Issues with overclocking the HD3870X2

[AphexDreamer]

Ok I use RivaTuner to OC and desipte me having both a 6pin and 8pin pluged in, I can't use Overdirve because it keeps saying it has not instialized.

Anyways I got a score with 3Dmark and then OC my Clocks only to recive a lower score.

Googling has led me to believe that Power Play or if not that then I must not be OCing both Cores which is causing the problem.

Anyone with the card care to share with me how they have been OC it, thanks.

[t_ski]

Using Auto Tune, I have not been able to OC either core. I get lockups. However, that's on stock cooling with the fans at stock speed. I've heard that raising the fan speed to around 50% helps quite a bit.

[AphexDreamer]

Yeah I keep mine at 100% all the time never goes over 50C even when OC, that is if it is even really OC as rivatuner says it is.

[AphexDreamer]

Bump

[erocker]

From what I know the 3870x2 bios on the top of the list in the bios collection will allow for overclocking. All you need is Ati Winflash to do it.

[AphexDreamer]

From what I know the 3870x2 bios on the top of the list in the bios collection will allow for overclocking. All you need is Ati Winflash to do it.

Is it like I need an unlocked BIOS or something? I'll try the Flashing it with one of the BIOS files from the forum. Are they stock clocks or overclocked? Also I'm doing it via DOS, is that OK. Let me mention that when I flashed via DOS, I thinked it only flash one of the Cores not the other lol.

[AphexDreamer]

Oh and it should work with Sapphire right?

[t_ski]

The new Cat 8.4's are out, and one of the fixes for Vista is CCC not crashing when using Auto-Tune. I may just have to test these out tonight...

[fullinfusion]

well all you need to do is ask my friend... want a program to o/c both cores? well i have what you need... as for riva tune it only does the one core... your better off using ccc and manually setting te clocks on both cores... hence you see the gpu to configure on your ccc? well theres two to select from

[AphexDreamer]

OK, I have Flashed my BIOS succesfully to 850/1000 and for that I am glad. FullFusion you say you have software to OC it through windows? Please share it man.

[fullinfusion]

just looking in my pre posts... ill have the link up for you in a min...

[AphexDreamer]

just looking in my pre posts... ill have the link up for you in a min...

OK, sweet.

[fullinfusion]

i posted the link in a room here,, how do i find it? is there a way i can give you the zippd file in here?
shit i cant find where i posted it but ill keep looking... i sweare you'll get it... jast bare with me

[t_ski]

You mean this one:

http://rapidshare.com/files/100990709/AMDGPUClockTool.zip.html

[fullinfusion]

lol here i found it so enjoy...http://rapidshare.com/files/100990709/AMDGPUClockTool.zip.html

[fullinfusion]

yup lol

[AphexDreamer]

Apprciate that, downloading now.

[AphexDreamer]

Oh, its AMD GPU Clock tool. lol, I already had that along with the Toolib.dll. Thanks anyways though.

[fullinfusion]

np bud.... hey tell me how and why you flashed your gpu bios.... what can i expect by doing it/

[fitseries3]

my 3870x2 crashes when clocked past 850/900. any ideas? fan is at 100% and it's running the above mentioned unlocked bios.

[erocker]

I'm not sure if you can actually use ATi Winflash for both bios' on the card. Can you put them on a .zip for me so I can check them out?

[AphexDreamer]

I flashed it so I can properly overclock both cores without having to set it myself, because by increaseing the voltage you can OC more.

This is what I did.(The whole Process)

First I had to get the BIOS from both cores. You can download the one 43k from TPU but you will still need the second 64k file to flash the second core. You can get that by using GPUz, clicking on the dropdown list and selecting the second HD3870X2 and then clicking on the Chip to the left of the ATI logo to save the BIOS file.

After you have both BIOS files you need to edit BOTH of them via RGB editor or CBABE. As you edit them make sure you set the Bootup clocks, Low 3D Clocks, and High 3DClocks all to the same Core Clock, Mem Clock, and Voltage for BOTH FILES. You can also set the Voltage to like 3.90 or higher for some more Overclocking headroom. Save them as R6080A.bin and R680B.bin.

Now you just need to make a Bootable DOS through a CD, USB or Floppy. Since I have never used CD or FLoppy to flash, I've done it through a USB.

NOTE: BACK UP ANY DATA ON THE FLASH DRIVE. IT WILL BE LOST.

