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Topic: To those with multi-5970 setups: which mobo are you using? (Read 8356 times)

hero member
Activity: 504
Merit: 500
i have the 890fxa-gd70 board also.

I am using an x3 1000 watt psu. I can run 2 x 5970 and 1 x 5870 no problem. if i take out the 5870 and replace it with a 5970 the motherboard does not recognise all cards.
member
Activity: 112
Merit: 10
Dingus; With your new Mobo do you have to do the monitor swap trick to get the second card running or does it detect it as another thread? Whats your hash rates? Im getting some random dropouts and all my temps are pretty reasonable.







Dual 5970's on the P55-GD80 motherboard. I get the same temps as this with a 900Mhz clock, but my pc has it's side panel off, facing an open window with a desk fan blowing into it. You should lower your memory clocks to 500Mhz, this will save you a little bit of power and maybe 1-2c temp.
mrb
legendary
Activity: 1512
Merit: 1028
OMG, this is devastating o_O. Three disadvantages:
1. When you will be mining like for few months/years, PCIE slots will loosen and get damaged (because the cards are not properly inserted into the slots, they're bent). You will have to buy new motherboard then.
2. The slots will loosen even faster, if you make the case stand vertically. You have to put this horizontally to work.
3. When you start mining, this setup will overheat with 99,9% probability. This is not for serious solutions.

No, it does not overheat. GPU temps are between 65 and 85C. Throttling doesn't happen until ~100C. Shortly after posting this picture I slightly changed my setup by putting the spacers near the end of the card where the fans are, for more efficient cooling, and slightly less pressure on the PCIe slots. This machine has been mining for 2+ months 24/7.

-mrb
member
Activity: 112
Merit: 10
How have you managed to get your temps so low on such a high clock/vcore? I'm guessing your not running the stock cooler...
hero member
Activity: 868
Merit: 1008
It's not a power supply issue...I'm having the same problem with the same mobo and I have a 1200W PSU.  I've seen others on the asus forums with the same issue too.

What brand and model?

I have the Antec 1200W.
full member
Activity: 143
Merit: 100
It's not a power supply issue...I'm having the same problem with the same mobo and I have a 1200W PSU.  I've seen others on the asus forums with the same issue too.

What brand and model?
hero member
Activity: 868
Merit: 1008
It's not a power supply issue...I'm having the same problem with the same mobo and I have a 1200W PSU.  I've seen others on the asus forums with the same issue too.
legendary
Activity: 1441
Merit: 1000
Live and enjoy experiments
I guess this is the case. I have tried researching a PSU that supports x4 5970s but haven't really found anything that is conclusive. There just isn't any info out there.

If I had to toss a coin, I'd say that a 1200 Watt Corsair or Antec might do it.  Might.  However, it appears you are using the MSI 890FXA-GD70 motherboard.  Though it has five PCI-E, they appear stacked right next to eachother.  I tried TWO right next to eachother in my MSI Big Bang, which has as many or more slots, and found that putting cards in two adjacent slots caused the heat to go WAY up, perhaps 10-15 degrees on each card, causing malfuncitions.  The clearance between the cards is minimal, so I have no idea whether aftermarket cooling is an option.  I had to space the cards out enough that I don't think I could get a third one in there without more spacing between the slots.  If you get 4 cards in one box working reliably, please say what the trick is.  I noticed about 91 degrees is about where my 315khash begins to fall apart on each core.  Also, I did find that things run well at 99% GPU, but when I get to 100% GPU it falls to about 200khash/second momentarily until it drops to 99% again.  This is due to the increased heat just a couple of degrees above 91 C.  If I turn the clock DOWN, the GPU will cool, stay at 98-99% and give me a consistent 315khash again.  If you get higher numbers, let me know your settings.

