The RX Vega 56 Owners Thread

[EastCoastHandle]

So I've just installed 19.9.3 and Sapphire Trixx and run a couple of quick performance tests with Gears 5 and Division 2 which are both DX12 titles that are struggling to get high frame rates with this card. I set an 86% custom resolution (2192x1233) and enabled RIS in AMD settings (Gears 5 didnt provide this exact resolution and so 2204x1240 was selected using the in-game slider). The results compared to native are impressive:

Gears 5......2560x1440....2204x1240
FPS..................66................78
CPU Bound..........0.1%..........0.04%

Division 2....2560x1440...2192x1233
FPS..................58...............72
CPU .................56%............51%

In Gears 5 the GPU performance increase is 18% and in Division 2 24%, while CPU utilisation is noticeably reduced in both games. I haven't taken any screenshots and done any detailed visual comparisons yet but I couldn't tell the difference when watching them. RIS could really be the saviour for this card at 1440p and give it a new lease of life for another couple of years. It might also help extend the life of my 6c/6t i5 CPU. Happy days!

Those are some big improvements in FPS. Glad you now have it sorted!
I have to assume that the IQ difference isn't noticeable now that you have RIS enabled.

 

[5t3v0]

that's easy then...
IMHO get the 5700 and overclock that.

@joelk2 I would concur. No point buying a Vega card now unless cost is really an issue - which presumably it isnt if you are considering the 5700? I bought my 56 back in May and although I'm having lots of fun tuning it, there's titles which are consistently dropping below 60 fps at 1440p and in retrospect, I wish I'd hung onto my RX 470 for another 5 months and bought a 5700 XT now. Saying that, RIS has just been rolled out to Vega today which could be a bit of a game changer if looking to upscale lower resolutions to gain some fps...

 

[5t3v0]

Those are some big improvements in FPS. Glad you now have it sorted!
I have to assume that the IQ difference isn't noticeable now that you have RIS enabled.

Here's a couple of comparative screenshots. See what you think?

https://postimg.cc/gallery/2sxdwrrnm/

Native still better IMO but it's not really noticeable when you're running about trying not to get killed.

Edit: So I didn't include an image of the scaled image with RIS off so here's more screenshots of 86% scaled with RIS off & on and a native RIS off.

https://postimg.cc/gallery/1pg7lr69u/

Division 2 maybe isnt the best game to try to demonstrate the differences as lighting constantly changes but the images do show that there are some subtle differences with RIS if you zoom in on some features, some better, some worse. Scaled with RIS is definitely better than scaled without

 

[Bruizer]

So I've just installed 19.9.3 and Sapphire Trixx and run a couple of quick performance tests with Gears 5 and Division 2 which are both DX12 titles that are struggling to get high frame rates with this card. I set an 86% custom resolution (2192x1233) and enabled RIS in AMD settings (Gears 5 didnt provide this exact resolution and so 2204x1240 was selected using the in-game slider). The results compared to native are impressive:

Gears 5......2560x1440....2204x1240
FPS........................66................78
CPU Bound..........0.1%..........0.04%

Division 2....2560x1440...2192x1233
FPS.........................58...............72
CPU .....................56%............51%

In Gears 5 the GPU performance increase is 18% and in Division 2 24%, while CPU utilisation is noticeably reduced in both games. I haven't taken any screenshots and done any detailed visual comparisons yet but I couldn't tell the difference when watching them. RIS could really be the saviour for this card at 1440p and give it a new lease of life for another couple of years. It might also help extend the life of my 6c/6t i5 CPU. Happy days!

How are you finding the 19.9.3 drivers? Still back here on 19.5.2 because the 19.6/7 stuff wasn't kind to me.

 

[5t3v0]

How are you finding the 19.9.3 drivers? Still back here on 19.5.2 because the 19.6/7 stuff wasn't kind to me.

Early days but it doesnt appear to have broken anything or degraded performance from 19.9.2. Gears 5 might have been down ~0.2 fps but it's within the margin of error. I ran a couple of benches to compare to ones I had saved using 19.5.2 and Unigene Superposition and World War Z were about 1% better and The Division 2 was 13% better. Not sure which version since May has delivered these improvements as I've generally upgraded with each iteration and only tested a few of them. Might be worth giving the newer drivers a try depending on what you play.