Download the ZIP Below and extract it to obtain the DOS making Utilities. Open RunThis and
for Device select the USB drive you wish to format. Then for File System select FAT and for Check Box that says "Creat A DOS Startup disk" check it and click on the "..." to select the BootFiles Folder providied in the ZIP. Upon complition you should have a bootable USB. Just make sure your BIOS is set to boot from it.

Now Last but not least, copy your newly created BIOS files for your HD3870X2 and the ATIFash Utility (which can be found here at TPU) and paste them into your USB drive. Next time you reboot, you PC should boot up in DOS.

Just type these commands.

atflash.exe -pa R680A.bin

(It will flash the first core)

atiflash.exe -pa R680B.bin

(It will flash the second core)

Now reboot your computer and you should find you Card working at the specified Clock and Volts.

Also might I add that I am not responsable for any shit that might happens, though if you follow my guide I think you will be ok.:)



atiflash

[Francis69007]

let's try this :)
Even if i think 1.39 is heavy like Vgpu
np, i gona hear my fans until i receive my WB.

[Francis69007]

ok,
flash is ok.
i was stupidly wondering why i couldn't run AtiWinFlash,
i'd never thought on flashin' cores 1 by 1.

plz note that the command "-pa" is ok for core0
but i found the way to flash the second one by the command : "atiflash.exe -p 1 R680B.bin"

(i put '3D'Clock on 878 ;) )

[Francis69007]

cool
i tryed 892/999 4 fun
and its pretty works :D
(sure i wont up more before i receive my WB)
I reached :
20173pts 3D06
25435pts 3D05
with all by defaut (CG, ram, fsb) just going on coef 11 on CPU + setfsb to 3.8ghz.

That's a very good way,
tomorrow i'll try to kill my own records, by flashing my second X2,
and running up to 4.5Ghz, wiht all optimized.

ty man, i was fade up cloking on CCC (875/955) values :D

[AphexDreamer]

cool
i tryed 892/999 4 fun
and its pretty works :D
(sure i wont up more before i receive my WB)
I reached :
20173pts 3D06
25435pts 3D05
with all by defaut (CG, ram, fsb) just going on coef 11 on CPU + setfsb to 3.8ghz.

That's a very good way,
tomorrow i'll try to kill my own records, by flashing my second X2,
and running up to 4.5Ghz, wiht all optimized.

ty man, i was fade up cloking on CCC (875/955) values :D


Hey thanks for telling me how it went for you. I guess I am doing it wrong because I just use -pa for both cores and barley see an inprovement. I'll try doing that other thing you spoke of.

:toast:

[Dr. Spankenstein]

Yes. From the command line, you have to tell atiwinflash WHICH PCI slot to direct the flash.

atiwinflash -p 0(for first core) "newBIOS".bin
atiwinflash -p 1(for second core) "newBIOS".bin

[AphexDreamer]

Yes. From the command line, you have to tell atiwinflash WHICH PCI slot to direct the flash.

atiwinflash -p 0(for first core) "newBIOS".bin
atiwinflash -p 1(for second core) "newBIOS".bin

Actually -pa worked fine for me? It said it was already flashed, But for some reason my score won't go higher than 13000.

[Dr. Spankenstein]

So when you open either CCC or AMDGPUTool (or whaterver it's called) bother cores show clocked at 850 and 1100 mem?

That's news to me.

[AphexDreamer]

So when you open either CCC or AMDGPUTool (or whaterver it's called) bother cores show clocked at 850 and 1100 mem?

That's news to me.

Well no, it shows default 3D clocks for one core and 2D Clocks for the other. But my BIOS is flashed and RivaTuner shows my Clocks going up to it, at least for one core.

[Dr. Spankenstein]

My point exactly.
You just flashed ONE core TWICE!

Do second core with the command atiwnflash -p 1 "newBIOS".bin

Replace the "newBIOS" with whatever you have named your modded BIOS.

[AphexDreamer]

My point exactly.
You just flashed ONE core TWICE!

Do second core with the command atiwnflash -p 1 "newBIOS".bin

Replace the "newBIOS" with whatever you have named your modded BIOS.

Yeah I tryed that just now. It says the BIOS has already been flashed with it and it won't let me flash it.

[Dr. Spankenstein]

Try changing the name, bub! Like R680C?:laugh:

[CrackerJack]

So when you open either CCC or AMDGPUTool (or whaterver it's called) bother cores show clocked at 850 and 1100 mem?

That's news to me.

