MSI R9 290 / 290x gaming edition - powertune throttling the core clock discussion...

toprock · 18 Jan 2014 at 13:05

Sacrifice said:
What?! Isn't the core guaranteed to not go below 600 or something?! I guess the card isn't running in 3d mode.

It was a heavy firefight in Skyrim high def, ultra'd out, powertune with its strict power/temp/noise criteria had no other choice but to dump the clocks I guess :confused:

Its ridiculous AMD would even do this, for such a huge performing card, with the now cool and quiet aftermarket coolers they need to start fixing 3d clocks and then letting the fans handle the temps.

Reference designs with their 90*c + gaming temps I can understand having to throttle.

Sacrifice · 18 Jan 2014 at 13:21

toprock said:
It was a heavy firefight in Skyrim high def, ultra'd out, powertune with its strict power/temp/noise criteria had no other choice but to dump the clocks I guess

Its ridiculous AMD would even do this, for such a huge performing card, with the now cool and quiet aftermarket coolers they need to start fixing 3d clocks and then letting the fans handle the temps.

Reference designs with their 90*c + gaming temps I can understand having to throttle.

Well, I will say this. The r9 290 had a base clock of 662mhz. Powertune cannot put the clock speed lower. If it would even need to throttle more, then the fan speed would break the pre set limit to keep clocks at least at that 662 base clock. But I don't know what you would be doing to make it do that.

This doesn't appear to be a problem with powertune in the way it was designed. So, it must be a problem somewhere else.

toprock · 18 Jan 2014 at 13:37

Sacrifice said:
Well, I will say this. The r9 290 had a base clock of 662mhz. Powertune cannot put the clock speed lower. If it would even need to throttle more, then the fan speed would break the pre set limit to keep clocks at least at that 662 base clock. But I don't know what you would be doing to make it do that.

This doesn't appear to be a problem with powertune in the way it was designed. So, it must be a problem somewhere else.

That was only an isolated incident i'll admit, but its the whole throttling of core clocks as a general I don't like about powertune, when there is still plenty of cooling in the tank via increasing the fan and maintaining core.

LtMatt · 18 Jan 2014 at 13:55

Have you unlocked overdrive in CCC whilst also using afterburner? Because they could be conflicting and causing this problem. Are you also keeping 50%+ power tune set, even at stock?

northun_munky · 18 Jan 2014 at 14:02

LtMatt said:
Have you unlocked overdrive in CCC whilst also using afterburner? Because they could be conflicting and causing this problem. Are you also keeping 50%+ power tune set, even at stock?

Do you need to unlock overdrive in CCC? I've never touched CCC with any of my other cards. Posts above seem to point to having to adjust settings there as well.

LtMatt · 18 Jan 2014 at 14:05

northun_munky said:
Do you need to unlock overdrive in CCC? I've never touched CCC with any of my other cards. Posts above seem to point to having to adjust settings there as well.

Absolutely not. Unless for some reason you want your card to throttle sooner, so you could lower the target temp. Unlocking overdrive and changing things, then using afterburner to change more things is a sure fire way to get complications once you have two different things telling the gpu what to do. Leave overdrive locked and use afterburner only. If you've unlocked it and fiddled around you can use 'reset to factory default' in preferences. I say use afterburner instead as you can manage overclocks, custom fan profiles, voltage levels and power limits from that.

toprock · 18 Jan 2014 at 14:09

i'll try the same 1077mhz AB core lock as above but leave CCC defaulted and out of the equation then and re run a game...

LtMatt · 18 Jan 2014 at 14:12

toprock said:
i'll try the same 1077mhz AB core lock as above but leave CCC defaulted and out of the equation then and re run a game...

Don't forget to set the power limit at +50% in afterburner.

toprock · 18 Jan 2014 at 14:20

LtMatt said:
Don't forget to set the power limit at +50% in afterburner.

hmmmm with CCC overdrive unticked, whenever I load profile 1 "1077" core and press apply the screen flashes and the core drops back to 977

edit: after a AB close and reopen its set now at 1077 with 50% core. CCC overdrive is left unticked.

