*** Official 7950 Ice-Q Owners Club***

[tommybhoy]

It looks simple, has anyone got to the stage playing with this tool?

I have, super simple to use, been playing about with different voltage/clocks/fan profiles, just use the 925 non boost bios in the op as a starting point.

Sitting on 1000/[email protected] with an aggressive fan profile-if memory serves correctly, I'd have to double check as I've tweaked it that much lol.

 

[tommybhoy]

Thanks, I take it by lowering the idle voltage Im also lowering the overall maximum voltage?

Yes.

I want to get as much OC as I can from the card, dont care about the voltages/watts/electricity/etc

which is better for overclocking to get better game performance? Flashing the bios or over-clocking from boost now?

Flash the bios with any non boost and add more voltage for your OC and ~30% on the power limit, the boost can cause 10%+ loss in performance on any set clock.

 

[tommybhoy]

Tommy can you copy Part 8 from post 2 and update the guide in your op please.

Done.

I added an alternative USB app to the op for those having problems creating a bootable USB using the app in matts guide, could save some headaches.

Thanks Tommy and LtMatt.

Managed to get clocks to 1100 core 1400 memory with voltage of 1175 and 30+ on the power limit.

I am getting very slight GPU usage throttles now and again but nothing like they were.

Great card for the money.

Try +35%, that might just stabilise it, I usually run at +30 but there have been the odd title TR/Hitman AB that needed that little extra.

BLOODY HELL.. that was a struggle trying to guess what characters have been assigned to what keys

Never heard of that before, hope you got there in the end.

I haven't flashed yet, but just after the flash and everything goes right, after installing drivers, can I then install msi afterburner? for say: using the fan control?

Yes, yes and yes, AB is fine on matts modded bios files.

Make sure you reboot after installing driver, if you had AB installed previously, I find it's best to manually delete the MSI Afterburner folder from C:\Program Files (x86)\MSI Afterburner(or wherever it was installed) as it can stop the new clocks voltage from applying.

^
@Matt,

Do you think it's worth you wording it up to add into your guide?

 

[tommybhoy]

Use RBE bios editor and up the vram clocks or/and voltage on the 5450?

Sounds like the idle clocks aren't high enough on the vram when running dual screens.

Or dual screen the Ice-Q for simplicity???

 

[tommybhoy]

MSI/Gigabyte, MB bios update seems to sort it.

 

[tommybhoy]

Whats the safe VRM temp for these cards?

There is no vrm readout on the Ice-Q's, where you are getting your 60c readout from?

Okay cheers guys hoping this will work, will pick up a memory stick tomorrow and have a go at a mobo update. Will report back.

Edit: Does anybody know which mobo bios update I should be choosing? http://www.gigabyte.us/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4144#bios

There is a few, I'm assuming the latest one?

Thanks

If your MB is currently less than F14, then fingers crossed:

F14-Improve VGA compatibility.

I'd go for the F16 as it will already contain VGA compatibility enhancement.

 

[tommybhoy]

@Jony27,

Iv'e had mine a while now, just turned off CrossFire and still nothing, they have never reported any vrm readings in a fair few monitoring apps, must be a new revision then I guess...

Matt, are you getting any vrm readings in single card mode/CrossFire???

@rolypolyman,

Zero Core-switches off your 2nd gpu in 2D mode-but there is a performance penalty though.

You can disable ulps(AfterBurner is your easiest way in the settings) to swiitch off Zero Core and your 2nd gpu should sit on idle clocks until you fire up a game and get full use out of CrossFire.

Why GpuZ causes the 99% load, I have no idea though, you could try disabling ulps and see if it does the same.

 

[tommybhoy]

I get a vrm readout on card two tommy, but not on card one. Card two is locked at 24 & 25c for both vrm readouts.

Clears that up then, and instantly brings a jingle to mind.

'some girls do, some girls won't, some girls need a lot of lovin...'

Mines lose their coyness when I juice them up though.

The first rule of crossfire club is disable ULPS. The second rule of crossfire club is never talk about crossfire club. The third rule is never discuss the second rule. The fourth rule is i don't think any of this makes sense.

Unfortunately im now out of the club for breaking the rules.

I was struggling to follow all the rules anyway.

Lol, first rule has been added to the op.

Rock on Tommy Disabling Ulps did the trick, both now idling at 300\150. Also getting static vrm readouts of 24c\25c.

Better gaming with ulps disabled moar power and smoother delivery, the vrm's are baffling though.

@Jony27,

Tommy's learned something new about the Ice-Q's so you get the Q of the week award:

 

[tommybhoy]

Any ideas of why the 1100/1500 OC have a drastically lower score than the 1075/1250 one in Valley Benchmark? Also what is power limit %, do I need to touch it when over-clocking?

