# Underclocking



## Dev (Nov 24, 2006)

Hello, 

I have a problem with ATI Tool .25 beta 15. The problem is I can't seem to successfully under clock my card. The reason I want to under clock is I feel my temperatures are to high and it is the source of a "beeping" coming from my motherboard and also the reason some games crash after a while of playing.

When ever I change the slider and hit either "Set Clock" or "Save" the speeds just reset to default. Is this a problem with ATI Tool .25 beta 15 or am I doing something wrong.
My temps are 70ºC idle and above 105ºC load.:shadedshu 
Any help would be much appreciated.

PS: I have tried using "Set clock immediately after slider" and version .24 but it didn't have GPU temp monitoring.

-Dev


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## Old Bear (Nov 24, 2006)

First open settings, scrol to fan control and set fan speed at 100%, then start games or chk with furry cube. Allso chk thread about 1900 cards before start messing around. Will chk later if u need any help.


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## cdawall (Nov 24, 2006)

RMA the card dont underclock bc ATI doesnt know how to send a working card to you


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## Dev (Nov 24, 2006)

Thanks for the replies, I did as you said Old Bear and set the fan to 100% and it did help the idle temps but even with the furry cube the temps rocket to 110ºC. The card is stable at 110ºC as there are no artifacts but when I run a game the temps go even higher and thats where the trouble is. I think I will try out an earlier version. My only fear is that it won't have support for the X1900XTX and I won't be able to see my temps. Should I use Catalyst Control instead?

Unfortunately I  didn't buy the card, I won it in a Counter Strike competition so returning it would be a problem. I feel the biggest bottleneck in games is my processor and RAM anyway so I'm happy to under clock. Otherwise you are 100% right.

-Dev


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## ATIonion (Nov 24, 2006)

depending on who made the card this almost sounds like a thermal paste/cooler mounting issue to me...

first i would take out your card and make sure your mounting hardware for the fan system is tight enough...it could be loose and cause overheating..however, i would go get some thermal paste and pull that fan cooler off , clean and re apply thermal paste...if that doesnt help then its something you couldnt fix--core, vltg. reg.-- but it would be well worth the time and $8 in thermal paste to try....good luck...


edit:: i think solder begins to melt near those high temps...maybe someone could post what temp. solder does melt...


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## Dev (Nov 24, 2006)

I forgot to mention that this is the first problem I have had with it. It used to work fine and no problems. I appreciate the reply and I think I will get some thermal paste when I'm buying new RAM for Christmas.

-Dev


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## ATIonion (Nov 24, 2006)

Dev said:


> I forgot to mention that this is the first problem I have had with it. It used to work fine and no problems. I appreciate the reply and I think I will get some thermal paste when I'm buying new RAM for Christmas.
> 
> -Dev



get some dual channel ram instead of that value ram...if your like me the value ram single channel works pretty good but you have crossed into higher end zone now and the ram needs to be at its best....

Just so you know...because it worked well before doesnt mean that the thermal paste IS NOT the problem..thermal paste from saphire years ago sucked...and they sometimes only covered half the core....or ive seen really thin amounts applied to the core that overtime wear thinner and raise temps....so thermal paste may still be your issue....


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## Old Bear (Nov 24, 2006)

110! That is TOO MUCH! I gues that ATI is right about that thermodynamic issue but on other hand, when it's free, vineguar is sweet ( just saying from around here )!
Congratulations on that pricewining performance in CS! I'd try anything to keep that temps down, what about watercooling,hm? And about bottleneck on your sys, it looks just fine to me 
think that melting temps are closer to...180! must chk, be back soon
About ATITOOL  I was having  with beta15, chk does beta14 have 1900 support & try with it, was much   to me & my redhair! With CCC you cant control fan speeds etc. so go for ATItool!


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## Dev (Nov 24, 2006)

_"thermal paste from saphire years ago sucked"_
Funnily enough it is a Sapphire card. I have never really heard people say good things about Sapphire.

OK, I switched to ATI Tool beta 14 and problem solved I can now under clock and it is compatible. This must be a bug with the beta 15. Unfortunately it isn't as effective as I thought it would be. I have manged to get the temps on load down to 102º C by knocking 50 MHz off both memory and core.

