The RX Vega 64 Owners Thread

[Acesbomb]

It does strike me as strange that AMD would mess up the release day drivers this way. I mean they've never messed up a GPU release before

LOL, remember the HD7970. Was a good 3-4 months before we had stable drivers.

 

[LoadsaMoney]

Surely with about 80% of them working on the Vega drivers (which they were saying for months and months), they should be fine.

 

[Orcvader]

Surely with about 80% of them working on the Vega drivers (which they were saying for months and months), they should be fine.

There's only so many bugs you can find with internal testing .

 

[Morve]

Time to start looking for a new monitor to go with the Vega

 

[LtMatt]

Hi Matt, are you saying voltage control is not working at all with current public drivers? If not that will explain why I am getting no reduction in temps when dropping volts? Is it not working in WattRool or Wattman?

Thanks

Not sure about all, but it was not working for me and others on 17.8.1.

I'm uploading a BF1 4K Ultra video, definitely able to run max settings at 4K 60FPS on stock Vega 64.

 

[Acesbomb]

I heard that potentially we will not be able flash a liquid bios to a air card with custom block. Do you know if this is true AMD Matt?

 

[LtMatt]

I heard that potentially we will not be able flash a liquid bios to a air card with custom block. Do you know if this is true AMD Matt?

I've honestly got no idea. We don't recommend or validate bios flashing period, so it's most likely not recommended or supported. That's not to say it may not be possible though...

 

[schneeb]

As long as the registry power tables don't get fixed I don't mind; just don't screw over people who replace the blower

 

[ubersonic]

I heard that potentially we will not be able flash a liquid bios to a air card with custom block. Do you know if this is true AMD Matt?

From what I read you can flash an "official" BIOS, like the ones that come as standard on a reference or AIB card, however if you flash a BIOS that's been modified/altered in any way it won't be signed by AMD and the card will not initialise. This is apparently part of the Windows Secure Boot standard MS introduced with W10 and will be the case for all GPUs going forwards (doesn't mean to say a workaround/hack is impossible).

 

[AmateurExpert]

From what I read you can flash an "official" BIOS, like the ones that come as standard on a reference or AIB card, however if you flash a BIOS that's been modified/altered in any way it won't be signed by AMD and the card will not initialise. This is apparently part of the Windows Secure Boot standard MS introduced with W10 and will be the case for all GPUs going forwards (doesn't mean to say a workaround/hack is impossible).

Ostensibly Windows Secure Boot is the reason, but some of us don't restrict ourselves to Windows and we'd very much like to not be crippled because of a design decision forced by Microsoft.

 

[Acesbomb]

I've honestly got no idea. We don't recommend or validate bios flashing period, so it's most likely not recommended or supported. That's not to say it may not be possible though...

From what I read you can flash an "official" BIOS, like the ones that come as standard on a reference or AIB card, however if you flash a BIOS that's been modified/altered in any way it won't be signed by AMD and the card will not initialise. This is apparently part of the Windows Secure Boot standard MS introduced with W10 and will be the case for all GPUs going forwards (doesn't mean to say a workaround/hack is impossible).

This I could live with, thanks. All I want is to flash the watercooled bios to the air card as will have a custom water block on it and there is a difference in power limits.

 

[gupsterg]

I heard that potentially we will not be able flash a liquid bios to a air card with custom block. Do you know if this is true AMD Matt?

Flashing another GPU VBIOS to another may not works. Sometimes the ASIC has a fused ID, so it still is distinguishable. For example flash a 290/X to 390/X it still will be identified by driver as 290/290X. Let's say the VEGA 56 AIR card has a fused ASIC ID and you wanted the higher clocks/PL contained within VEGA 64 AIR it may not work. Then also as you have unlocks possible in the past on Hawaii/Fiji that won't be possible.

So far all is confirmed is any modified VBIOS is no go, regardless if you use WinOS or Linux.

Only one member on OCN so far has succeeded to use Linux. Stock VBIOS but kernel is modified to load an edited VBIOS. This is similar to the registry hacks at present for WinOS.

As long as the registry power tables don't get fixed I don't mind; just don't screw over people who replace the blower

The registry mod is a loop hole of the drivers AFAIK, can be closed if need be. What essentially is being done is what MSI AB 'Extend Official Overclocking Limits" would do, that option in MSI AB places a snapshot of VBIOS in registry, then basically SW/registry version of 'tweaks' the driver sees as being what the firmware would tell it for xyz parameters.

From ~7xxx series a digital signature in Legacy section is used. This the driver referenced at OS load (Linux didn't). Now besides the driver referencing it the UEFI/GOP module within AMD VBIOS must validate legacy section when mobo boot in "pure UEFI" mode is CSM: Off.