 

[gpuerrilla]

Early days but it doesnt appear to have broken anything or degraded performance from 19.9.2. Gears 5 might have been down ~0.2 fps but it's within the margin of error. I ran a couple of benches to compare to ones I had saved using 19.5.2 and Unigene Superposition and World War Z were about 1% better and The Division 2 was 13% better. Not sure which version since May has delivered these improvements as I've generally upgraded with each iteration and only tested a few of them. Might be worth giving the newer drivers a try depending on what you play.

Will install them later tonight then but wont have time to test in games like others might have.

 

[Bruizer]

Early days but it doesnt appear to have broken anything or degraded performance from 19.9.2. Gears 5 might have been down ~0.2 fps but it's within the margin of error. I ran a couple of benches to compare to ones I had saved using 19.5.2 and Unigene Superposition and World War Z were about 1% better and The Division 2 was 13% better. Not sure which version since May has delivered these improvements as I've generally upgraded with each iteration and only tested a few of them. Might be worth giving the newer drivers a try depending on what you play.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm a BFV guy (been playing Battlefield since the demo of 1942 in 2002).

 

[5t3v0]

Will install them later tonight then but wont have time to test in games like others might have.

I wouldnt normally bother testing to this level of detail but was excited about the RIS inclusion. Usually I run a before and after benchmark of whatever game I have installed and move on (or back). In the end I found RIS to be a bit of an anticlimax and am not getting the hype it's been receiving. In fairness I've only tried it on one game so too early to really say if it's a long term substitute for native res. At present I dont really need it anyway but it's nice to know it's there for when I do

 

[EastCoastHandle]

I wouldnt normally bother testing to this level of detail but was excited about the RIS inclusion. Usually I run a before and after benchmark of whatever game I have installed and move on (or back). In the end I found RIS to be a bit of an anticlimax and am not getting the hype it's been receiving. In fairness I've only tried it on one game so too early to really say if it's a long term substitute for native res. At present I dont really need it anyway but it's nice to know it's there for when I do

RIS along with downsampling the resolution is what makes RIS an exciting asset. Providing a nice bump in framerates.

 

[SkeeterUK]

Well ive tried x4 foundations and using RIS turned on under the display part of the driver as it doesnt seem to enable in game profiles or global gaming profile. And using that, i tried x4 and instead of using default res of 1440p which causes stutter in stations i used 1920x1080 and fps was smooth and the gfx seemed decent enough like it was 1440p still. There maybe bits im missing that isnt good but i am not going to mess switching constantly to tell the difference. Hull panels textures seemed sharp with the line patterns so.. UI seemed sharp and readable as normal etc. Oh x4 is probably the first proper vulkan main focused game title. So should work ok with RIS then yeah?

Is that how its meant to be used?

 

[mcwildcard]

I grabbed an MSI Vega 56 about a week ago, got it at a very decent price, noisy but that doesn't bother me too much.
Tonight I started running GPU-Z to start looking at temps with a view of undervolting, but my first run has kicked up something pretty worrying...

According to GPU-Z the SOC VRM temp is running at 170c!!!
Surely that can't be legit, can it?!

 

[5t3v0]

RIS along with downsampling the resolution is what makes RIS an exciting asset. Providing a nice bump in framerates.

Downscaling without RIS will do the business on frame rates. RIS was meant to put the eye candy back but I wasnt getting the wow factor from it. Maybe my expectations were too high. Here's a side-by-side example of where it has had a noticeable impact on visuals - check the bush and the table edge in particular.

And look at the flowers and the detail on the steps in this comparison:

Actually, yeah it is pretty good

 

[5t3v0]

According to GPU-Z the SOC VRM temp is running at 170c!!!
Surely that can't be legit, can it?!

I think you'd be looking at a black screen if that were real. Suspect its a faulty sensor. Are the other temps sensible? No hot electrical smells emanating from your case? You could ignore and run blind on that reading or RMA I guess. I just ran a quick benchmark and the SOC VRM temp was identical to the GPU VRM temp throughout so if that's working, you could use that as a guide. Is it the same in all games/tests?

 

[TNA]

I grabbed an MSI Vega 56 about a week ago, got it at a very decent price, noisy but that doesn't bother me too much.
Tonight I started running GPU-Z to start looking at temps with a view of undervolting, but my first run has kicked up something pretty worrying...

According to GPU-Z the SOC VRM temp is running at 170c!!!
Surely that can't be legit, can it?!

That cannot be right.

At any rate. Make a profile where 950 is your maximum voltage and whack power limit to 50% and watch the noise levels drop considerably, not to mention getting around 10% extra performance. It is crazy but it works, unless you are unlucky with silicon lottery.