Update: 1st score is with 20% powerlimit.

Power Limit adds slightly more power to the card, good description here:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4061/amds-radeon-hd-6970-radeon-hd-6950/9

Your scores are different as your gpu is probably showing gpu spiking:

+20% Power Control/Limit GPU Spiking:

+30% Power Control/Limit No SPiking:

It gets worse the higher you clock the card even with 20% Power Limit applied, either flash the bios to remove the 'boost'(it's a shocker tbph) and increase PL, or if you are uncomfortable with flashing the card, then the other way is to modify the reg entryAMD - How to Change The Power Control/Limit from +20% to +50%(Software GPU Spike Fix)
so that you can apply up to 50% Power Limit(but 30%-35% usually does the trick).

Bios flashing is less complicated imo and it's a one time shot, the software mod needs done each new driver install.

 

[tommybhoy]

I've been fiddling around with the bios editor myself.

Welcome to the Ice-Q great balls of steel club.

 

[tommybhoy]

You're meant to leave v sync on for Skyrim man, messes with the games physics otherwise

+1

It turns into Skyrim Acid House Edition at times with vsync off.

I just flashed my second GPU as it is an Ice-Q Boost and I currently have a MSI non boost 7950 in the first slot.
I am curious if I should do Tommy's Power Limit Hack for the MSI Card as I am only able to set the Limit to +20% and the Ice-Q I am able to do +50%.

I have already mentioned this in another thread but thought it would be good in here as if anyone else is in the same position they will be able to see it.

Tom

Since you know what you are doing with bios flashing, I have just updated the guide on the Power Limit thread with showing how to Bios Mod your own bios with the +50%:

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=24208102&postcount=1

 

[tommybhoy]

Yes, just leave the clocks alone-unless you want to match the clocks of your Ice-Q(925MHz), if so copy the Ice-Q's clocks value as well.

 

[tommybhoy]

Good job Tommy.

Thought it would be handy for the happy flashers.

 

[tommybhoy]

More to follow later...

Hmmmmm, u got me interested, has he just increased the TDP limits in VBE7 or is this some new trickery I should know of?

I see you put the Heisenberg hat back on.....

@Jarrastafari,

Have you got the latest MB bios on your board?

Have you done a complete driver uninstall/driver sweep/AB complete uninstall inc preferences deletion?

If you don't sweep all of the above, it can cause havok with your stability, I have had your symptoms in the past and I'm 99% sure it was some kind of hardware/software conflict as everything is fine, if you can, get that card into another rig to rule out anything on your end.

Keep everything at stock if you do a clean sweep including cpu etc.

 

[tommybhoy]

Interesting indeed, patiently awaits the report.

 

[tommybhoy]

@Jarrastafari,

Well done, saved yourself a few quid there.

@ViRuS2k,

You got the early non boosts?

As matt said, I tried loads of different bios to get rid of the spiking but they wouldnt work, either black screens or clocks stuck on 500MH(gigabyte bios that was compatible with earlier Ice-Q's) with no way to modify them, the original non boost Ice-Q bios wouldn't work either.

 

[tommybhoy]

You have uninstalled all drivers, AB/Trixx/iTurbo etc including preferences?

If you don't software can report similar to what you are seeing-wrong info on the cards clocks/voltage.

 

[tommybhoy]

Updated the OP with a new bios with increased TDP.

Results are very promising.

New bios for testing:

925/1250MHz Non Boost 1.175v -INCREASED TDP FROM 130W TO 173W-CrossFire users-ulps can now remain enabled with no performance loss!!!

This is a new bios that Matt and myself have been testing, further feedback welcome-especially if you are running CrossFire.

Matt's found you can overclock further before you need the power limit.

My own testing has achieved slightly lower voltage for my 24/7 clocks:

Before-1100/[email protected] +30% Power Limit

Using this bios-1100/[email protected] no Power Limit adjustment required.

Download Link

http://www.sendspace.com/file/x2swov

It's looking like this is the bios to have for full featured CrossFire(ulps enabled-shutdown of secondary card in idle).

Please try it out folks and leave feedback.

 

[tommybhoy]

If you come across a working BIOS for the x2 I'd be interested thanks (at the moment I'm just using Trixx to force voltage down which seems to work fine)

Either make your own with RBE7, or send me your bios(dump it with gpu-z) with clocks/voltage required and I'll unboost it for you.

@Clairvoyant,

You also need to do a cleensweep of your drivers too, I used to have similar problems your seeing on W8 and W7 until I used DDU(pick the top option):

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18539433&highlight=ddu

 

[tommybhoy]

Op updated, get flashing!

Strike a pose!

I held my breath in for ages in that pic matt.