What I have done when I tried 3x 5970s was to not screw them into the case, and stick pieces of a plastic drinking straw in between the gpus in order to create room for airflow. ...This is from blog.zorinaq.com. Sorry for the insanely big picture.  Cheesy
The air intake port is on the other end of the cards, so you don't need to put spacers on this end. that will relieve some stress on the PCI-E slots.
hero member
Activity: 696
Merit: 500
Dingus; With your new Mobo do you have to do the monitor swap trick to get the second card running or does it detect it as another thread? Whats your hash rates? Im getting some random dropouts and all my temps are pretty reasonable.





sr. member
Activity: 434
Merit: 251
Every saint has a past. Every sinner has a future.
I'm pretty sure there is little stress put on the connectors, though. There is room for them to swivel inside the pcie slot, and not bend.

Man, you want to be careful with that. I had a problem with one 5970 once (the fan wouldn't work) so I started moving it left and right within the slot (I thought there was a loose connection) - next thing I saw (and heard) was a BAM! - one of the condensers on the motherboard blew up! The motherboard is damaged now (even though it seems to be working, the information written on the disk is always corrupt), unable to install any OS on it.
newbie
Activity: 1
Merit: 0
 Grin Hi There !

I'm from France, and i have the same problem that Dingus !

I have bought the M4A89GTD-Pro not USB3.0, and i bought two Ati HD5970 cards, and i have a no signal screen the two cards are on the motherboard.
I have a certified 1200W PSU, the Corsair AX1200W.

Please read here i let a post on the official forum too.

http://vip.asus.com/forum/view.aspx?id=20110211072855742&board_id=1&model=M4A89GTD+PRO%2fUSB3&page=1&SLanguage=en-us
legendary
Activity: 1470
Merit: 1006
Bringing Legendary Har® to you since 1952
I'm pretty sure there is little stress put on the connectors, though. There is room for them to swivel inside the pcie slot, and not bend.

Doesn't matter. If they are not attached to casing, they will loosen because of higher work temperature.
You have to place them perfectly straight, or there will be troubles.
full member
Activity: 126
Merit: 100
I'm pretty sure there is little stress put on the connectors, though. There is room for them to swivel inside the pcie slot, and not bend.
full member
Activity: 126
Merit: 100
I don't use that solution anymore  Grin. Only 2x 5970s per mobo for me.
legendary
Activity: 1470
Merit: 1006
Bringing Legendary Har® to you since 1952
What I have done when I tried 3x 5970s was to not screw them into the case, and stick pieces of a plastic drinking straw in between the gpus in order to create room for airflow. This is from blog.zorinaq.com. Sorry for the insanely big picture.  Cheesy

OMG, this is devastating o_O.

Three disadvantages:

1. When you will be mining like for few months/years, PCIE slots will loosen and get damaged (because the cards are not properly inserted into the slots, they're bent). You will have to buy new motherboard then.
2. The slots will loosen even faster, if you make the case stand vertically. You have to put this horizontally to work.
3. When you start mining, this setup will overheat with 99,9% probability. This is not for serious solutions.

If you want this to really work and cool off, you should consider flooding entire PC (except hard & dvd-drives of course) with oil and adding some pump, as they did here:
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/565060/mineral_oil_submerged_computer/

(You will probably need to add another oil circuit going through a car radiator if you want this to properly cool off)

However the disadvantage of this solution is that you probably can't properly clean the cards after, so warranty void.
full member
Activity: 126
Merit: 100
I guess this is the case. I have tried researching a PSU that supports x4 5970s but haven't really found anything that is conclusive. There just isn't any info out there.

If I had to toss a coin, I'd say that a 1200 Watt Corsair or Antec might do it.  Might.  However, it appears you are using the MSI 890FXA-GD70 motherboard.  Though it has five PCI-E, they appear stacked right next to eachother.  I tried TWO right next to eachother in my MSI Big Bang, which has as many or more slots, and found that putting cards in two adjacent slots caused the heat to go WAY up, perhaps 10-15 degrees on each card, causing malfuncitions.  The clearance between the cards is minimal, so I have no idea whether aftermarket cooling is an option.  I had to space the cards out enough that I don't think I could get a third one in there without more spacing between the slots.  If you get 4 cards in one box working reliably, please say what the trick is.  I noticed about 91 degrees is about where my 315khash begins to fall apart on each core.  Also, I did find that things run well at 99% GPU, but when I get to 100% GPU it falls to about 200khash/second momentarily until it drops to 99% again.  This is due to the increased heat just a couple of degrees above 91 C.  If I turn the clock DOWN, the GPU will cool, stay at 98-99% and give me a consistent 315khash again.  If you get higher numbers, let me know your settings.