LtMatt · 18 Jan 2014 at 14:24

toprock said:
hmmmm with CCC overdrive unticked, whenever I load profile 1 "1077" core and press apply the screen flashes and the core drops back to 977

That's because you're still using 'unofficial overclocking mode'. Copy my settings just to see if you can get it working using a supported overclocking method first rather than the old unofficial method.

You might need to restore factory defaults in CCC, restart pc. Then reset defaults in afterburner as you've fiddled with settings.

northun_munky · 18 Jan 2014 at 14:25

Thanks Matt. Have you come across setting 2d profiles in AB so that the card idles in low power state after using the unofficial overclocking mode Without powerplay support?

northun_munky · 18 Jan 2014 at 14:26

Ignore above, didn't realise you'd already posted.

toprock · 18 Jan 2014 at 14:26

works a treat max temp 68*c max fan 42*c core locked at 1077mhz (using unofficial without CCC overdrive)

ninja'd

So by not using unofficial overclocking mode, and just setting the sliders in AB that should work too?

LtMatt · 18 Jan 2014 at 14:27

northun_munky said:
Thanks Matt. Have you come across setting 2d profiles in AB so that the card idles in low power state after using the unofficial overclocking mode Without powerplay support?

I don't use unofficial overclocking mode. I know it does fix a physics issue with firestrike on single cards (uksoldierboy told me about that) but for gaming use id recommend keeping it disabled and using the settings i posted.

LtMatt · 18 Jan 2014 at 14:27

toprock said:
works a treat max temp 68*c max fan 42*c core locked at 1077mhz

ninja'd

So by not using unofficial overclocking mode, and just setting the sliders in AB that should work too?

If you did what i said, yes it should.

northun_munky · 18 Jan 2014 at 14:34

I'm set as per your instructions Matt and haven't got unofficial OC mode enabled, or CCC overdrive enabled and have a modest 1100mhz OC. But when running valley i'm still seeing dips in core clock by 50-100 mhz in the OSD. Defo not 'locked' at 1100. Just one of those things?

toprock · 18 Jan 2014 at 14:38

Matt my settings screen is a little different to yours, but i've disabled "unoffical overclocking mode" and unticked "extend offical overclocking limits" and set the core clock to 1077mhz.

In game if fluctuates again by 150mhz delta...

It seems in unofficial overclocking mode as soon as I set 1077mhz core and hit apply the core goes to that in 2d and 3d.

In official overclocking mode when I set 1077mhz core, the core stays at 300mhz 2d mode, and in 3d does the usual powertune throttle.

I'm guessing this is just functionality built in 290 series and can't be disabled without the unofficial setting?

nitram100 · 18 Jan 2014 at 14:41

Yeh my card is doing the same. Temp never goes above 73c but core clock is dropping down to 800mhz now and again and causing visual screen freezes for a millisecond. Why is it throttling if the temp is ok?

LtMatt · 18 Jan 2014 at 14:51

northun_munky said:
I'm set as per your instructions Matt and haven't got unofficial OC mode enabled, or CCC overdrive enabled and have a modest 1100mhz OC. But when running valley i'm still seeing dips in core clock by 50-100 mhz in the OSD. Defo not 'locked' at 1100. Just one of those things?

Are you on 13.12 WHQL mate? Does it do the same thing at stock, or only when overclocked?

toprock said:
Matt my settings screen is a little different to yours, but i've disabled "unoffical overclocking mode" and unticked "extend offical overclocking limits" and set the core clock to 1077mhz.

In game if fluctuates again by 150mhz delta...

It seems in unofficial overclocking mode as soon as I set 1077mhz core and hit apply the core goes to that in 2d and 3d.

In official overclocking mode when I set 1077mhz core, the core stays at 300mhz 2d mode, and in 3d does the usual powertune throttle.

I'm guessing this is just functionality built in 290 series and can't be disabled without the unofficial setting?

No it looks like something is conflicting somewhere.

One things for sure, you're using an old version of msi afterburner. So uninstall that, restart pc then download and install the latest beta. Copy my settings then report back.

http://www.guru3d.com/files_get/msi_afterburner_beta_download,20.html

toprock · 18 Jan 2014 at 14:53

ok on it