r9 280x Sapphire only 600kh/s on Xubuntu Linux.

[Lewnatic]

Hello guys, i got my mining hardware this week and started setting it up, following the guide of Cryptobadger: http://www.cryptobadger.com/2013/04/build-a-litecoin-mining-rig-linux/

The only difference is, that im using a r9 280x Sapphire Dual GPU. Currently running solo. Because i want to test first before i add additional GPUs. Before switching to Xubuntu i used the GPU on my Windows 7 PC. It was running nicely with 780kh/s but on Linux only 600kh/s. =\

Used Hardware:
AMD SEMPRON
PCU LC-Power Silent Giant LC6550GP2 Green Power 550W
Scandisk 16 USB-Stick with Xubuntu v12.10
Dual-x r9 280x Sapphire GPU
Asrock 970 Extreme4
1x 4GB G.Skill 1600mHz Ram

Following the guide everything works nicely. Beside one error.

Code:

sudo aticonfig --adapter=all --odgt

got me ...

Code:

ERROR - X needs to be running to perform AMD Overdrive(TM) commands

... everything else works properly. Seems like the cgminer settings are not the problem for that, more likely something with the drivers or maybe 280x opimized kernels for cgminer.

cgminer settings are this:

Code:

./cgminer --scrypt -o pool:socket -u x -p x --lookup-gap 2 --thread-concurrency 8191 -g 2 -I 13 -w 256 --memclock 1550 --gpu-engine 1150 --gpu-vddc 1.090 --shaders 2047 --auto-fan

Im trying to fix this problem the whole week but nothing really helps just getting 620kh/s at maximum.
Im kind of a Linux noob, so be warned.

Cheers!

[1715695883]

1715695883

[1715695883]

1715695883

[1715695883]

1715695883

[joschua011]

Welcome to Linux then.

X is the Ubuntu Window Server.

Code:

ERROR - X needs to be running to perform AMD Overdrive(TM) commands

Means that the window server is not running, so you dont hava a display attached to your machine.
The AMD tools wont work without that.

Stupid solution is to connect a display.

Good solution is enter

Code:

xinit

in the shell, this will start the window server, should work.

Sounds stupid for miners, but AMD assumes you are actually using their graphics card as a graphics card ..... silly AMD....

[Lewnatic]

I tried that.

But since im using putty to connect to the miner via console im getting the following error:

Fatal server error:
Server is already active for display 0
        If this server is no longer running, remove /tmp/.X0-lock
        and start again.

(EE)
Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support
         at http://wiki.x.org

I tested the miner with a display attached ,no error but there is no change in Hashrate as well. And i dont think this is the problem for this issue since the hashrate is still600kh/s

Cheers.

[howardb]

8191 for thread concurrency? surely you mean 8192.

Here is my Asus r9 280x config, currently pushing out 760 KH/s:
{
"pools" : [
        {
                "url" : "http://192.168.0.201:1524",
                "user" : "x",
                "pass" : "x"
        },
        {
                "url" :  "stratum+tcp://stratum2.wemineltc.com:3333",
                "user" : "x",
                "pass" : "x"
        },
        {
                "url" :  "stratum+tcp://eubackup.wemineltc.com:3333",
                "user" : "x",
                "pass" : "x"
        }
],
"failover-only" : true,
"intensity" : "13",
"vectors" : "1",
"worksize" : "256",
"kernel" : "scrypt",
"lookup-gap" : "2",
"thread-concurrency" : "11200",
"shaders" : "0",
"api-listen" : true,
"api-network" : true,
"api-port" : "4028",
"expiry" : "120",
"gpu-engine" : "1090",
"gpu-memclock" : "1500",
"gpu-vddc" : "1.08",
"gpu-dyninterval" : "7",
"gpu-platform" : "0",
"gpu-threads" : "2",
"log" : "5",
"no-pool-disable" : true,
"per-device-stats" : true,
"queue" : "1",
"scan-time" : "30",
"scrypt" : true,
"worktime" : true,
"shares" : "0",
"kernel-path" : "/usr/local/bin"
}

PS: I also noted the R9's do NOT like being pushed off their stock memory speed of 1500, they seem to be incredibly tuned to that.

[Lewnatic]

8191 for thread concurrency? surely you mean 8192.

I read somewhere that cgminer works better with odd numbers. And it really gets me ~10kh/s more with that setting.

Sadly your settings are not improving my mining rig. =\
Running with 560kh/s now.

As i presumed its not because of cgminer settings i think....more something with driver or hardware mayve?
Which Linux version do you run howardb?

Could it be that the PCU has some issues? Or the GPU is somehow restricted. I remember the GPU was a lot louder and hotter (But thats maybe because it was in an case) on the Windows PC. But had 780kh/s. Currently the GPU is running at 73°C with 47% fan.

Cheers

[pyromaniacdeluxe]

not enough RAM no doubt

[pontiacg5]

not enough RAM no doubt

Are you nuts, or do you actually have an explanation behind that ridiculous statement?

Are you seeing temperatures in cgminer? If not your cards are likely not using any of your clock settings you are asking for. I'd imagine your hashrate would be right about where it is now, on stock clocks.

Try mining locally, with a display.

FWIW I still have this problem with my 280x cards in xubuntu, I can not start mining over ssh/putty.

[Lewnatic]

not enough RAM no doubt

4GB should be enough.

... please explain why its not.

Are you seeing temperatures in cgminer? If not your cards are likely not using any of your clock settings you are asking for. I'd imagine your hashrate would be right about where it is now, on stock clocks.

