Best amd driver and sdk + miner combo for windows 7 with 5970's?

[jjshabadoo]

searched a bunch of threads, but saw mixed reviews.

[someone703]

From what I've been told SDK2.1.  As for which version of Catalyst, that can vary a bit I guess.

I seem to be fine with 12.1 but maybe that's what's causing my weird hashing issues after installing my 2nd 5970.

[DeathAndTaxes]

Driver doesn't really matter.  I would use 11.12 for solved 100% bug.  I have found 12.1 doesn't like multiple 5970s.  It would hard lock trying to install drivers w/ 4x5970s installed.  It might just be me but it doesn't seem to like my setup.

For SDK 2.6 = horrible performance.  2.4 & 2.5 are roughly the same.  2.1 is slightly (maybe 1% to 2%) better performance.  2.1 use to be much better but improved kernels have closed the gap when using 2.4 or 2.5.  Avoid 2.6 like the plague unless you like 20% less hashes for same hardware and power.  This is when using a low memclock (160 Mhz to 260 Mhz).  It may be different at higher memclock.

[ShadesOfMarble]

DiabloMiner now gets the same speed from SDK 2.6 as it got from SDK 2.1.
No need to stick with an old SDK.

[ssateneth]

DiabloMiner now gets the same speed from SDK 2.6 as it got from SDK 2.1.
No need to stick with an old SDK.

..at high memory clocks. high memory = more power = less net profit.

Also my 2.1 setup still has like 0.5% lead on 2.6. I see no reason to "upgrade" to the downgrade.

[DeathAndTaxes]

DiabloMiner now gets the same speed from SDK 2.6 as it got from SDK 2.1.
No need to stick with an old SDK.

..at high memory clocks. high memory = more power = less net profit.

Also my 2.1 setup still has like 0.5% lead on 2.6. I see no reason to "upgrade" to the downgrade.

+1.  memclock @ 240 vs memclock @ 1000 saves about 40W.  I have 16 5970s running.  Don't really see the point in burning almost 700W extra just to get "almost as good" performance.  Maybe if/when a future SDK shows INCREASED performance at the same wattage I would consider it an upgrade.

[ShadesOfMarble]

Ok, sorry, did not know about that memclock thing...

[blandead]

That's really not true. I have memclock @ 200 and hashes are faster if you make proper changes to the miner. However, if you're using an outdated miner then sure it will act like that

Also, how do the driver not matter? It includes an updated runtime

[-ck]

If you're on SDK 2.6 with the current cgminer, you can use -k diablo for good performance. Though it still isn't any *better* than 2.1 with the default phatk kernel that cgminer uses.

[DeathAndTaxes]

Also, how do the driver not matter? It includes an updated runtime

You just answered your own question.

Just because AMD bundled the runtime & driver together doesn't make them the same thing.

I run 11.12 w/ SDK 2.1. 

Driver =/= runtime.
Driver doesn't affect OpenCL efficiency.

[cuz0882]

Everyone with high power costs hates overlocking. Personally every hash I can squeeze out of the cards just means more profits for me.
11.11 driver works well, if 11.12 you need to delete the following files after uninstalling 11.12 to downgrade.
C:\Windows\System32\amdocl64.dll
C:\Windows\System32\amdoclcl64.dll
C:\Windows\System32\OpenCL.dll
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\amdocl.dll
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\amdoclcl.dll
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\OpenCL.dll

I run all 18 of my 5970's at
1.100v
870 clocks
500 memory

some cards require 1.112 volts or 850 clock.

[ssateneth]

Everyone with high power costs hates overlocking. Personally every hash I can squeeze out of the cards just means more profits for me.
11.11 driver works well, if 11.12 you need to delete the following files after uninstalling 11.12 to downgrade.
C:\Windows\System32\amdocl64.dll
C:\Windows\System32\amdoclcl64.dll
C:\Windows\System32\OpenCL.dll
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\amdocl.dll
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\amdoclcl.dll
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\OpenCL.dll

I run all 18 of my 5970's at
1.100v
870 clocks
500 memory

some cards require 1.112 volts or 850 clock.

Those memory clocks are exceeedingly high. 300-380 is the optimum range for 256 worksize. 128 worksize is about half that (150-190) but has slightly less hashes than 256 worksize.

