Softmod + bios flash = 6800 Ultra ?

[Smagma]

I read the pcunleash stuff on how to get an LE to an ultra with a hard mod and a bios flash. The hard mod does the same thing the rivatuner softmod does only it's a lot harder to undo. Sooooooo, I was thinking that maybe with the (successful) softmod and an ultra bios, preferably the one from my cards manufacturer, this thing could do a fairly good imatation od an Ultra. Obviously my ram won't go as fast and probably niether will the GPU.

I'v already done the softmod to my 6800 NU and it works great. I can't help myself :x I want more. I just don't want to do the hard mod. I think it should work. wadaya think.

Smagma :t

[Someone Stupid]

Not to familiar with nvidia's architecture with how rivatuner unlocks the extra shaders so I can't really comment 100% on if a bios flash is a good idea, but it certainly isn't hard to do. Make sure your card can reach Ultra speeds first in both core and memory (this is where I think the flash will cause problems, with the memory).

[Midknyte]

The 6800NU and Ultra use different types of memory. I wouldn't flash to an Ultra bios. The rivatuner method is safer.

[Smagma]

Weeelllll, I tried it this morning before reading replys. nvflash would not let me, it gave me divice and board id mismatch errors.
I had edited the bios and changed defalt core and mem settings to be more inline with with what I know this card can handle.

I may look into changing those ids in the ultra bios, but for now I'll leave it alone. It's not like this card doesn't fly with the current mods already.

Smagma :t

[Midknyte]

I don't remember if you used nibitor or not. that is the safest way, if you can even say "safe". make a backup copy of your bios, then use nibitor to tweak it.

http://www.mvktech.net/

[Smagma]

I used nibitor to tweak the bios I file I made with nvflash. All I did was change voltages though, It wouldn't let me modify the mem timeings. Wouldn't know what to set them to if it did. Haven't figured out how to modify the IDs to fool nvflash. I got several original bios files in different locations, including a boot floppy to do a blind flash with if needed. I'll look at the link to see if there is a how to or something for getting around the id thing. Thats where I got the Ultra bios file from.

Smagma :t

Just had to read the nvflash text file a little closer, There are overides for the id mis-matches

[Someone Stupid]

Does your memory do Ultra speeds? If not even a flash won't correct that.

[Smagma]

No, the best I can do stable is 832, so I've been thinking that this whole flash to ultra thing is a no go. I'll concentrate on better cooling and see if I can push a little farther with that.

Smagma :t

[Yoshi]

I thought you could flash it, but only get 4 defective pipes unlocked.:confused:

[Smagma]

Yoshi, With my newfound knowledge of flashing my BFG 6800 OC with a modified BFG 6800 Ultra Bios and the subsequent blind flash back to a modified original bios (voltage mods) I can definatley say DON'T flash with a bios not based on one from your card. ( Midknyte & Someone Stupid, I wasn't doubting you, I just have an occasional stubborn streak and I had to try ;) )

check out rivatuner 2.0 RC 15.2, read the stuff at guru3d on the subject. You may be able to open the pipes and vertex units depending on what card you have. If they are broken you can close them again

Read, read, then read some more on how to do it. I got lucky with my BFG and the pipes and the vertex unit works perfect.

Smagma :t

[Someone Stupid]

Smagma, no foul. :) If it wasn't for those who wanted to push the envelope, we wouldn't be sitting here talking about pushing it.

Didn't know you could flash back to original memory speeds as I hadn't know someone actually made a flashrom for this as ATI has for their cores as well. Though going over that high in memory I'd be concerned about even for the duration of the flash. Congrats that it worked out for you. I'm glad you took the chance if it paid off. I really don't know nvidia's architeture as well as ATi's, as I said, so ignoring me wasn't a big deal on my end. I imagine though midkniyht is furious though. :) I'm sure he is happy it worked as well. We all hate to see others fail when they are really trying here - and you did your research, rolled the dice knowing how to go back if it failed. So it was a fairly safe mod other than the insane mem clock jump, but that probably wouldn't mess with you much in "dos" if at all. Good job, honestly. You probably have the biggest bang for the buck card on the forums now if your running with the 16 pipes for a 6800's cost especially since the rivatuner mod worked as well. Next are those with GT's, then those with VIVOs (as I think ATi vendors are charging so much more as those cores are solid - they just may not clock up and hold the speeds always. That is were the refurbs are coming from it seems from what I've picked up on some people RMAing cards back because they can't hold PE speeds though the pipes unlock.

As for your advice, read, read, read. I couldn't agree more on that even if your buying components that are going to stay at stock and especially if they aren't. I know I read up on every forum I knew X800 flash experiences (mainly clock speeds don't hold up to PE levels - boo hoo, declock it a few mhz and your set if you don't want to vmod or research which cards need a vmod to get to the 1.4v default as some now ship with 1.3v running to the cores to stop this, Powercolor doesn't as I've checked my lines with a multimeter, but that is as far as I'll go, no other modding for more speed) along with how people with GT's were fairing. I had the extra cash to afford the VIVO and I'm not quite comfortable just yet with nvidia (and I didn't want a power cap on me like GT's tend to have with the one molex compared the ultra's two, the PE only has one). Since the X800 Pro only uses the same amount if not a little less power from statements I've read than a 9800 XT, I knew there would be room even on a PE powerwise especially seeing some vmods and the core cpeeds they achieved. Keeping it cool is the biggest problem second to having to up the voltage, and that can't be done in the bios with ATi. So keeping it cooler got me more MHz, but I know if I need it, the vmod is available, though my skills in that area suck, so it will probably never happen.

Again, glad you ignored me since it had ways to go back and you did your research, and it worked. Now if you ignored us without research, I'd be saying you took more risk than needed since info was out there. You may not have the OC'd GT's and successful VIVO to PE's beat, but for the cost per performance, you've probably gotten us all beat decently and still posting bloody good performance gains. That to me is just as good, if not better than achieving some insane OC but having to use parts you can't afford or are a near gaurantee to work. Rolling the dice essentially is what we do, and you rolled one hell of a pair there. Congrats again as I didn't even know that a 6800 plain was able to get the 4 pipes unlocked - all i knew was the shaders.

How's the HS on it? Is it a blower or just a small chunk of copper more akin to older designs - or has it been tossed for an AS rev4 or better? I'm still a little drunk (more hangover) and rambly, so excuse the long post. Glad you got a good core there.

[Midknyte]

Whatevers. I'm not the boss and I'm not God, so no one has to listen to me. I just wanted to save you the trouble, but some people have to learn the hard way (I'm one of them). :t

[Smagma]

Someone Stupid : That was a ramble , but I enjoyed it :) The HS on the newer BFG cards are very large, dual fan and copper, so I'm ok for a while on that score. Switching to AS5 on the GPU didn't hurt, even though it was just a couple of degrees lower.

Midknyte : As I look Back I can see that I've learned almost everything the hard way :D

I still want lots of input though.

Smagma :t

[Smagma]

Wasn't sure if I should start a new thread or just continue this one.

If everyones tired of reading this one I'll start a new one tomorrow.

I occured to me (finally) that my reason for wanting the Ultra bios was not going to happen. That reason was for looser mem timings. if anything the timeings would be the same or tighter on the Ultra.

Now, nibitor has a place for editing timings but the check box to enable it is dimmed out. Xbios doesn't seem to be able to read a bios file made with nvflash very well, lots of ascii chrs very little English. Doesn't do any better with wfflash files.

So anyone know of an editor that will let me try different mem timings.

Smagma :t