- Joined
- Mar 8, 2007
- Location
- My Northbridge, Toronto
Hello all, I have noticed many threads on the issue at hand, you know what I'm talking about, with the release of the new Catalyst 8.3 drivers no doubt members like myself will be finally unleashing our beasts from our proverbial cages! lol But also like myself, we're not all experts, actually I'm quiet the n00b when it comes to this, so I wanted a one-stop thread detailing information as well as members results issues etcetera.
First and foremost there's an info thread created by Shell (awesome and informative by the way.
) detailing the who, what, when, where and how of the afermentioned CrossFireX technology. You can view it HERE. I figured the easiest way to do this would be to post your set-up (if not already listed in your signature) and then your method and of course finally your result. I came up with this example;The method used, e.g. Special tweaks to Windows, what software used to OC etcetera.
Core Clock - XXXMHz
Memory Clock - XXXXMHz
Fan Cycle (%) - XX%
Idle Temperature - XXc
Load Temperature - XXc
3DMark06 Score - XXXXX
Lastly any problems or suggestions etcetera. I know this may be redundant, but I think if enough people post their results we should end up with a very detailed guide for any n00bs like myself
to start really diving into CrossFireX, anyhoo, feel free to start posting I'll start it off:Okay so what I did was a clean install of Windows Vista x64, then all drivers (including obviously the new 8.3 Catalyst suite.
), but I never stop there, I do the following; A few what I think are essential tweaks to get the ball rolling...
Turn Off Indexing
By disabling the Windows Search service you should have prevented Windows from using Indexing (it can improve search times at the cost of performance) but another way to disable indexing is by using the method below.
Open “Computer” and then right click on one of your hard drives and select “Properties.” On the new window, select the General tab and then untick “Index this drive for faster searching” and click “Apply” and chose “Apply changes to [DRIVE LETTER]:\, subfolders and files” before clicking “OK.” Click “Ignore All” on any messages, and repeat this procedure for all of your drives.
Improve Performance By Reducing Visual Effects
Don’t worry, you’ll still have the pretty aero look, this will just make Vista more responsive.
Right click on “Computer” and click on “Properties”. In the left panel, click “Advanced System Settings”, select the “Advanced” tab and click “Settings”. From the Visual Effects tab you should be able to uncheck the following and Vista will still look good, whilst feeling more responsive:
* Animate controls and elements inside windows
* Animate windows when minimizing and maximizing
* Fade or slide menus into view
* Fade or slide ToolTips into view
* Fade out menu items after clicking
* Show shadows under menus
* Show shadows under mouse pointer
* Slide open combo boxes
* Slide Taskbar buttons
* Smooth-scroll list boxes
* Use a background image for each folder type
Disable automatic device driver searching and installation
To disable automatic driver updates:
Open the 'start' menu and right-click on 'computer'. Choose 'properties'.
Click on 'advanced system settings' on the left-hand pane.
Choose the 'hardware' tab and click 'Windows update driver settings'.
Select the 'never check for drivers when I connect a device' option.
Click 'ok'.
To disable the Windows Vista Indexing service:
Open the 'start' menu and type 'services' in the searchbar. Hit Enter.
In the services window, scroll down until you reach the 'windows search' service. Right click it and hit 'properties'.
In the 'startup type' dropdown box, change the value to 'disabled', then click the 'stop' button below to stop the service immediately. Hit 'ok.'
To disable remote differential compression:
Go to 'start/control panel/programs/uninstall a program'.
In the sidebar, click 'turn windows features on and off'.
Uncheck 'remote differential compression' and click 'ok.'
Boot Vista with all available processors
While it takes good advantage of today's multiple core processors when it's loaded, Vista will still use only a single processor core when the OS itself is loading. Fortunately you can override this and force Vista to take advantage of all available processors when starting up.
To force Vista to use all processors during the startup process:
Right click on the 'start' menu and type 'msconfig.' Hit Enter.
Go to the 'boot' tab and click 'advanced options.'
Place a check next to the 'number of processors:' option and change the dropdown box to reflect the number of discrete processor cores in your computer.
