ASUS B250 MINING EXPERT bios 403 (2017/12/15) released?

[starrbuck]

In the end you will be exchanging something for something else. I prefer a better ssd than a better processor, but you can also go with a better cpu than a better ssd. Not bottlenecking my cpu is key for me. Also a better ssd will make my cpu to work less and use less electricity. I guess is a choice in the end.

Indeed, but any SSD should be fine.  Specifically what SSD have you seen that doesn't get the job done?

[Metroid]

Already using a Samsung 850 EVO Pro 256 GB SSD with 64GB virtual memory and disk usage is very low.

The idea about claymore ethash miner is that every gpu dagfile will be mirrored into a virtual memory, so if the dag file is 2.20gb then 13 x 2.20 = 27gb at least as virtual memory.

About your system, 36% seems to be right, there is nothing holding the cpu back. I will test a celeron on a system with 13 gpu's and report here by next week or so.

Indeed, but any SSD should be fine.  Specifically what SSD have you seen that doesn't get the job done?

Specifically usb boot drives, they will never be like good ssd's, there are many bad ssd's that make your cpu to work hard. On a system with 6 gpu's even bad ssd's will be fine, heck even usb boot drives might be.

[starrbuck]

Indeed, but any SSD should be fine.  Specifically what SSD have you seen that doesn't get the job done?

Specifically usb boot drives, they will never be like good ssd's, there are many bad ssd's that make your cpu to work hard. On a system with 6 gpu's even bad ssd's will be fine, heck even usb boot drives might be.

I agree, and I'm not a fan of USBs as boot drives.  I prefer to stick it on an SSD.  They are so inexpensive now when you find them on sale.  I am finding that a tiny one won't do due to the swap requirements of some algos, so I am glad I have a 120 GB on my rig right now.

[Bigdrago]

nobody has p104 they dont exist.

You can buy them in Norway, minimum quantity of 100. :/

Question: Do the gpus get power from the risers via mb?

[Bimmber]

No, they are powered directly from power supply.

[RIGED]

currently using one, bought it thinking i could connect 19 Vega64 on it but allas it can only BARELY support 8 of them
i have 6 on it and its stable but no more

 That is an issue with the drivers for the Vega, not the motherboard - EVERYONE has been having issues getting more than about 4 Vega cards working on one rig, and I've NEVER seen a "working on more than 6 reliably" report.

 With that said, the weird no-reason-for-it limitation to 13 "non-mining cards" has never been explained by ASUS, and there is NO sensible reason for it.


 They've also never specified if anything OTHER THAN the P106 mining cards count as "mining cards" or WHY they have the restriction in the BIOS or what the BIOS is looking for when it imposes that senseless restriction.

No thats not true. My rig running with 8x vegas 64 on this board more than 3weeks nonstop.

in all fairness it does say in the manual you can run 8 AMD cards, i must of done something wrong, will try again as i have more vegas on route

[Bigdrago]

No, they are powered directly from power supply.

So why plug the psu to the mb then?

[QuintLeo]

Because the MB itself, the CPU, the RAM, and such still need power.

 It looks like the 2'nd and 3'd power supply slots on this MB are entirely used for "add2PSU" type functionality, NOT to power anything except POSSIBLY the group associated "1x" PCI-E slots when used for non-riser cards.

[QuintLeo]

nobody has p104 they dont exist.

Announced but not actually for sale quite yet, AFAIK.

[Bigdrago]

Because the MB itself, the CPU, the RAM, and such still need power.

 It looks like the 2'nd and 3'd power supply slots on this MB are entirely used for "add2PSU" type functionality, NOT to power anything except POSSIBLY the group associated "1x" PCI-E slots when used for non-riser cards.

B250 Mining Expert has been engineered to provide all the power your GPUs demand, cleanly and efficiently. The 19 PCIe slots are grouped into three distinct zones, each powered by its own, dedicated 24-pin ATX12V power connector — reducing wiring complexity and ensuring ample power delivery to all PCIe slots.

https://dlcdnimgs.asus.com/websites/global/products/Qm3pAt3CPluFrC2v/images/pic_ATX12V.jpg

[wtfonly16]

https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/B250-MINING-EXPERT/HelpDesk_BIOS/

Version 1001 released 2018/01/04 IS THIS IT??

[Bimmber]

Where do you see it?

2017/12/15 is latest BIOS on that link.

[Metroid]

Where do you see it?

2017/12/15 is latest BIOS on that link.

Version 1001 2018/01/04 5.68 MBytes

B250 MINING EXPERT BIOS 1001
"1. Update CPU Microcode

2. Improve system compatibility and stability"

You have to go to driver and tools and select windows 10 64 and then scroll down to bios.

[Bimmber]

WTF? I still cannot see it ?!

https://i.imgur.com/ZylhPWP.jpg

[QuintLeo]

Select "OS" as "other".

 That's where it's at.

[Neo-Geo]

BIOS Version 1001 2018/01/04 only shows for me when I select Windows 7 64-bit. Wondering if this is intended only for Win 7 64-bit users...

[Manojdaran]

Another BIOS update within a month. That's new. Let me try this one now

[Morgon]

I've NEVER seen a "working on more than 6 reliably" report.

Checking in as another 8x Vega miner, though on the ASRock H110 - 15,760 of that sweet Monero hashrate, every second.


On topic, I'm glad I found this, as I was actually expecting to be able to run 18 RX570s on this thing. Though is the limitation the motherboard or Windows?

(Edit: After seeing other threads, I see the mobo won't even POST with over 13 of the same card... very weird, I definitely don't understand how any motherboard would care which GPU manufacturer is being plugged in, though someone mentioned potential display outputs, which is an interesting thought.)

[Bimmber]

Select "OS" as "other".
 That's where it's at.

Very strange. BIOS has nothing to do with version of OS, BIOS is BIOS on its own.

[Metroid]

I'm not sure but this bios could be related to meltdown, spectre, they said about stability, have my own doubts.