Gigabyte 6850 OC vbios flash to 6870

[sulfur]

Hello everyone! It's my first post here

I want to flash my Gigabyte 6850 OC bios to unlock it's voltage to the 6870 level (0.025 is always something...).

My normal clocks are 890MHz Core, 1200MHz Memory. My actual bios is 013.012.000.023.000000 (113-xxx-xxx). I have already done backup.

I was never flashing a GPU before - so I'm a bit... scared and uncertain.

I already have vga_ultility@bios.exe from Gigabyte website. I have backup... so...

This bios i compatible with my 6850 OC? I know only that my GPU has screwed-up voltage controller (thanks gigabyte...) and other bios'es may not work. So i found:
1) http://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/110144/gigabyte-hd6870-1024-110928.html
2) http://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/100702/gigabyte-hd6870-1024-110221.html (SOC version, not OC so i dont know anything about voltage controller)

And what if i will brick my card? How to re-flash it? BIOS will work to re-flash it using pendrive? I can't loose my pretty GPU

Sorry for bad language I'm writing here and... learning quantum mechanics (it's... biggest <censored> i ever had to learn). I hope you will help me to find a good compatible bios with my VGA Card

 

[Timmen]

don't download a bios, backup another one from your card and edit it by yourself, so you dont have to worry about PCB issues and such.

use darkhmz's bios editor for that -> http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=189089

 

[sulfur]

Yes but Gigabyte 6800 OC series dont have normal voltage controller. Only these "OC" version cards got this. There is no way to control voltage using software and bios. It's just impossible. Only 6870 got 0.025V higher voltage. It's only thing i can do to rise voltage :/

@EDIT: I launched this vBIOS editor and i got an "Unsupported" error so now I'm more than 100% sure that gigabte lamed with this voltage controller.

 

[Random Murderer]

don't download a bios, backup another one from your card and edit it by yourself, so you dont have to worry about PCB issues and such.

use darkhmz's bios editor for that -> http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=189089

Yes but Gigabyte 6800 OC series dont have normal voltage controller. Only these "OC" version cards got this. There is no way to control voltage using software and bios. It's just impossible. Only 6870 got 0.025V higher voltage. It's only thing i can do to rise voltage :/

@EDIT: I launched this vBIOS editor and i got an "Unsupported" error so now I'm more than 100% sure that gigabte lamed with this voltage controller.

Your problem is that VBE7 only works on HD7xxx cards. Use RBE. It has been discontinued, but worked great on my 6850s.

 

[Pixrazor]

Have you tried rbe??
give it a try if not...

 

[sulfur]

Yes but it's not gonna work... like i said before there is no option to give even 0.0000V with normal 6850 bios or any modding. It's because of controller, with will be working with +0.025V using 6870 bios (there is no other way, it's just impossible). Or i just don't unterstand something ;p

So i need gigabyte 6870 OC bios (with this locked controller).
This bios i compatible with my 6850 OC? I know only that my GPU has screwed-up voltage controller (thanks gigabyte...) and other bios'es may not work. http://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/110144/gigabyte-hd6870-1024-110928.html and what about Memory Support?

And what if i will brick my card? How to re-flash it? BIOS will work to re-flash it using pendrive? I can't loose my pretty GPU... and my motherboard have only one PCI-E slot (so i can't use another card and boot PC with these 2 cards).
And flashing VGA on Windows (Gigabyte EasyTune) is save?

Edit: http://www.overclock.net/t/900875/hd-6850-gigabyte-windforce-overclocking/10

 

[AlienIsGOD]

And what if i will brick my card? How to re-flash it? BIOS will work to re-flash it using pendrive? I can't loose my pretty GPU

how about leaving it alone then?

 

[de.das.dude]

just mod the damned bios. and judging by yout technical knowhow from this thread, you will fail at modding, and we should expect to see a "i bricked my 6850 " thread real soon.

dont know why you are bothering. these things usually only give 5 more fps

disadvantages/risks:-

1. system instability
2. permanent damage to card.
3. artifacts in gaming.
4. display driver crash.
5. Over heating if cooler is not good.
6. Damage to VRM if vrm design cant handle the power.


advantage..

if it fails you will have a new paper weight.

 

[sulfur]

Yea... you just don't understand i can't mod bios? I can't change voltage there (Gigabyte 6850 "OC" version got some other chip, so NO software/bios voltage control gonna work)... Only Gigabyte 6870 OC bios gonna work with my VGA voltage controller and modding my 6850 will be still 6850 bios.... You should read about Gigabyte 6850 OC version. Thanks for help... I did not received any answer to my questions.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

I dunno about this thread, but about 2 years ago I did a custom build for a client and I OC'd just about everything, which included the 6850 or 6870 I specced for him as part of his build. I used to use RBE to set my own clocks and I did that when the card tested stable.

