Sapphire RX 580 Pulse - Adjust Memory Timings - Better Gaming?

[jdavid27]

I have an RX 580 that I've recently overclocked.

- Overclocked Core Clock = 1450MHZ @ 1200mV

- Default Core Clock = 1366MHz @ 1150mV

- VRAM Clock = 2000MHz

I tried adjusting the VRAM clock speed in 50MHz increments. Made it up to 2150 but any increase in memory clock speed caused a decrease in gaming performance. Lower FPS.

I was wondering if adjusting the memory timings with something like 'AMD Memory Tweaker' would further enhance the in game performance of my card? If so is there any guide on how to do it? I dont have any experience with doing any of this but have read that some people tweak the timings and get more FPS.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks

 

[Imperator]

Keep in mind that any increasing in Mhz of memory or core clock would generate MUCH more heat then you think.
The video card producer tested them at a safe temperature.
So after a whole batch test they did on video cards they decided to clock them at xxx memory and yyy the core.
If you start boost the clock and memory for sure you will generate much more heat then the card can manage.
So the card will do the next thing available to protect itself : lower the clock (this is an automated process )
So actually you enter in protection mode with the card. (at least this is what i know)

 

[jdavid27]

Keep in mind that any increasing in Mhz of memory or core clock would generate MUCH more heat then you think.
The video card producer tested them at a safe temperature.
So after a whole batch test they did on video cards they decided to clock them at xxx memory and yyy the core.
If you start boost the clock and memory for sure you will generate much more heat then the card can manage.
So the card will do the next thing available to protect itself : lower the clock (this is an automated process )
So actually you enter in protection mode with the card. (at least this is what i know)

Thanks for that info. I keep a temp overlay while gaming and with my overclock my highest temp is 78 c. Thats within the 'safe range', from what Ive seen.

 

[Imperator]

That is what is it reported. In reality you will have some few more degrees there in plus

 

[jdavid27]

So I can't overclock? I'm using the AMD Radeon software that comes with built in limits that are supposed to make damaging the card nearly impossible.

 

[Imperator]

Foe example at my Asus RX580 the memory chips are exposed so basically you can't raise too much the speed.
On the other hand at my Sapphire RX580 all the chips are covered with thermal pads that transfers perfectly the temp to the cooler.
Basically it depends on the video card producer

 

[jdavid27]

I have a Sapphire RX 580 Pulse. Do you know how to adjust the memory timings? Would it be worth it? What temp would you reccomend maxing out at?

 

[Imperator]

When i ajusted my Sapphire was for mining - so i under voltage it and lowered the core. The only thing i raised was the memory. My mems runs at 2050 and core at 1150.
I have my target at 65 degrees.
But that is me

 

[eidairaman1]

Overclocking memory after a certain level requires increase of voltage which increases heat and also relaxing of memory timings at the higher bands.

Take a GPU-Z Screenshot please so I can determine what you are running

I have an RX 580 that I've recently overclocked.

- Overclocked Core Clock = 1450MHZ @ 1200mV

- Default Core Clock = 1366MHz @ 1150mV

- VRAM Clock = 2000MHz

I tried adjusting the VRAM clock speed in 50MHz increments. Made it up to 2150 but any increase in memory clock speed caused a decrease in gaming performance. Lower FPS.

I was wondering if adjusting the memory timings with something like 'AMD Memory Tweaker' would further enhance the in game performance of my card? If so is there any guide on how to do it? I dont have any experience with doing any of this but have read that some people tweak the timings and get more FPS.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks

This may be a guide too

Polaris 20 Voltage Curve

Yesterday I attempted to overclock my Sapphire RX 580 2048SP Pulse. Wait... What is a 580 2048SP? Oh, yes, it's a Chinese market only SKU. It can be simply regarded as an RX 570 with better binning and as a result possible higher frequencies. I think AMD's purpose of launching this model was to...

www.techpowerup.com

 

[jdavid27]

Overclocking memory after a certain level requires increase of voltage which increases heat and also relaxing of memory timings at the higher bands.

Take a GPU-Z Screenshot please so I can determine what you are running


This may be a guide too

Polaris 20 Voltage Curve

Yesterday I attempted to overclock my Sapphire RX 580 2048SP Pulse. Wait... What is a 580 2048SP? Oh, yes, it's a Chinese market only SKU. It can be simply regarded as an RX 570 with better binning and as a result possible higher frequencies. I think AMD's purpose of launching this model was to...

www.techpowerup.com

@eidairaman1

 

[eidairaman1]

Set the AMD tuning utility back to stock first, and i mean everything. And get Sapphire Trixx or MSI afterburner and do the tuning in 1 of those tools.

