7970M Enduro Issue

[JTK87]

I never claimed that I have the solution to the Enduro issue. It is just an idea.

I have checked the older CAPs and found out that the second binary was introduced with Catalyst 12.3 CAP1. The restricted parameters are a part of the atiapf55.blb since Catalyst 12.4 CAP2.


I am a bit surprised that no one has tested this approach. Its just renaming of two files.

[columbosoftserve]

Didn't work for me either. It actually made utilisation worse in most cases. Thanks anyway for posting.

[IanKnox]

Yep, no dice here either.
I'll do some more playing around tomorrow but methinks we're barking up the wrong tree.

[TrantaLocked]

The fact that new drivers, CAP profiles and small tweaks lower GPU utilization may be another sign that this problem is fixable through driver support.

[Zapirian]

Perhaps some good news at last?

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6243/a...hics-levels-up

The Sager unit is their rebranded Clevo P150EM, and it has many of the same design issues that we’ve seen with Clevo in the past. The backlit keyboard with zoned lighting is a new addition, and they’ve tweaked the keyboard layout as well. Interestingly (and frustratingly), while they’ve mostly fixed my complaints with the 10-key layout, they went ahead and screwed up the main keyboard layout. The Windows key is now to the right of the spacebar, and there’s a second backslash key just right of the spacebar. I’m also not a fan of the tactile feedback from the keys, though it’s not terrible. Outside of the keyboard quirks and overly abundant use of plastic for the chassis, though, the performance is certainly there.

We ran through our current suite of games at the native 1080p on the P150EM with settings maxed out in most titles. Total War: Shogun 2 wouldn’t allow us to select Very High settings (a problem we’ve encountered on other systems in the past where the game incorrectly detects the amount of video memory and/or iGPU feature set rather than looking at the dGPU), but otherwise we get very respectable frame rates. Civilization V continues to be a bit sluggish at max settings (around 26FPS), but the brutal Battlefield 3 manages 36FPS and could very easily reach 40+ FPS if you disable 4xMSAA and just use FXAA. Those are the three lowest performing games we tested, with everything else running smoothly in the 45+ FPS range. A quick look at the last GTX 580M system we tested shows performance is better in over half of the games, and slightly lower in the other three titles. We’ll have a second look at the P170EM with a GTX 680M from AVADirect shortly after our full HD 7970M review, though, so stay tuned.

Finally, AMD did inform us that the current drivers aren’t fully optimized for performance (particularly with the 7970M), so we should hopefully see some gains with the final driver release—or if not then, the next release. Performance with GCN architecture desktop cards has been a little erratic since the launch, up until the latest Catalyst 12.7 drivers. I believe that the current beta drivers I’m using also predate 12.7 in some aspects (though they're version 9.0.0.0), so if that’s the case then the official release should clean things up quite a bit.

[hulawafu77]

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sage...our-faces.html

Sure the article title and the objective of the thread is biased, but I think overtime it will clearly show that mobile gamers right now, in their opinion between the two flagship titans, Nvidia 680 at $300 more is a better value, since it works.

I think it will be interesting to see the results overtime. I predict 90%+ voting the 680M is the better value.

[Zapirian]

Well I'm voting with my wallet. Trimmed the specification of an order of a Clevo 150EM to reduce the cost difference between 7970m and 680m and ordered. Can't be bothered waiting for AMD to respond about this issue and really don't want to be stuck with a poorly supported card. Shame as I really wanted to invest in the AMD product, even if the price difference wasn't as large as it currently is. I don't purchase from one company blindly and usually go for the best performance for the money and have had 3dfx, ATI and Nvidia cards over the years and this is the first time I've felt that I had no confidence buying a product from ATI/AMD...

[caveman-jim]

The purpose of this thread is to bring information about the issue to light. Your purchase decisions are you own, whatever you feel is your best spend is the way to go and nobody can criticize that.

However, this thread is to pull information about the problem together and provide updates on what the solution is, not a general bitch fest. People have lots of reasons to complain and the reason this thread exists is to address those complaints, not endlessly reiterate the same sentiment of dissatisfaction over and over again.

[hulawafu77]

AnandTech has posted a new article about Enduro 5.5. All I see so far is a UI change, and AMD recognizing they don't have performance driver solution for GCN core. But it doesn't say AMD has fixed it. I hope when this supposed driver update is released, they fixed Enduro, not just dress it up in new clothes.

[JTK87]

I think the AnandTech article shows what the second blb file was supposed to be. Its the profile for Enduro 5.5.

atiapf55.blb

[king-dubs]

Originally Posted by JTK87

I think the AndanTech article shows what the second blb file was supposed to be. Its the profile for Enduro 5.5.

atiapf55.blb

You are correct. Here's how to FORCE AMD Enduro "5.5": (Follow the steps verbatim, don't skip any steps)

1. Install Catalyst 12.8 WHQL
2. Install Catalyst Application Profiles 12.8 CAP2
3. Browse to "C:\Program Files (x86)\ATI Technologies\Application Profiles" (for x64 Windows, and remove (x86) for 32-bit Windows)
4. Rename "atiapfxx.blb" to "atiapfxx.blb.bak"
5. Make a copy of "atiapf55.blb" and rename the copy to "atiapfxx.blb"
6. Copy "atiapfxx.blb" to "C:\Windows\System32" and "C:\Windows\SYSWOW64" (for x64 Windows)
7. Reboot
8. Enjoy Enduro 5.5 (or not :P).

