Topic: Unlocking GPU clock on AMD 7790 (Read 2306 times)

Flashing the GPU BIOS on both cards with the latest update was the answer. Added bonus: I no longer need a display (or dummy plug) plugged into every card!
Downside: the cards are now locked into the default max Engine and Memory speeds, on this BIOS. I get something like "Discrete performance levels are not available on this card" when trying to change them. Luckily they still mine LTC at par speeds as-is, and can go MUCH higher on the Intensity than before. 

  Any chance some nice moderator might bump this well written, on-topic request into some other board where it belongs? 

I am trying to get a pair of new Diamond 7790's to behave and go fast. The memory will overclock, but the GPU will not reliably go above 300 MHz.
The card's factory limits are engine=1175, memclock=1575. But both cards only run at 300,1575 under load.

I have tried BTC and LTC. Windows 7, and Ubuntu 12.04, 32-bit and 64-bit. Tried the AMD proprietary drivers 13.x "7790 edition" and now the regular 13.4 edition which is newer. I am using cgminer and have tried just about every possible setting, focusing largely on the two successful examples here:
https://github.com/litecoin-project/litecoin/wiki/Mining-hardware-comparison

Motherboard: Asus P8Z68-V, 3.0 GHz Intel, 8 GB RAM, using PCIe16 slots 1 and 2, no CrossFire. Both cards hooked to displays on DVI.

I think the problem is getting the cards to reliably jump out of Performance Level 0 into Level 1, 2, or 3. (My 7970 in another system runs at 3, and I think maybe the 7790's run at 2 max, not sure). I use 'atitweak' and/or 'aticonfig' to watch that performance level, and both of those tools both work fine, and report the same things, so that seems good.

The GPUs will stay at 300 MHz, as the memory goes to 1500 MHz or whatever I requested. GPU requests are ignored. Performance level=0 even when load=100% on either/both cards. Bus speed=5000, Bus lane=8. No risers or anything.

Sometimes one of the 7790's WILL pop up to performance level 2 (?) and do LTC at 230 KH/sec.
(It's been a while since I've seen this.)
It is not predictable which card will cooperate and do this.
I have tried running just one card. I have also swapped cards in slots.
No difference.

ONCE in Windows 7 I had BOTH cards running at high performance level, on BTC, and I nearly $h_t myself.   I then stopped them, like an idiot, and never got that back.

I tried Trixx and it did not work well on the 7790, especially not two of them.

CGminer would routinely crash Windows completely WHEN EXITING the program, regardless of settings. I got tired of that and switched to Linux, where it only crashes X, and I can just log in again. I have re-installed Linux from scratch, loaded the 13.4 driver, turned off auto-fan, forced both fans to 100% for a few minutes and left them there, then started cgminer, because the cards have crashed before from heat when cgminer hasn't sped up the fans fast enough.

I've tried setting the GPU speed to, say, 900, or 1100, with all 3 tools: cgminer, atitweak, aticonfig, no difference. Stays 300. Won't budge, anymore. Is there some hardware failsafe that has locked these cards down to 300 MHz, even across reboots, and OS re-install??

I've never touched the voltages. aticonfig and the other tools all report voltage=0, IOW they can't tell.
I can change powertune (-20 to 20) but generally leave it at 0. Doesn't really do anything.
Max. speed=94 KH/sec LTC on Intensity=17, and gives zero HW errors. GPU=300, dammit.

I got 'atiflash' but it won't even see the cards. Should I try harder to find a GPU BIOS updater for DOS/Windows??

Sorry so long. Many thanks, and whatever small BTC reward I can afford to anyone who helps me solve this.

Update: Yes I use this everywhere, and the equivalent in Windows 7: