5970 mining thread

[jjshabadoo]

I thought it might be worthwhile to create an ongoing thread for those of us with 5970's to share info about clocks, voltage, cooling, mining software settings, etc.

Since many people have recently purchased these from newegg, etc. it might help us to optimize these cards to their full potential.

My current set-up is:

2 identical rigs

MSI 890FXA-GD70
AMD sempron 145 sargas 2.8GHz 45 watt
crucial 2x1gb ddr3 1066 ram
seasonic X750 watt gold psu
2 x ati 5970 video cards at 800gpu/300mem
16gb USB flash drive with linuxcoin final

I used 2 old computer cases with all hard drive cages and anything extra removed.
I am using cgminer 2.0.7
My average hash rate is 1.4GH/s on each machine or 700MH/s on each card
average gpu temps are 50-60c depending on card placement, each card is also slightly different.
I have not monitored VRM temps yet.

I plan on adding two more 5970's to each machine with a daisy chained seasonic X750 and a custom rack to hold the GPU's with pci x16 molex powered extenders.

I have also removed the stock cooling on the four cards I am not using and in the process of replacing the thermal paste and thermal pads. I will post when I get the cards working properly again. Any suggestions on replacing the pads and TIM are appreciated.

I plan to use .5mm thermal pads for the ram and other cooling points and 1mm pads for the VRMs. I will use arctic MX3 on the GPU's and plan on experimenting with shin-etsu X23-7783D if I can get it to spread properly!

[1714010839]

1714010839

[1714010839]

1714010839

[plastic.elastic]

I thought it might be worthwhile to create an ongoing thread for those of us with 5970's to share info about clocks, voltage, cooling, mining software settings, etc.

Since many people have recently purchased these from newegg, etc. it might help us to optimize these cards to their full potential.

My current set-up is:

2 identical rigs

MSI 890FXA-GD70
AMD sempron 145 sargas 2.8GHz 45 watt
crucial 2x1gb ddr3 1066 ram
seasonic X750 watt gold psu
2 x ati 5970 video cards at 800gpu/300mem
16gb USB flash drive with linuxcoin final

I used 2 old computer cases with all hard drive cages and anything extra removed.
I am using cgminer 2.0.7
My average hash rate is 1.4GH/s on each machine or 700MH/s on each card
average gpu temps are 50-60c depending on card placement, each card is also slightly different.
I have not monitored VRM temps yet.

I plan on adding two more 5970's to each machine with a daisy chained seasonic X750 and a custom rack to hold the GPU's with pci x16 molex powered extenders.

I have also removed the stock cooling on the four cards I am not using and in the process of replacing the thermal paste and thermal pads. I will post when I get the cards working properly again. Any suggestions on replacing the pads and TIM are appreciated.

I plan to use .5mm thermal pads for the ram and other cooling points and 1mm pads for the VRMs. I will use arctic MX3 on the GPU's and plan on experimenting with shin-etsu X23-7783D if I can get it to spread properly!

Its not daisychained, noob.... jesus b4 you break your cards, just leave it be and hash without down time.

[jjshabadoo]

OK, dual power supply adapter cable.

Ok, so I'm a noob with using multiple PSU's, does that matter? I'm here to learn and improve and possibly help others. The title of my post was not " The definitive guide to using four ati 5970's on one mobo"

Thanks for the constructive advice though.

I didn't get into this to make money, I enjoy hardware as a hobby.

[Tomatocage]

Its not daisychained, noob.... jesus b4 you break your cards, just leave it be and hash without down time.

Icy hot burn bro

[plastic.elastic]

OK, dual power supply adapter cable.

Ok, so I'm a noob with using multiple PSU's, does that matter? I'm here to learn and improve and possibly help others. The title of my post was not " The definitive guide to using four ati 5970's on one mobo"

Thanks for the constructive advice though.

I didn't get into this to make money, I enjoy hardware as a hobby.

My advice: dont tinker with things you dont know or not sure about.

Leave those cards intact, instead focus on custom box to drive cool air to the cards. More efficient that way.

[jjshabadoo]

I see your point, but I want to learn and although my purpose isn't to ruin a graphics card in the process, I'm willing to take that risk.

I've built custom water cooling loops before without issue and have never run into a graphics card which needed different size pads, etc. Of course I have never put a water block on a dual GPU before either.

Also in another thread I meant to say 1mm pads for ram and .5 pads for VRM. I shouldn't have posted the opposite in case someone screws that up.

Nonetheless, I'll refrain from posting any advice about hardware in the future and leave it to others. I'll simply post results like hash rates, software settings, etc.

Thanks for the advice anyway however harsh your delivery may be.

I'll send you a 5970 if I burn one up. Maybe you can fix it and mine some coins for yourself.

[Unacceptable]

Have you ever used Ceramique?? Its a great heatsink compound,nonmetallic unlike some others.

Just a thought

[jjiimm_64]

OK, dual power supply adapter cable.