Results:



Unfortunately, it did not resolve the under-utilization issue (at least for me.

[IanKnox]

For those feeling too lazy to google it, here's the link to the AnandTech article (it's well written and worth a read for those of us with enduro issues).

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6243/a...hics-levels-up

Edit: Oooh be sure to check the last page where the author directly addresses the performance/utilization issues.

[Zapirian]

Originally Posted by caveman-jim

However, this thread is to pull information about the problem together and provide updates on what the solution is, not a general bitch fest. People have lots of reasons to complain and the reason this thread exists is to address those complaints, not endlessly reiterate the same sentiment of dissatisfaction over and over again.

Sorry, didn't mean to fill it with spam.
I feel the article lacks any real details about the problem. Author details that "It's on par with 580m so it's ok", which results from Muxless AW units show is not the cards true performance. I'm still disappointed that this is basically the only place where AMD has released any details about their flagships issues with Enduro. Anyway, hopefully this does improve matters, will be interesting to see results from anyone using the technique to force Enduro 5.5 settings.

Edit:
Although the article has been updated to include the following information:

Obviously, the GPU isn't being maxed out in terms of what it can do in many of our test cases, and our complete benchmark results back this up. Especially at lower detail settings and lower resolutions, the HD 7970M isn't scaling to the sort of frame rates we'd expect. Is this a problem with Enduro in general, or just with the current drivers? AMD might also be intentionally scaling down GPU utilization (and thus performance) at lower quality settings, as the difference between 100 FPS and 150 FPS isn't particularly important on a 60 Hz LCD.

That said, in many cases we're seeing slightly lower performance with the preview drivers than the initial drivers, so clearly there's optimization work that needs to be done, and we may see improved results with the public release (most likely in October). While many people are frustrated with the current situation, I maintain that getting regular driver updates is the first hurdle that AMD needs to address; once that's in place, future driver releases can hopefully improve performance (along with GPU utilization).

Originally Posted by IanKnox

For those feeling too lazy to google it, here's the link to the AnandTech article (it's well written and worth a read for those of us with enduro issues).

Or alternatively scroll up 7 posts

[Skyhawk]

I am having this same exact issue with my games as well. The one that I play quite often, will NOT allow the use of my 7970m GPU at all.
Btw, the game that I play is NOT one that is ever listed on anyone's well recognized game listings, so it must be said very emphatically, that this is an issue with MANY MORE games, and not just the ones that are the most popular for many in the gaming world.
The Enduro problem is far more widespread than is being reported, because it is affected a great many more games than people may know about.

The game I play will only allow the IGPU (HD4000) to be used, and no matter what I do to tweak it, there's no answer or solution to this AMD problem. I cannot use my 7970M for the game that I play no matter what.

I have contacted the game creator, and they said that this is not something that can be fixed, and is a problem with the Enduro mess that AMD created.

Just would like to add my two cents on this, in hopes that AMD will take notice that is far more widespread than they might think.

I would also like to add that I currently use the latest AMD Catalyst 12.8 drivers, and they have had ZERO affect in fixing any problems that I have, just like everyone else.
____________________________________________________________



Perhaps some good news at last?

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6243/a...hics-levels-up

Quote:
The Sager unit is their rebranded Clevo P150EM, and it has many of the same design issues that we’ve seen with Clevo in the past. The backlit keyboard with zoned lighting is a new addition, and they’ve tweaked the keyboard layout as well. Interestingly (and frustratingly), while they’ve mostly fixed my complaints with the 10-key layout, they went ahead and screwed up the main keyboard layout. The Windows key is now to the right of the spacebar, and there’s a second backslash key just right of the spacebar. I’m also not a fan of the tactile feedback from the keys, though it’s not terrible. Outside of the keyboard quirks and overly abundant use of plastic for the chassis, though, the performance is certainly there.

We ran through our current suite of games at the native 1080p on the P150EM with settings maxed out in most titles. Total War: Shogun 2 wouldn’t allow us to select Very High settings (a problem we’ve encountered on other systems in the past where the game incorrectly detects the amount of video memory and/or iGPU feature set rather than looking at the dGPU), but otherwise we get very respectable frame rates. Civilization V continues to be a bit sluggish at max settings (around 26FPS), but the brutal Battlefield 3 manages 36FPS and could very easily reach 40+ FPS if you disable 4xMSAA and just use FXAA. Those are the three lowest performing games we tested, with everything else running smoothly in the 45+ FPS range. A quick look at the last GTX 580M system we tested shows performance is better in over half of the games, and slightly lower in the other three titles. We’ll have a second look at the P170EM with a GTX 680M from AVADirect shortly after our full HD 7970M review, though, so stay tuned.