The -pa command will flash all. Make it easyier when you have crossfire or in this case a X2

[Dr. Spankenstein]

Well, in that case I was gonna say that Bytor only managed 14600 3DMarks with his Crossfire and X2 @ 2.55. So you're in the ball park.

[Francis69007]

with CF-X on X2 i run about 21.5k 3D06 with the CCC OC, 3.6ghz CPU, all stock, but coef x11.

before flash both cards, i gona test 891/1050.

[AphexDreamer]

with CF-X on X2 i run about 21.5k 3D06 with the CCC OC, 3.6ghz CPU, all stock, but coef x11.

before flash both cards, i gona test 891/1050.

How do you turn XrossFire X on or off, do you have two X2's?

[Francis69007]

y i have 2 X2
on p5 E3 ws pro + 2Go 1866 supertalent

[Francis69007]

ok men
strong oc are interresting, but stability is more important.
As long as i won't have my waterblock, i gona run on 892/1002,
quiet cool OC, and stable above 4ghz on CPU.

Screen are better than words sometime, so i've prepared 4 U
two results (3D05 and 3D06), CPU@4ghz :

3D05 result (26920pts)
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/4874/single269103d058921000tv6.th.jpg (http://img149.imageshack.us/my.php?image=single269103d058921000tv6.jpg)

3D06 result (20920pts)
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/9581/single209253d068921000bi3.th.jpg (http://img149.imageshack.us/my.php?image=single209253d068921000bi3.jpg)

I was busy today, but tomorrow, i go test both flashed graphic cards. :)

[Francis69007]

ok :D
let's see 3D06 result :laugh: :
http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/7720/3d0626323zr7.th.jpg (http://img182.imageshack.us/my.php?image=3d0626323zr7.jpg)

i'm water limited on cpu, and air limited on graphic card at the moment,
but this flash on cards was ok 4 me.
ty u for advises, now i can make my own specs. :toast:
:roll:

[Kirby123]

I have Rivatuner to bump up the speed of my fan and just use CCC to clock it up. i do not understand why i cant clock the second core, it is you are aloud to clock it because if you monitor the second GPU you can see when you hit test custom clocks in your CCC that it does clock it. When it comes to 3D gaming and your monitoring it, nothing is done to the core or mem clock. if anyone knows anything please tell.

[Francis69007]

i think about a bad install of ya drivers, 'coz OC by CCC should be recognized, and roxx fixed values ;)
On another hand, that quiet normal Riva shows you the second core running low frequency, even if you changed the values.
The only way to know what happens would be to test default value on 3D06, then with OC value, to see - or not, the difference :)

[trog100]

dont forget 2006 is totally cpu limited with an amd cpu.. u wont see much of an increase by upping card speeds or adding more than two cards.. fact..

these why is my 2006 score crap threads are getting silly.. whats silly is intel users not knowing and trying to do the impossible.. getting anything like an intel 2006 score is impossible with an amd cpu..

trog

[spearman914]

Drivers is a high chance it is the problem.

EDIT: BRUCE LEE HIYA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[trog100]

my 3870x2 crashes when clocked past 850/900. any ideas? fan is at 100% and it's running the above mentioned unlocked bios.

errrr.. praps it wont go any faster than 850 core.. it aint written in stone that it should dude..

i run both my 3870 cards at 837 core for genuine gaming stability..

the real clocks jump from 837 to 850 to 863 to 876 to 890 to 905 to 918.. roughly 13 mhz jumps..

trog

[Francis69007]

+1 for the 13 jump rule :)

...but on another hand i never saw any X2 that wouldn't go 878 on gpu.
that's why i think about bad drivers

[Kirby123]

is quad core really worth getting the make your video card do better with gaming? and man who evers bench mark is 26k you have dam good setup. mines crap right now :(.... im considering buying the E8400.... now im debating weather or not to dual it or quad it...

[Francis69007]

better own a good Q6600 G0 ;)
little by little, applications and games will be (if not allready done) optimized for quad core.
Why buy roxx 4.3 ghz a E8400 to have 19.35k 3D06, when you can almost 21k with same config @4ghz with Q6600 ?
I'd strongly recommand a good Q6600 :)

EDIT : a good CPU, will never replace GPU availabilities, man, but 'still as important as you're GPU choice

[Kirby123]

better own a good Q6600 G0 ;)
little by little, applications and games will be (if not allready done) optimized for quad core.
Why buy roxx 4.3 ghz a E8400 to have 19.35k 3D06, when you can almost 21k with same config @4ghz with Q6600 ?
I'd strongly recommand a good Q6600 :)

