4870 - Soft Voltmod and Overclocking.

Discussion in 'Videocards - AMD Radeon' started by Chernobyl, Nov 19, 2009.

  1. Chernobyl

    Chernobyl Active Member

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    GPU:
    xfx 4870 1gb
    All of you are (probably) aware of this, but with MSI Afterburner 1.4, one can alter the voltage of the 1GB 4870's, up to 1.35v. (From 1.20) While this isn't a huge boost, it does allow for a good amount more overclocking headroom, and you don't have to use any warranty-voiding hard mods.

    Using MSI Afterburner + Rivatuner, i was able to achieve 4890 Clocks, although i would freeze up around 855mhz Core. These clocks were stable in Borderlands and NFS: Shift.

    With an aftermarket cooler i'm sure i could break 860+ core on a 4870.
    Have any of you guys tried this method? If so, what were your results?
     
  2. FastZ28

    FastZ28 Active Member

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    Tri-Fire (4870/4870/4850)
    Yep, I get 860+ clocks on 1GB XFX 4870 XXX ed. (both cards) via soft method. You should mention this only works on reference or cards with Volterra PWM controllers. I use ref cooler & my preferred thermal paste.

    When cards were stable in CrossX I edited my vBIOS to 160/200 (1.083v) 2D mode & 850/1050 (1.276v) 3D mode so no software to get 2x4890 speed & idle watts (OS could crash & I'm not at PC). Decent (low-watt) NVidia card goes in 3rd slot to give PhysX & DirectCompute.

    Also put nice linear ramp on fan controllers in vBIOS, very quiet & keeps the 3-phase PWM chip cool (120A), 4890's use longer 5-phase chip (160A) so they can clock RV770 more (stable Vcore) but it sometimes can burn the cards up if go high (usually 950+).

    The 1.35v is really stressing your Volterra PWM chip (heat), you really need that for 850? You could set Vcore higher even but its useless with 3-phase since Vcore becomes unstable (I checked on scope); so you are freezing at 855 (changing cooler won't help this). Adding large caps helps a little, but not worth it.
     
  3. Chernobyl

    Chernobyl Active Member

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    xfx 4870 1gb
    Admittedly it is a bit stressful but i've noticed no significant heat rise, so i'm not entirely worried. I was only up that high anyway because i was trying to see if any amount of increased voltage would help it break 860, and unfortunately it just doesn't. Right now it's fine at 1,291v, 830 core/1000 mem, and i'm pretty sure i'm not going to try to go past there.
     
  4. "Born"_*Leader*

    "Born"_*Leader* Banned

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    GPU:
    Gigabyte GTS450 OC in SLI
    My 4870 crashed at 790/1100 no voltmod in Vantage. I've run it before successfully using this program, but I am also using a new mobo and ram so who knows.
     

  5. IPlayNaked

    IPlayNaked Banned

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    I could do it on an Asus DK 512 with no voltage control.

    But realistically, the draw of the 4890 is not its power at stock clocks, it's the OC headroom. 950-1ghz is quite easily done, and that sets it apart from the 4870.
     
  6. Quicks

    Quicks Guest

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    GPU:
    Red Devil RX 470 / 4GB
    Tried to overclock but, if it goes over 790 core it defaults back to 750 does not matter what i set the voltage to.

    I know that the highest that you can overclock with ati drivers in ccc is 790, does it maybe got to do with that ?

    or maybe there is something else I must tick or unlock to go above 790 ?
     
    Last edited: Nov 20, 2009
  7. king-dubs

    king-dubs Ancient Guru

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    The idea is to not use CCC in conjunction with MSI Afterburner. You should disable ATI OverDrive before using Afterburner.
     
  8. Quicks

    Quicks Guest

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    GPU:
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    It is disabled i am just saying the max in ccc is 790, maybe thats why its doing that. (but in not using both to overclock).

    I see the op said he is using MSI Afterburner + Rivatuner, should I rather use msi afterburner to put the volts up on the gpu and then use rivatuner to overclock ? But I dont see the point in doing that if msi afterburner has got the option to do both set voltage and overclock.
     
    Last edited: Nov 20, 2009
  9. FastZ28

    FastZ28 Active Member

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    Oh, yeah, 3-phase lacks stable power at 850 so volts are moot. If PWM/core touch cooler proper & fan is set right not much worry. Ref 4890 easy pass 850, with 5 phase PWM & surrounding decoupling ring make RV770 a RV790 to take it 900-1000.

    I can see warranty issue with hardmods. My own "cycle" is <2yrs, usually earlier, but I prefer vBIOS edit so if OS does crash I don't find 860/1100 (1.3v) at low fan rpms (& crispy smell). Less tray icons, maybe bit more FPS too. I usually "fix" bad paste jobs, missing fets/caps, etc.

    I'm more concern when NV/ATI gimps older chips with drivers on newer games. Then, the OC helps, but less so.

    My reman (not a scratch tho, both) ref 1GB 4870 was $120, 4890 was $200 then, so +125 core no biggie for me, so 2 4870's & mod vBIOS (idle watts/fan). Almost year later, 1GB ref 4870 still $175, ref 4890 $200.
     
