[HD4870X2] Weird Clocks Issue

Discussion in 'Videocards - AMD Radeon Drivers Section' started by pharaphobia, Oct 26, 2014.

  1. pharaphobia

    pharaphobia Guest

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    Hello everyone,

    I was broswing this forum quite alot without any post, but today I gave up on my HD4870x2. I know its quite old today, but I wanna build brand new machine rather than buying components one by one.

    So whats the issue?

    I tried alot of modified drivers e.g:
    Kevs 13.1
    Dellrons 11.10
    Official 13.1/13.4
    Now: TwLs 5.10

    But all of those drivers game me the same thing.

    1. The clocks on 2nd gpu are 200mhz/500mhz rather than default ones on 1st one (saw tons of screenshots where ppl had same clocks on both
    2. When I force gpu to run on max power the 2nd clocks just wont move on
    3. So i just tried few drivers and few modifications and this is what i found so far

    My GPUs are being reported as 0(main working great)/1(200/500 one lol)
    So when I tryed few games in crossfire (SC2) it automaticly used the "1" as mine on 99 percent and the "0" went barely up to 33%. T________T

    I modified the XLM file to force the second gpu on at least 595/900mhz which is max that it let me do.

    So my question is what the hell is with my gpu? o_O

    Quick spec
    I5-3570k (3.4ghz)
    4GB Kingstop HyperX 1600mhz
    SSD ADATA SX900
    WD (Smthing) 7200rpm 500gb
    750w PSU
    ASUS PH861M mobo

    Thanks for all advices
     
  2. godknowswhy

    godknowswhy Guest

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  3. pharaphobia

    pharaphobia Guest

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    Is there any info about those Drivers?
     
  4. kevsamiga1974

    kevsamiga1974 Master Guru

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    GPU:
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    Some ideas...

    There are some DIP switches on the back of the 4870x2, one which swaps the GPU's order around, and one to enable PCIe 1.1 backwards compatibility.

    I don't exactly remember which switch does what, so you will have to play around noting the original switch positions before you change them.

    If your still getting the same results with all drivers and trying the switches, then your PCIe socket may be fractured, or the card itself is hosed/bios corrupt. 4870x2's have 2 bioses and they are different for master/slave.

    I've seen this kind of thing happen before on a wrong bios flash...

    At the least try reseating the card, and resetting the CMOS by taking the battery out the motherboard for half an hour.

    And then as a baseline try a fresh OS install with no drivers.

    And yes, I am the creator of the above drivers...

    * Actually on further thoughts, it looks like ULPS is enabled.

    There was only 1 driver that did that 9.12 Hotfix.

    It shouldn't be enabled for the 4870x2 as it kludges the second core.

    (only intended for 5K series and above)

    If you installed drivers since then it might have "stuck" that way with some drivers that notoriously leave themselves or remnants behind.

    Have a look through the registry for ULPS and set it to defaults.
     
    Last edited: Oct 28, 2014

  5. pharaphobia

    pharaphobia Guest

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    Hi Kev :0!

    Thanks for detailed answer I will be investigating those stuffs soon for now the 2nd core works when I switch to some game.. but it still goes to 200/500mhz when i quit the game.... ^^

    God damnit alot of problem and I was wondering why the guy selling this gpu for that low...

    Anyway thx gonna replay again after I will check that ULPS problem.. :)
     
  6. kevsamiga1974

    kevsamiga1974 Master Guru

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    Another theory I have is that the guy who sold it you has been screwing around with editing the BIOS clocks and left it that way...or hasn't put the card back together properly before he passed it off. Very naughty, but probably fixable...

    You can check what those values are really supposed to be with RBE
    (Radeon BIOS editor), and you will know by loading in another 4870x2 bios you can download whether they have indeed been tampered with.

    there are a few clock profiles in there, one for thermal conditions, one for UVD, one for gaming and idle etc.

    If everything you see in there checks out ok, and the thermal profile is being applied continuously for core 2 despite the bios not being edited, your going to have to probably take apart the card and have a look where the trouble is and repad/repaste.

    You will need 1.0mm pads for that card with at least 6w/mk thermal conductivity. Just buy a sheet and cut them yourself. for the GPU's any old
    thermal paste will do. Be very careful with the X-clamps if you decide to crack it open it's very easy to trash the screws.

    There are guides on google on how to disassemble the 4870x2, it's too long to explain in detail here even though I know it backwards.

    Your worst nightmare is to discover after opening it there isn't even a heat sink at all on the second core which is why the thermal profile is activated.

    It might be doing this as it doesn't have contact with the copper sink properly on core 2, therefore downclocking to 200/500 to protect itself from damage see, as 200/500 looks like the thermal profile is being tripped actually and not ULPS.

