HD 3870x2 Fan Settings

[gsipruitt]

2x HD 3870 Fan Settings

After a few days of reading tutorials and testing, I've decided to post here for some help. I have two HD 3870s that are crossfired and I want to adjust the fan settings (as the cards really heat up). Without any load, the cards run about 60-66 degrees celcius. Under load, the cards can get between 75 - 90 degrees celcius. I should mention that I'm using default clock/core settings.

In the fan settings portion of RBE, I want to use the "Use Transfer Function" option. Given the information above, I was wondering if someone would be willing to suggest what I should set the following variables to:

Tmin
Tmax
Duty Cycle min %
Hysteresis %
Spin-up Cycle %
Tmin Hysteresis
Spin-up Time
PWM ramp on or off?
PWM Ramp %

Also, in the profile editor, I've set both video cards to manual "fan speed algorithm" as per the tutorial says. However, for the "fan speed percent" box, what should be entered?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[boogah]

Tmin 40
Tmax 90
Duty cycle min% 45%
PWM ramp on


so with those settings there it will spin the fans at 45% from start up then when it hit 40C it will start spinning up faster automatically until the temperature is back down.

You won't need the CCC profile for this as it is done on the card itself so delete those profiles or it will interfere with the bios settings of the fan speed.

 

[gsipruitt]

Thanks for the help, greatly appreciated!

Another question...the second card's fan speed is always lower than the first's, even though they'll be running at the same temperature. Is this normal?

And also, how much/often is the fan speed supposed to fluctuate? For example, right now the GPU temperature is 58c and the fan speed is still at 70%. According to the chart, however, it says the fan should be at about 64%. I haven't seen the fan speed move what-so-ever on either card yet.

 

[boogah]

Need to clear something up first.

Do you have 2 separate HD3870 (single GPU card) or HD3870x2 (Double GPU card) ?

 

[gsipruitt]

I have two single cards (HD 3870) that are crossfired. I flashed both of their bios's separately.

 

[boogah]

ok should call it 2 x 3870 instead. back to the topic...

The first card in crossfire should be doing alot more work than the second card. What program are you using to monitor the temperature and what brand model card are the 3870 you have? If those temperature are at idle something is not right.

After you flashed the cards you did restart the computer right ?

 

[gsipruitt]

I'm using GPU-Z to monitor the temperatures. The card brand is HIS (both of them). And yes, those temperatures are at idle. I was thinking they were high as well, but searching around the internet, I've found others with those temps.

However, to me, they just don't seem right.

 

[boogah]

are those the ICEQ turbo model 850 core 1190 mem ?

Because i'm running mine at 875 1375 with that fan setting and mine idles at at 33-34 C

 

[gsipruitt]

I'm using the basic model. However, looking at CCC now, this is what I see.

I have overdrive enabled (just to see temps), but it shows the GPU clock at 777 MHz and the memory clock at 1126 MHz. However, underneath that, it says "current clock settings" and shows the GPU clock at 300 MHz and the memory clock at 1126 MHz. I wonder why the discrepency ins GPU clock speed.

Any other suggestions as to why the temps are so high?

 

[boogah]

the 300 mhz is the 2D clock so don't mind that.

did you mess with the CCC profiles ? if so delete those because they are interfering with the bios settings of the cards.

 

[kenkickr]

Have you thought of taking the 3870 HSF's off and changing out the Thermal paste with some AS5 or MX-2? It helped out quite a bit with my 3870's and others I have done it to in the past.

 

[gsipruitt]

I did...but I see that it's recreating itself, and the fan setting in the profile is what's showing up in GPU-Z, so it's definitely interferring. There's a profile called "profiles," which I deleted, but has since recreated itself. The only other one in that folder is called "manifest," which I have no idea what it is...should that be deleted as well?

 

[boogah]

uninstall all the ATI software then delete the ACE folder Then shutdown and remove the crossfire cable. boot up and reinstall the drivers when both are installed shutdown then put the crossfire bridge on. start the computer and enable the crossfire X in CCC and see what kind of temps you are getting.

Changing out the thermal paste on the GPU to Arctic Silver 5 or the MX-2 is also good too. It would drop the temperature by 3-6C.

 

[gsipruitt]

Just to clarify, when you say "both are installed," are you suggesting that I install the drivers separately via device manager?

 

[boogah]

you'll just need to make sure in the device manager that both cards are installed before shutting down computer to put on the crossfire bridge.

you'll need CCC to enable crossfire.

 

[gsipruitt]

Ok,

Right now card #1 is at 51c and the other at 52c. However, the ACE folder is back...should I again delete it? And if so, will I have to restart the computer?

 

[boogah]

nah the ace file is fine there. that's for CCC to function correctly.

51C is still pretty high to me. what's the the highest temperature it gets to on load ?

 

[gsipruitt]

Well, the reason I ask is because that inside of the ACE folder is the "profiles" file again.

Under load, the card can get anywhere up to like 88c.

 

[boogah]

if it get that high the fan profiles you edited in RBE did not work.

 

[gsipruitt]

Well that was prior to all of this. I'm going to load up a game now and put it under load and see how it goes. However, should that "profiles" file be deleted once again?

 

[boogah]

the fan settings should look like this in RBE

Always flash the card one at a time with no crossfire bridge.

 

[gsipruitt]

Everything seems to be working ok now. Under load, the cards were only getting to about 65c and the fans were kicking up to keep up.

Thanks again!

 

[VuurVOS]

the fan settings should look like this in RBE

Always flash the card one at a time with no crossfire bridge.

I never had any problems with flashing both my hd3870's with crossfire bridges on it.

 

[gsipruitt]

The only reoccuring problem I'm noticing, is that the "profiles" file inside of the ACE folder. The fans kick up, but stay at what's specified in that profile. I need to find a way for that file to stop reproducing itself.

 

[gsipruitt]

Just an update on this...I removed the factory thermal paste and applied MX-2 and also adjusted the RBE settings as per the recommendations and everything is working good. Idle, temps are at about 46-48c and under load about 56-65c.

Thanks again for all the help/recommendations.