When do you _really_ need VGA dongles?

[Takeshi_Kovacs]

We all know the rule:

You need to plug something into each GPU in your rig so that each cards thinks that it is plugged into a monitor and does not get shut down by the system.

Is this needed for all OS/GPU/mobo combinations or are there some that do not need this?

The folding at home guys seem to have solved this in their software and can force all GPUs to be on whether or not they are connected to a monitor.

Do we really need to keep on with the VGA dongles or can we just fix this with some mods to our mining software?

[darksoft]

I have a monitor plugged in to one card and nothing in the others, so no idea why people are using them. It could be due to old drivers, but not sure. I'm using 13.1 drivers on win 7.

[ssateneth]

I have a monitor plugged in to one card and nothing in the others, so no idea why people are using them. It could be due to old drivers, but not sure. I'm using 13.1 drivers on win 7.

Same. I think it's just a rumor that resurfaced because someone was looking at old threads where certain 11.x (11.6ish?) drivers needed dummy plugs for opencl to work on them. Dummy plugs are not needed. Unless they post concrete proof that dummy plugs are required to get something to work on current drivers and hardware, it's all BS. Same goes for powered risers as far as video card detection goes. Never used them, and never had problems. Same for 1x > 16x risers vs 1x > 1x. They are electrically identical.

[Beans]

When your btc mining with 11.x drivers you should not anything plugged in, at least with windows. I only had to start plugging 1 into the main card when I started using 7900 series cards with newer drivers.

[HellDiverUK]

We all know the rule:

You need to plug something into each GPU in your rig so that each cards thinks that it is plugged into a monitor and does not get shut down by the system.

Is this needed for all OS/GPU/mobo combinations or are there some that do not need this?

The folding at home guys seem to have solved this in their software and can force all GPUs to be on whether or not they are connected to a monitor.

Do we really need to keep on with the VGA dongles or can we just fix this with some mods to our mining software?

It's not a rule.

You don't.

No.

No, only if you're using ancient, outdated drivers.  Nothing to do with hardware.

What?

No.  Just install drivers released in the last two years and you don't need dummy plugs. 




I've never run a dummy plug on any of my cards (5870, 6970, 7770, 7850, 7950), and NONE of those have ever had a monitor plugged in to them.  Or a dummy plug.  The machines have always been using Intel iGPU for display, the ATI GPUs have been doing nothing but mining.

[HellDiverUK]

When your btc mining with 11.x drivers you should not anything plugged in, at least with windows. I only had to start plugging 1 into the main card when I started using 7900 series cards with newer drivers.

You're finding the total opposite to everyone else.  Older 11.x need dummies, 12.x and 13.x don't.

[Beans]

When your btc mining with 11.x drivers you should not anything plugged in, at least with windows. I only had to start plugging 1 into the main card when I started using 7900 series cards with newer drivers.

You're finding the total opposite to everyone else.  Older 11.x need dummies, 12.x and 13.x don't.

You must be referring to older drivers or windows xp. I've been using 11.x for the past 2 years on all my 5900 and 6900 series rigs.

[BitcoinNerd]

Despite everyone saying its all about drivers it's not.

I installed 4x 5970 cards on windows 7 (new machine etc) 12.xx drivers and shit didn't start working properly until I put in dummy plugs.

Just sayin...

LET THE FLAMING BEGIN!

[Beans]

Despite everyone saying its all about drivers it's not.

I installed 4x 5970 cards on windows 7 (new machine etc) 12.xx drivers and shit didn't start working properly until I put in dummy plugs.

Just sayin...

LET THE FLAMING BEGIN!

Did you install ccc or new drivers at some point? Maybe you didn't erase open.cl and amdocl from your system folders when you downgraded. I know my hash rates were terrible until I did that.

[HellDiverUK]

shit didn't start working properly until I put in dummy plugs.

Just sayin...

You're doing it wrong. 

Just sayin...

[DobZombie]

shit didn't start working properly until I put in dummy plugs.

Just sayin...

You're doing it wrong. 

Just sayin...

Pfft. After mining 350 or so coins, I can't have been doin it too wrong 

[2D]

Dummy plugs haven't been necessary since Catalyst 11.6 IIRC.

[rwessels]

I am using 12.4 on Win 7 64bit.  I have 4 7950's on three different rigs and need a dummy plug on one card in each rig or the system or the video card doesn't 'initialize' and cannot mine anything.

[||bit]

"When do you _really_ need VGA dongles?"

Sounds like the opening line of a joke.

[Beans]

I am using 12.4 on Win 7 64bit.  I have 4 7950's on three different rigs and need a dummy plug on one card in each rig or the system or the video card doesn't 'initialize' and cannot mine anything.

That sounds correct. Mine will mine but the primary card runs about half speed unless a monitor is plugged in. Doesn't really seem to be a issue unless your using a card that needs a newer driver.

[HellDiverUK]

Must depend on the BIOS on the card then.  My Gigabyte 7950 cards don't need dummy plugs.  Neither do my Asus 7850 and 7770 cards.  Yes, I still have a 7770 mining. 

[planeswalker]

I needed dongles on my rigs with 7970s.  When they weren't on there, tightvnc wouldn't work.

[dogjunior]

The rigs where I run the monitor to the video card I don't need dummy plugs. If I use IGPU as the primary video source and have other video cards as miners then I need 1 dummy plug GPU 0  otherwise CGMiner does not see the cards or it does but it won't mine with them even if switch the gpu-platform.

[Kuroth]

You need VGA dongles around the same age as you start needing to use Viagra..

[atariguy]

I just used an old KVM switch when I mined with GPUs.