Topic: New bread of 5850's in the wild :) (HARDWARE) (Read 5698 times)

Nice one chap 

Right - back up and running...

Went to my local computer shop, expecting no help at all... turned out there was a chap who was studying for his Cisco exams (CCNA?), knew a bit about GPGPU processing, and was very interested in what I was playing at. Not only that, but they had some decent quality PSUs, told me about the green-wire paper-clip hack, and NICE ONE MATE... an Asus P5E3 Pro logic board was sitting unloved on the top shelf. This board was built for ATI Crossfire... two PCIe x16 slots, nicely spaced out too with an accessible PCIe x1 slot between the two x16s (if the x16s have dual-thickness Radeons in them). Perfect for the Cablesaurus x1->x16 extension cable I have on its way from the USA...

The most powerful PSU I could buy from them was a 600W model. However, it was a CoolerMaster brand, with modular cabling, and one single 12V rail delivering up to 40A. The box specifically claimed 'nVidia SLI Ready' - and given that the big-boy GeForce cards can eat a LOT more power than my mid-range (if that) 5850s... I'm reasonably satisfied. The PSU was damn heavy, the components were all listed (good sign) and the max output power is apparently 720W... not that I'd want to run it over spec 24/7.

What makes this PSU great for me is the modular cable system - no massive snake of cables, just two PCIe 6-pin sockets on the PSU and four 5-pin connectors for Molex / SATA connector cables.

QUESTION - is this PSU a recommended brand? Will 600W be enough - CoolerMaster claim an efficiency of 85% - clearly it appears to be OK with two mildly overclocked 5850s, but I'd like to use an extension cable to install another GPU - perhaps my 5770, which will happily clock to 1033 MHz... If others have had good results with these CoolerMaster PSUs, then I'm buying another because the modular cable system is just *brilliant*.


The logic board is too pretty to potentially mess up - so I'm going to buy a case for this particular mining box. It will have both front and back panels completely perforated (as per my Mac Pro - it works so I'm following the design), but also a perforated side panel that I can bung a huge fan onto. It can suck air directly off the GPUs, which is where the hole is sited.

QUESTION - case or no case? What is better?


Also - this modular PSU made for a *really* tidy system. I've got NO drives attached to the entire mining box. Just a PSU connected to the logic board with the normal two snake-cables. Two 5850 Extremes, powered from the two PCIe sockets on the PSU and two Molex adaptors. Logic board testing LEDs and switches to power-on the board etc. And a VERY neat piece of kit scavenged from my old butchered PC that blew up - a multi-format card reader that connects internally to the logic board's USB extender pins.

I've put a fast Compact Flash card into the card reader (it will have a home on the front panel of the new case, when I receive it) and installed Ubuntu on the CF card. The appalling performance of running the entire system off an old CF card hasn't affected mining performance one jot...


The annoying thing is that the case will have room for loads of drives, I've gone a bit overboard and installed 6 GB of RAM... it could be a lot more useful (I was lucky that the CPU from one of the other two PC logic boards I am experimenting with actually fitted the new P5E3 Pro logic board... as the computer shop didn't have any CPUs for sale!).

This post is a bit off-topic so I'll talk about the Extremes in the next post...

Actually able to get it to 975 on stock voltage.  Still testing the limits though as I go about 12 hours of stability tests per 5 mhz increase from here.  So far I am liking these new cards.

230SA ... only 810core on default vcore =(

I really need to get myself another of these

Got one for sale if anyone's looking   Brand new, unopened.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260823868229&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

You need something like this:
http://ht4u.net/reviews/2010/gesamtvergleich_leistungsaufnahme_grafikkarten/index2.php

Power consumption Furmark  !!gpu only!!  

http://ht4u.net/reviews/2010/gesamtvergleich_leistungsaufnahme_grafikkarten/index5.php

CONTINUED HERE>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=31718.0

O yes, i drew over 3600 watts which would have spiked at 7200 when it all kicked in. That never did anything to the electrics from 1 plug socket. UK 230-240V mind you but still. 1500 is peanuts. Plug it in, connect the black and green cable together (pins 3-4 it would be going along the top row) and the power stays on The bit that plugs into the motherboard, the 24 pin one. That just sends the signal for on.

.0 MASSIVE SPIDER just ran at me haha. Jeepers

I just lost my mobo with 4 x1 and 1 x16 socket on and they have no more PCI to PCI-E are expensive well, £20 haha. But still, just got my akasa 1200 up, Was going test the 5 cards but my other mobo is only 2 1xPCIE and 1 x13PCIE, 3 Ordered 1 PCI converter but need another. This is mint if true though as i will get 5 cards per system with a 1200/1250 PSU there ain't a problem. REALLY wanted see 5 cards running 400+ mhash each too My 'RIG' now comprises of 10 cards, not 8 when complete now 4 Ghash a sysytem, Costing about 1700-1800 GBP. I dont think thats too bad. It earns £20 a day, £140 a week, Card payed for Thats conservitive and i recon values going go up. Rose for the first weekend ever this one i believe

Yah I seem to get really lucky with hardware usually - my 5830 clocks to 1040MHz and cranks out 330 MH/s stably 24/7.  Though on the other side of the coin, I have a 5870 that has problems with anything over 990MHz.  Oh well, you can't win em all

im jealous.. i got like 10 of these extremes and they wont clock that hard under linux.. havent tried windows

core 897
mem 299
volt 1088
@ 370Mhash/s

gonna have to play more with the tweaks

I just bought a used 5850 yesterday morning and I'm not sure what revision it is, but I'll check when I get home.  I can clock it to about 1030 @ 1.088v.  Anything beyond that though, and it becomes unstable.  AMD GPU Clock Tool won't let me volt it beyond 1.088v.   I've had it running at 1020 for the last 24hrs or so without any problems and it's hitting around 412 MH/s.  The power connectors are at the very end of the card (short edge).

