MSI Radeon R9 290(X) gaming/lightning card club

[Lopez0101]

I don't undervolt at all. I don't think the BIOS helps any with OC, but I was using the stock HSF when I had the original and then flashed it. Instead of being stock at 997, or whatever it is, the BIOS makes the stock clock 1007/1250. It's direct from MSI.

 

[superbadapie]

i'd rather overclock, but the card doesn't clock at all, above 1030, so i am left with undervolting....

 

[Lopez0101]

I can manage 1097-1107, but over +100mv and games usually crash. Mem max is around 1350, even with Hynix.

 

[superbadapie]

so do you see any improvements in the near future? their was a guy on the msi forum who flashed his card to a sapphire bios, and got major oc improvements,

https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=177914.msg1285827#msg1285827

 

[fullinfusion]

Not a very informative link.. I had better luck flashing a stock amd 925mhz bios and pulling a few more MHz outa it.

 

[superbadapie]

Not a very informative link.. I had better luck flashing a stick amd 925mhz bios.

Could you maybe elaborate a bit?

 

[fullinfusion]

Well one page of not much info is what I was getting at.. Surely not much to go on

I didn't see any proof of such a boost so I just call bs to be honest... My first post has a link of a custom bios I requested straight from MSI for these cards and its up for the taking.

Peoples best bet is to find a stock AMD reference bios of 925mhz core clock. It seems to have loosed memory timings and clocks better.

 

[fullinfusion]

All owners of the MSI 290 TFIV Gaming 4G Version 1 card...

I haz an update.. It's the one's with the power cables that are a bitch to remove.

MSI's Bios for this card is a DUD!

It's the bios thats 977/1250 stock outta the box, and it needs to be changed.

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ONE YOU SHOULD RUN

It's the Reference AMD bios that's only a 947/1250 bios

It runs slow at stock but to be honest flash the #2 bios to it and just use the CCC or whatever overclocking software you like and set it to 977 or the 1007mhz setting.

It's smooth, fast and really works well, plus you get a tad more clock speed outta it. I'm thinking the memory timings are better with this bios as benches and games are just way better.

Run a few benches, and find out for your self as I'm so overwhelmed with the results I'm getting I had to share it.

Any questions? you know how to reach me

EDIT: forgive me if I don't reply asap, but we're having power black outs, and my APC backup has drained to ziltch but recharges when, and while I have hydro

OP HAS BEEN UPDATED TO THE BIOS

 

[superbadapie]

Thanks a lot! Will give this bios a wizz as soon as I get a chance, hopefully the v1 card can do some clocking

 

[Lopez0101]

I flashed the BIOS and ran FireStrike Extreme. These are just the graphics scores.

977/1250
Previous: 4817 (13.3 April '14)
New: 4869 (14.2)

1075/1350
Previous: 5202 (13.3 April '14)
New: 5263 (14.2)

Now, it's not a very big difference and the driver versions are not the same, so it could just be down to driver versions for the increase.

I can say though, this driver is definitely superior to either of the MSI ones. I'm up to 1450Mhz on memory at +62mv, and that's only because I haven't tried going lower yet, I probably could. Before, I could only go up to 1350Mhz before my system crashed. I haven't tried going above 1075 core, which was pretty much the max the old BIOS could do, and that was at +90mv.

Right now I'm sitting at 1127/1450 @ +75mv. I may bump the voltage as I was getting a bit of artifacting in the Metro: LL benchmark. Overall, pretty happy with this new BIOS if most games play nice with the higher clocks. Sitting at 5277 FireStrike Extreme. Before I maxed out at 4998, but that wasn't stable in most games.

 

[newconroer]

That's great, though for someone like myself who undervolts, I do not see this as necessary.

What I'd really like to figure out is how to stop Crossfire from disabling Powerplay. I haven't ever found information on why it only works on single card configurations.

 

[Lopez0101]

You might be able to undervolt more effectively? I can run lower voltages with this driver at higher overclocks that before. Might be able to run lower volts at stock clocks.

 

[fullinfusion]

Looks like it's RMA time for my version 1 card... the fan below the vrm's isn't spinning UNLESS you reach in and give it a tiny turn then it spins up.

Im getting sick of this company or should say cards from this company.

It's been nothing but a nightmare with these TFIV cards tbh.

Im almost embarassed to even have started this thread

EDIT* maybe ill get a version 2 card that clocks like the V2 I already have. That should be interesting

 

[Lopez0101]

Sounds like a good excuse to get a newer version to replace the crap V1, haha.

 

[newconroer]

You might be able to undervolt more effectively? I can run lower voltages with this driver at higher overclocks that before. Might be able to run lower volts at stock clocks.

Yes that's fair, though I don't like bios flashing cards - not for some small gains at this point.

 

[superbadapie]

ok... so I flashed and ran some benches!

At stock volts I get these stable

1100/1450...

With my -62mV setting i get 1040/1300

I dont think this is to bad?

Opinions welcome, and thanks for the info!

Got a weird problem with my afterburner now though, seems i fiddled to much, cant install it all without all the screens going black

Edit - got this sorted out

 

[newconroer]

ok... so I flashed and ran some benches!

At stock volts I get these stable

1100/1450...

With my -62mV setting i get 1040/1300

I dont think this is to bad?

Opinions welcome, and thanks for the info!

Got a weird problem with my afterburner now though, seems i fiddled to much, cant install it all without all the screens going black

Edit - got this sorted out

I'm able to get those clocks at -62 on stock BIOS. Did you check before flashing?

 

[Durvelle27]

Just to mimic TIM post. I used Shin-Estu X73D on all of my GPUs without any problems and it really drops temps a good bit.

 

[superbadapie]

I'm able to get those clocks at -62 on stock BIOS. Did you check before flashing?

Nice. Seems you have a pretty good chip.

Yep, tested it before, clocks better with the new bios in my opinion

Although I will have to do some fine tuning. BF4 runs fine, but dota does some weird stuff

 

[superbadapie]

On a side note, i noticed that after flashing the auto setting for my fan does not work, so just keep that in mind, and set it to curve mode!

 

[newconroer]

Nice. Seems you have a pretty good chip.

Yep, tested it before, clocks better with the new bios in my opinion

Although I will have to do some fine tuning. BF4 runs fine, but dota does some weird stuff

True, stability works both ways, maybe it is a good card(s). Though even -50 I believe is achievable for most people and that makes a significant difference. I suspect if at the outset, people were sharing the benefits of undervolting these cards with one another, we wouldn't have had so many 'overheating! help!' threads popping up on the web.

 

[fullinfusion]

Just to mimic TIM post. I used Shin-Estu X73D on all of my GPUs without any problems and it really drops temps a good bit.

And where would I find such a TIM my friend?

 

[eidairaman1]

I was able to pick up shinetsu like 4-6 years ago

 

[Durvelle27]

And where would I find such a TIM my friend?

Last tube i bought since i couldn't find 73D

http://www.performance-pcs.com/cata...oduct_info&cPath=46_58_1110&products_id=23069

 

[fullinfusion]

I sent my v1 card back in for RMA on Friday due to its one fan not starting up at times and over heating the vrms plus if I have it in the top slot it starts to throttle at 80-82c so that's no good. I called MSI and asked about why they didn't ask for a repipt and they said it goes off serial numbers so in fact you can sell the card and the new owner gets what's left of the warranty

Plus I didn't have to ship it to the states but out to Ontario Canada as the guy said that way they just issue you a brand new card.. I hope I get a v2 card so I can clock it up like the other v2 I have.