To disable automatic disk defragmentation in Windows Vista:
Open the 'start' menu and type 'defrag' in the search bar. Hit 'Enter'.
Uncheck the 'run on a schedule' check box.
Click 'ok'.
Set a fixed paging file size
If you want to optimize your Vista system's use of its page file as much as possible, consider setting up a static paging file. Normally, the operating system dynamically resizes the page file as it sees fit, but this resizing operation imposes an overhead on page file operations as well as being unpredictable in terms of the size it takes up on the disk. By setting a static file size, Vista is relieved of the need to manage the paging file which leads to more efficient operation.
To set a fixed paging file size:
Click on the 'start' menu and right click on 'computer'. Choose 'properties'.
In the left-hand pane, choose 'advanced system settings'.
Click the 'advanced' tab, then under the 'performance' heading choose 'settings...'
Choose the 'advanced' tab again, then under the 'virtual memory' heading click 'change...'
Uncheck 'automatically manage paging file size for all drives' at the top.
Highlight the drive that contains your paging file. Select the 'custom' size option below.
Now enter in an appropriate amount of space in the minimum and maximum boxes. A good guideline would be 1.5 x the amount of physical memory in your system, so set a 3GB page file for a system with 2GB of system memory.
Click 'set' and 'ok'.
Now on to disabling unused Services, PLEASE REMEMBER, BACK UP YOUR REGISTRY AND ALWAYS DOUBLE CHECK THAT THE SERVICE WON'T BE NEEDED BY ANY PROGRAMS YOU USE ON A REGULAR BASIS!
Disable
These services can be safe to disable unless you know that they are needed:
* Application Layer Gateway Service
* Certificate Propagation
* COM+ System Application
* Diagnostic Policy Service
* Diagnostic Service Host
* Diagnostic System Host
* Distributed Link Tracking Client
* Distributed Transaction Coordinator
* Function Discovery Provider Host
* Function Discover Resource Publication
* Health Key and Certificate Management
* IKE and AuthIP IPsec Keying Modules
* Interactive Services Detection
* IP Helper
* IPsec Policy Agent
* KtmRm for Distributed Transaction Coordinator
* Microsoft .NET Framework NGEN v2.0.50727_X86
* Microsoft iSCSI Initiator Service
* Net.Tcp Port Sharing Service
* Netlogon
* Network Access Protection Agent
* Offline Files
* Peer Name Resolution Protocol
* Peer Networking Grouping
* Peer Networking Identity Manager
* Performance Logs & Alerts
* PnP-X IP Bus Enumerator
* PNRP Machine Name Publication Service
* Portable Device Enumerator Service
* Problem Reports and Solutions Control Panel Support
* Program Compatibility Assistant Service
* Quality Windows Audio Video Experience
* Remote Access Auto Connection Manger
* Remote Access Connection Manager
* Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator NOT Remote Procedure Call(RPC) itself!!!
* Remote Registry
* Routing and Remote Access
* Secondary Logon
* SL UI Notification
* Smart Card
* Smart Card Remote Removal Policy
* SNMP Trap
* SSDP Discovery
* Tablet PC Input Service
* TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
* Terminal Services
* Terminal Services Configuration
* Terminal Services UserMode Port Redirector
* UPnP Device Host
* WebClient
* Windows Backup
* Windows CardSpace
* Windows Connect Now – Config Registrar
* Windows Driver Foundation – User-mode Driver Framework
* Windows Error Reporting Service
* Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service
* Windows Remote Management (WS-Management)
* Windows Search
* Windows Time
* WinHTTP Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Service
* WMI Performance Adaptor
More To Disable
These are some more services that you may be able to disable depending on the circumstances, so read the list below:
* Application Information – this is related to user account control. If you want to disable this service, you must first open a “Run...” box, type MSCONFIG, go to the “Tools” tab and then select and launch “Disable UAC.” This will stop the boxes that appear asking for your confirmation for numerous tasks – it won’t be quite as secure but much less annoying. Once done, this service can be safely disabled
* Block Level Backup Engine Service – this is needed if you use the Backup and Restore Center in the Control Panel
* Human Interface Device Access – if you don’t use keyboard hotkeys or have software such as SetPoint, you don’t need this
* Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) – if you aren’t using ICS (most people don’t) this can be disabled