View attachment 215634

View attachment 215639

@eidairaman1

 

[jdavid27]

Set the AMD tuning utility back to stock first, and i mean everything. And get Sapphire Trixx or MSI afterburner and do the tuning in 1 of those tools.

@eidairaman1 - Ok, I've got MSI Afterburner and all tuning disabled in Radeon software. Whats next?

 

[Sabotaged_Enigma]

@eidairaman1 Thanks for quoting my article!
@jdavid27 Has your 580 got Polaris 20 XTX core or XTR core? If XTX, I don't think it can go too high like 1450 MHz. Most 580 models that are rated higher than 1411 MHz have XTR version core. And though 590 has the same spec as 580, it uses 12 nm process so has higher frequencies.
During my overclocking, I also observed some weird things which are hard to explain. Just like yours, if it went too high, it just didn't perform well. I don't know why, temperature is good, display output is good, everything is good, but it just doesn't perform well.

Oh, maybe it is because the TDP limit. You see you gave it 1200 mV which is A LOT, so power I estimate could be close to 185 W. And even if you increase TDP limit to its maximum, it may fall down because of the capability of the model's power supply.

 

[jdavid27]

@eidairaman1 Thanks for quoting my article!
@jdavid27 Has your 580 got Polaris 20 XTX core or XTR core? If XTX, I don't think it can go too high like 1450 MHz. Most 580 models that are rated higher than 1411 MHz have XTR version core. And though 590 has the same spec as 580, it uses 12 nm process so has higher frequencies.
During my overclocking, I also observed some weird things which are hard to explain. Just like yours, if it went too high, it just didn't perform well. I don't know why, temperature is good, display output is good, everything is good, but it just doesn't perform well.

Oh, maybe it is because the TDP limit. You see you gave it 1200 mV which is A LOT, so power I estimate could be close to 185 W. And even if you increase TDP limit to its maximum, it may fall down because of the capability of the model's power supply.

@RidiculousOwO - My RX 580 is Polaris20XTX. I played Call of Duty Modern Warfare multiplayer most of yesterday with those overclock settings. I had to have the fan speed kick in at 100% at 60c - 70c. This kept the temp at a max of 79c when under the heaviest load. I did see a significant increase in FPS with those core clock settings but the moment I touched the memory settings I lost FPS. I also did notice that my in game core clock would bounce around a little on certain maps. Only a couple of them did that though.

 

[Sabotaged_Enigma]

I did see a significant increase in FPS with those core clock settings but the moment I touched the memory settings I lost FPS.

Then it may be memory taking up too much power. Polaris cards' memory has an "almost constant" power consumption which hovers round 30 W, and that is counted into Total Board Power (TBP), which includes core power as well as memory's.
In your case, since touching memory settings lost you framerates, why not leave it there? lol And 256-bit GDDR5 at 2000 MHz provides bandwidth of 256 GB/s which is enough.

 

[jdavid27]

In your case, since touching memory settings lost you framerates, why not leave it there?

Because I'm trying to squeeze out as much performance I can from my graphics card. Haha, and messing around with different overclock settings is new and fun to me. : )

 

[Imperator]

Of course squeezing almost all that you can from a card is fun...but can be also such a pain in the ass.
So you choose if you stop at a certain point.

 

[jdavid27]

Of course squeezing almost all that you can from a card is fun...but can be also such a pain in the ass.
So you choose if you stop at a certain point.

Hasn't become a pain in the ass to me yet. Just fun.

 

[Sabotaged_Enigma]

Because I'm trying to squeeze out as much performance I can from my graphics card.

But now you have known to mess with memory settings brings performance drop, so where comes the bit you try to squeeze lol? I would stop once I knew this is the wrong way...
Maybe that's just not nicely tweaked by manufacturers, game developers and driver software... Who knows, eh? And that's also where "fun" comes to us!

 

[Palindrome]

Fellow RX580 Pulse owner here. I had no luck even pushing the memory frequency on mine past the stock speed, so I'm afraid I can't help there. I doubt that tweaking memory timings would have a noticeable impact on performance, like others have mentioned you're already running the card balls to the wall at 1.2V, 1.45GHz at 79°C; trying to push things even further could cause the card to throttle and downclock itself (which I believe it does at 82°C). Tuning memory and such could cause your card to exceed that threshold. Still well done squeezing another nearly 100MHz out of that Pulse!

 

[Imperator]

Fellow RX580 Pulse owner here. I had no luck even pushing the memory frequency on mine past the stock speed, so I'm afraid I can't help there. I doubt that tweaking memory timings would have a noticeable impact on performance, like others have mentioned you're already running the card balls to the wall at 1.2V, 1.45GHz at 79°C; trying to push things even further could cause the card to throttle and downclock itself (which I believe it does at 82°C). Tuning memory and such could cause your card to exceed that threshold. Still well done squeezing another nearly 100MHz out of that Pulse!

