ATI 4850 TEMPERATURE discussion

[krameriffic]

Originally posted by: bryanW1995
OR you could NOT recommend that members of the AT forums perpetrate fraud against legitimate businesses. besides, it is possible to blind flash a card, you just have to know what you're doing. If you're NOT comfortable doing a blind flash or otherwise fixing a bad flash, then DO NOT flash your bios under any circumstances.

If taking advantage of a 30 day, no questions asked money-back guarantee policy is a hellworthy trespass, then I guess we're all headed there. How can I defraud them when they say they'll take it back for any reason?

 

[bryanW1995]

sorry, I don't usually buy items from bestbuy. It's not fraud if they have a 30 day no questions asked money back guarantee. In fact, I think that's a very good reason to fiddle around with your video card in that case. sorry!

 

[ChronoReverse]

So I bit the bullet and tried the updated BIOS for my 4850. After setting my card back to defaults in the CCC, it started to idle properly.

http://gpuz.techpowerup.com/08/06/26/470.png

Instead of idling at 500MHz Core and 750MHz Memory, it's now idling at 160MHz Core and 500MHz Memory.

I'm going to run some benchmarks to see if there's any performance loss from this BIOS.
Okay, I've ran a few benchmarks and it performs identically and feels identical in gameplay too.

 

[Hauk]

I just installed Zalman VF900's on my 4850's and am very pleased with the results. Thought I'd share a couple pics:

Here they are with Zalman's and ramsinks installed.

Excellent contact with the core, near perfect base footprint for this GPU

Nice looking card IMO

Ramsinks covering the PWM's

Nice case fit with plenty of room

Saved a few bucks with the standard versions. LED's would look real pretty here though.


But how do they perform? Good question:

38c at idle

41c at load

that's down from:

67c at idle

81c at load


I'm able to run every benchmark and game at 700 core 1100 memory with zero issues. Core temps peak at 42c and 50c, still not sure which card runs warmer, top one I guess.

Fans are connected to mobo and are running at 80%. Could run them at 100% but they become slightly audible. At 80% they blend with the smooth hum from my 120mm fans.

Not that I'll need to, but the pencil shade mod is an option from here, and with temps this good at 700 core, I could probably approach 4870 core speeds. This is good for now.

 

[mancunian]

Originally posted by: SteelSix
Okay! I just installed Zalman VF900's on my 4850's and am very pleased with the results. Thought I'd share a couple pics:

Here they are with Zalman's and ramsinks installed.

Excellent contact with the core, near perfect base footprint for this GPU

Nice look card IMO

Heatsinks covering the PWM's

Nice case fit with plenty of room

Saved a few bucks with the standard versions. LED's would look real pretty here though.


But how do they perform? Good question:

38c at idle

41c at load

that's down from:

67c at idle

81c at load


I'm able to run every benchmark and game at 700 core 1100 memory with zero issues. Core temps peak at 42c and 50c, still not sure which card runs warmer, top one I guess.

Fans are connected to mobo and are running at 80%. Could run them at 100% but they become slightly audible. At 80% they blend with the smooth hum from my 120mm fans.

Not that I'll need to, but the pencil shade mod is an option from here, and with temps this good at 700 core, I could probably approach 4870 core speeds. This is good for now.

Nice work!

Did the little ramsinks come with the Zalman?

I've got a rather more bastardised set up, that being a 120mm Xigmatek fan underneath. It's idling at about 48c now, but still loading at 80c. Still, not a bad cheapass solution.

 

[Hauk]

Originally posted by: mancunian

Nice work!

Did the little ramsinks come with the Zalman?

I've got a rather more bastardised set up, that being a 120mm Xigmatek fan underneath. It's idling at about 48c now, but still loading at 80c. Still, not a bad cheapass solution.

Enough ramsinks came with each to cover the memory. I had extras for the PWMs..

 

[mancunian]

:thumbsup:

Originally posted by: SteelSix

Originally posted by: mancunian

Nice work!

Did the little ramsinks come with the Zalman?

I've got a rather more bastardised set up, that being a 120mm Xigmatek fan underneath. It's idling at about 48c now, but still loading at 80c. Still, not a bad cheapass solution.

Enough ramsinks came with each to cover the memory. I had extras for the PWMs..

Thanks for the info.

Just one more question if you're ok with that, I saw you mentioning somewhere else using a hairdryer to make the thermal compound tacky, and *then* bonding the ramsinks to the PWMs and RAM. I can see the logic in this, is it just a case of heating both chip and sink with a hairdryer, applying a dab of thermal compound to the PWM/RAM chip, doing this again for a minute or two, and then applying the sink?