[phants]

Best for Windows 7 and 57xx/67xx/58xx/5970:
Driver 12.1 + APP SDK 2.5 + cgminer
Example for stock 5970:
cgminer [-I 8 -g 1 -w 256 --gpu-engine 725 --gpu-memclock 300 --submit-stale]

CPU load 0%
GPU ~661Mh/s
minimum rejects

[DeathAndTaxes]

Everyone with high power costs hates overlocking. Personally every hash I can squeeze out of the cards just means more profits for me.
11.11 driver works well, if 11.12 you need to delete the following files after uninstalling 11.12 to downgrade.
C:\Windows\System32\amdocl64.dll
C:\Windows\System32\amdoclcl64.dll
C:\Windows\System32\OpenCL.dll
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\amdocl.dll
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\amdoclcl.dll
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\OpenCL.dll

I run all 18 of my 5970's at
1.100v
870 clocks
500 memory

some cards require 1.112 volts or 850 clock.

Those memory clocks are exceeedingly high. 300-380 is the optimum range for 256 worksize. 128 worksize is about half that (150-190) but has slightly less hashes than 256 worksize.

I agree memory clocks are high but w/ 256 worksize you can go much lower than 300.  Actually 300 is a suboptimal number.


I run 242 but looking at cgminer thread looks like same hashrate can be obtained at <200.

[blandead]

Also, how do the driver not matter? It includes an updated runtime

You just answered your own question.

Just because AMD bundled the runtime & driver together doesn't make them the same thing.

I run 11.12 w/ SDK 2.1. 

Driver =/= runtime.
Driver doesn't affect OpenCL efficiency.

I was being rhetorical... thanks. Runtime can expose new features of sdk so it can affect efficiency

[DeathAndTaxes]

I was being rhetorical... thanks. Runtime can expose new features of sdk so it can affect efficiency

Which once again ISN'T THE DRIVER.  Driver =/= runtime.  So yes runtime/SDK can affect performance.  Nobody has said otherwise.  The driver though isn't the runtime.

[blandead]

I was being rhetorical... thanks. Runtime can expose new features of sdk so it can affect efficiency

Which once again ISN'T THE DRIVER.  Driver =/= runtime.  So yes runtime/SDK can affect performance.  Nobody has said otherwise.  The driver though isn't the runtime.

Runtime is included with driver... why are you trying to argue they're not the same when I never said that. All I was pointing out is the runtime can affect efficiency. Is it not already obvious it's not the same lol

[DeathAndTaxes]

Runtime is included with driver... why are you trying to argue they're not the same when I never said that. All I was pointing out is the runtime can affect efficiency. Is it not already obvious it's not the same lol

I had already pointed out that runtime/SDK affects efficiency but the driver doesn't and then you posted

Also, how do the driver not matter?

So going back full circle .. simple because the driver isn't the runtime and despite them being bundled together in the same package (and no the driver doesn't include the runtime AMD includes BOTH which are seperate installers in the same download) doesn't make the driver magically affect efficiency.

[blandead]

Okay so as you said before "driver doesn't matter" because it's "not the same" even if there are newer runtimes bundled they don't matter. It's apparently unthinkable someone can install whatever part is bundled with it. That was very helpful advice.

You do realize the 2.6 sdk doesn't have latest runtime right? Nevermind drivers don't matter

[DeathAndTaxes]

Okay so as you said before "driver doesn't matter" because it's "not the same" even if there are newer runtimes bundled they don't matter. It's apparently unthinkable someone can install whatever part is bundled with it. That was very helpful advice.

You do realize the 2.6 sdk doesn't have latest runtime right? Nevermind drivers don't matter

Your finally getting it.  It only took you 5 posts (and you really didn't get it just decided to be sarcastic) but I give you a C for effort.

runtime =/= driver.

I can install 11.1 driver and SDK 2.1 and then upgrade the DRIVER (not the runtime) to 11.12 or 12.1 without any change in performance.  On the other hand is I leave the driver 11.1 and upgrade the runtime to latest 2.6 runtime my performance will go down.  Driver changed = no change in performance.  Runtime changed (without change in driver) = change in performance.

Of course people like you pretending driver = runtime is why we have so many questions on the miner support threads about "why did my performance go down."

runtime =/= driver.
Yes changing runtime can change performance.  Nobody said otherwise.

runtime =/= driver.
You can run any runtime with any driver.  

runtime =/= driver.
Changing driver doesn't change performance.

The fact that they are bundled together doesn't change those facts.