Does this 7950 support voltage control?

[Stuka87]

I always like to run the latest beta drivers, is that not advised?

I run beta drivers when they have updates for the games I am playing. Such as the FarCry 3 improvements recently. I do wait a few days to see what other people are seeing though.

 

[ICDP]

Let's see. I'll walk you through the process, you point me where it begins to be my fault, shall we?

They make the installer. The installer supports overwriting older drivers. I use the installer the way it's meant to be used. The installer gives me an error at the end, doesn't actually install the new version. Old drivers are still there. Running the installer again, it actually opens the uninstaller. Alright, let's uninstall it first then. Uninstaller gives me a warning at the end, doesn't actually uninstall everything. From this point on I can't install the new drivers nor completely uninstall the old ones.

So, tell me please: where in the sequence of events above does it stop to be AMD's fault for providing me a screwed up installer and it starts to be mine for running their screwed up installer?

Open your task manager and read how many processes are running on your PC. Maybe an anti-virus scan was running in the background. Or possibly a Windowds update etc. So much goes on in the background that it only takes one thing to running on your system to prevent the drivers being installed correctly.

Anti Virus
Anti Spyware
Anti Malware
Wifi/network
Sound card apps
3rd party utilities
Windows updates
Internet browser
Microsoft .NET
Other Windows components
(and so on)

The list is quite extensive. Any single one of these programs has a little hissy fit in the middle of your driver update and you may get serious problems. My point is that AMD did not wreck your system due to a poorly designed driver. How on Earth is the installer meant to know exactly what apps are running when it is installing. If it was broken it would be broken for everyone every single time it is used. Not just one isolated occasion a few years/months ago. Thes kinds of driver install problems are commonplace and are not unique to AMD GPU drivers.

 

[KompuKare]

[snip]
Thes kinds of driver install problems are commonplace and are not unique to AMD GPU drivers.

Exactly. I think if anyone deserves blame for these kind of things it's Microsoft for not thinking of these issues when designing their OS.

The linux repository approach is far superior but only really possible when everything is free and open source. (Well I guess the closed system which Win8 Metro apps introduced will eventually work like that too but DRM does put a spanner in there.)

 

[Dravonic]

My point is that AMD did not wreck your system due to a poorly designed driver. How on Earth is the installer meant to know exactly what apps are running when it is installing. If it was broken it would be broken for everyone every single time it is used. Not just one isolated occasion a few years/months ago. Thes kinds of driver install problems are commonplace and are not unique to AMD GPU drivers.

To think the installer (not the drivers themselves) isn't at fault here is quite naive. Firstly, bugs are erratic and unpredictable. You game, you read forums, you must know that very well. Different people experience different kinds of problems with the same game. The same is subject to happen with any other kind of programs, including a driver installer. Secondly, by the bits and pieces that were left in my computer, it was quite noticeable that the installer made half it's job. It was unable to stop the currently running drivers, but tried to install the new ones anyway, leaving me with a combination of old and new files. That's just such a basic error that it still baffles me to this day.

Anyway, I do agree that driver installs are notoriously prone to errors, that's why after experiencing an error first hand, I now only follow the safe route of completely uninstall, reboot and reinstall; and recommend others to follow it too.

 

[Stuka87]

To think the installer (not the drivers themselves) isn't at fault here is quite naive. Firstly, bugs are erratic and unpredictable. You game, you read forums, you must know that very well. Different people experience different kinds of problems with the same game. The same is subject to happen with any other kind of programs, including a driver installer. Secondly, by the bits and pieces that were left in my computer, it was quite noticeable that the installer made half it's job. It was unable to stop the currently running drivers, but tried to install the new ones anyway, leaving me with a combination of old and new files. That's just such a basic error that it still baffles me to this day.

Anyway, I do agree that driver installs are notoriously prone to errors, that's why after experiencing an error first hand, I now only follow the safe route of completely uninstall, reboot and reinstall; and recommend others to follow it too.