Either way, you got some outstanding results. ATI overdrive recommended 690 on the core and 1168 on the memory for my beverley hillbillies cooling solution. Highly doubt I'll be clocking it up that much..

 

[PG]

Originally posted by: ChronoReverse
So I bit the bullet and tried the updated BIOS for my 4850. After setting my card back to defaults in the CCC, it started to idle properly.

http://gpuz.techpowerup.com/08/06/26/470.png

Instead of idling at 500MHz Core and 750MHz Memory, it's now idling at 160MHz Core and 500MHz Memory.

I'm going to run some benchmarks to see if there's any performance loss from this BIOS.
Okay, I've ran a few benchmarks and it performs identically and feels identical in gameplay too.

Thanks for the update, now I'm considering flashing the card.
What utility and command did you use exactly?

 

[Mucker]

Nice work SteelSix :thumbsup:

 

[Hauk]

Originally posted by: mancunian
Just one more question if you're ok with that, I saw you mentioning somewhere else using a hairdryer to make the thermal compound tacky, and *then* bonding the ramsinks to the PWMs and RAM. I can see the logic in this, is it just a case of heating both chip and sink with a hairdryer, applying a dab of thermal compound to the PWM/RAM chip, doing this again for a minute or two, and then applying the sink?

No thermal compound, you want mem clean and free of all traces actually. The idea is to apply all the ramsinks (they have their own adhesive interface), then heat them with a hairdryer. The adhesive will get warm and gooey and that's when you press down on them for a couple minutes until adhesive cools. Repeat once or twice and you've completed the bonding process. Let cool for a while with card rightside up and you're set.

Problem is people install the ramsinks then immediatly install in case. Cards are upside down so first time adhesive gets warm and gooey gravity takes effect and heatsinks can fall off.

 

[Hauk]

Originally posted by: Mucker
Nice work SteelSix :thumbsup:

Thanks!

 

[mancunian]

Originally posted by: SteelSix

Originally posted by: mancunian
Just one more question if you're ok with that, I saw you mentioning somewhere else using a hairdryer to make the thermal compound tacky, and *then* bonding the ramsinks to the PWMs and RAM. I can see the logic in this, is it just a case of heating both chip and sink with a hairdryer, applying a dab of thermal compound to the PWM/RAM chip, doing this again for a minute or two, and then applying the sink?

No thermal compound, you want mem clean and free of all traces actually. The idea is to apply all the ramsinks (they have their own adhesive interface), then heat them with a hairdryer. The adhesive will get warm and gooey and that's when you press down on them for a couple minutes until adhesive cools. Repeat once or twice and you've completed the bonding process. Let cool for a while with card rightside up and you're set.

Problem is people install the ramsinks then immediatly install in case. Cards are upside down so first time adhesive gets warm and gooey gravity takes effect and heatsinks can fall off.

:beer: to you SteelSix

I think I might well go pick one of these up on Saturday and clock it up.

 

[PG]

Originally posted by: PG

Originally posted by: ChronoReverse
So I bit the bullet and tried the updated BIOS for my 4850. After setting my card back to defaults in the CCC, it started to idle properly.

http://gpuz.techpowerup.com/08/06/26/470.png

Instead of idling at 500MHz Core and 750MHz Memory, it's now idling at 160MHz Core and 500MHz Memory.

I'm going to run some benchmarks to see if there's any performance loss from this BIOS.
Okay, I've ran a few benchmarks and it performs identically and feels identical in gameplay too.

Thanks for the update, now I'm considering flashing the card.
What utility and command did you use exactly?

Well, who am I kidding. I have no patience so I flashed the card and it does make a nice difference at idle.

 

[ChronoReverse]

Haha. You're the third person to confirm this works. Hopefully ATI will do something similar in the driver to resolve everyone's issues.

 

[Sylvanas]

ATI released a similar fanfix bios for the 38xx series when they came out- I am sure we will see a new version soon, check Techpowerups VGA BIOS section regularly for updates.

 

[Mucker]

Well, I installed my second S1, this time a Rev. 2 and happy to report a similar installation as the Rev. 1.

Card 1 with the Rev. 1 runs 40C idle/56 load
Card 2 with the Rev. 2 runs 47C idle/63 load

Cards OC'd with Auto-Tune to 690/1100. (memory will do 1148)

The temp variation is directly related to card positioning in my Antec 900 case. One card does indeed get a little more airflow than the other.

Both S1's are fanless.

Ambient air temp of 82F.

