weird mining rig problem, please help

[sharrensen]

hey all!

 

I've been having a weird issue with my "startup" mining rig and am curious if maybe someone has an idea as to why this is happening. 

The story:

 

I've decided to give mining a try and due to lack of funds after building my own gaming rig not 5 months ago, i decided to use it as a mining platform by basically removing my GPU and replacing it with three R9 270X.

My gaming rig config is:

 

MB: Rampage IV Extreme

CPU: i7 4930K

RAM: Corsair Vengeance 2133 CL11 16GB

GPU: MSI 780 Lightning

SSD: Intel 520 120GB

PSU: Enermax Revolution 1250W Platinum

Case: Corsair 650D

CPU cooler: Corsair H100i

 

At first, i took out my 780 and replaced it with one MSI R9 270X just to test mining, overall, out. After a couple of days of testing, mining, trading, etc i had my results:

 

1. i want to keep mining and trading

2. i was mining at 460 khs (later 1.365 khs, with all three cards)

3. temps were ~65 C with the cooler on auto, running at about ~40% - 45%

4. i even made some money for selling the DOGE i had mined

 

Overall i was thrilled.

 

The Problem:

 

Then i decided to buy two additional MSI R9 270Xs and start mining with all three, which i did. After testing each card individually in my rig, to make sure that they were all performing fine with the parameters i had prepared and also make sure none of them were DOA or anything related, i decide to put them all together and start mining.

 

After starting cgminer, i noticed, right off the bat, that the temps were all over the place, meaning, GPU2 @ 59C - 62C with 60% fanspeed, GPU3 @ 55C - 58C with 60% fanspeed, but the first card, GPU1, was @ 78C - 81C with 60% fanspeed, with signs it wanted to go even higher. I turned cgminer off, readjusted all the fanspeeds to 70% and started it up again. Then i noticed that not much had changed, except the fact that i had managed to keep GPU1 from climbing over 80C. Then i adjusted the fanspeed a third time to 80% and only so managed to reduce GPU1's temps to 77C - 78C. And as i said before, the other two cards, GPU2 and GPU3, had no changes, or maybe dropped a single degree from fanspeed at 60% to 80%.

 

I have tried everything from resitting the cards, to changing the PCIe power cables, even removing my PSU and GPU2. Nothing helps... As long as there is more than ONE card in the system, the GPU sitting in PCIe Slot 1, will always go straight up in the high 70s C, at around 78C.

 

I even took a picture of the RIG just to show everyone that the cards are MORE than adequately spaced between them and should ALL run at ~65C TOPS with fanspeeds at ~60% - 65%.

 

http://i.imgur.com/mCh5x4B.jpg 

 

GPU1 is the first card, from top to bottom

GPU2 is the middle card, DAH!

GPU3 is the last card, from top to bottom

 

CGMINER: 

 

cgminer --scrypt -o stratum+tcp://fast-pool.com:3333 -u XXXXXXXX -p XXXXXXX -I 18,18,18 --worksize 256,256,256 --thread-concurrency 15232,15232,15232 --gpu-fan 80,80,80 --gpu-engine 1100,1100,1100 --gpu-memclock 1500,1500,1500 --no-submit-stale

pause

 

 

 

After countless hours and days of trying figure this thing out, i'm still clueless as to what could cause this behavior, other than maybe that AMD driver is causing GPU1 to "do something" to heat up when a second and/or third card is installed. Some of the more experienced miners, maybe you could cast some light on this problem. 

 

And to think i had such big plans with the mining RIGs i was about to build...

 

Any help, advice, insight would be greatly appreciated!

 

 

 

 

 

[Jogostar]

well, the more GPU's equals to more heat.

the first one wil be a lot cooler than the last one.

[AK0490]

The real question here is this, Why do you have a problem with the card running at 80 degrees? It will be just fine. Try pointing a box fan into your case and see how that affects your temperatures.

[sharrensen]

well, the more GPU's equals to more heat.

the first one wil be a lot cooler than the last one.

 

theoretically, YES, you are right, but not in this case. That's why i had linked the IMGUR picture with the case and positioning of the GPUs. And as you have said, yourself... "the FIRST GPU will be a lot cooler". In my case its exactly the other way around. The first GPU is the hottest by almost 20C hotter than BOTH the other two cards. As i have said in the post, GPU1, is the TOP card and that is the hot GPU.