What I have done when I tried 3x 5970s was to not screw them into the case, and stick pieces of a plastic drinking straw in between the gpus in order to create room for airflow. This is from blog.zorinaq.com. Sorry for the insanely big picture.  Cheesy
full member
Activity: 143
Merit: 100
Also, PSU's jump in price as you get towards the highest wattages.  And you need more and better cooling in your box.  You may be able to pick up an old ASUS A8N32-sli (what I use) w/ cpu and memory for $200 or so on ebay.  Weigh the few hundred extra against the time and trouble spent trying to do it all in one box.  At current prices, you'll make it back in the week lost trying to get it working in a single box.  Let us know if you get it working though.  Very interested.
full member
Activity: 143
Merit: 100
I guess this is the case. I have tried researching a PSU that supports x4 5970s but haven't really found anything that is conclusive. There just isn't any info out there.

If I had to toss a coin, I'd say that a 1200 Watt Corsair or Antec might do it.  Might.  However, it appears you are using the MSI 890FXA-GD70 motherboard.  Though it has five PCI-E, they appear stacked right next to eachother.  I tried TWO right next to eachother in my MSI Big Bang, which has as many or more slots, and found that putting cards in two adjacent slots caused the heat to go WAY up, perhaps 10-15 degrees on each card, causing malfuncitions.  The clearance between the cards is minimal, so I have no idea whether aftermarket cooling is an option.  I had to space the cards out enough that I don't think I could get a third one in there without more spacing between the slots.  If you get 4 cards in one box working reliably, please say what the trick is.  I noticed about 91 degrees is about where my 315khash begins to fall apart on each core.  Also, I did find that things run well at 99% GPU, but when I get to 100% GPU it falls to about 200khash/second momentarily until it drops to 99% again.  This is due to the increased heat just a couple of degrees above 91 C.  If I turn the clock DOWN, the GPU will cool, stay at 98-99% and give me a consistent 315khash again.  If you get higher numbers, let me know your settings.
full member
Activity: 126
Merit: 100
With 4 5970s, which PSU are you using? I assume the 1200 corsair I have only supports 2 because not only does it say on that ATI website I previously posted that it only supports 2, but I have tried using it with 4 and 3 5970s and it didn't work.

 Check online and find comparisons and reviews especially if it's something you are buying online and can't try out and easily return to the store.  I am an extreme cheapo when it comes to components but this is one area where you cannot just compare Watts and price.  Trust me.

I guess this is the case. I have tried researching a PSU that supports x4 5970s but haven't really found anything that is conclusive. There just isn't any info out there.
full member
Activity: 143
Merit: 100
With 4 5970s, which PSU are you using? I assume the 1200 corsair I have only supports 2 because not only does it say on that ATI website I previously posted that it only supports 2, but I have tried using it with 4 and 3 5970s and it didn't work.

I'm using the Corsair 1000 that I posted a link to and an Antec 850 in two different machines running Win7 x64 in each with 2 5970's.  Both good power supplies after trying about five of them total.  Keep an eye out for the fact that some lines, such as Thermaltake  I think, actually have different lines of PSU that they release under the same wattages.  That alone should be an indicator that an 850 Watt PSU may not put out 850 Watts, even when comparing to the same brand.  Check online and find comparisons and reviews especially if it's something you are buying online and can't try out and easily return to the store.  I am an extreme cheapo when it comes to components but this is one area where you cannot just compare Watts and price.  Trust me.
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