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Voltage locked HD 7970 :l

HooHooH

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Aug 17, 2014
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I don't know if this is in the right forum, but I can't unlock voltage in MSI AB, and the version of GPU Tweak I am using has voltage unlocked, but is in sync with core clock, and I can't overclock core clock past 1125mhz in GPU Tweak. The card I have is an Asus HD 7970 DC2. Other forums and websites say that this HD 7970 is voltage locked. Is that true? I already tried MSI AB cfg thing, doesn't work. I don't want to risk flashing bios. Is there another way? Sorry if this has been asked a billion times.
 
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Hi

Welcome to TPU

The card I have is an Asus HD 7970 DC2. Other forums and websites say that this HD 7970 is voltage locked. Is that true?
Yes; voltage is locked [*took a look at a few of the vbios images found in the TPU database]

I don't want to risk flashing bios
This would not be possible anyway in a conventional vbios editor as the voltage controller is hard locked, vbios image would need to be Hex edited and with no way of testing stability very time consuming

Is there another way?
HD 7970 DC2 looks to offer VGA Hotwire which allows you to plug and solder wires on the card’s voltage regulators and accurately read and control Vcore, Vmem, and PLL voltages on a hardware level [*limited to Asus ROG motherboards]
Source here
or
maybe a *hard mod soldering wires and resister/s to components on the PCB [not something I do or recommend]
(*other members of TPU may be able to assist)

Note: before invalidating the warranty sell the vga card and buy one that is voltage unlocked out of the box

Note: for future reference post in the AMD/ATI section here

atb

Law-II
 

cadaveca

My name is Dave
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only v1.00x DCUII 7970 can be modded, v 1.01x does not offer voltage control, nor does HotWire work correctly(it lowers voltage rather than raise it). You can find version number on back of PCB. If voltage control does not work via software, then you are simply SOL.

I personally tested every which way to do it. There are quite significant changes to VRM controller design in PCB versions. You can see version number in my pic here(with alternate mod point used, even):

 
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