ahmen

what 750, to be honest there down at 970 them on the xfx 750. I'm not sure if its vrms or psu. mm. need that 1200 up and running. I think you got be more careful around the 600 to 850 watt, its a jungle. anything above is going cost but its going do what it says on the tin efficently. my 900 is 980 peak, 1200 is 1255 peak. sea sonic, be quieter. just read reviews

hey catfish. 000sa cards ( power connectors at back) over volt. the new 230sa ones (power on top of card) don't. your airflow is bad by sounds of it. I've just converted a table and have fans blowing air into the room and out the window. also, fans blowing over the cards and sucking also. on phone so ball ache upload pictures right now with forum rules I have 11 up, 2x xfx 5870 (not volt moddable) doing 900/300 @ 410mhash with 1x sapphire 5850 new revision 1020/300 (can't volt mod yet!) which does 420 mhash. that's hanging out of a case with the 5870s in it another 4x old rev 5850's all doing 1000 with no more than 1.2 volt. that's run off 1 xfx 750 watt and a standard 650. I blew a standard 850 here, keep away from cheap psu's there screwed to the bottom of the top table with the mobo and psus at the sides. ontop of the top table is a unfinished setup powered by a 850 standard psu which is limiting the 2 new 5850s to 925/300 cause its crappy I got an akasa 1200 watt for 140 other day but its non standard cable (non kettle) and its not in the box. need pick it up. there not volt moddable until next trixx update. can't wait see what they can do. will have 4 eventually with that 1200 up and running purple helmets on ars bitcoin got the pc system running to bitcoins lc so 1.250 ghash there and its about 2.4 ghash to ars give or take. 3.2 complete. well, 6.4 when this projects finished considering the amount I put in and knowledge gained, I'm on a winner. electric bills are nothing. my bills have been multiple 100s a month, this isn't anywhere near the likes of them  days :p

peace

p.s ill get a pic of the rigs up. my knowledge for free and I been doing this since I was 12. I know dos days so ill let you do the math and the scorn I got when I just wanted to post in the right section :p

I just wonder, 'what is the plan'? time will tell

EDIT: Pics, thought i may as well (:INK BELOW PIC POST IF DOESNT FIT)

Here is the origional concept. 4 cards


http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/6/imag0003cg.jpg/

Thats 4 cards and 2 psus, crappy 650 on left 2 and hdd, other 750 xfx for system and other 2x 5850s.

This is with the crappy limiting 850 watt ont top. I was going make a stand on top but i got a new table instead. Way better layout. Herer it is with 2 cards 'sitting' ontop


http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/812/imag0010t.jpg/

Here's the system with 3 cards in, not actually mine now, house mates. It was the test bed pc


http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/694/imag0009pj.jpg/

If the 2x XFX 5870s were volt moddable they would be aweome. I recon 500 wouldnt be out of nthe question. The 5850 hanging out is set at 1020/300 at stock voltage. Amazing chip Its actually 418 mhash, cant quiete get 1025. Ain't tried inbetween..... all on a 900 watt be quiet picked up for a ton.

And air flow, Pretty obvious.....


http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/339/imag0011cl.jpg/

So, DONT BUY CHEAP PSU's is a lesson learned, £60 though, mahh. nvm. Made that in a few days

new 7 series touted for september, lower power usuage but dont think processor count will go up. They went down on the 6 series so i expect the same as them. Gaming doesnt need more stream processors like mining does. Or maybe ati masy see where there profits are coming from these last few months..... Still. This is hurting nvidia even more. Bad design choice. Unlucky. Intel fooled you with that larbee

Isnt tech getting fun again

I have 3x of these cards, but Trixx won't let me even change the voltage on the only 1 that it sees.

well, after getting another 2 on replacement for the old ones they get to 970/980 respectivly. that other.one reaches 1020, all on stock. looks like that first one is whit.of a gem. just waiting for sapphire update trixx now

sapphire trixx, just download it

Have you got a guide for volt modding the original cards?

Yes, my english is terrible. Never been good at english unfortunitly, top classes at school but never liked/enjoyed english. Net result, I rush words, mispell and dont use sentences and stuff propperly. Maths and logic etx and been hands on is my bag Far from stupid, Just getting it out of my head and into words/on paper I DO REALLY appologise for that. Proof reading would help

I like your view point on apple, its definitly from a different perspective than the usual apple fan I owned a 3GS though only 4 months, then went to android for the trvious stated reason. Although it sounds like you just made it your own

For the lulz hey......... Are you.....

End of the day people have different needs/wants and apple is providing one of them. They do just work i suppose and are harder to screw up. You ought see my mum on a computer...... :/ I still say someone should know how to build a computer/re-install everything before they can even BUY a computer. How much do apple charge when the system actually fails for whatever reason... Im sure it comes with a hefty premium Insurance for iphone is £15 a month here. Everything else is £7. You have to pay for your handset, That asnt been around for about 4-5 years at least before the 3G. I cant help but see dumbed down products for dumbed down people. I love tech, But the companies are slowing it all down imo, even going backwards with tablets etc. There rubbish and cannot replace PC's in work places. For one, Touchscreen typing IS THE WORST OF ALL TYPING! Bar none! Locking you down into thunderbolt (INTELS PROPRIETRY CONNECTION). List goes on for apple THey look nice though..... I brought a Lian-Li V1100 case once cause it reminded me of the sleek apple power PC's back then

I dont know. I think i just find all tech a bit boring and slow these days. But this bitcoin/mining/hardware fiddling as revitalised me Aint had this much fun since the 90's