How To Under/Overclock ATI Cards Beyond Factory Settings On Linux - Guide

[gigabytecoin]

Hey Bitcoiners, am I doing this right?

1. Install windows on your Linux rig (or install WINE on Linux if you're comfortable).

2. Install the Radeon Bios Editor to windows.

3. Flash the bios' of the cards to your desired specifications (min 200mhz memory clock and max 1000mhz core clock)

4. Re-install linux back on your mining rig + setup miners as usual. This step is only necessary if not using WINE.

5. Use your favorite linux ati settings editor:
5.1 If using aticonfig: set your clocks to desired settings using the code: aticonfig --adapter=ADAPTER_NUMBER --odsc=CORE_CLOCK,MEMORY_CLOCK
5.2 If using AMDOverdriveCtrl: set your clocks to desired settings using the GUI provided.

Please offer your suggestions below. I will edit this post as necessary to become the most viable solution.

[dingus]

Why is windows needed? Just use aticonfig.

There's no need to flash anything for most cards out there.

[gigabytecoin]

Why is windows needed? Just use aticonfig.

There's no need to flash anything for most cards out there.

Well for the 4 (different branded) cards I have installed in my ubuntu 11.04 setup right now... aticonfig is only able to lower the memory clocks to ~600 Mhz on each card.

Apparently it is possible to lower the memory clocks to 300 Mhz and beyond, but you must first flash the GPU's BIOS... and apparently RBE is the only proven method of doing so with ease.

[stickman]

Thanks for the guide!  I actually did this myself a couple weeks ago and it's working great.  Just a suggestion for people considering this: BACK UP YOUR BIOS!  I made this mistake and realized after I reformatted back to Linux that my 5970 didn't flash correctly, so I had to go through a bunch of hoops to fix it.  As long as you backup your BIOS, you can easily create a USB boot disk and put the previous BIOS back on using ATIFlash. 

I'd recommend creating a DOS USB boot disk while in Windows and throwing ATIFlash and your backed up BIOS's along with any new BIOS you want to try so you don't have to waste a whole day of mining. 

Here's a link to a quick guide on creating a DOS USB boot disk in windows:
http://www.bay-wolf.com/usbmemstick.htm

[Dusty]

Why is windows needed? Just use aticonfig.
There's no need to flash anything for most cards out there.

I understand a flash is needed to unlock all the shaders of some cards, like the HD9650.

[eleuthria]

Why is windows needed? Just use aticonfig.

There's no need to flash anything for most cards out there.

Many card manufacturers have different hard limits set in the BIOS of the card.  This can even vary between individual cards from the same manufacturer.

Out of 5 GigaByte 5870s, I've found 3 different clock limit settings on them:
Memory: 300-1200, 300-1400, 600-1200
Core: 300-900, 300-950, 300-1200

HIS and MSI Lightning's also have their own limits (although my 2 MSI Lightning's allowed obscene overclocking to the point the thing would melt if it didn't crash first).

Flashing the BIOS will remove these imposed limits.  aticonfig will not let you go around them.

[smgoller]

I found some guides that showed you how to modify the default clock for particular activities (low, med, high) but I didn't see anything about what to change to modify the ranges. I have 2 5870s. Do you have any pointers?

[eleuthria]

I found some guides that showed you how to modify the default clock for particular activities (low, med, high) but I didn't see anything about what to change to modify the ranges. I have 2 5870s. Do you have any pointers?

I downloaded a popular BIOS file from an Asus 5870 which I then flashed to any cards (using atiflash) that didn't allow me to use the clocks I wanted.  A little google searching will lead you to the Asus.rom (BIOS) file and a guide on how to use atiflash.

[humble]

AMDOverdriveCtrl will let you boost the speed and drop the memory speed in Linux, for dramatic increases in speed and efficiency.

Recommended memory speeds for 5xxx series is 300. Max the clock speed until it starts whigging out!

Can also recommend setting the fan to linear control.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/amdovdrvctrl/

[gusti]

AMDOverdriveCtrl will let you boost the speed and drop the memory speed in Linux, for dramatic increases in speed and efficiency.

Recommended memory speeds for 5xxx series is 300. Max the clock speed until it starts whigging out!

Can also recommend setting the fan to linear control.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/amdovdrvctrl/

Are you using AMDOverdriveCtrl in Ubuntu ?
Which version of AMD Drivers ?

[humble]

Are you using AMDOverdriveCtrl in Ubuntu ?
Which version of AMD Drivers ?

Yes, I am using it in Ubuntu 10.10 on both 32 and 64 bits systems. The ATI Catalyst driver ranges from 10.8 to 11.4 across my systems and the cards I'm using it with includes several 5870s, a 5970 and a 6870.

Good luck!