[SOLVED] Asus rog strix RX580 top bios in a rog strix RX580 oc version

OzN3

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Hello, i've two similar graphic cards, using them separately in two different pcs. Can i flash the Asus strix RX580 Top (strix rx580 top 8g) Bios into an Asus strix RX580 oc version (strix rx580 o8g)?
 
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It's difficult to talk about fan speed/noise without talking about temps. Voltage affects temp, but generally GPUs are adjusting fan speed to maintain a target temp.

Afterburner has a monitoring window to view real-time voltages, frequencies, fan rpm, temps, etc. I like to use GPUz. Just saying "+100mV" when comparing your two cards doesn't mean much since it's an offset from some frequency/voltage curve on each card.

Here's what I like about WattMan:

1 - It's already installed as part of the AMD driver software.
2 - I like the easy access to all 7 performance states to tweak frequencies and voltages at each state. This gives you much more granular control than a single voltage offset so you can easily set both cards...

OzN3

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If they have the same memory type, then yes it will likely work. Find the memory type by using GPU-Z. Memory types include Hynix, Micron, Samsung, etc. Do realize though, that flashing the BIOS will void any warranty you may have.
If the memory type isn't the same, i can download the related Bios here:


Am i right? About warranty, yes i know, i'll also open the cooler for replacing the tubing lights, and the thermal paste. For flashing i've to use antiflash. Am i right? Thank you.
 
If the memory type isn't the same, i can download the related Bios here:


Am i right? About warranty, yes i know, i'll also open the cooler for replacing the tubing lights, and the thermal paste. For flashing i've to use antiflash. Am i right? Thank you.
If the memory type isn't the same.. well I believe that Micron and Samsung can use the same timings. If it's Hynix then you have to have a BIOS with timings specifically for Hynix. I see there are three different BIOS on there for the Strix TOP 8GB model, 2 for Samsung and 1 for Hynix. So, yes, you could download one from there if your memory is different. Again, if Micron then Samsung should work. If Hynix then you have to have Hynix BIOS. It says it on the details page for each BIOS in that link you provided.

And yes, ATIFlash is what I used to flash many BIOS a couple years ago. There is a chance it will not work and will "brick" the GPU. That happened to me a few times, but I was able to un-brick them using command line interface + atiflash.exe with a force (-f) command to force a bios flash. Even then it wouldnt' work every time and had to attempt it multiple times.

Honestly, you could just overclock the card and not worry about flashing the bios.
 

OzN3

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If the memory type isn't the same.. well I believe that Micron and Samsung can use the same timings. If it's Hynix then you have to have a BIOS with timings specifically for Hynix. I see there are three different BIOS on there for the Strix TOP 8GB model, 2 for Samsung and 1 for Hynix. So, yes, you could download one from there if your memory is different. Again, if Micron then Samsung should work. If Hynix then you have to have Hynix BIOS. It says it on the details page for each BIOS in that link you provided.

And yes, ATIFlash is what I used to flash many BIOS a couple years ago. There is a chance it will not work and will "brick" the GPU. That happened to me a few times, but I was able to un-brick them using command line interface + atiflash.exe with a force (-f) command to force a bios flash. Even then it wouldnt' work every time and had to attempt it multiple times.

Honestly, you could just overclock the card and not worry about flashing the bios.
I understand your point i just want the oc version as a top version, even fan settings and maybe something else are different, and maybe i'll be able to an higher threshold of OC, if i flash that graphic card. I see so many people, flashing rx480s to rx580s without problems, so i don't think will be a risk, doing this thing... :D Maybe, if memory type is Micron, i'll avoid this. :D

EDIT:

I see 2 version for samsung, but they looks the same.. Are them different?
 
But....why?
The reason people flash RX480's to RX580's is that RX580 BIOS'es allow greater voltages. In your case, you have two RX580s. Just go into WattMan and tune the slower card up to match the faster card. 1411MHz is probably going to require about 1160mV.

Do yourself a favor, set voltage to Manual and undervolt both cards while you're messing around. Here's a guide and I can give you voltages to get started if you list out the frequencies of all 7 performance states.
 
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OzN3

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But....why?
The reason people flash RX480's to RX580's is that RX580 BIOS'es allow greater voltages. In your case, you have two RX580s. Just go into WattMan and tune the slower card up to match the faster card. 1411MHz is probably going to require about 1160mV.

Do yourself a favor, set voltage to Manual and undervolt both cards while you're messing around. Here's a guide and I can give you voltages to get started if you list out the frequencies of all 7 performance states.
I'm not in crossfire, i'm using them separately. I want to flash the oc version for getting same default settings as a top version. That means, increasing voltage, greater voltage limit from msi afterburner, same fan and external fan settings ( the oc version is more loud than top version) and maybe something more, i've to seee both bios. Probably, i'll sell one of them, so i want to get the one who gets better OC performance :D
 
I saw your original post that you're using them separately in different PCs.