Finally, AMD did inform us that the current drivers aren’t fully optimized for performance (particularly with the 7970M), so we should hopefully see some gains with the final driver release—or if not then, the next release. Performance with GCN architecture desktop cards has been a little erratic since the launch, up until the latest Catalyst 12.7 drivers. I believe that the current beta drivers I’m using also predate 12.7 in some aspects (though they're version 9.0.0.0), so if that’s the case then the official release should clean things up quite a bit.

[TrantaLocked]

Don't use AMD's 12.8. The best performing driver is the manufacturer's driver.

[hulawafu77]

12.8 doesn't work any worse than 12.5 from Clevo for me at least. But the 5.5 trick doesn't do anything. I look forward to the future released driver.

[Skyhawk]

Since I use 12.8 and I am not getting better numbers, I wonder I/we should all just go back to 12.5?
Since running 12.8, my 3DMark Vantage scores are LOWER than they ever have been. It's only about 1000 points lower, but if I can get SOME improvements in overall performance, then why not see if the specific and official Sager 12.5 drivers will be "better"...?


____________________________________________________________

Originally Posted by Zapirian

Perhaps some good news at last?

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6243/a...hics-levels-up

Originally Posted by hulawafu77

12.8 doesn't work any worse than 12.5 from Clevo for me at least. But the 5.5 trick doesn't do anything. I look forward to the future released driver.

[columbosoftserve]

Any hopeful news caveman-jim?

[caveman-jim]

Yes.


Without committing AMD to anything because I've got NO OFFICIAL news for you, I would expect to see a big improvement in performance for 7900M Enduro users in a future beta performance driver. Timeframe is not confirmed but I would think in about a month but I'll try to pin it down more.

[spettow]

Originally Posted by caveman-jim

Yes.


Without committing AMD to anything because I've got NO OFFICIAL news for you, I would expect to see a big improvement in performance for 7900M Enduro users in a future beta performance driver. Timeframe is not confirmed but I would think in about a month but I'll try to pin it down more.

Great news!
I hope that prediction come true! thanks for all you have done, caveman-jim

[TrantaLocked]

Originally Posted by caveman-jim

Yes.


Without committing AMD to anything because I've got NO OFFICIAL news for you, I would expect to see a big improvement in performance for 7900M Enduro users in a future beta performance driver. Timeframe is not confirmed but I would think in about a month but I'll try to pin it down more.

Is this prediction based on your own experience or have your conversations with AMD really led you to believe this? Are you allowed to say what AMD has said to you?

[caveman-jim]

I can't speak for AMD as I'm not an AMD employee.

I don't have an AMD 7900M equipped notebook to test, unfortunately.

People I trust are giving me hope.

[mrhollowfinger]

Originally Posted by caveman-jim

I can't speak for AMD as I'm not an AMD employee.

I don't have an AMD 7900M equipped notebook to test, unfortunately.

People I trust are giving me hope.

Thank you so much caveman-jim for your continued efforts on this matter. I am looking forward to more news and hoping for a possible fix.

[hulawafu77]

Originally Posted by caveman-jim

I don't have an AMD 7900M equipped notebook to test, unfortunately.

But if it worked right, don't you wish you had a beast 15" notebook with the 7970M and a 95% NTSC matte?

[caveman-jim]

Honestly... I wish I had one that wasn't working right, too. It's still a beastly beast IMO

[TrantaLocked]

There seems to be a new driver out for the EM series:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sage...hread-265.html

"I guess no Enduro fix from this BIOS update. But the options of Enduro 5.5 are available, and in the Windows power options, the new options for switchable graphics. So maybe it's just a prep BIOS for the new drivers?"

Caveman, would you happen to have info on this, regarding a plan involving both the BIOS and drivers?

[JTK87]

Its a bit more official:

Originally Posted by Marc@AMD

I want to thank all those users that have been patient in this matter, and peristent in providing helpful information and feedback to the community.

We have received some positive news from the Driver Development Team. A driver is planned to be released in the near future that will provide significant improvements to notebooks enabled withAMD Enduro™ Technology.

Please stay tuned to our support.amd.com site for the driver posting.

;Marc

Source

[caveman-jim]

[neor]

Can anyone try this?

http://www.hardwareluxx.de/community...l#post19453801

[king-dubs]

Originally Posted by neor

Can anyone try this?

http://www.hardwareluxx.de/community...l#post19453801

I've tried this before. Did not really help much with the issue so I didn't bother to post about it.

If you want to set EnableUlps to 0, you must also set PP_GPUPowerDownEnabled to 0 or it will sometimes continue to try to power down the GPU and result in a BSOD.

That said, doing this does keep the GPU always powered on, but it doesn't help with the under-utilization issue so it's pointless.