 

 

The real question here is this, Why do you have a problem with the card running at 80 degrees? It will be just fine. Try pointing a box fan into your case and see how that affects your temperatures.

 

Had this RIG contained a couple of 290, 290x or 7970s, i would have totally agreed with you, but given the fact that these cards run, individually, at no more than 65C with a fanspeed of 60%, i cant understand why adding additional cards, is causing the temperature of ONLY the first GPU (the card situated on TOP) to skyrocket while the other two cards, remain at 60C - 65C. Under normal circumstances, the card that is seated in the middle (GPU2) should run the hottest, which again is not the case here. As i have said before, GPU2 and GPU3 run at no more than 65C, no matter what. WHY in Gods name is the first GPU (GPU1) running at almost 20C hotter ?

 

thanks for your replies! 

[AK0490]

How hot does the top card run if it is the only card running, but with the other cards installed. Just edit your .Bat so only the top card is used and check your temperatures.

[helping]

theoretically, YES, you are right, but not in this case. That's why i had linked the IMGUR picture with the case and positioning of the GPUs. And as you have said, yourself... "the FIRST GPU will be a lot cooler". In my case its exactly the other way around. The first GPU is the hottest by almost 20C hotter than BOTH the other two cards. As i have said in the post, GPU1, is the TOP card and that is the hot GPU.

 

He didn't phrase that right. He meant the first from the top. And with multi GPU config the top most card will always run hotter. With that amount of heat being put out it, the temperature differences sound about right. 

 

there's nothing wrong here, everything is normal.

[Jogostar]

He didn't phrase that right. He meant the first from the top. And with multi GPU config the top most card will always run hotter. With that amount of heat being put out it, the temperature differences sound about right. 

 

there's nothing wrong here, everything is normal.

yeah, that's how I meant it. thanks.

[sharrensen]

How hot does the top card run if it is the only card running, but with the other cards installed. Just edit your .Bat so only the top card is used and check your temperatures.

 

Just tried it and apparently, if i disable both GPU2 and GPU3, the temp really returns to normal on GPU1 and it hovers at ~63C. But if i then enable one of the GPUs (no matter which one) back, the temps start skyrocketing again.

These test were performed while running cgminer and using the built-in management console. Tried it using the .bat file aswell, same results. When only GPU1 is mining, temps are ~64% @ fanspeed of 60%

[DefinitelyNotAPedophile]

Maybe there is not enough power being delivered to the PCI e slots. The motherboard might be manually readjusting itself every time to keep power consumption reasonable. There might not be enough power so you might need to plug in the molex power just in case

[sharrensen]

Maybe there is not enough power being delivered to the PCI e slots. The motherboard might be manually readjusting itself every time to keep power consumption reasonable. There might not be enough power so you might need to plug in the molex power just in case

 

i seriously doubt it that three R9 270Xs are capable of doing anything to an RIVE partnered with an Enermax 1250W Platinium, but hey, why not  

 

I'll get back with the results.

[sharrensen]

well, i've done this as well...

 

http://i.imgur.com/n1fuZs8.png

 

as you can see, nothing has changed 

 

thx for the advice though!

[DefinitelyNotAPedophile]

i seriously doubt it that three R9 270Xs are capable of doing anything to an RIVE partnered with an Enermax 1250W Platinium, but hey, why not

I'll get back with the results.

it's not the power supply. It might be that the 24 pin can't deliver enough power to the pcie connector. Like those 4 way sli motherboards have 6 pin or molex power connector on the motherboard so the 24 pin doesn't melt down or blow up

[sharrensen]

it's not the power supply. It might be that the 24 pin can't deliver enough power to the pcie connector. Like those 4 way sli motherboards have 6 pin or molex power connector on the motherboard so the 24 pin doesn't melt down or blow up

 

i know what he meant and that's why i connected the extra supply of power (in this case, its a 6pin PCIe connector, instead of an molex)

But still, i doubt that the R9 270Xs with their 180W max power draw pose any threat to that MB without the EZ_Plug1 connected, After all, the ez_plug only comes into play when we are talking about 4 way SLIs