  10. spleended

    spleended Member Guru

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    GPU:
    ATi XFX HD4870 512mb
    i dont know how you oc your 4870 @800+mhz,i can only hit 790/1100Mhz,and in msi afterburner its the same... What i need to do to go above that?
     

  11. FastZ28

    FastZ28 Active Member

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    GPU:
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    Turn off CCC overclocking and reboot. Using 1.4 right? You have a link to your card so I could "see" it? or the part #... is your card ref design (huge)?

    MSI's tool is basically an easier to use Rivatuner (Riva can set any clock speed). My Core goes 1275 and Mem goes 1300, I didn't do anything.

    Perhaps you have a diff BIOS or a card that lacks the Volterra PWM IC in which case MSI/Rivatuner can not adjust Vcore (to my knowledge anyway) & maybe that limit the Core value? :3eyes:

    790 seems like CCC BIOS lock. Seems catalyst/vBIOS related and need more info. MSIAfterburner.cfg has some settings too (0 or 1 for off/on). Under [ATIADLHAL] maybe you could try EnableUnofficialOverclocking = 1.
     
  12. spleended

    spleended Member Guru

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  13. Quicks

    Quicks Guest

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    GPU:
    Red Devil RX 470 / 4GB
    Will the over volt bar show even though your video card does not support it ? should it not be greyed out like the bar of the shaders clock is greyed out ?

    If not can somebody tell me if this card support over volting or not http://www.sapphiretech.com/presentation/product/?psn=000101&pid=266

    and can someone tell me where to check for future purposes.

    Thanks.
     
  14. FastZ28

    FastZ28 Active Member

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    GPU:
    Tri-Fire (4870/4870/4850)
    I was meaning MSI Afterburner version 1.4 (or latest one?, should be in guru3d download)

    Doesn't need to be XXX ed, basically a scam. But if it looks like that, it's reference, and volt will adjust, you may have to "enable" volt changes in the settings portion of Afterburner.

    BIOS for mobo chip (nv720) not important, I was talking the 4870 BIOS version (there's a bunch), but it shouldn't matter. I'd uninstall all GFX card overclock stuff, be sure in CCC Overdrive is not enabled, install MSI Burner, check enable & view volt changes.

    If volt change is greyed, it doesn't "feel" your card can or should be done (Volterra chip must be on card, ref design). My Nvidia is greyed on voltage (it's a cheapy). But it will alter my 4870 vcore, so will other programs.
     
  15. FastZ28

    FastZ28 Active Member

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    No, put it this way, if the volt bar is not grey, it's probably working.

    Your link wasn't specific enough, it went sapphire homepage. Perhaps google reference 4870 for pictures (backside especially) to compare yours with.

    Future purpose/buy, I'd say for 4870 on up reference design is best blind bet, but google is friend, try for others who got & select that card.
     

  16. DementeD

    DementeD Master Guru

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    GPU:
    AMD "6970" 1000/1500
    i could do 850 core on my x2 for a little while with 1.32v however i went to go back to overclocking it again and im having troubles with 850core now in 3dmark06/vantage..
     
  17. FastZ28

    FastZ28 Active Member

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    GPU:
    Tri-Fire (4870/4870/4850)
    Same PSU & mobo? Sometimes that'll change my result. I'd say x2 being on one board has enough to cool so it's especially hard on the power circuit, maybe it even deteriorated a tad. Most cards turned in for repair, if it's not a passive one, it's the power circuit, I change the bad parts and the cores are usually fine (even excessively heated ones, kinda black around the chip core), then retest pushing it hard.

    Some have luck dropping ram speed to get more core, not always tho, whatever gives most speed in fav games.
     
  18. DementeD

    DementeD Master Guru

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    yea same setup..the only thing change is its watercooled now and all the temps are MUCH better..vrm's stay under 100(usually 80c compared to 120's before) gpu temps are max 54c..so idk..im going with maybe it deteriorated some..thats the only conclusion i came think of....ive tried a load of different voltages up to 1.4 and still crash in 3dmark06/vantage..
     
  19. Chernobyl

    Chernobyl Active Member

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    GPU:
    xfx 4870 1gb
    i've just gotten an Accelero cooler (finally something to cool those poor toasty VRM's) and after having another go at overclocking i reached 864(!!) before i started to get artifacts. The memory couldn't be forced over 1175 stable though.
     
    Last edited: Nov 28, 2009
  20. avadona

    avadona Member

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    Hi everybody! sorry for posting it here, but as long as i don't have an access to this thread:"Which ATI cards are softmoddable how about 4870, 4850, 4670, 4550" on the Advanced Discussion forum i'm gonna ask you this: is it really so important to have an original Volterra chip on the reference pcb for ATI(like 4870) >>> FirePro (like8700/8750) to be successfully softmoded? Although Master Guru gurusan was claiming so, some other users have strictly disagreed on that. Any suggestions?

    Thank you in advance!
     

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