1 VT 4850....$149.99 + tax = $162
1 VT 4850....$149.99 + tax = $162
1 Accelero S1 Rev.2....$30
1 Accelero S1 Rev.1....$25 (purchased a couple of years ago, used on a couple of different cards)

Total = $379 of Crossfire goodness @ <63C max load gpu FANLESS for a fraction of the 280GTX price. :thumbsup:

I think I'll be happy for a while...........

 

[Hauk]

Originally posted by: mancunian
:beer: to you SteelSix

I think I might well go pick one of these up on Saturday and clock it up.

I believe Microcenter and Fry's carry the Zalman ramsinks in an 8pk. If you don't want to spend the money to get extra ramsinks, you could get by with using the ones that come with the cooler on the PWMs. Memory would be fine without them.

 

[manimal]

Does the new firmware ramp up fan speeds as it heats up as well? My 3850 does not like anything above stock or age of conan crashes. I may switch out the card and see if I have better luck before I install the Vf900s ive had sitting in a box for a year.

 

[Delerious]

Originally posted by: SteelSix

Originally posted by: mancunian
:beer: to you SteelSix

I think I might well go pick one of these up on Saturday and clock it up.

I believe Microcenter and Fry's carry the Zalman ramsinks in an 8pk. If you don't want to spend the money to get extra ramsinks, you could get by with using the ones that come with the cooler on the PWMs. Memory would be fine without them.

I've spotted a heatsink pack at Fry's for $9.99

 

[PG]

Originally posted by: ChronoReverse
Haha. You're the third person to confirm this works. Hopefully ATI will do something similar in the driver to resolve everyone's issues.

Well it sort of worked for me. The 2D clock speed were 150/500 but my idle temps did not change much which was a suprise to me. I went from an idle temp of around 76 to about 71 after the flash. Sure, it's an improvement but I had hoped for more. Maybe there was not much of a change becuase of the low fan speed.

 

[PG]

Originally posted by: manimal
Does the new firmware ramp up fan speeds as it heats up as well? My 3850 does not like anything above stock or age of conan crashes. I may switch out the card and see if I have better luck before I install the Vf900s ive had sitting in a box for a year.

Yes, the new bios does ramp up the fan speed under load a little bit. Fan speed seemed dependant on load % and not temps though. I watched speeds move from around 1300 rpm at idle to near 2900 to 3000 rpm when under load. As soon as I removed the load the fan speed dropped even though the temps were still over 80. Oh, and the fan does not seem to get moving much faster until the temp gets over 80.
This is all with the new bios, but I think the old one pretty much worked the same.

 

[Twigger]

Just got my Visiontek 4850 up and running for the first time last night after a fresh XP install. Before even loading drivers, I went ahead and flashed the BIOS using the MSI BIOS on the TechPowerUp site. Sure enough, idle speeds fell to 160 core, 500 memory, and temps seemed to fall from mid-80's to low to mid-70's. Not as much improvement as I had hoped for. Guess I'll be waiting for the new ATI Tool to play with fan speed settings.

Pretty happy with my $150 purchase! (Best Buy deal last week.)

 

[bryanW1995]

Originally posted by: Sylvanas
ATI released a similar fanfix bios for the 38xx series when they came out- I am sure we will see a new version soon, check Techpowerups VGA BIOS section regularly for updates.

do you have a link to that fanfix bios? the only one I've ever found was from a different manufacturer and caused me problems.

edit: nevermind, found it.

http://www.rage3d.com/board/showthread.php?t=33912408

 

[Tullphan]

I've got a Zalman VF-700 on a bad 9700 Pro. I assume it will fit w/o problems on my 4850?
Or should I wait for a fix that'll let me adjust the speed on the factory installed HSF?

 

[mancunian]

Right, first of all, a :beer: to SteelSix. Without his advice on this I might not have bothered doing what I've done, but the hairdryer trick was a good one to know as well, using one on the ramsinks after fitting to heat 'em up a bit, and then giving them an extra push on once the adhesive becomes tacky so that the joint bonds well. I like this 4850 card, but its warm temperatures were bothering me.

So now, this card has an Accelero S1 Rev 2 on it, with a 140mm Yate Loon fan to cool it. It even runs fine passively, it idled at 50c and loaded at about 68c. Still, I like to keep stuff cool, and a 140mm fan wasn't going to add to much noise, this thing is still quiet. I also purchased some Zalman ramsinks, for aesthetic reasons mainly.

Anyway, a few pics of the job, taken off a phone so not brilliant:

stock cooler
after removing cooler
cleaned up
zalman ramsinks fitted
accelero fitted
good contact with gpu
fitted inside case
140mm fan
side view

idle 30c
load 37c


So, that's another way of cooling this monster. Because it does run hot. :Q


Took a couple of hours and a lot of care, but well worth the trouble. And not at all expensive.

:thumbsup: