I would like to know which of these problems is normal and which of them could possibly be resolved based on peoples experiences.
Here are the exact steps I follow:
I installed Windows and got it fully up to date about 2 weeks ago, then disabled automatic updates. Following everything from the guide @ mining.help.
I am using an Asus B250 Mining Expert motherboard (I believe all recommended bios settings are set).
With only a single card plugged, windows loads extremely fast. I installed the absolute latest AMD graphics drivers for the RX580 (
https://www.amd.com/en/support/graphics/radeon-500-series/radeon-rx-500-series/radeon-rx-580). The driver release date is 7/25/2019.
I restarted the computer, powered down the computer, plugged in the remaining 7 cards, turn on the computer. I see the Asus bios screen, then it goes to a blank screen with just a white spinner at the bottom which freezes. Had to manually power down the PC using the power button, then finally that screen with the white spinner did not freeze and I got to the login screen.
Once the desktop was loaded I set all 8 cards to Compute mode under Global Settings. The settings actually stick which is good, I checked several times.
However, with this setup in place (no overclock settings set yet), when I restart the machine it does one of several things:
1. Takes a long time to get to the login screen. I see the asus screen, then a black screen with a white spinner, eventually gets to the login screen. I assume this is normal behavior and it takes so long due to there being 8 graphics cards.
2. Takes a long time to get to the login screen. I see the asus screen, then a black screen with a frozen white spinner, usually ends up in me doing a manual power down and power on, then eventually loads Windows just like Step 1 above.
On a side note, I have a monitor plugged into the integrated HDMI port for the motherboard.
With all of this craziness going on, things are still manageable. It is almost as if I want to restart the PC as little as possible. However, when playing with overclock settings I believe restarting is required as part of the process, especially if you make a mistake and things freeze. I also noticed sometimes when changing settings in OverdriveNT and then starting the Claymore miner the hash rates aren't effected. However, after a restart then I see the overclocked hashrates. This seems strange since I don't think most people need to restart to see the OverdriveNT settings take effect.
I have a weird feeling all of this has to do with me being on a very recent version of windows 10 and a very recent version of the AMD drivers.
Can some experienced people who use Windows 10 rigs share some of their similar experiences so I can gauge what is normal and what is not? I am about to switch to Linux.