As far as I know, all RX580's (regardless of manufacturer even) have the same voltage limits.

I just think you're taking unnecessary risks by changing BIOS to achieve something that can easily be done in software. That's all.
If you prefer Afterbuner over WattMan, that's fine. I personally don't.

Seems odd that the OC version is louder than the TOP version since they both appear to have the same cooler and the OC version is clocked slower.

Can you monitor frequencies, voltages, temps, and fan rpm on both cards so you can provide us with empirical data?
 
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OzN3

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Do you think wattman could be better than msi afterburner? Anyway my question is:

If oc version has 1360mhz gpu clock, should have a lower initial voltage then a top version, who have 1411mhz gpu clock. So, automatically, if i put +100mV from software, the oc version will still have a lower voltage then a top version at +100mV. Am i right? About the noise, yes, they have same cooler, but the fan settings in the bios, are different, the oc version fans are working on higher rpms.. Can i get same voltage at +100mV, if the cards have different initial voltage?
 
It's difficult to talk about fan speed/noise without talking about temps. Voltage affects temp, but generally GPUs are adjusting fan speed to maintain a target temp.

Afterburner has a monitoring window to view real-time voltages, frequencies, fan rpm, temps, etc. I like to use GPUz. Just saying "+100mV" when comparing your two cards doesn't mean much since it's an offset from some frequency/voltage curve on each card.

Here's what I like about WattMan:

1 - It's already installed as part of the AMD driver software.
2 - I like the easy access to all 7 performance states to tweak frequencies and voltages at each state. This gives you much more granular control than a single voltage offset so you can easily set both cards EXACTLY the same. The full explanation is in the guide I linked earlier. I've tested 1400MHz stable @ 1150mV. I can give you the rest of the voltages as they match to your 7 frequencies if you want.
3 - They've recently added a "Memory Timing" adjustment drop-down. Auto/Stock, Level 1, and Level 2 are the options. I've found Level 2 to work on my RX480 @ 2000MHz VRAM and ~940mV setting which gives me about 5% FPS boost without any changes to the core clock.
4 - Fan curves can be adjusted on a sliding graph.
5 - Save-able profiles, and you can set game-specific profiles using "Profile WattMan" tab inside each game profile instead of the "Global WattMan" tab if you want to get creative. AMD's Frame Rate Target Control (for fixed refresh monitors) and Chill (for FreeSync monitors) will downclock the GPU based on your FRTC/Chill settings, but you can also choose to manually limit the frequency in Profile WattMan. My RX480 can run stuff like League of Legends at >90FPS (can't remember exactly) without the fans spinning by limiting the max GPU clock for that game.

One thing I don't like is that WattMan doesn't always set your custom Global profile correctly on cold-boot (game-specific profiles appear correct). Recently, it's been better (at least the most important stuff: States 5-7 and the VRAM voltage limit are correct), but depending on the driver version, you may need to restart in order for your global profile to be set properly. It's a minor annoyance, but I've just gotten into the habit of checking WattMan before I start gaming.

At the end of the day, the type of adjustments I'm talking about are going to save NOTICEABLE power/heat/noise compared to stock/auto of whatever BIOS you want to reference (30W or more). Therefore, it's pretty pointless to worry about modifying your "Auto" settings through a risky BIOS flash since you'll be much better off this way.
IF your custom voltage settings are too low, the driver may crash. This generally results in a black screen for a couple seconds, then you're back playing, but everything will have been set back to auto (which is what you're running on currently). At that point, since you've gotten used to the much lower noise of your custom profile, you're going to notice a difference. You can then open Radeon Overlay (Alt+R) and re-enable the custom WattMan profile in-game (which is nice). An occasional "crash" isn't much to be concerned about considering the ease of recovery, but if it happens more often, you may have to go in and modify your WattMan profile with a bit more voltage (say +10mV) to keep things stable. All chips are slightly different.
 
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OzN3

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  1. See the graph at the top of the WattMan tab page
  2. I honestly haven't played with fan curves since the default 75C target works for my needs. On my personal RX480 @ 1300MHz, that's usually = 1400rpm under full load.
Ok, i'm trying to use wattman now, I put directly the maximum allowed voltage (1200) and I start testing with Unigine. I also have a 120 fan on front of my graphic card, linked directly on the graphic card connector. If i install Asus Gpu Tweak to handle that fan, will it have conflict with wattman? I'm working on last state directly, to tweak the maximum frequency. The rest doesn't matter. Am i right?
 
The rest of the states matter once you start using power saving tech like "power efficiency", "frame rate target control", "chill", OR if the GPU starts to thermal or power throttle.

1200mV is probably good for 1450MHz give-or-take.
Monitoring the frequency and voltage on your TOP card will be a good indicator of what auto conservatively wants to apply at its default 1410MHz, then you can test voltage down from there.
 
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OzN3

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The rest of the states matter once you start using power saving tech like "power efficiency", "frame rate target control", "chill", OR if the GPU starts to thermal or power throttle.

