Off-Topic Thread

Kiith · 04-03-2014 04:06PM

i5-4670K, Radeon R9 290 WindForce 3X, 8GB-Kit Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 and the other bits and pieces. Went over budget after upgrading the GPU and adding a SSD, but what the hell. It'll be worth it.

Haven't had a desktop in around 14 months, so by god i'll be happy when it arrives.

..Brian.. · 04-03-2014 06:19PM

raymix wrote: »

You'll find all answers here, it's a short FAQ, but definitely the best I can find.

There's a bit of misconception when people mentions GPU and bitcoin in a same sentence. What they probably mean is one of altcoins that are actually mined with GPUs, I think Litecoin does not work with ASIC, which makes it more preferable for people who wants to make some beer money using their GPU (AMD in this case), some people also uses their work computers and electricity to mine coins.
Then there's solo and pool mining... but not explained well in that link. You should not go solo unless you have killer hardware afaik... pool is just bunch of people with budget systems mining together and sharing profits, essentially making one large supercomputer.
Something along those lines...

That's pretty much it. I done a bit of litecoin mining before xmas, left it running for about 6 weeks, spent about €50 extra in electricity for it. At the time LTC was selling at about €30 per coin. It has dropped to about €15 now so I have 14 coins just sitting there in the hope that it will spike back up near €30 per coin some day for a quick cash out. If so that's €420 less electricity and transaction fees, probably about €350 profit.

I only got into it as I had a pair of 7850s in my rig, I certainly wouldn't buy anything specifically to mine as it's too volatile and would cost too much in electricity at the moment with my new cards, nevermind the heat issue!

Blitz17 · 04-03-2014 10:18PM

Drooooooool :eek:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9kkxjuw2a0n421v/R9%20290X%20LIGHTNING%20Infokit%201_0%20-%20PDF%20Version.pdf

justjustin · 05-03-2014 12:22PM

..Brian.. wrote: »

That can't be right, it was regularly around 75C during gaming in my rig.

What would cause such a big difference in ability from one rig to another?

No idea.

Not really sure what's going on here still. Both cards are working fine now and I can even get a little overclock going, both mem and core. Just taking it slow but getting there.

What I find strange though is that while playing BF4, it will start off grand at 120-140fps or more on mostly high settings. After a while though, it will drop and hang around 50-80fps. Gpu usage will drop off to about 60-70% while my Cpu usage stays around 70-75% (where it usually is during this game - tried using both Mantle and DX11).

Would the limited Vram cause this behaviour? I also notice that the game uses a massive paging file, while it only uses around 6/7GBs of my 16GBs ram.

I am going to look closer at my Cpu OC and even drop that back to stock, just to be 100% certain that is not affecting the GPU usage in any way.

Any other ideas or advice very welcome.

game4it70 · 05-03-2014 02:06PM

justjustin wrote: »

No idea.
What I find strange though is that while playing BF4, it will start off grand at 120-140fps or more on mostly high settings. After a while though, it will drop and hang around 50-80fps. Gpu usage will drop off to about 60-70% while my Cpu usage stays around 70-75% (where it usually is during this game - tried using both Mantle and DX11).

Would the limited Vram cause this behaviour? I also notice that the game uses a massive paging file, while it only uses around 6/7GBs of my 16GBs ram

That is odd.
Do both gpu's drop down to 60-70% or just the newer one?
I'm not sure about your cpu but with a 2500k and 4670k i always reach about 95%+ usage with a single gpu.
You should be higher on the cpu usage imo as it should have to work harder to run 2 gpus.
It sounds like the cpu is bottlenecking the gpus but the usage/fps dropping should happen from the start and not after a while.

If your running @ 1080p i would have said the vram should be ok. I presume you have 2gb?

Have you monitored the VRM temps if it shows up in the likes of Hwinfo ?

Kiith · 05-03-2014 02:24PM

Hardwareversand wrote:

Due to your payment, your order was cleared for delivery

Some of the items that i picked are not currently in stock. Does the above mean that i got them before they went out of stock, or will i have to wait for them to come in?

Hmm, apparently i will still be waiting for the items to arrive in before they can send it on. Ah well, might have to wait a while longer.

justjustin · 05-03-2014 02:47PM

game4it70 wrote: »

That is odd.
Do both gpu's drop down to 60-70% or just the newer one?

It sounds like the cpu is bottlenecking the gpus but the usage/fps dropping should happen from the start and not after a while.

If your running @ 1080p i would have said the vram should be ok. I presume you have 2gb?

Have you monitored the VRM temps if it shows up in the likes of Hwinfo ?

Both Gpus drop to the same usage, within a percent or two of each other. During the loadout screen both will shoot back up to full load.

It seems very much like bottlenecking but with cpu usage ~75% that doesn't make sense, why wouldn't it be up on 90% or more. Unless... Vrm temp is limiting it.