 

[mcwildcard]

I found someone on reddit who was having similar issues, so they tried HWiNFO and the readings were normal, so it seems like the GPU-Z drivers might be a bit wonky?
I'm going to try myself and see what the max readings look like after a session on Dying Light, and if it's more in the realms of reality I'll start undervolting etc.

Make a profile where 950 is your maximum voltage and whack power limit to 50% and watch the noise levels drop considerably, not to mention getting around 10% extra performance.

I'd gone down to 1050 / 50% on my first uv attempt, and that didn't affect the noise much, but I'll see how far I can push it down, once I've established this SCO VRM thing is a quirk rather than an outright card fault.

Thanks all, I'll update with how I get on with the temps using HWiNFO to monitor.

 

[EastCoastHandle]

Downscaling without RIS will do the business on frame rates. RIS was meant to put the eye candy back but I wasnt getting the wow factor from it. Maybe my expectations were too high. Here's a side-by-side example of where it has had a noticeable impact on visuals - check the bush and the table edge in particular.

Spoiler

And look at the flowers and the detail on the steps in this comparison:

Actually, yeah it is pretty good

Yeah, that is what I was trying to convey to you. RIS along with downsampling brings longevity to Vega by allowing you to use a resolution similar to 1440p/4k and still get a nice increase in frame rates. Along with image quality enhancements that will make it look like you are at 2k/4k but with the performance of a next tier card.

 

[mcwildcard]

I found someone on reddit who was having similar issues, so they tried HWiNFO and the readings were normal, so it seems like the GPU-Z drivers might be a bit wonky?
I'm going to try myself and see what the max readings look like after a session on Dying Light, and if it's more in the realms of reality I'll start undervolting etc.


I'd gone down to 1050 / 50% on my first uv attempt, and that didn't affect the noise much, but I'll see how far I can push it down, once I've established this SCO VRM thing is a quirk rather than an outright card fault.

Thanks all, I'll update with how I get on with the temps using HWiNFO to monitor.

HWiNFO looked all normal, and so started with the suggested 950 / 50% uv and it does seem to be quieter, although the lower ambient temp will be helping that too!
What's the best way to stress test the uv?

 

[5t3v0]

Yeah, that is what I was trying to convey to you. RIS along with downsampling brings longevity to Vega by allowing you to use a resolution similar to 1440p/4k and still get a nice increase in frame rates. Along with image quality enhancements that will make it look like you are at 2k/4k but with the performance of a next tier card.

Yeah I understand the theory but my first impression of the visual improvement was underwhelming. However having done some more detailed comparisons, I can see it does indeed provide a benefit over an unsharpened downscaled image. Although when you compare back to the native res image, it is arguably over corrected in places. It's too early to tell if downscaling with RIS will be a better image than dialling back a few quality settings to high or medium. Luckily I have need of neither currently

 

[5t3v0]

1080p 144hz. but yeah. the £100 more is the question

@joelk2, have made your purchase yet? If not, can you afford to spend another £20 on the MSI 5700 Mech? OCUK are selling it for £339 just now bundled with either Borderlands 3 or Ghost Recon Breakpoint. I've read that the 5700s are locked down so can't be overclocked but many can be flashed with an XT BIOS to remove the restrictions and OC up to 2GHz. Check out this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Amd/comments/czhux1/psa_you_can_take_the_bios_from_a_5700_xt_and/. The cooling on the MSI Mech non-XT and XT cards looks like it's exactly the same so should be a good candidate for a successful flash/OC and would give you the performance of a card costing £70 more. I think that's what I'd be buying right now if I was in the market for a new gfx card

 

[joelk2]

@joelk2, have made your purchase yet? If not, can you afford to spend another £20 on the MSI 5700 Mech? OCUK are selling it for £339 just now bundled with either Borderlands 3 or Ghost Recon Breakpoint. I've read that the 5700s are locked down so can't be overclocked but many can be flashed with an XT BIOS to remove the restrictions and OC up to 2GHz. Check out this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Amd/comments/czhux1/psa_you_can_take_the_bios_from_a_5700_xt_and/. The cooling on the MSI Mech non-XT and XT cards looks like it's exactly the same so should be a good candidate for a successful flash/OC and would give you the performance of a card costing £70 more. I think that's what I'd be buying right now if I was in the market for a new gfx card

I'm pretty sure I will go for a 5700 but think I'm gunna hold off until black Friday. My GPU is working. It's just old and showing its age with the newer titles. I think it's going to be bottle necked by my 4670k