OcUK / Triplex HD3850 owners

eyetrip · 13 Mar 2008 at 21:33

Few questions:
What can I use to OC both cards in crossfire other than overdrive?
What utilities would I use to edit/flash bios?
My card has the samsung memory is this the correct bios?
How do I work out the rated speed of the memory?

Methanoid · 13 Mar 2008 at 23:21

Jimbo Mahoney said:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showpost.php?p=2828937&postcount=594

I'm currently using a Diamond BIOS, as it's unlocked and seems to give the least artifacts with the memory at stock.

http://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/...=Diamond&model=HD+3850&interface=&memSize=512

Either of these two, since they are identical.

I'll try asking Triplex for a Version 73 or later BIOS for the card.

Yes

Yes

So the picture OCUK website has is ******** then? Well at least a competitor sells the same card [Triplex] and also misleads with pic of reference cooler.

Please fix it OCUK... I was about to buy 2... this cooler doesnt look or sound good according to reviews.

eyetrip · 14 Mar 2008 at 07:00

Methanoid said:
So the picture OCUK website has is ******** then? Well at least a competitor sells the same card [Triplex] and also misleads with pic of reference cooler.

Please fix it OCUK... I was about to buy 2... this cooler doesnt look or sound good according to reviews.

Actually, I got 2 and the cooler does a fair job, even when OCing. While it might be a pain that its dual slot, one nice thing about these cards is the shorter pcb.

The problem is the performance I am getting with 2...

Methanoid · 14 Mar 2008 at 07:26

ffallic said:
Actually, I got 2 and the cooler does a fair job, even when OCing. While it might be a pain that its dual slot, one nice thing about these cards is the shorter pcb.

The problem is the performance I am getting with 2...

fan noise? I heard it described as a a whining pig!! :confused:

eyetrip · 14 Mar 2008 at 07:41

Personally I think they are rather quiet. I was expecting some whining, but was surprised when they were rather quiet.

HeX · 14 Mar 2008 at 08:31

End of the day the money you save getting the OCUK branded card practically buys you an Accelero S1... so you can get the card you want and the best passive cooler on the market for the same price as a normal 3850/3870.

Cairnsey · 14 Mar 2008 at 08:37

would it not be wiser to just buy a 3870 instead?

e.g. OcUK 3850 512 - £97.51 + Accelero S1 - £15.26 = 112.77 excl. delivery
OcUK 3870 512 - £111.61 excl. delivery

eyetrip · 14 Mar 2008 at 08:43

Cairnsey said:
would it not be wiser to just buy a 3870 instead?

e.g. OcUK 3850 512 - £97.51 + Accelero S1 - £15.26 = 112.77 excl. delivery
OcUK 3870 512 - £111.61 excl. delivery

But if you got a problem with the cooler then you will be replacing it on the 3870 as well....

HeX · 14 Mar 2008 at 08:45

I was refering to the fact that he's worrying about the fan being noisy.

OCUK 3850Pro 512MB + Accelero S1 = £112.78

Sapphire 3850Pro 512MB = £117.49

(though i've just seen they have the Gigabyte 3850Pro with the Zalmanesque cooler for £103.39 on TWO which is an even better deal)

EDIT - And as above you'd be adding an Accelero S1 to the 3870 price as well as its the same cooler.

Jimbo Mahoney · 14 Mar 2008 at 08:46

silversurfer said:
No I have a gecube card, but I presume you guys are trying all different makes to see if it works. So I dumped off the bios in case it helps, it appears to be totally unlocked for the clocks

I dont know if its the original bios or not, I think it is

I dont even have a cd drive at the moment now I think about it, give me a link for booting off a usb mem stick into dos

try the crysis test ffallic

Ah OK, no worries then. I'm pretty confident it won't work properly as I've tried about 15 different BIOSs, including a Gecube, and none of them set the memory the same way as the original Triplex BIOS.

At the moment, I'm sticking with the original BIOS and running 850 / 1000. When I get the time, I'll whack the Diamond unlocked BIOS on it and see whether it's faster to run 950 / 800. It's frustrating being limited whichever way I turn - OCP and an unusual BIOS.

ffallic said:
Personally I think they are rather quiet. I was expecting some whining, but was surprised when they were rather quiet.

