AuxVoltageBoost=0
PowerLimit=0
CoreClk=350000
MemClk=245000
FanMode=1
FanSpeed=30
Format=2
[Profile3]
Format=2
CoreVoltageBoost=
AuxVoltageBoost=
PowerLimit=
CoreClk=
MemClk=
FanMode=
FanSpeed=
[PreSuspendedMode]
Format=2
CoreVoltageBoost=-50
AuxVoltageBoost=0
PowerLimit=0
CoreClk=947000
MemClk=1250000
FanMode=1
FanSpeed=36
[Profile4]
Format=2
CoreVoltageBoost=
AuxVoltageBoost=
PowerLimit=
CoreClk=
MemClk=
FanMode=
FanSpeed=


Profile1 and Profile2 are active working clocks for 3D use.
Startup is the clocks applied at Windows login and Profile5 is for forcing 2D Clocks without Powerplay(Overclocking mode 2).

I had to enter the profile and change the clocks down for Profile5. In Afterburner, they show as 977/1000. The behavior is odd. Card one starts out at somewhere like 500 core, and then drops down to 350 as I input for a test run. However card two which I am not using special clocks for, is all ready down at 300 (powerplay 2D speed), even though I have Powerplay disabled!

Something seems wonky.

 

[Steevo]

How are you disabling power play?

Also move "Format=2" to the top under profile 5.

 

[newconroer]

Overclocking mode two disables powerplay.

I may give it another try soon and move Format 2.