_"get some dual channel ram instead of that value ram...if your like me the value ram single channel works pretty good but you have crossed into higher end zone now and the ram needs to be at its best...."_
Could you perhaps recommend 2GB that would be suitable. I have posted this on other forums yet I got no reply.

_what about watercooling_
Unfortunately the  card is water cooled. So I'm kinda limited.


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## technicks (Nov 24, 2006)

The toxic is water cooled i thought. 110 with such a cooler is ridiculous.

Above the 100 is still way to high. The card should not get hotter then 60/70


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## Old Bear (Nov 24, 2006)

Try to swich off 3d clocks, so 2d will stay as default. 110 with watercooling is... central heating! What do you use, water or something else? Could you chk flow of liquid in sys?


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## Dev (Nov 24, 2006)

Yeah, I'm 99% it's water in the tank. With of a drop of something to kill bacteria. The pipes are black so I can't really check the flow of liquid. I reduced the speeds to 250 MHz and 350 MHz of the core and memory respectively and the temperatures are still in the 100s. So I think you were right and that it has to be a thermal paste issue or a faulty core. Would reducing any of the voltages help? If so which ones?

_"Try to swich off 3d clocks, so 2d will stay as default"_
What do you mean by this.

-Dev


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## Old Bear (Nov 24, 2006)

Well, when you finish your shoping, get that paste & do it right!  
Let us know how it works.
But, just in case... it is closed watercooling sys, with forced flow(pump), right? How many times my wife had trouble with stupid steamirons, allways was some mechanical issue with flow, pipes or nozzle 
Pls chk that too!
Good luck!
Khm, these cards dont use all their power allways, default clocks that stays on ATItool & CCC(open Overdrive) are used for common aplications, 3d clocks are started with 3d applications ( furry cube, games,etc.) and temps are going up. But your 110 is..., mine card with stock cooling was at 85~90 while O/C but this...???
Was'n playing with voltmods, but lowering will help a bit, not much i'm afraid, bcause lowering clocks drops temp just few degs?? Pls chk thread about 1900 Vcards, people know much more than me, newbee.
Off for smoke..


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## Dev (Nov 24, 2006)

With this kind of under clock my performance is effectively halved. Such a waste.
Now that you mention it, The pump/fan is struggling and creating a racket.

I have already taken steps to RMA the card. As it is clearly faulty.

-Dev


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## ATIonion (Nov 24, 2006)

Dev said:


> Now that you mention it, The pump/fan is struggling and creating a racket.





could be a build up in the pump...heat will cause a build up (calcium, lime depending on water used) even if you use distilled or R/O water that water will slowly absorb and create a build up....water that clean is like a sponge and will absorb from its container...once the TDS gets above 100ppm or so buid up could happen where its warmer (cpu gpu and pump)..... temps will raise b/c the build up insulates the block from the cooler water...


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## Old Bear (Nov 24, 2006)

Anything mechanical could be fixed by controled punch... 
  It is... just add coffee... i can't bealive that is on 100! Paste could cause huge problems! But, by Marphy's laws & mine expirience, could be that few things are causing the problem, at the same time, not just one! Could it be that pipes are blocked, fan damaged or excentric...? 
Just to mention...if build up (thanks ATI) blocks pipes ,fan blades (if turbine type) can deform & underperform on same revs-less flow etc.
Not to mention that, as they are made of thermoplasts(fan blades) are stressed by such increase of watertemps. Now I remembered that have pump failure caused by thermoplastic bearing! On heating sys ofcourse! Jump on their back to get new one & shut down bcause it strougles so hard...I gues that blocked pipes caused presure build up on blades & small deformations, leading to decrease in flow & temps are going up, which further disable turbineblades bcause they cant handle combination of pressure & heat
So sorry, but couldnt do anything more.


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## Casheti (Nov 28, 2006)

Oh my God!! That Toxic is mad hot! I say get a new one, it's obviously dodgy


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## Alcpone (Nov 28, 2006)

He won it cash lol He cant return it!

110*c is bloody warm like, I would defo dismantle cooling and resit it with as5 or similar, Im lucky if my gpu gets over 41*c full load, I know its only a x1650pro but still!