EDIT : a good CPU, will never replace GPU availabilities, man, but 'still as important as you're GPU choice

the E8400 is only $200 and its stock 3.0GHZ, i dont plan on clocking the processor at all because i dont want liquid cooling for it.... i was considering the core 2 extrem the one i wanted was $1500 :eek: ........... so im prolly going to stick with the E8400

[trog100]

the one and only reason a quad core cpu clock for clock scores better in 2006 is the multicoded cpu test the rest of it is mainly single threaded game tests.. u get the one off cpu score increase and thats it.. its the same one off cpu score increase whether u have one card or four cards..

i lose about 2000 points by only having two cores as opposed to four cores at the same speed.. however its a lot easier and cheaper to get a dual core e8400 to 4 gig than its is any quad to four gig..

the quad advantage dosnt transfer to games either.. core speed does thow.. try comparing a quad to a dual in 3dmark 2005 see what scores the highest..

my 2005 score is 27000 find me a quad that beats that.. challenge offered.. i am prepared and happy to be beaten.. he he

http://www.cavecom.com/pics/cf2005.jpg

trog

[eidairaman1]

trog you have a very good point of the CPU Benchmark not working on AMD CPUs, it even affects AXPs (Bear with me im still on one) the second CPU check i get 1 frame.

[fullinfusion]

i must totally agree with the Trog..:toast:

[Francis69007]

nice score man ;)
ok you absolutely right about cpu score....but....
why compare 'bench-with cpu score', and a 'bench-without' ?
no sense, i think.
what does that show ?
that shows, that future applications would be optimized, using full cpu' potential.
By exemple, with an OS like Windows VISTA, that mount API's one after one, could find out
the best from each hardware in your computer.
On this way, you're 20k with a Q6600 @4ghz, with cpu score, says that its better than
a configuration on C2D @4.3ghz....
As far as i'm concerned, in 3D05, i've reached 31.8k with my quad on water.
i think that's nice, but that doesn't represent the full reality, about global hardware.
Just imagine i can bench 3D05 with cpu @4.630 on water, but for 3D06 i can hardly bench 4.540, so 3D06's bench show me i'm hardware limited, and no sense to roxx more when i cant run stable the full hardware

[Francis69007]

my 2005 score is 27000 find me a quad that beats that.. challenge offered.. i am prepared and happy to be beaten.. he he

http://www.cavecom.com/pics/cf2005.jpg

trog

ok, no problem,
i gona make this, with a single X2

[Francis69007]

^^ my quad beats that, the sceenshot under is especially for you : (28.2k 3D05, single X2, cpu 4.2ghz -no need more)

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/693/28224cs1.th.jpg (http://img404.imageshack.us/my.php?image=28224cs1.jpg)

(when you go on my Hwbot profil, you could also find a 30.4K 3D05 on crossfire 3870 (not X2)......and also 27.8K 3D05 with single 8800GTS 512Mo rev2)

[Francis69007]

hop ! 4.3ghz cpu / single X2 / 3D05 ' score

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/6637/28684do0.th.jpg (http://img205.imageshack.us/my.php?image=28684do0.jpg)

[Francis69007]

lol
buddy :D
sure the E8400 of Trog is AMD...-no comment :p
useless information ? 4 you perhaps
sure the topic was about modding bios, and as i know, i try a 920/1008 bios, with the method of the first page.
To finish, Trog was proposing me to beat him with quad on single X2, and that's done.
But no need to voice like that.
I was just wondering to flash my bios, (whatever Intel or AMD cpu XD)...and now its ok.
cya.
regards ...

[Francis69007]

plz show me Intel/Ati section :D
i had absolutely no mockery before,
but in front of this behaviour,
when i see "AMD/ATI Section" i think about gpu,
moreover when, in front, we have "Nvidia section"
OMG, why are you so aggressive ? did i hurt you ?

[Francis69007]

i was justposting my bench issues with overclocking the HD3870X2....
you just wana creat an "opinion conflict", but for sure, and on the way
you give nothing on this thread, YOUR opinion is useless.
Great exemple of narrow minded man.
I applose.
np, what would i say, you'd try to have the "last word"...
Now i see its useless to speak more with you, byebye

[AphexDreamer]

Come on guys, both of ya. Lets be civilized here and please no discrimination between Intel and AMD, they both have had there momements.