Try mining locally, with a display.

Temperatures are 'normal' also tried mining with monitor attached, nor difference...screenshot is from putty.

http://image-upload.de/image/q7JIuO/595e1a564d.png

FWIW I still have this problem with my 280x cards in xubuntu, I can not start mining over ssh/putty.

Did you follow the same guide by cryptobadger?

[Lewnatic]

Some additional information ...


http://image-upload.de/get/v1sLyK/9de25040ca.jpg


btw. I had a Radeon 5770 attached to the system before i put the 280x in. Could it be that there are some issues with the GPU indentification?
Or are there any BIOS setting i need to change on my AsRock Extreme4 970?

[pontiacg5]

Yes, I did roughly follow the cryptobadger guide though I couldn't get it to work without deviating a bit. If I recall, cryptobadger has you using apkget or something to get the amd drivers. I wasn't able to make that work, my 280x cards were detected as 7900 series when I would use apt-get. I had to download and build the amd drivers for the version of xubuntu I was using, then the cards came around as 200 series. They wouldn't mine if they were seen as 7900 cards though, so I'm sure you've got that set right.

sudo aticonfig --adapter=all --odgt lists the cards as 200 series, right?

Also, try these settings...



This gets me 710kh/s from dual-x sapphire cards. I have other settings for slightly different sapphire 280x cards similar to what you are using now, but some cards are just different. Does your card have an 8 and 6 pin pci-e power plugs, or two 8 pin plugs? If it's the latter, these settings might put you over 700kh/s.

[Superdaan]

I also followed Cryptobadger's tutorial to the letter, and it helped me immensely, but I did not get more than 540kh/s out my Sapphire 280x Vapor-X.

The solution for me was to uninstall Xubuntu 12.10 (the version used in his tutorials) and do a clean install of everything using Xubuntu 13.10. This magically solved all my hashrate issues.

[pontiacg5]

I also followed Cryptobadger's tutorial to the letter, and it helped me immensely, but I did not get more than 540kh/s out my Sapphire 280x Vapor-X.

The solution for me was to uninstall Xubuntu 12.10 (the version used in his tutorials) and do a clean install of everything using Xubuntu 13.10. This magically solved all my hashrate issues.

I didn't think it relevant, but I am running saucy salamander on my xubuntu rig.

[howardb]

8191 for thread concurrency? surely you mean 8192.

I read somewhere that cgminer works better with odd numbers. And it really gets me ~10kh/s more with that setting.

Sadly your settings are not improving my mining rig. =\
Running with 560kh/s now.

As i presumed its not because of cgminer settings i think....more something with driver or hardware mayve?
Which Linux version do you run howardb?

Could it be that the PCU has some issues? Or the GPU is somehow restricted. I remember the GPU was a lot louder and hotter (But thats maybe because it was in an case) on the Windows PC. But had 780kh/s. Currently the GPU is running at 73°C with 47% fan.

Cheers

I'm using Linux bamt 1.2 Which is:
Distributor ID: Debian
Description:    Debian GNU/Linux 6.0.4 (squeeze)
Release:        6.0.4
Codename:       squeeze

PS: If you need a clone image of what I have, no problem, it's 4GB dongle, pm me.

[howardb]

Another thought, if you have had different cards in it's always worth forcing an initialisation of the X config for ati adapters.

Use: aticonfig --initial --force

And do a cold reboot after.

[Lewnatic]

I wasn't able to make that work, my 280x cards were detected as 7900 series when I would use apt-get. I had to download and build the amd drivers for the version of xubuntu I was using, then the cards came around as 200 series. They wouldn't mine if they were seen as 7900 cards though, so I'm sure you've got that set right.

uh oh.... mine are detected as 7900 too. I guess we are getting close to a solution.  
How did i properly deinstall the drivers and install the 280x drivers?

And thank you howardb i will mess a bit around with my linux version. And if it is still not working, that image would be very helpful.

Cheers.

[pontiacg5]

I wasn't able to make that work, my 280x cards were detected as 7900 series when I would use apt-get. I had to download and build the amd drivers for the version of xubuntu I was using, then the cards came around as 200 series. They wouldn't mine if they were seen as 7900 cards though, so I'm sure you've got that set right.

uh oh.... mine are detected as 7900 too. I guess we are getting close to a solution.  
How did i properly deinstall the drivers and install the 280x drivers?

And thank you howardb i will mess a bit around with my linux version. And if it is still not working, that image would be very helpful.

Cheers.

I never figured that part out, I looked all day for the add/remove programs menu and never found it!

Seriously though, I just reinstalled xubuntu and tried again. I'm sure there is a better way, but by the time I would have figured it out I already had a clean install. 

[Lewnatic]

Hey guys.

Got it working now with BAMT!
After trying some stuff with Xubuntu i figured out the reason was that the card was identified as a 7900series. Im sure this will be solved with a newer Ubuntu version too but i wanted to try BAMT. First i had 1.1 BAMT but it rained on my parade as there was the same issue as with xubuntu. But then i switched to BAMT 1.2 and tadaa! it worked like a charm.

Fix was actually this: https://litecointalk.org/index.php?topic=2924.0

Look at that beauty.
http://image-upload.de/image/4ZtGQm/a17eaccc00.jpg


BAMT seems nice so far, it is fast and it was simply..."put it on a stick ...edit cgminer.conf and go!"

tl;dr: Reason seems to be older AMD drivers. Worked with 1.2 BAMT

Thank you for your help guys.