I ran the card for a few days before fitting water to it and I can confirm it's pretty quiet. And this is running on a totally open test station with no other fans.

ffallic said:
Few questions:
What can I use to OC both cards in crossfire other than overdrive?
What utilities would I use to edit/flash bios?
My card has the samsung memory is this the correct bios?
How do I work out the rated speed of the memory?

I'm not sure about Crossfire specifically, but I use ATI Tool to clock my card - you need to use the latest Beta, not the main download:

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=45596

For BIOS flashing, just google for ATIFlash. You could use ATIWinFlash to do it from Windows, but this won't allow you to force flash BIOS that don't exactly match your card. I'm also not a fan of flashing BIOSs from Windows. You'll need to to boot to a pure DOS environment with a CD / floppy / USB.

For BIOS editing, there is hopefully an update of RaBit (it currently doesn't support 38xx) or you can use this:

http://www.computerbase.de/forum/showthread.php?t=372893

Your card has Samsung memory? That's interesting - the other report of memory of these cards was that it is Qimonda. It's impossible to say if that Triplex BIOS you link is the correct one. You can use ATIFlash to save off your original BIOS before you flash it with something else. I *highly* recommend you do that. To work out the speed of the memory, you should be able to read off a rating from the chips. 1.1ns ~ 900Mhz 1ns = 1000Mhz, 0.9ns ~ 1100 Mhz

Cairnsey · 14 Mar 2008 at 09:13

HeX said:
I was refering to the fact that he's worrying about the fan being noisy.

OCUK 3850Pro 512MB + Accelero S1 = £112.78

Sapphire 3850Pro 512MB = £117.49

(though i've just seen they have the Gigabyte 3850Pro with the Zalmanesque cooler for £103.39 on TWO which is an even better deal)

EDIT - And as above you'd be adding an Accelero S1 to the 3870 price as well as its the same cooler.

Yeah, I know, I was just being fecisious! (someone please tell me how to spell that word!)

Methanoid · 14 Mar 2008 at 09:27

HeX said:
I was refering to the fact that he's worrying about the fan being noisy.

OCUK 3850Pro 512MB + Accelero S1 = £112.78

Sapphire 3850Pro 512MB = £117.49

(though i've just seen they have the Gigabyte 3850Pro with the Zalmanesque cooler for £103.39 on TWO which is an even better deal)

EDIT - And as above you'd be adding an Accelero S1 to the 3870 price as well as its the same cooler.

is it? The cooler on 3870 is like the IceQ coolers, the big fan and exhausting out of the case.. but AGAIN it seems hidden in the "Reviews" of the OCUK 3870 it says "its NOT the card pictured".

Aren't the 3870 coolers quieter?

HeX · 14 Mar 2008 at 09:40

I wish OCUK would keep the card pics up to date, i'd be well miffed if I didin't get the zalman type cooler pictuerd.

If that is the case then i'd go for the OCUK brand + Accelero for passive and be done with it.

Cairnsey · 14 Mar 2008 at 09:47

Is it the S1 or S2 that fits this card? Also, Jimbo, which waterblock are you using?

HeX · 14 Mar 2008 at 09:58

Cairnsey said:
Is it the S1 or S2 that fits this card? Also, Jimbo, which waterblock are you using?

S1

Jimbo Mahoney · 14 Mar 2008 at 10:19

Cairnsey said:
Is it the S1 or S2 that fits this card? Also, Jimbo, which waterblock are you using?

I'm using a Silverprop Fusion HL.

Methanoid · 14 Mar 2008 at 10:23

HeX said:
S1

I read the thermal tape is rubbish with this and that you'd best get the Akasa tape. Any idea if one load of tape would do two cards or how many?

eyetrip · 14 Mar 2008 at 11:05

And I am reminded why I wanted to get away from pc gaming...

primary pci-e slot just died... how the hell can a pci-e slot just die? System was closed and sitting there happily...

its always the motherbaords that go for me in one way or another.

Cairnsey · 17 Mar 2008 at 11:58

Have you got any further Jimbo?

Jimbo Mahoney · 25 Mar 2008 at 14:08

Cairnsey said:
Have you got any further Jimbo?

Nope. I've given up trying to get a BIOS for this card that will allow 860+ on the core without screwing up the memory.

I've settled on a compromise of 850 / 999, rather than 950 / 720 that all the unlocked BIOSs seem to limit the memory to

Such a shame that the core is limited by a BIOS PLL error.