I have HWINFO but that doesn't give me a (correct) reading for VRM. It's reading it as ~30-40°C which just can't be right. I'll try to find something that reads it properly, my old Q6600 used to drive VRM temps up to ~100°C if I recall correctly so it's definitely worth investigating more.

Probably worth mentioning too that I'm using a Corsair H70 so airflow around VRM/Chipset could be limited (board is Asus M5a99x-Pro R2.0). I have the H70 exhausting to the rear of my Antec 900, with a sidefan, two front 120mm intakes and the 200mm exhaust on top. I have no spare fans at the moment but I might try getting an 80mm and see if I can squeeze it in somewhere to help the chipset. Won't be easy to mount it but sure worth a shot.

I am running at 1080p on 2 x 2gb 7850s with a 750w Corsair TX-750M. I have two monitors, a 1080p and a 1600x900 but I only game on one. Cpu was at 4.8 and 4.7ghz but I have tried it at 4.4ghz and at stock with similar results.

The Cpu gets maxed out loading BF4 but never seems to get above 75% in gameplay. I can max out the Gpus on Heaven, etc, too.

I don't have many other games installed at the moment to try out really. FIFA's not much good for that to be honest

I just noticed there's a BIOS a couple of months old on the Asus site so I'll give that a try and I also found This Thread which looks worth a try - although the Cpu speed isn't throttling back.

Thanks for your time.

Moon54 · 05-03-2014 03:01PM

I ordered the Sapphire R9 290 Tri-x from that OCUK deal yesterday, total was €422 delivered, price is gone up again now though.
I'm looking forward to having that monster GPU in my rig.

My last GPU upgrade was 3+ years ago so I'm hoping this will do me for a long time.

Although the Gigabyte Windforce R9 290 3x gets great reviews and is excellent value @ €367 delivered using Geizhals.de;
http://geizhals.de/redir.cgi?h=hardwareversand&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hardwareversand.de%2Farticledetail.jsp%3Faid%3D153419%26agid%3D2448%26pvid%3D4pt2rskvv_hsejzpc0%26ref%3D13&key=e55a1e1f02dbfe101df3a3f9fd730b64
... I just always liked the Sapphire GPU's and felt it was worth paying the bit extra for it.

Seaaan · 05-03-2014 03:01PM

When I was playing League the last few days, I've been getting what I think is serious artifacting (outline of champs/minions stat there when I move)
How do I get rid if this? Also happens in tekkit, where the there seems to be horrid lines going through textures.

game4it70 · 05-03-2014 03:06PM

@justjustin

Well if you can max out the gpus in benches you would think that the issue is with bf4 maybe.
Try running bf4 with the settings on low to see if the usage drops of like it does now with the settings your using.

Another thing to look at is "core parking" just on the off chance its related.

Kiith · 05-03-2014 03:13PM

Seaaan wrote: »

When I was playing League the last few days, I've been getting what I think is serious artifacting (outline of champs/minions stat there when I move)
How do I get rid if this? Also happens in tekkit, where the there seems to be horrid lines going through textures.

That can often be the first signs of a dying graphics card. Happened me a few times, and i've had to replace my cards soon afterwards.

What card do you have currently?

papu · 05-03-2014 03:30PM

Blitz17 wrote: »

Drooooooool :eek:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9kkxjuw2a0n421v/R9%20290X%20LIGHTNING%20Infokit%201_0%20-%20PDF%20Version.pdf

So damn tasty..

Seaaan · 05-03-2014 03:35PM

Kiith wrote: »

That can often be the first signs of a dying graphics card. Happened me a few times, and i've had to replace my cards soon afterwards.

What card do you have currently?

A brand new Asus R9 290.. Which incidently had broken packaging.. Should I just send it back now and demand a new one, on the grounds of receiving an open box item? Don't want to have to send a card half way around the world to Asus..

game4it70 · 05-03-2014 03:44PM

Seaaan wrote: »

A brand new Asus R9 290.. Which incidently had broken packaging.. Should I just send it back now and demand a new one, on the grounds of receiving an open box item? Don't want to have to send a card half way around the world to Asus..

I would deffo send it back if packaging was damaged.At the very least i would have contacted seller to inform them of the packaging on receipt of the gpu.But now with the artifacting i'd be asking for a replacement or a full refund.
They might be easier to deal with than Asus.

BloodBath · 05-03-2014 03:58PM

Have you overclocked the card at all?

What are the temps like?

Seaaan · 05-03-2014 04:07PM

Didn't touch the clock speeds. High temps.. 85 gaming, 90 furmark. I know they're able to run like that, but god its so hot. Quiet though.

I emailed them regarding the open package and they sent me back some bull**** in German, which said something like thanks for ordering. Do they even speak English , or should I ask my sister to write a German email to them? (She's pretty good)

Edit: It only happens in some games! Only reaches 60-65 in league too

Gumbi · 05-03-2014 05:59PM

Seaaan wrote: »

Didn't touch the clock speeds. High temps.. 85 gaming, 90 furmark. I know they're able to run like that, but god its so hot. Quiet though.