As you said and as i mentioned earlier the video card itself will act on its own to protect. It will downclock itself kinda protection mode, once it hits the designated temp.
So any further mod must be done without any temp increase. But with the regular cooling system is almost impossible.

 

[pavle]

I'd say just use it factory, seeing even that fan curve and with such GPU prices you'll either burn out your fans or the card for a few percent difference if at all.
And don't say that fan noise bothers you the least.

 

[eidairaman1]

@eidairaman1 Thanks for quoting my article!
@jdavid27 Has your 580 got Polaris 20 XTX core or XTR core? If XTX, I don't think it can go too high like 1450 MHz. Most 580 models that are rated higher than 1411 MHz have XTR version core. And though 590 has the same spec as 580, it uses 12 nm process so has higher frequencies.
During my overclocking, I also observed some weird things which are hard to explain. Just like yours, if it went too high, it just didn't perform well. I don't know why, temperature is good, display output is good, everything is good, but it just doesn't perform well.

Oh, maybe it is because the TDP limit. You see you gave it 1200 mV which is A LOT, so power I estimate could be close to 185 W. And even if you increase TDP limit to its maximum, it may fall down because of the capability of the model's power supply.

Also being a pulse cooler, not enough area for heat to be wickd away

Fellow RX580 Pulse owner here. I had no luck even pushing the memory frequency on mine past the stock speed, so I'm afraid I can't help there. I doubt that tweaking memory timings would have a noticeable impact on performance, like others have mentioned you're already running the card balls to the wall at 1.2V, 1.45GHz at 79°C; trying to push things even further could cause the card to throttle and downclock itself (which I believe it does at 82°C). Tuning memory and such could cause your card to exceed that threshold. Still well done squeezing another nearly 100MHz out of that Pulse!

It's the volts required after stock speeds, also to increase bandwidth timings must be loosened. No one has made a UI for a cards firmware where those settings can be adjusted on the fly like on a motherboard.

As you said and as i mentioned earlier the video card itself will act on its own to protect. It will downclock itself kinda protection mode, once it hits the designated temp.
So any further mod must be done without any temp increase. But with the regular cooling system is almost impossible.

Hasn't become a pain in the ass to me yet. Just fun.

 

[jdavid27]

After more testing I've set my overclock back to a Core Clock of 1411MHz @ 1095mV. Similar setting to @RidiculousOwO. Left memory alone because there is no improvment when touching it. Just more in game freezes and higher temp. For some reason when my card reaches anything past 75c it automatically downclocks like @impero suggested. I thought that would happen at a higher temp but that isnt the case with my setup for whatever reason. With my current setting I'm able to play COD Modern Warfare Mutiplayer with the highest temp only reaching 74c. Another random thing I noticed is that COD Warzone can run at 1450MHz @ 1200mV without the card ever going over 72c. I get much better performance at those settings without any downclocking happening. Thought that was weird but I guess its just a better coded game or something.

@eidairaman1 - I tried switching over to MSI Afterburner but it seemed buggy in comparison to the AMD Radeon software. I had issues getting the fan curve to work and overclock settings kept returning back to default even without any crashes. Trixx software only shows the details about my GPU has no options for tuning. Is there a reason you suggested those over the Radeon software?

 

[eidairaman1]

After more testing I've set my overclock back to a Core Clock of 1411MHz @ 1095mV. Similar setting to @RidiculousOwO. Left memory alone because there is no improvment when touching it. Just more in game freezes and higher temp. For some reason when my card reaches anything past 75c it automatically downclocks like @impero suggested. I thought that would happen at a higher temp but that isnt the case with my setup for whatever reason. With my current setting I'm able to play COD Modern Warfare Mutiplayer with the highest temp only reaching 74c. Another random thing I noticed is that COD Warzone can run at 1450MHz @ 1200mV without the card ever going over 72c. I get much better performance at those settings without any downclocking happening. Thought that was weird but I guess its just a better coded game or something.

@eidairaman1 - I tried switching over to MSI Afterburner but it seemed buggy in comparison to the AMD Radeon software. I had issues getting the fan curve to work and overclock settings kept returning back to default even without any crashes. Trixx software only shows the details about my GPU has no options for tuning. Is there a reason you suggested those over the Radeon software?

You're not saving the settings is Why it defaults you need to go on YouTube and learn how to use those pieces of software and also another reason why is because you can actually adjust the voltages and down or up and also Sapphire has overheat protection to keep cards from frying, you are hitting the physical barrier where the heat sink cannot dissipate heat quick enough