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## Casheti (Nov 28, 2006)

Probs gave him a bad one on purpose


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## Alcpone (Nov 28, 2006)

Casheti said:


> Probs gave him a bad one on purpose



lol

Very sinnicle for one so young


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## Sasqui (Nov 28, 2006)

Hmmm... facts:

Watercooled X1900XTX running at 110c
Waterpump(s) making a racket

Something is wrong with the cooling system; OR somthing is wrong with the GPU block.  Doesn't sounds like the card.


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## Alcpone (Nov 28, 2006)

Sasqui said:


> Hmmm... facts:
> 
> Watercooled X1900XTX running at 110c
> Waterpump(s) making a racket
> ...



Defo dismantle, stick a heafty HSF on it with top quality paste!


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## Tomcat81970 (Nov 28, 2006)

over 100C, geez that water is boiling... get new water and clean those tubes.. check the pump and check if the heatsink is on properly... if its still running hot, maby get a new water block and see if that helps.... but it is most likely (like every one has been saying) its a problem with the position of the water block or the pump isnt working.


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## Alcpone (Nov 28, 2006)

Tomcat81970 said:


> over 100C, geez that water is boiling... get new water and clean those tubes.. check the pump and check if the heatsink is on properly... if its still running hot, maby get a new water block and see if that helps.... but it is most likely (like every one has been saying) its a problem with the position of the water block or the pump isnt working.



Its a fairly sealed unit, it isn't a full h20 system he has, if its the pump thats knacked on it he is better off getting a new HSF I would say!


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## Dev (Nov 28, 2006)

_over 100C, geez that water is boiling_

Well the core temp is 100 Celsius. I would hope the water wasn't a 100. Imagine my pump pumping steam. 

The pump seems to stopped it's carry on but the temperatures remain the same. I have under clocked the card even further. Can somebody link me to an appropriate paste and cleaner. Also a link to a decent quieting heat sink fan would be nice. If the card has no artifacts up untill 95 Celsius this thing could overclock like ....a ... you see where I'm going with this.

-Dev


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## ATIonion (Nov 28, 2006)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835100007  for your arctic silver 5 thermal paste...


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835118001  for your cooling needs..

if you have a local pc shop maybe see if they have a cooler that is cheaper then the zalman....what you really need is a test heatsink and fan, i doubt you really want to get rid of your h2o system, you just need to make sure that the card isnt the problem in order to solve your overheating issues...but if you just want a good fan on it and dont care about h2o, then go zalman there....good luck again..


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## Dev (Dec 19, 2006)

Hello, It's been a while since I posted in this topic. Anyway just to let you all know what the final outcome was with the situation. Anyway I decided to take a risk and get a new fan and I went with the  Zalman VF900 and the mentioned paste. Due to the higher prices in Europe I had to pay a lot more than $33 for the cooler and $6 for the paste, it came to €44 and €15 for the paste which is about $80 which is like a new graphics card (granted much less powerful)! This however isn't anybodies fault and the finger can only be pointed the fact that the prices are just higher here even online.

Anyway I had no real trouble with the installation and everything worked out dandy. The cooler was a great choice and is whisper quiet with my temperatures normal( 45ºC idle and 70ºC load). I posted on several different forums and I found this one offered the best advice which got my problem solved! So I would like to say thank you to all involved in fixing my graphics card.

Merry Christmas Everybody, I'm off to get another 1GB of RAM and play some Company of Heroes once again.

-Dev


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## technicks (Dec 19, 2006)

Dev said:


> Hello, It's been a while since I posted in this topic. Anyway just to let you all know what the final outcome was with the situation. Anyway I decided to take a risk and get a new fan and I went with the  Zalman VF900 and the mentioned paste. Due to the higher prices in Europe I had to pay a lot more than $33 for the cooler and $6 for the paste, it came to €44 and €15 for the paste which is about $80 which is like a new graphics card (granted much less powerful)! This however isn't anybodies fault and the finger can only be pointed the fact that the prices are just higher here even online.
> 
> Anyway I had no real trouble with the installation and everything worked out dandy. The cooler was a great choice and is whisper quiet with my temperatures normal( 45ºC idle and 70ºC load). I posted on several different forums and I found this one offered the best advice which got my problem solved! So I would like to say thank you to all involved in fixing my graphics card.
> 
> ...



Then you over payed for it.
I got the Zalman VF900 led cooler and some Arctic Silver paste for 34 euro's.

But nice to hear your problems are solved. And merry christmas and a happy new year to you to.


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