GPU Help for a X1900 XTX (pls)

odinthedemon

Hey all I've just slapped together my new rig, and am puzzled by my GPU... Here's my set up;

Asus A8N32 SLI Deluxe Mobo/ AMD 4400+ Dual Core/ Corsair XMS 2048 400 MHz/ 200 Gig Maxtor at 7200rpm/ Radeon X1900 XTX 512/ NZXT Lexa case with 500w PS...

Now here's the deal I know that the Mobo is really meant for an SLI set-up with Nvidia, but when I picked up my board they didn't have the latest cross-fire enabled version for ATI...

But when I run the catalyst software for my GPU and check the hardware specs, this is what it says;

Core Clock in MHz = 500

Memory Clock in MHz = 594

This is what ATI has this card listed at in terms of performance;

Core = 650 MHz

Memory = 1.55 GHz!!!

I have the latest drivers, and all of my fans/ PS are working... So why is there such a dip in the numbers? Any advice/ tips are appreciated. Thanks.

TallonX

calm down lol,
now then:
you're card is just fine, so don't go returning it or anything.
It does seem to be a tad underclocked, but you can easily clock it up to what you want, it think ATI has built in overdrive tool, but i recomend downloading ATI tool and just puting it up the advertised stocks.
But don't try clocking the memmory to 1.5ghz, or you'll have on dead video card. What that's all about is that the GPU uses GDDRAM2, so the actual clock is around 600, but since every cycle going up and down it sends out information its actually doing 1.2ghz of work. So, yea, go ahead and get ATI tool, over clock your core to 650, in slow incraments of course, i'd say just use the Find max Core and Find max mem functions in ATI tool, the under clocking that unti you arrive at a comfortable temperature. So don't worry, you're card isn't a dud. :P

PS:
you should end up clocking your card to around
Core: 650 ish, probably can go higher and:
mem: 775 mhz

this is of course, if that is what the advertised speads in your post are right. ^^ hope i helped.

EDIT::
here's the link to ATI tools
http://www.techpowerup.com/atitool/

odinthedemon

Thank you that was very informative... Except my knowledge isn't as great as yours, so I understood the core speed, but didn't understand the memory speed... I thought the memory was GDDR3? Also do you have link that would help better explain what you've told me in regards to the memory speed?

You are right though... The catalyst software comes with the ability to overclock the card built-in...

But I'd like to test it to see if overclocking of the card actually works, would you also have a link to a benchmark tool, that would allow me to tweak the specs, and see what the differences are? Thank you again.

Elapsed

I never use ATI but usually the 2D clock settings are read first, which are lower. Also the memory has a x2 multiplier, maybe it's x3 for that card?

TallonX

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Originally posted by odinthedemon
Thank you that was very informative... Except my knowledge isn't as great as yours, so I understood the core speed, but didn't understand the memory speed... I thought the memory was GDDR3? Also do you have link that would help better explain what you've told me in regards to the memory speed? You are right though... The catalyst software comes with the ability to overclock the card built-in...But I'd like to test it to see if overclocking of the card actually works, would you also have a link to a benchmark tool, that would allow me to tweak the specs, and see what the differences are? Thank you again.:)

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GDDR3 Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GDDR3

Comprehensive Benchmark, best on the market 4 free:
http://www.futuremark.com/download/?3dmark06.shtml

Run the benchmark at stock settings, push the clocks up a little, make sure its steady for a little while (ATI TOOl's core and mem test are the best), then after you find your happy medium of clock speeds and temps, (sub 70 for my card, i'm not too sure about yours), and then run the Benchmark again, and see the increase in score