The driver can have signature check removed. For example they did that on 7xxx and it made it possible for bios mod. Initially Hawaii also had driver checking and then it didn't.

Now a modified VBIOS like said before will fail validation by UEFI/GOP module, when mobo is set with CSM: Off (ie pure UEFI mode), even if Secure Boot is off. But there is a work around, a modified UEFI/GOP module inserted in VBIOS will not check signature in Legacy section of VBIOS.

But now AMD have gone a step further, VEGA has HW which validates the VBIOS. SO now VBIOS has to really have correct signatures or it just will not work.

 

[MDPlatts]

Also forgot to report - I got my £39.99 refund through from Steam for Wolfenstein II : New Collossus - so I can redeem the vouchers now and probably sell the Prey one.

 

[Acesbomb]

Flashing another GPU VBIOS to another may not works. Sometimes the ASIC has a fused ID, so it still is distinguishable. For example flash a 290/X to 390/X it still will be identified by driver as 290/290X. Let's say the VEGA 56 AIR card has a fused ASIC ID and you wanted the higher clocks/PL contained within VEGA 64 AIR it may not work. Then also as you have unlocks possible in the past on Hawaii/Fiji that won't be possible.

So far all is confirmed is any modified VBIOS is no go, regardless if you use WinOS or Linux.

Only one member on OCN so far has succeeded to use Linux. Stock VBIOS but kernel is modified to load an edited VBIOS. This is similar to the registry hacks at present for WinOS.



The registry mod is a loop hole of the drivers AFAIK, can be closed if need be. What essentially is being done is what MSI AB 'Extend Official Overclocking Limits" would do, that option in MSI AB places a snapshot of VBIOS in registry, then basically SW/registry version of 'tweaks' the driver sees as being what the firmware would tell it for xyz parameters.

From ~7xxx series a digital signature in Legacy section is used. This the driver referenced at OS load (Linux didn't). Now besides the driver referencing it the UEFI/GOP module within AMD VBIOS must validate legacy section when mobo boot in "pure UEFI" mode is CSM: Off.

The driver can have signature check removed. For example they did that on 7xxx and it made it possible for bios mod. Initially Hawaii also had driver checking and then it didn't.

Now a modified VBIOS like said before will fail validation by UEFI/GOP module, when mobo is set with CSM: Off (ie pure UEFI mode), even if Secure Boot is off. But there is a work around, a modified UEFI/GOP module inserted in VBIOS will not check signature in Legacy section of VBIOS.

But now AMD have gone a step further, VEGA has HW which validates the VBIOS. SO now VBIOS has to really have correct signatures or it just will not work.

Thanks for the comprehensive response. So AMD going out of their way to stop people flashing. I really should have just gotten a 1080ti. Jerks.

 

[Smudge]

Has anyone looked at what Vega clocks at while browsing/youtubing ? And the power consumption ? Curious because they talked about it being able to clock in 1mhz increments with a lowest clock at 27mhz (desktop not moving mouse), I'm wondering if the average browsing power consumption is somewhat lower than anything Nvidia offers, maybe offsetting a little bit the high gamin power consumption.

I installed my 64 blower earlier and left it streaming radio to my chrome stick (for the dogs), went to the gym etc, just got back after a few hours and it looks like it sits there at temp 31c, GPU 852mhz, mem 169mhz, fan 681 rpm, on the balanced power plan in WattMan, if that's any help.

I havent touched any settings yet, so totally fresh install and stock.

 

[Gerard]

Not sure about all, but it was not working for me and others on 17.8.1.

I'm uploading a BF1 4K Ultra video, definitely able to run max settings at 4K 60FPS on stock Vega 64.

Hopefully not an indoors video as that's cheating

 

[WeSbO]

Hun hun thanks, and is that on uber or normal bios ? I'm thinking it uses way less power on idle/light workloads than a Fury X (don't have any other personal experience I can remember) especially if it was on power saver and the power saving bios, coz I get around 30° idle at 300/500 but that's with WC and a 120mm fan a 680 rpm so for the blower to maintain 31 (I'm assuming you have an ambient of around 25° ish).

 

[TonyTurbo78]

I'm surprised the core clock sits so high at idle. I thought it would have been down around the 300mhz region.

 

[LtMatt]

Hopefully not an indoors video as that's cheating

I'm offended that you would think that Mr Gerard.

It's outside, it's the map with the castle type thing. I hate that map, so i may do another one with a different level before long.

 

[Gerard]

I'm offended that you would think that Mr Gerard.

It's outside, it's the map with the castle type thing. I hate that map, so i may do another one with a different level before long.

Multiplayer video on a 64 player server like sinai would be better