Powercolor R9 290x Black Screens received updated bios from PC however...

[mtrai]

New Powercolor PCS+ R9 290x Black Screens received updated bios from PC however...the updated bios will flash in dos and complete without error.

Once it boots into windows, and try to reinstall drivers, it blue screens. GPU-z sees the card however some info is blank, and the memory is showing well over 1 million gigs, etc..all sensor readings are blank but this is with the generic MS graphics driver.

I have used DDU to uninstall all drivers in safe mode prior.

I reverted back to windows 8.1 from Win 10 TP to rule out any beta/preview issues with either windows or the win 10 AMD drivers since Win 10 force installs the AMD win 10 driver.

Now the funny thing is I started trying older drivers, and once I got back to the 14.9 drivers the boot up black screens seem to have stopped with my cards original bios.

The questions I have is it possible that PC sent me the wrong bios? I tried looking in a hex editor, and honestly cannot make heads or tails.

I don't want to upload this bios, since I cannot get it work correctly on my GPU, but thought maybe I am missing something.

Another thing of note is my Hynix memory last 3 letters changes from BFR to AFR when I flashed the new bios, I did not think it should do that?

I can upload the "corrected" bios if someone else can look at it. Here it is on one drive

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=D7332344D7198970!201225&authkey=!AGrgqUCXh3Og43w&ithint=file,ROM

This is the original vbios which is also newer then anything in the database.
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?res...1213&authkey=!AJEZ1byqKtI7AHE&ithint=file,rom

 

[dorsetknob]

Did this updated bios come from Powercolor ?

 

[mtrai]

Did this updated bios come from Powercolor ?

Yes they sent it to me yesterday.

 

[Law-II]

Hi

Looks like the wrong Vbios was sent out; *maybe worth double checking with Powercolor Tech Support

Part Numbers differs

Original Hawaiia Vbios image is 128KB
PCB revision here
Device Id:1002 67B1
R9 290

Image sent from Powercolor F4505LAB is 120KB
PCB revision here
Device Id:1002 67B0
R9 290X

atb

Law-II

 

[dorsetknob]

Looks like the wrong Vbios was sent out; *maybe worth double checking with Powercolor Tech Support

Roll Back your Bios to the Original Bios then follow @Law-II advice above

why was an up date needed ?

 

[mtrai]

I already rolled back...

The update was needed for the dreaded r9 290x boot up black screen issue. After I rolled back...I decided to start working my way backwards through official drivers, which seemed to have resolved the booth black screen issue.

I already sent PC tech support another email. I cannot use any driver newer then 14.9. No VSR, no mantle etc. but at least right now I can use the PC with out black screens.

 

[mtrai]

Hi

Looks like the wrong Vbios was sent out; *maybe worth double checking with Powercolor Tech Support
View attachment 64436
Part Numbers differs

Original Hawaiia Vbios image is 128KB
PCB revision here
Device Id:1002 67B1
R9 290

Image sent from Powercolor F4505LAB is 120KB
PCB revision here
Device Id:1002 67B0
R9 290X

atb

Law-II

Hmm now that brings me to another question. I bought a PC PCS+ R9 290X not a R9 290...now I am not sure what gives.

Okay should I try to flash it with the commands:
atiflash -unlockrom 0
atiflash -f -p -newbios 0 bios.rom ???

Would the device ID mismatch be causing the flash to actually not work correctly even though it flashes?

 

[Law-II]

Hi

I bought a PC PCS+ R9 290X not a R9 290...now I am not sure what gives.

Contact Powercolor Tech Support; before the vga card gets bricked [as Powercolor sent the Vbios image out; I only have the TPU database to refer to]

Give the #Hash details from the back of the PCB to Powercolor

Would the device ID mismatch be causing the flash to actually not work correctly even though it flashes?

I am surprised the vga card works; period with a device ID mismatch

Advice: Flash the original and or backup of the original Vbios image back to the vga card; test the card in another system [*If same issue] (If the vga card dose not function as intended by the manufacturer then) *raise a ticket and RMA

atb

Law-II

 

[mtrai]

It is a dual bios. All the stickers on the GPU match the box for 290x version. In all this flashing I have not moved the switch unless I needed a boot, then moved it back to correct the bios. The black screen is a known issue, for the R9 290/290x.

Thanks for the help so far, you caught what I was missing between these vbios. Now it makes sense why with the id mismatch. Now to try and figure what to do next. Awaiting a reply from PC tech support already but, what I told them yesterday after flashing the new bios was backwards. I was assuming the the bios they sent me was a 290 version not a 290x version.

 

[mtrai]

After more poking around...my particular Hynix Memory can only use bios 015.044.xxx and higher only, so indeed they sent me the wrong the vbios, also the vbios has to be for the bfr memory type not the more common afr as they have different voltages and timings. I sent the emails again on Monday, gonna call him today. I have sort of gotten it to not black screen for now...with some creative workarounds, until I can get the proper vbios from them.