[Urlyin]

That will be enough fullinfusion... clearly you forgot your manners :slap:

[t_ski]

Yep, you can just click "Edit" then "Delete" ;)

[fullinfusion]

Thank you Ski.. really sorry about last night.:(

[Francis69007]

yop fullinfusion
everythings' ok. no problem :)

[fullinfusion]

Great!!:toast: thanks Francis

[Kirby123]

im buying my E8400 this monday, 3dMark05 is free? since someoen stole my registry for 3dMark06 :( well im trying to game with alot of physics into it, some reason im getting 30 fps in crysis when im spose to get around 50 average from all the other ppl who own the same HIS HD 3870 X2 as me..... thats why i hope this new CPU will bump up my fps for games that use alot of physics and stuff XD

[fullinfusion]

Oh Yeah for sure Kirby, a new higher powered cpu will make the difference for ya..
I did though hear that alota ppl have been having issues with the HIS cards.. with low fps..
ma bey you wanna try a driver from Tweak Force the 8.4 version , works awesome compared to the AMD catalyst
http://www.tweakforce.com/index.php

[Kirby123]

is this just ccc8.4 because i already have that

[trog100]

soundly beaten.. it a took pretty big buck quad (and system) to do it thow.. in essence two of my e8400 chips sat sat by side..

my dual score might be held back by only having a p35 mobo and 16 x 4 pci-e slots.. a single x2 would be better in my system sat in the x16 slot.. i was just tooo mean to buy one..

my e8400 2006 score loses a couple of thousand points cos of the x 4 slot.. and another 2000 cos of the multi threaded cpu test.. my 27000 2005 score aint bad for a semi crippled dual core running crossfire.. he he he

one 3870 card on its own gets 25000 in 2005.. its pretty much cpu speed limited whatever number of gpus u throw at it..

trog

[trog100]

just for interest.. one cpu core running one gpu core running..

http://www.cavecom.com/pics/1c1g2005.jpg

when it takes 4 x as many cpu cores and 4 x as many gpu cores to get less than a 40% score increase it really dont say a lot for the whole "multi" thing does it..

also for interest the 1000 dollar plus quad cpu and four gpu cores would actually score less all running at stock speeds..

trog

[fullinfusion]

Yes Kirby it's the same CCC but the drivers have been tweaked...
Run's well and i know i wont be going back to the ATI ccc drivers...
Don't know why Ati doesn't set there drivers to perform as the Tweak Force drivers do..
:rockout:

[fullinfusion]

So Trog should i disable the other 3 pci slots on this mobo since i'm only running a single 3870x2?

[trog100]

So Trog should i disable the other 3 pci slots on this mobo since i'm only running a single 3870x2?

dunno dude never given disabling empty slots much thought.. but joking apart the gain from filling em up wont be much.. he he he

i am just an anti multi dude it dosnt make sense to me as yet.. i appear to be in a minority thow.. folks will keep buying it.. they moan if the next generation of cpu/gpu dont give a 50% performance increase yet seem happy to get very little from multiples of the old.. i find it odd..

trog

[fullinfusion]

Thanks Trog... lol, I hear ya dude... I've just disabled the other Pci e slots and going to run a bench and see what goodness comes if any at all lol...
I'll post after my findings
:D

[fullinfusion]

Nope...nada! no change.
oh well, guess I'll see how well the 9850 quad performs whenever my shop gets the dang thing in. :toast:

[Kirby123]

i have my video card with rivatuner at 891/1026, i have no problems with ccc8.4, i just wonder how to oc the 2nd gpu....

[AphexDreamer]

i have my video card with rivatuner at 891/1026, i have no problems with ccc8.4, i just wonder how to oc the 2nd gpu....

Yeah RivaTuner so far will ony Overclock one Core. You must use AMD GPU CLOCK Tool to Overclock both Cores.

I have Flashed both of mine to higher clocks and others of said that ATI Tool works at Overclocking both Cores as well.

[Martin.v.r]

hello all,new here
? i got a Gecube 3870x2 X-turbo

if I use atiflash/floppy to backup,I got 2 bios on 62KB ?

I use to backup
atiflash -s 0 XXX0.rom an atiflash -s 1 XXX1.rom in winflash 3.49

Why i got 2 bios on 62KB :confused: is it ok ??

[Kirby123]

i havent run into any ati tools that actually work to oc both cores....i like ati tool i use to use it for me hd 2900 XTX

[Martin.v.r]

an if I use ATIWINFLASH,it is the same i got 2xbios on 62KB
nr:0 is 0x2300 62KB an nr:1 is 0x2100 KB62