HELP! struggling to make 6 gpu R9 290 rig to run on windows 7 (SOLVED)

[pontiacg5]

I'd kinda like to know as well, because I never got any more than 4 detecting (w/o errors) in windows 8 either.

[zedicus]

I have a MSI Z77A-GD80 and im waiting for risers before adding 4 more 280x's so ill be joining the party.. currently have two mining on that board and im running win8. May give linux a shot when the risers get here!

[w0lf0.]

i have big problem with my asrock z77 extreme 9,if i use risers windows see only 1 gpu  why?
this MB has 5 slot pci-e 16x and i have 5 risers 16x powered,please help.

[bowen151]

Anyone get around the R9 290 random black screens?

MSI Z77A-G45 - G1610 - Corsai 860i x2 + add2psu - 5 x MSI R9 290 cards - Win7 x64 - 8GB RAM - Latest AMD beta video drivers (the ones that supposedly stop the black screen).

Does BAMT support these cards and would a change from win7 to linux fix the random black screens? These are happening at random times, I have gotten mining and my settings are tuned nicely but these random black screens lock the entire system up. I can't even teamview into the box after it happens. I'm done for tonight but I'll have another go with a fresh install of windoze tomorrow but if anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear it.

[nvandertill]

I have to join this party. I got a rig with #6 r9 280x and it won't detect more than 4 or 5 GPUs in Windows 8. Problems start as soon as the new ATI driver gets installed. Same thing with BAMT. Random black screens. I just RMAed my mobo in hopes that I can get it working with an Asus mobo. I may have to go 4 GPU per rig and build another rig to throw the other cards on. I'm sitting on another #4 r9 290s here also and that was also giving me troubles with the new drivers. WTF ATI?

[zedicus]

I got the msi z77a gd80 because its supposed to be like the gd65 except with thunderbolt ..

I was told the gd80 should NOT have an issue running 6. I heard the msi z77a-gd45 has to be shorted via some pins on the motherboard.  Ya short the PCI-E presence pins ... Maybe the gd55 too.. Dont quote me on that but look it up

Im waiting on risers still but i will confirm if i get 6 running on the gd80 without mods in the next week!!

Right now i have split the task via a couple motherboards .. Asrock extreme6 and a MSI m77a-gd80
 

[takagari]

I think I'll only run 4 per board, once stable maybe expand, but I don't like the idea of 6 cards down or 1/2 of my power, I'd rather 3 rig's and only loose 1/3.

If they drop in price, than expand

[Slander]

I think I'll only run 4 per board, once stable maybe expand, but I don't like the idea of 6 cards down or 1/2 of my power, I'd rather 3 rig's and only loose 1/3.

If they drop in price, than expand

THIS is very smart thinking and exactly what I do. Run more rigs with fewer cards, WAY easier to manage and your down time (there will be lots) will not hurt you as much.

[WinterParker]

IS THAT GREEN LIGHT AN INDICATOR THAT THE RIG HAS AN INTERNET CONNECTION??  HOW DO YOU SET THAT UP?

[nvandertill]

I think I'll only run 4 per board, once stable maybe expand, but I don't like the idea of 6 cards down or 1/2 of my power, I'd rather 3 rig's and only loose 1/3.

If they drop in price, than expand

THIS is very smart thinking and exactly what I do. Run more rigs with fewer cards, WAY easier to manage and your down time (there will be lots) will not hurt you as much.

Sounds about right. Looks like I'll be RMAing this 750w PSU and buying another mobo, cpu, ram and 1600watt PSU + 2 more GPUs for another unit!

[YipYip]

The !! ones in device manager is a driver/windows problem, unfortunately. You will be limited to 4 GPU in windows 7 (doesnt matter 32 or 64 bit), and probably 5 in Windows 8. Look up linux solutions to get all 6 working. I'm not fluent in linux, so unfortunately i can't help with that. Most linux guys here seem to keep to themselves as far as actually setting it up software-wise.

Hey mate just wanted to say is really cool how u are spreading the love from your xp with multi gpu setups

Crypto need more pplz like your self

[nvandertill]

I'm pretty fluent in Linux. If I can get it working with 6 R9 series cards I'll let you all know how. I was getting black screen every time I'd install the proprietary ATI driver before with a Gigabyte board. BAMT went to black screen after starting GDM every time.

I'm waiting on mobo RMAs ATM... Oh the torture. 5k in GPUs sitting here, not being used.

[cdog]

Wow, thats brutal. I would think you should sort all issues and have a rock solid build before cloning it with $5K in cards

[nvandertill]

Well usually I'm pretty good with this stuff and I know I can get it working (anything short of a hardware driver issue). I also believe that GPU mining is on it's way out. Had the money to invest... Figured I'd milk it as much as I can until the ASICs are released. I just hope I can get a year of profitable operation before the ASICs are released. I know that Alpha-T is claiming they have them already, but it looks like a BF labs scenario to me with an estimated shipping date of Q2/Q3 of 2014. They also have relatively low hashing power for an ASIC. Honestly I looked at their design spec and I don't think they have enough memory in them (128mb per chip) for effective scrypt hashing.

I'll just take my rigs apart and sell the parts on Ebay used once they are no longer profitable to run. I get power really cheap where I live also, so my main investment was the hardware. I got about 6k invested, about 4.5k in GPUs. Unfortunately, 1 mobo arrived DOA and the Gigabyte is known to have issues with BAMT so I sent it back for a different model. Also I am not cloning any rig but building 2 seperate rigs (maybe 3 now if the drivers won't support more than 4 cards.

[Morbid]

ok back from holidays - im at it again! just got pass the black screen once connected my usb stick to usb3 port - bizzare. installing gpu drivers now. fingers crossed.

[Morbid]

right. more agony. while having only one gpu connected to the motherboard i got pass the black screen during os install. i installed sdk, adt and 13.12 ati drivers. when all was ready to go i connected other 5 gpus to the motherboard. now after bios post i get the very same black screen with blinking underscore (!!!). it seems the xubuntu 13.1 just dont want to get through with 6 gpus.

any advise?

[pontiacg5]

Try installing nothing but the AMD drivers, they have the SDK/ADT built in.

You are building the install package from AMD's driver right? You need to make sure you compile, rebuild, whatever, for the version of xubuntu you are running.

No idea why you are having such trouble. With Xubuntu I just tossed all 6 280x cards on the board and it fired right up the first time. Of course it did the same for windows, but two were just code 43'd as expected. Everything would start and mine just fine. Maybe something about the 290's makes for these problems?

I loosely followed this guide, except skipped the "install ssh, curl, and package updates" as well as skipping the start up scripts and alias. Figured I'd work on that after it was stable, but it's so stable I haven't bothered.

http://www.cryptobadger.com/2013/04/build-a-litecoin-mining-rig-linux/

[nvandertill]

I think the drivers are broken. It happens with Fedora, Debian, no matter what. Sorry guys, ATI fucked us on this one. Try 4 GPUs and see if it works.

[bowen151]

Happened me with different CPUS, mobos, OS's, its got to be hardware or crappy wiring in my house.

Either way a courier came today and relieved me of my mining duties.

Im out

[pontiacg5]

Can anyone, anywhere, confirm running more than 4 290 cards on one board? Not 280's, I know that works, but 290's?

Wish I could order more than 2 at a time 

Wait, Thank you NewEgg! Taking this one as a challenge