1200mV is probably good for 1450MHz give-or-take.
Monitoring the frequency and voltage on your TOP card will be a good indicator of what auto conservatively wants to apply at its default 1410MHz, then you can test voltage down from there.
I'm at 1500mhz with 1162v on asus gpu tweak 2. I'm using asus software because i want to handle the linked chassis fan as i want to do, and i'll use amd wattman for changing memory timings only. Can i do that? I think i'll not cause any software conflict.. I thought it was a safe operation, flashing the top bios in the oc version, however, as you say, it is better not to risk it. I will only use software like asus gou tweak to overclock them. Anyway, Asus Gpu tweak, allows me to get an higher voltage then wattman, over 1250v.
 
IF 1500MHz is stable at 1162mV then you're pretty lucky based on my experience. Perhaps some sort of record! IIRC, ~1500MHz is pretty close to the max for Polaris chips.

I'd have to dig back into it to confirm, but increasing the "Power Limit" slider on WattMan may allow you to set >1200mV.
 

OzN3

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IF 1500MHz is stable at 1162mV then you're pretty lucky based on my experience. Perhaps some sort of record! IIRC, ~1500MHz is pretty close to the max for Polaris chips.

I'd have to dig back into it to confirm, but increasing the "Power Limit" slider on WattMan may allow you to set >1200mV.
I'll try to reach 1550mhz. Now, in Unigine Heaven i reach 1500mhz with 1187mv under full load, totally stable. I've to try with memory frequency now. My question is:

What's the maximum safe voltage for memory frequency? It's set to 950mv at default with 2000mhz. I can also see that on asus gpu tweak 2, 950mv is the maximum voltage value you can use, so i think is better to not use an higher voltage. How do memory timing works? As a first step, do I find stability with the highest frequency, and after that, do I change the timings? I will use asus gpu tweak 2 for everything ( gpu clock votlage control is bugged a bit ) and wattman for configuring memory timings. What do you think about?

 
The memory voltage is a lower limit, not an actual setting. The memory gets the same voltage the core does. Unlike the core which has many (7) frequency states, the VRAM basically just has 2, idle (~300MHz IIRC) and 100% (2000MHz). Therefore, you set the memory voltage to prevent the memory getting too little voltage when the cores clock down but the card is still being loaded so the VRAM is still at 2000MHz

You can easily test this:
Set memory voltage to 950mV as you say.
Set all performance states to ~1100MHz and... 925mV. Load the GPU and monitor the voltage, it will read 950mV even though you've set 925mV. That's because the VRAM voltage limiter is active.

Is the 120mm fan actually changing its RPMs during testing? May want to confirm this since it would seem that's the only reason you're sticking to Asus GPU Tweak. The benefits of adjusting a fan(s) speed based on GPU temps is obvious, but it needs to actually work....
 
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OzN3

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Is the 120mm fan actually changing its RPMs during testing? May want to confirm this since it would seem that's the only reason you're sticking to Asus GPU Tweak. The benefits of adjusting a fan(s) speed based on GPU temps is obvious, but it needs to actually work....
Yes, it is... Anyway, the last version of asus gpu tweak 2 is pretty good, gpu voltage control is a bit bugged, but i can easily fix it. I'll use wattman only for changing memory timings. What's the better value? Level 1 or Level 2? Do I have to change the timings first and then find the frequency in OC, or is it not important? Thank you :D
 
Level 2 is better/ more aggressive.

Memory frequency vs. timing is going to be a give-and-take at the ragged edge where you're targeting, just like regular system RAM. Each timing setting will have a corresponding max frequency. At some point, you'll find that dropping to "Level 1" or "Auto" (loosening the timings) will allow slightly higher frequency, but I honestly don't know what balance of frequency and timings is going to produce the best FPS. AMD unfortunately doesn't expose (to my knowledge) what timings are being adjusted when you select "Level 1" or "Level 2" and I'm not even sure if there are any monitoring tools to see this either. If we knew that information, we could mathematically determine what the best combination is, similar to system RAM.
 
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OzN3

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Level 2 is better/ more aggressive.

Memory frequency vs. timing is going to be a give-and-take at the ragged edge where you're targeting, just like regular system RAM. Each timing setting will have a corresponding max frequency. At some point, you'll find that dropping to "Level 1" or "Auto" (loosening the timings) will allow slightly higher frequency, but I honestly don't know what balance of frequency and timings is going to produce the best FPS. AMD unfortunately doesn't expose (to my knowledge) what timings are being adjusted when you select "Level 1" or "Level 2" and I'm not even sure if there are any monitoring tools to see this either. If we knew that information, we could mathematically determine what the best combination is, similar to system RAM.
I've found this

https://www.gamersnexus.net/gg/3473-amd-gpu-timings-benchmark

I think i'll leave them at default, i think that changing memory timings will give you better performance if you're using the card for mining, but for gaming, they don't change the performance ( in some case, just an 1%, but apparently, give same performance). Anyway, thanks for all!