    I have x2 4870x2's btw and they both get cleaned out around every 6 months by taking apart. Dust slowly builds up a carpet wall at the entry to the first heatsink down past the vortex fan and clogs the heatsink, blocking air to the second one over time. The card can start artifacting at this point.

    Taking them apart to clear the "design flaw" dust blockage is the only way. I do it once the cores start climbing over 80c on idle. Both are 6 years old, but still working as good as the day they were released, although the fans tend to grind a bit these days due to age+heat.
     
    Last edited: Oct 29, 2014
  7. pharaphobia

    pharaphobia Guest

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    I work as IT so dissabling the card was the 1st thing i did. My card is running around 45°C at 35% fanspeed so its okay..

    ULPS is set on 0 so what I will try out is the RBE...

    The guy has been "dumbass" when it goes to PCs... So I have no idea what he were doing with it... :E
     
  8. kevsamiga1974

    kevsamiga1974 Master Guru

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    Yes ULPS is ok, so checking with RBE should get to the bottom of it...

    4870x2 bioses to load into RBE and compare with can be found here :

    http://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/
     
    Last edited: Oct 29, 2014
  9. pharaphobia

    pharaphobia Guest

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    Ive got there, there is master and slave section + alot of clocks.. are these like different brands of 4870x2?
     
  10. pharaphobia

    pharaphobia Guest

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    This appeared when i loaded BIOS "YOU HAVE NOT CONNECTED ONE OF YOUR VIDEO CARD POWER CONNECTORS TO THE POWER SUPPLY. PLEASE REFER TO THE 'GETTING STARTED GUIDE' FOR PROPER HARDWARE INSTALLATION."

    But cmon.. there are 2 power connectors both filled I tested it when i accidently plug only one.. my pc didnt even boot
     
    Last edited: Oct 29, 2014

  11. kevsamiga1974

    kevsamiga1974 Master Guru

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    Are you 100% sure you are connected pcie power with 8+6 pin and not 6+6.

    While it will actually work with 6+6 pins any overclocking is out the window.

    I'm beginning to think it's such a troublesome defective card you got gifted if it's causing so much mayhem.
     
    Last edited: Oct 30, 2014
  12. pharaphobia

    pharaphobia Guest

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    I'm sure that all pins are connected tho :) I managed to load my bios and there are 16 different clocks o_O 17th is 200/500mhz one. Should i change this to the 500/500 and reflash it?:)
     
  13. kevsamiga1974

    kevsamiga1974 Master Guru

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    No I wouldn't do that...

    The Thermal profile on the other core is being applied for a "reason". To protect the core against damage. Something is either too hot or having contact issues.

    I forgot to say that the original pads fracture and break down over time by all the massive heat cycling this card outputs. It might be the case they are simply worn away after 6 years, esp if the card was never cleaned out.

    If you have access to a compressor gun this might be worth a go :

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s727hZ_VU9Q

    There are also 5 red led's on the backside of the 4870x2 that indicate a fault.

    If you take the side of the case off when booting, you'll notice these led's blink briefly for a very short moment. After that they should all go out, and stay out/off. If any remain on it's an indication of a fault on the board or ASICS.

    You need to investigate "why" the thermal profile for core 2 is being enforced, and not simply correcting it by a BIOS re-flash to rectify the clocks, as that could damage the card altogether by bypassing the protection the thermal profile offers akin to fixing a car with a hammer. It won't work, because the problem causing the thermal trip will still be there, only this time the protection is removed = pop.

    What I was inferring was the guy who had the card before *might* have messed around with the clocks. If that's not the case compared to other 4870x2 BIOSes leave it alone. 4870x2's don't need (or shouldn't need) BIOS updates to work correctly, and if has a different memtype (there are at least 3), you risk bricking the card.

    You need to show all the copied readouts from GPU-Z 0.8.0 for each core, and we'll see if we can get any further...
     
    Last edited: Oct 31, 2014
  14. godknowswhy

    godknowswhy Guest

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    Kev, I might be wrong, but I think those LED should go green not off/out. Obviously correct me if I,m wrong. Cheers.
     
  15. kevsamiga1974

    kevsamiga1974 Master Guru

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    I'm afraid you are... :)

    The behaviour is different for different cards...

