My first rig with 2 7950 and optimization question

[Igotcha]

Hi,

yesterday I finished my first rig with 2 x 7950 which worked very smooth from the start with NO optimization first, just installed the ATI drivers and ran cgminer. I reach around 850-900MHz/s.

Today I wanted to start to optimize the performance. As far as I understood, I can overclock / tune the GPUs with e.g. MSI Afterburner.

I found this post here, where "tuning" parameters for the 7950s and cgminer are given: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=191290.msg1982216#msg1982216

With these settings I jump directly to 1.100+MHh/s. Only negative side effect is that the fans are a bit louder now.

Am I done now without using any overclocking tool like MSI Afterburner?

[Zanatos666]

Your fans speed will increase, therefore get louder, when you intensify your mining, increase your GPU clocks/mem clocks, and your cards get hotter.  With those arguments you are telling CGMiner that you want your temps to be 70 or lower.  So, when they get higher, your fans increase to cool them down.

[Igotcha]

Hi,

I have no problem with the fans, I am just wondering if I am done now with just the cgminer settings or if I still need to over-/underclock something with e.g. MSI Afterburner too.

Do I need to install a SDK? I haven't done this yet, just the drivers.

Thanks!

[rwessels]

I use cgminger to change gpu and memory speed as well as powertune.  This weekend I am going to try to under volt my cards as well.

[Zanatos666]

Hi,

I have no problem with the fans, I am just wondering if I am done now with just the cgminer settings or if I still need to over-/underclock something with e.g. MSI Afterburner too.

Do I need to install a SDK? I haven't done this yet, just the drivers.

Thanks!

I suppose it depends on how easy you want it to be to change things around. CG can change all of your settings for your GPU, including voltage.  But in order to change  you need to stop mining and change around your commands.  MSI is really just a simple and easy, GUI based way of doing all of that and can get benefits outside of just mining.  Each card is different, even if its the same exact card as another.  Some can be pushed more than others.

Also, depends on what you are mining.  Mining BTC is different than say LTC.