* ReadyBoost – if you don't use ReadyBoost with your USB flash drives disable this, read more about this below
* Link-Layer Topology Discovery – this is almost never needed but first you should disable it in network connections. To do this, open the Control Panel (classic view) and then select “Network and Sharing Center.” From here, click “Manage Network Connections” in the right panel, then right click the connection you use for the internet and click properties. Select the two that start with “Link-Layer...” and then uninstall them
* Parental Controls – if you don’t use these disable this
* Security Center - if you use it, leave it as it is. Otherwise, open the Security Center, click on “Change the way Security Center alerts me” and select “Don’t notify me and don’t display the icon” and then disable this service
* Telephony – this is only needed for dialup connections I think, possibly DSL modems connected via USB
* Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) – only needed for certain scanners and digital cameras. Can be disabled in most cases
* Windows Media Center Extender Service
* Windows Media Center Receiver Service
* Windows Media Center Scheduler Service
* Windows Media Center Launcher – these four are only needed if you use Windows Media Center
* WLAN AutoConfig - only needed for wireless network connections (if needed set to auto)
* Wired AutoConfig – only needed for wired network connections (if needed set to auto)
If you have no network connection (including some internet services) you should be able to disable the following (otherwise set to auto):
* Computer Browser
* DHCP Client
* DNS Client
* Extensible Authentication Protocol
* Network Connections
* Network Location Awareness
* Network Store Interface
* Server
* Workstation
Manual
These are services that should be set to manual either because they are necessary in some cases but not always in use:
* Application Management
* CNG Key Isolation
* Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider
* Thread Ordering Server
* TPM Base Services
* Virtual Disk
* Volume Shadow Copy
* Windows Color System
* Windows Event Collector
* Windows Installer
* Windows Modules Installer
* Windows Presentation Foundation Font Cache 3.0.0.0
Automatic
These are services that (in most cases) are best to set to automatic, make sure you read the information about network services – most of them would be on this list:
* Application Experience
* Base Filtering Engine
* Com+ Event System
* Cryptographic Services
* DCOM Server Process Launcher
* Desktop Window Manager Session Manager (needed for Aero transparency. Don’t use it? Disable)
* Group Policy Client
* Multimedia Class Scheduler
* Plug and Play
* Print Spooler (if you have a local or network printer)
* Protected Storage
* Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
* Security Accounts Manager
* Shell Hardware Detection
* Software Licensing
* Superfetch
* System Event Notification Service
* Task Scheduler
* Themes (use classic look? Disable this)
* User Profile Service
* Windows Audio
* Windows Audio Endpoint Builder
* Windows Defender
* Windows Event Log
* Windows Firewall (even if you don’t use it I recommend setting it to automatic)
* Windows Management Instrumentation
Automatic (Delayed Start)
Not sure why they’re delayed, probably linked to boot speed:
* Background Intelligent Transfer Service
* Windows Update
Whew! lol Okay, so I managed to drop my services from about 50+ to a mere 31! Now there a little tool that a lot of people don't know about called "Extensible Performance Counter List" it can be downloaded HERE
Install and run, highlight each resource and untick the Performance Counters Enabled do this for ALL of them. Now you've just freed even more resources!
Now I use a good defrag proggie and run it on my Windows Drive as well as my Software Drive. Restart my comp and I'm ready to begin my Overclocking journey. I however have to stop here due to an issue with something going on with my setup! My old rig was an Athlon 5000+ BE @ 3.3GHz, and ONE 3870x2 Overclocked @ 972/990MHz respectively. I managed 12228 3DMarks, to me not that shabby considering my CPU bottleneck.
In any event, I installed both my 3870x2's and ran a benchy to find the following:Core Clock - 825MHz (Stock)
Memory Clock - 900MHz (Stock)
Fan Cycle (%) - 25% (Stock)
Idle Temperature - 32c
Load Temperature - 40c
3DMark06 Score - 13698
Now there must be something wrong! Only a 1470 gain!? If anyone can suggest what might be happening or something I should try I'm all ears. Anyhoo, That's it start the posting and most importantly HAVE FUN!
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