    HD 3870 LEDs

    R53 Green Led Off - shows critical temperature fault
    MR53 Red Led On - shows External power connector was removed

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    HD 4850 LEDs

    D1601 - Over temp protection enabled

    D1602 - EXT 12V fault

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    HD 4870 LEDs

    D1601 - Red LED On, shows critical temperature fault

    D1602 - Red LED On, shows External power connector A was removed

    D1603 - Red LED On, shows External power connector B was removed

    D601 - Red LED On, shows critical Core power fault

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    HD 4870X2 LEDs

    D14 (R753) 6 Pin power unplugged

    D13 (R724) 8 Pin power unplugged

    D15 (R819) Overheating (Thermal issue)

    D5 (R323) GPU-1 (Master) No power

    D7 (R570) GPU-2 (Slave) No power

    At BOOT/POST, the card's fan will spin @ 100% for a short while, the LEDs will light up for a brief period and then go out. This is NORMAL behaviour as the card is performing it's own type of POST test.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    HD 4850X2 LEDs

    D1601 : ASIC CTF Enable (GPU overheat protection)

    D29 : 8 pin external connector no power

    D30 : 6 pin external connector no power

    D25 : Boot up fault LED (Re-plug the VGA board or D1601,D29,D30 all failed)

    D1250~D1252 : Turn on with normal behavior in the left ASIC

    D1253~D1255 : Turn on with normal behavior in the right ASIC

    At BOOT/POST, the card's fan will spin @ 100% for a short while, the LEDs will light up for a brief period and then go out. This is NORMAL behaviour as the card is performing it's own type of POST test.

    Green LEDs lit mean the VGA card is working normally. A RED LED will show on D1250~D1252 / D1253~D1255 to show normal operation.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    HD 3870x2 LEDs

    D25 : ASIC Thermal fail / Overheat

    D32 : VDDC_G1 power fail / Master ASIC VDDC fail

    D34 : VDDC_G2 power fail / Slave ASIC VDDC fail

    D28 : External A power fail / 8 pin External power fail

    D31 : External B power fail / 6 pin External power fail

    At BOOT/POST, the card's fan will spin @ 100% for a short while, the LEDs will light up for a brief period and then go out. This is NORMAL behaviour as the card is performing it's own type of POST test.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    HD 4890 LEDs

    D601: VDDC_FAULT

    D1601: critical temperature fault

    D1602: AUX Hot Plug/Unplug Fault (upper connector)

    D1603: AUX Hot Plug/Unplug Fault (lower connector)

    At BOOT/POST, the card's fan will spin @ 100% for a short while and 3 of the 4 LEDs will light up for a brief period and then go out ( D601 should remain unlit ). This is NORMAL behavior as the card is performing it's own type of POST test.

    So in the poor chap aboves case D15 (R819) Overheating (Thermal issue)
    should be lit if he takes the side case off to examine the back side of the card, tata for now...
     
    Last edited: Oct 31, 2014

  16. pharaphobia

    pharaphobia Guest

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    It acts normaly 4 red lights just pop up for less than a second fan goes to 100% than to factory speed until my Windows boot up and load my profile :)
     
  17. kevsamiga1974

    kevsamiga1974 Master Guru

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    So in that case the card itself can be ruled out from being defective...
     
  18. pharaphobia

    pharaphobia Guest

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    I made an "FIX"

    I maded two profiles, than i modified the XML files in the %appdata% folder. Now I can take 595/900 MHZ from the 2nd core, when I put 600mhz I will get BSOD with aitmag.sys? (corrent me if im wrong but the bsod is so fast) so it is somehow working. Maybe I will try your drivers after all ^^. But the TWLs one are the first ones which works for StarCraft 2! Which is my main game :)!

    Thank you very much and please do I know you have talked about SC2 in some posts? And I saw many vids where this card could run this on FULL ULTRA. Are there any "specual drivers" or could you reccomend me the one which could potencially works best? I dont really plan to plan other game at all :D
     
  19. kevsamiga1974

    kevsamiga1974 Master Guru

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    For SC2 you want plain 10.10 (not the hotfixes) or 10.12 or 11.1.

    Somewhere in-between the protoss pylon's in SC2 go missing (bug) on the 10.10a/b/c/d/e hotfixes.

    Just take 10.12 as the video playback is fixed up.

    10.7a was the first driver to support AA in SC2, but it's no good for 4870x2 as crossfire was fubared until 10.10 and I'm not 100% sure if SC2 worked properly on earlier drivers...

    2nd gpu doesn't come out of 2D clocks on 10.6-10.9. There are some drivers to avoid that have broken clocks by default on 4870x2. These are :

    8.8-8.11, 9.2-9.5, 10.6-10.9, 12.3-13.9.

    Yes, they kept fixing and breaking it again in the last 5 years...

    I don't actually have SC2 myself, just the original starcraft but I did research into other bugs, and I haven't played it much either as I prefer Company of heroes AI as it's a challenge and very sneaky for an AI.

    I play supcom too but the AI in supreme commander and forged alliance is utter crap without the sorian AI mod.
     
    Last edited: Nov 3, 2014
  20. pharaphobia

    pharaphobia Guest

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    Well I do play mainly 1v1 Ladder, so my goal is to have medium details (since the game looks exacly the same in terms of medium to ultra settings) I just want to play on at least 70+ fps in 200/200 battles. So you think if i will get 10.12 original I can achieve that result? I dont even know which version TwLs made tbh. Or did you actually modified 10.12?:)
     

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