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antiflas
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Under-Volting Fermi (GTX 560 ti) for HTPC - 2012/01/05 22:40 I scored a good deal on a "open box" GTX 560 ti.
Specifically MSI N560GTX-TI Twin Frozr II/OC (Factory overclocked to 880core/2100mem)
The problem is that I was looking for a video card for my HTPC capable of occasional gaming. For that, this card is an overkill. Additionally, though it has a good cooler (unfortunately not back exhaust type), it has to go on a cramped mini atx case that is inside the TV cabinet with poor ventilation. At factory overclocked speeds, load temperatures (kombustor) goes to 100C.
I was a able to decrease kombustor temperatures to 94C by lowering clocks to default 560ti (822core/2000mem) and core voltage to 950mV, stable.
But this is were i found that I was not able to decrease the voltage below 0.950V.
First I though it was a problem with afterburner, but asking for help in another forum someone mentioned the Bios. Looking into it, google brought me here, were I have been reading the forums for several hours. I have learnt a lot! and was surprise the dedicated support this forum has from Mavke.
Being that I'm just starting to learn about bios mods a think I'd better ask here before attempting my first one.
What I want is to be able to set up the voltage in afterburner below 0.950V to find the lower stable voltage at default clocks.
I have learn that this is accomplished in "Tools -> Fermi Voltage". Where I can see this:
Limit: 1.15V
Setting 0: 0-0.95V 1-0.95V (P3)
Setting 1: 0-0.95V 1-0.95V (P7)
Setting 2: 0-0.9625V 1-1.05V (P15)

I have several questions:
1. with afterburner I guess I'm modifying P15 voltage, why lower limit is the one from the lower performance modes (P3, P7)?.
2. Is there some limits or recommendations on voltages ranges and levels for each of the settings?
3. Can I pre-define in the bios the voltage that fermi uses inside a setting range?
4. If I want to decrease voltages on the settings, do I also have to decrease the Limit 1.15V? How?
5. Any recomendations on the process of modding my bios for the above explained purpose is welcomed.

Here is my original untouched bios:
MSI N560GTX-TI Twin Frozr II/OC
Memory: 1024MB

File Attachment:
File name: BIOS_N560GTX_TI_TWIN_FROZR_II_OC.bin
File size:62464 bytes

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Mavke
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Re:Under-Volting Fermi (GTX 560 ti) for HTPC - 2012/01/06 14:09 Okay, well how low you can go is different for every card and that is just due to complexity of the chips. Even though they come from the same batch not all will be as good as the best. But what you can do is to lower the 2D voltage below the 0.9500V as currently and flash the BIOS, after which you can use Afterburner again and see what still works at the speeds. Just one thing, go in minor step of about 0.0250V or something. Cause when you go to low you might not get it to work again.

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antiflas
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Re:Under-Volting Fermi (GTX 560 ti) for HTPC - 2012/01/06 15:34 Thank you Mav
Just to be sure I understood.
1. The fact that my card won't go below 0.950V; in afterburner is not consecuense of a Bios Setting but just an intrinsic caracteristic of my specific chip. I had assumed that if 2D settings were set to 0.950V in the Bios that was also the minimun afterburner could go.
2. Despite the above mentioned, I can "force" lower voltages in the bios modifiying the settings one step at a time.

What if (just to play save) I use a range for lower performance levels (instead of a fixed value) so the chip could have some headroom. I mean something like this for my first mod

Setting 0: 0-0.925V 1-0.950V (P3)
Setting 1: 0-0.925V 1-0.950V (P7)
Setting 2: 0-0.925V 1-1.0125V (P15)

What do you think?

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antiflas
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Re:Under-Volting Fermi (GTX 560 ti) for HTPC - 2012/01/06 19:09 Just to let you know
I went ahead and flashed the previously mentioned voltage values:
Setting 0: 0-0.925V 1-0.950V (P3)
Setting 1: 0-0.925V 1-0.950V (P7)
Setting 2: 0-0.925V 1-1.0125V (P15)
And nothing changed in afterburner. Minimum was kept at 0.950V
Then I though the chip still wanted to use the max available value of the range. So I tried
Setting 0: 0-0.9125V 1-0.9375V (P3)
Setting 1: 0-0.9125V 1-0.9375V (P7)
Setting 2: 0-0.9125V 1-1.000V (P15)
And this did the tick! Now the minimum in afterburner is 0.937V.
So a long afternoon ahead flashing step by step a lower voltage until I loose stability.
I will report again.

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antiflas
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Re:Under-Volting Fermi (GTX 560 ti) for HTPC - 2012/01/07 00:29 Ok, I think I have finished for now.
I tested stability using OCCT 4.0 that find "errors" in their GPU test.
It started to find errors at 0.900V, so I ended up using 0.9125V. Even though at 0.9V a couple of games did not exhibit any artifact or instability (Metro 2033 and BF3), I would better go with OCCT errors as an early indication that it is time to stop decreasing the voltage.
For lower performance states (2D) I got it down to 0.8750V. Only time will tell if that is too low or not because I have no way to stress 2D performance.
Following are the final numbers:
I used Metro 2033 benchmark to test load conditions before and after. The results are as follow:
Core Clock: Original: 880Mhz, Modded: 820Mhz Reduction: -6.82%
Mem Clock: Original: 2100Mhz, Modded: 2000Mhz Reduction: -4.76%
Core Volt: Original: 0.987V, Modded: 0.912V, Reduction: -7.60%
Load Temps: Original: 82C, Modded: 76C, Reduction: -7.32%
Metro 2033 FPS: Original: 47.2FPS, Modded: 45FPS, Reduction: -4.66%
Load Power: Original: 223.9W, Modded: 201.8W, Reduction: -9.87%
Comparing the reduction in performance (-4.66%) with the reduction in power consumption (9.87%), for each percentage reduced in performance I got double percentage reduced in power. That is better performance per watt and more efficient card.
Next for me is to redo the cabling inside the cramped HTPC to have better ventilation.
Hopping the numbers can help someone in a similar situation.
Thanks for the software and this very informative forum that enable me to do this.

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