Ok, so I'm a noob with using multiple PSU's, does that matter? I'm here to learn and improve and possibly help others. The title of my post was not " The definitive guide to using four ati 5970's on one mobo"

Thanks for the constructive advice though.

I didn't get into this to make money, I enjoy hardware as a hobby.

My advice: dont tinker with things you dont know or not sure about.

Leave those cards intact, instead focus on custom box to drive cool air to the cards. More efficient that way.

COMPLETELY agree with this...  KISS.

open case, risers, little fan blowing air from the back .clock 820/420 --  1200 watts can get you 2900Mhash at <75C out of the box... 

dont over think this stuff, and dont overclock too much, put the cards on cruise control and go have dinner with your girl!

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/112408294399222065988/albums/5658727447810944545

[plastic.elastic]

OK, dual power supply adapter cable.

Ok, so I'm a noob with using multiple PSU's, does that matter? I'm here to learn and improve and possibly help others. The title of my post was not " The definitive guide to using four ati 5970's on one mobo"

Thanks for the constructive advice though.

I didn't get into this to make money, I enjoy hardware as a hobby.

My advice: dont tinker with things you dont know or not sure about.

Leave those cards intact, instead focus on custom box to drive cool air to the cards. More efficient that way.

COMPLETELY agree with this...  KISS.

open case, risers, little fan blowing air from the back .clock 820/420 --  1200 watts can get you 2900Mhash at <75C out of the box... 

dont over think this stuff, and dont overclock too much, put the cards on cruise control and go have dinner with your girl!

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/112408294399222065988/albums/5658727447810944545

Kiss you back honey, see ya tonight.

[deepceleron]

Quit goofing around and leave the machines up and mining, I guarantee you will make more plopping together a stock system and leaving it alone than you could make up for the downtime trying to tweak overclocking and installing drivers and different software. Just use some big case fans or pull the systems out of the case.

[jjiimm_64]

Kiss you back honey, see ya tonight.

oh baby!!

KISS  Keep It Simple Stupid

[jjshabadoo]

I hear ya, but my purpose in doing this is beyond maximum bitcoin mining potential. I enjoy tweaking hardware and learning. Also, I did get the TIM and pads properly installed last night and it worked great.

I'm running two 5970's at 850/300 at max 58c and that is without the pci extenders and such I will eventually use on the custom case I'm building.

So to me it's worth it just to learn. For those who want maximum bitcoin production you guys are absolutely correct, just set them up, slight OC and go.

I also build custom gaming PC's on occasion so this is all useful for me to learn. Those machines are all about max potential and you never get that with stock cooling, etc.

[jjiimm_64]

I hear ya, but my purpose in doing this is beyond maximum bitcoin mining potential. I enjoy tweaking hardware and learning. Also, I did get the TIM and pads properly installed last night and it worked great.

I'm running two 5970's at 850/300 at max 58c and that is without the pci extenders and such I will eventually use on the custom case I'm building.

So to me it's worth it just to learn. For those who want maximum bitcoin production you guys are absolutely correct, just set them up, slight OC and go.

I also build custom gaming PC's on occasion so this is all useful for me to learn. Those machines are all about max potential and you never get that with stock cooling, etc.

a 5970 running 850/300. 
1.  how long?
2.  pics or it didn't happen

[dmcurser]

No lies I got two 5970 running at 930/500

[jjiimm_64]

No lies I got two 5970 running at 930/500

you must have overvolted them...  pics?

[jjshabadoo]

I'll get some validation soon Jimm. I am running these rigs in a very cold basement right now with no heat on the east coast. I am SURE they won't run at 850 once it gets warmer.

They do have to be reset fairly regularly though at those clocks, about every 12 hours, so not very stable yet. I'm building a rack of fans to blow into the cards and see if that makes it stable longer. For now I clocked them down to 800/300 and they have been running for a couple days without problems mining 24/7.

I didn't want to tinker with anything due to the holiday and also because we caught some long blocks in our pool recently. I mine at Eclipse also. I figured I didn't want to power down my rigs until we chewed through that last long block..lol.

[dmcurser]

ok after a little bit of playing with both afterburner and cg miner i got my 5970 to 920/150 and the voltage in afterburner is 1149 with temps at 67 degree Celsius i haven't taken these apart but i think i am going to do so in the near future at-lest the one bc the vram i think is at like 106 when all the rest are sitting at about 90 so i think it needs new thermal pads and hell while im at it new thermal paste anyone know of any good thermal paste and pads to use?

[plastic.elastic]

Kiss you back honey, see ya tonight.

oh baby!!

KISS  Keep It Simple Stupid

Lost in translation.

Love you baby.

[jjiimm_64]

interesting how those with 5970 clocks at 850, or 930 seamed to have disappeared...  I would love to run mine at that, I have 21 of those cards..  anything over 820 is unstable for me.

[dmcurser]

send them to me i would gladly run them at those clocks