I emailed them regarding the open package and they sent me back some bull**** in German, which said something like thanks for ordering. Do they even speak English , or should I ask my sister to write a German email to them? (She's pretty good)

Edit: It only happens in some games! Only reaches 60-65 in league too

85 in gaming, that's probably quiet mode? Change the fan speed settings, performance mode, though louder is a lot cooler. Or maybe you can try something in between.

The card draws a lot of power so dissipating it needs a good cooler. 85 is fine though. What are the VRMs like? From review it seemed they got hot unless you upped the fan speed a nice bit (which suggests poor heatsinks but good airflow around them).

I bet you you can get it under 80 with a higher fan speed.

Seaaan · 05-03-2014 07:28PM

For reference, this is what's happening.

Yeah it's still in quiet mode, as I KEEP forgetting to change it.. From a 15 minute furmark vrms are getting HOT.
Vrm 1 is 96 and Vrm 2 is 85. Lower ambient temp though, so core isn't going over 82.

Ok my furmark score was just over a gtx 470. What

Gumbi · 05-03-2014 07:46PM

Don't worry about Furmarm, it's a completely unrealistic load. If you can game sub 85 across the board (core and VRMs) you're sorted.

And performance mode helps a lot with that.

Seaaan · 05-03-2014 08:21PM

Gumbi wrote: »

Don't worry about Furmarm, it's a completely unrealistic load. If you can game sub 85 across the board (core and VRMs) you're sorted.

And performance mode helps a lot with that.

Only did that cos I was busy, and it's about as heavy a load as can be put on it.
Any input on the weird graphics stuff?

Kiith · 05-03-2014 09:04PM

So my new pc was shipped today. Any chance it might arrive by the weekend? UPS tracking still says Germany. By God I'd love to get it by Saturday...

Seaaan · 05-03-2014 09:24PM

Not a chance, I'd say. Usually takes 4 working days.
Just sent HWVS an email in german wondering if they'll refund me for their false advertising..

Kiith · 05-03-2014 09:38PM

Bah...It'll probably arrive just after I leave for work on Monday morning in that case.

Blitz17 · 05-03-2014 09:50PM

Kiith wrote: »

Bah...It'll probably arrive just after I leave for work on Monday morning in that case.

Thats always the case with me !! Could be on my 4 days off and no post, the day im going to work it arrives

Seaaan · 05-03-2014 10:52PM

They could surprise you! They shipped mine on Tuesday morning and had it delivered by 10:30 on Friday.

Am I Evil? · 06-03-2014 06:23PM

I must say, buying a Tri X R9 290 was one of the biggest buying mistakes I've ever had the misfortune of going through

The build quality is an absolute joke. 2 cards each with the same fan problem. **** sending it back again as An post are charging me €30 each time.

Time for a bit of a modification to stop this noise

One of the fans seems to be catching on the plastic causing which is causing a bit of a rattle. If i apply any pressure whatsoever on the case the noise goes away. Bit of insulation tape I suppose to hold it all together :rolleyes::eek:

Seaaan · 06-03-2014 06:47PM

Is sending an item back to HWVS an easy affair? They ignored my email which I sent to them regarding the matter, and since then I've reinstalled my 7770 and installed those drivers and it's working perfectly. Is there a high chance of them sending the same useless card back to me? Do I have to pay shipping?]

Ugh, I live in a rural area where I know UPS won't come. How do I give them the package to send back? I want it to be shipped to parcel motel, but obviously I can't send it FROM parcel motel.

yimrsg · 06-03-2014 08:07PM

Been on the lookout for a second 280x and saw this on hukd for £199:

http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/components/amdradeongraphicscards/amdr9280xseries/vxr9280x3gbd5-2dhev2.html

Are there downsides to having 2 different GPUs in crossfire as my asus top is 970mhz and the vtx3d is 850mhz?

Seaaan · 06-03-2014 08:36PM

yimrsg wrote: »

Been on the lookout for a second 280x and saw this on hukd for £199:

http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/components/amdradeongraphicscards/amdr9280xseries/vxr9280x3gbd5-2dhev2.html

Are there downsides to having 2 different GPUs in crossfire as my asus top is 970mhz and the vtx3d is 850mhz?

I asked the same question about te VTX3d 290 and apparently their parts are cheap and their customer service is ****e.

yimrsg · 06-03-2014 08:44PM

Seaaan wrote: »

I asked the same question about te VTX3d 290 and apparently their parts are cheap and their customer service is ****e.

Yeah I'd prefer to go with a better model or more well respected brand, it was the first 280x that was a decent price I've seen in a while. Might just hold off till the mining demand drops before getting a second card.

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