Could memory-timing tweaked BIOSes actually help game performance?

Discussion in 'Videocards - AMD Radeon' started by Coldblackice, Mar 11, 2014.

  1. Coldblackice

    Coldblackice Member Guru

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    A guy named Stilt has been custom-"correcting" memory timings in AMD card bioses, apparently to ecstatic results -- in the mining world. People exclaim hashing ~20% higher after a memory-timing adjustment on their BIOS.

    Would these AMD card memory-timing fixes also improve general GPU/FPS performance in gameplay situations?

    https://litecointalk.org/index.php?topic=12369.0




    I've heard rumors over the years of performance/FPS improvements from flashing other cards' BIOSes, revolving around some concept of "memory timings", but I've never found anyone with much concrete detail or knowledge on such. It's usually shrugged off as memory-overclocking, like the two terms are one and the same (timing <-> memory clock speed). I'm guessing this thread is the gist of what memory timings are about.

    The question is whether memory timing adjustments would actually help....?
     
  2. Fox2232

    Fox2232 Guest

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    No, but a lot of people are decreasing their gaming performance by overclocking memory as high as you without adjusting power target.

    While GPU is capable to insert empty cycles to keep thermals down, memories are not.
    So unless you have power target like +20% you are likely to reach this limit thanks to memory OC and GPU is idling even while keeping your desired clocks.

    7950 does not actually need memory OC higher than 1500MHz (even 1375MHz is quite OK). For every 10% of memory OC you gain like 1~2% of performance but spend your TDP limit dearly.

    Without Power target adjustment I got easily to point where increasing memory clocks by 25MHz (2% of base) was gradually decreasing performance and moving power target up got this performance back including those small benefits of memory OC.

    HD7970 have basic power target between 205~217 what I've seen so multiply by 1.2 to see full limit.
    You can read it and change it via VBE7.

    As for timing, it helps mining because compute is about "Just in Time" operations with right kind of data. While rendering is "Pump it Up" about constant delivery of huge amount of data.

    Now if you fine tune memory timing where mining gets most benefits and then you OC by 1MHz you may actually get to point where mining performance would be lowest possible on given GPU. Because OC itself changes time of delivery of each data request.
    This is sole reason why not every HD7970 Card has same mining performance while being at similar/same clocks.
     
  3. airbud7

    airbud7 Guest

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    Thanks Fox22^....

    I like the statement....
    ...:sole reason why not every HD7970 Card has same mining performance while being at similar/same clocks.:

    You are smart.....
     
  4. Noisiv

    Noisiv Ancient Guru

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    Stilts BIOS is better form my 290 gaming needs than default BIOS due to lower and more stable voltage compared to Afterburner undervolt.
    Therefore gaming temps are slightly lower.


    But it's no-go with 14.2 driver, at least in Thief. Also mining is dead, so I'm back to original BIOS.
     

  5. drbaltazar

    drbaltazar Guest

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    Gaining performance is likely easy whatever it is for!but the more optised it is for performance ?the bigger the aliasing problem!yep you guessed it,directly related.so you are better off getting best quality possible out of various timing and not enable any ant-aliasing etc.
     

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