The driver installers are created using Microsoft's tools (Visual Studio and WiX). AMD doesn't make the installer. They just tell it what files go where, along with some tasks to complete.

The drivers do not install themselves. If the failure is during the install, its the installers fault.

 

[raghu78]

nice choice. sapphire has unlocked voltage. use the latest 13.2 beta 7 drivers as they provide the best performance for crysis 3, tomb raider. the 13.2 beta drivers also have the frame latency fixes for skyrim, borderlands 2 and guild wars 2. so don't go with 13.1 whql. btw you surprised everybody by going with AMD. :biggrin: anyway good luck.

 

[BallaTheFeared]

Probably should update the OP with the fact that I got the TF3 7950 instead >.<

 

[raghu78]

Probably should update the OP with the fact that I got the TF3 7950 instead >.<

oh ok. thats a good choice. if you are lucky you might get the HD 7970 PCB model.:thumbsup: one of the complaints i have heard is some MSI HD 7950 cards have poor TIM application at the factory and have higher temps. so if you have load temps above 75c when overclocking try cleaning and reapplying the TIM with a high quality TIM like Prolimatech PK1.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835242019

 

[BallaTheFeared]

Yeah I always get bad TIM jobs, I have a tube of my trusty Shin-Etsu for when it arrives.

 

[Face2Face]

I posted this in the Annisman's Giveaway, but I wanted make sure Balla saw it. Cheers!

 

[VulgarDisplay]

What's the verdict on the new card balla?

 

[BallaTheFeared]

Sucks, in PCIe 1x 1.1 mode /yolo

 

[sublime420ec]

lol it sucks?

 

[chimaxi83]

Sucks, in PCIe 1x 1.1 mode

lol it sucks?

He made a funny ^_^

 

[sublime420ec]

lol just noticed the invisable text i had to highlight

 

[skipsneeky2]

Hope you enjoy the card Balla,The TF3 design has become my favorite overall .

Have a TF3 7850 myself and love it.

 

[BallaTheFeared]

1275/6000 1.1 x1

Stock 2.0 x16

I was expecting to be limited with my cpu, which was probably why I wasn't flipping out yesterday... But what I couldn't figure out was why my stock scores were always so low and my overclocked scores were as well while seeing 99% usage for the most part in gpu limited tests.

This whole boost thing is for the birds :whiste:

 

[Rvenger]

Balla, given your low ASIC score. That is one killer overclock. Is it completely stable at 1275 core? You are pretty well beyond 7970GE performance.

 

[BallaTheFeared]

Stable but it requires more voltage than it's worth imo, 1200/6400 doesn't require me to touch anything and it's under 1.2v /w vdroop.

That will probably be my 24/7 clock once haswell comes out, for now I'm just undervolting at stock, 1021mv for core, 1375mv for memory -5% powertune.

That maxes out around 6.5a, overclocked it goes over 12a, and bitmining at 1200 it will pull almost 16a, if that actually means anything or not I can't be sure!

 

[Zanovar]

Stable but it requires more voltage than it's worth imo, 1200/6400 doesn't require me to touch anything and it's under 1.2v /w vdroop.

That will probably be my 24/7 clock once haswell comes out, for now I'm just undervolting at stock, 1021mv for core, 1375mv for memory -5% powertune.

It sound ok balla lookink good,i kinda was waiting for haswell,just couldnt wait.i probably shoulda.anyways enjoy that card ya rascal

 

[Will Robinson]

I overwrite each Catalyst version for about a year then nuke them all from orbit with driver sweeper and start a fresh.No conflicts have resulted.
When installing a new Catalyst package I use the custom install,untick stuff all ready installed,like video decoders etc and just tick the new driver for installation.
Seems to work for me that way.:thumbsup:

Enjoy the new card Mr.B^_^..May the [G]Force be with...someone else.