Unfortunately the moment I did that, the system never worked correctly again until i went back to default clocks.

The System would either BSOD before it got to windows with some code describing GPU problems or it would boot into windows but windows wouldnt recognise the card and It would be stuck as a 'VGA ADAPTER'

Re-searching forums led me to understand that AMD drivers perform some driver level checks on the card installed during boot up and to reject it if the card or bios was somehow modified.

There are many others who had the same issue and there was never a fix to get around it unless they bought a 69xx series or Nvidia GPU. The only real solution is to get afterburner to OC the card after bootup when it detects 3D apps or OC it in the AMD control panel.

So dont panic if the same thing happens to you - Im just saying, the 6850/6870s have been EOL for a long time.

 

[sulfur]

So it's time for change... Non-Reference R9 290 should come soon, or just EVGA ACX 780.

I'm not going to buy gigabyte oc card again... only non-oced vanilla versions... ehhh. I don't know what idiot got an idea to make "custom locked" voltage controller on Windforce x2 + OC card...

EDIT: Hmmm... or i think M'm gonna try. If not... i will borrow mobo from my friend with x2 PCI-E to reflash gpu... But i have to be 100% sure that bios will be correct. (Some guys reflashed 6850 to 6870 - both gigabyte oc but they didn't told anything about bios versions they used...).

I have some SS from this RBE program.

Left side - My stock 6850 OC bios
Right side - 6870 OC bios with my Hynix Memory Support if I'm not wrong

http://zapodaj.net/cc0c8833e0e29.png.html
http://zapodaj.net/a97b48ae5ceb8.png.html
http://zapodaj.net/5729f50303d4d.png.html

 

[Cheeseball]

Suggestion: Don't do it.

This is why I don't like non-reference designs that use a locked voltage controller.

 

[Bo$$]

You basically gain nothing, just overclock and be done with it, you'll gain maybe 1 fps tops.... why not just buy a new card if you are itching for more performance.

 

[sulfur]

1fps is not worth risk... So i'm gonna buy R9 290 or 290X (Sapphire or Giga) in December. :|

 

[itsakjt]

If the overclock is pronounced like say 100 MHz or more, I say do it. Else don't.

I have a Sapphire HD6770 default 850 MHz core and 1200 MHz memory. I run it overclocked at 960 MHz core and 1300 MHz memory since day 1 and didn't increase voltage(can't because of voltage controller issues like you). Trust me, I gained over 10 FPS in Battlefield 3 on everything on Ultra and 2x MSAA on 1600*900. My card is over 2 years old and still good as new.

As for bricking, I once bricked my card after flashing an Asus BIOS. To see how I fixed it, follow the thread here.

http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=178603

Ps. If you don't face challenges or don't fail, you will never learn. So know what you are doing and then it is up to you. If your card is under warranty, do it. If it bricks, take it to the service center and tell them it stopped working - you don't know how. On the other hand if it is not under warranty and you can't afford a new one if it bricks, do not do it or do it only if there is enough evidence that someone else is successful in doing it on the same card.
All the best.

 

[sulfur]

Well... i flashed GPU only once in my life. but i received ready and 100% sure bios. Here i don't know what bios should i use (thanks to this epic controller...). Memory support, voltage controller support and other craplist :/

I flashed Quadro FX 880M (in HP Elitebook workstation), with OC from 550/790 to 700/1000 and it still works like charm after 2 years (stock voltage).

I'm running 1920x1080, and sometimes i have turned on second monitor (1366x768) when I'm working or learning CryEngine 3 SDK. But i'm thinking about gigabyte 280X or waiting for 290 at the moment. 1-2fps is... nothing really :/

Card still got some months on warranty... i think (i will check invoice tomorrow). I can send GPU to Gigabyte if i will brick my VGA?

 

[itsakjt]

Well... i flashed GPU only once in my life. but i received ready and 100% sure bios. Here i don't know what bios should i use (thanks to this epic controller...). Memory support, voltage controller support and other craplist :/

I flashed Quadro FX 880M (in HP Elitebook workstation), with OC from 550/790 to 700/1000 and it still works like charm after 2 years (stock voltage).

I'm running 1920x1080, and sometimes i have turned on second monitor (1366x768) when I'm working or learning CryEngine 3 SDK. But i'm thinking about gigabyte 280X or waiting for 290 at the moment. 1-2fps is... nothing really :/

Card still got some months on warranty... i think (i will check invoice tomorrow). I can send GPU to Gigabyte if i will brick my VGA?

That depends on where you live and how much knowledge the service center guys have.

 

[Random Murderer]

Card still got some months on warranty... i think (i will check invoice tomorrow). I can send GPU to Gigabyte if i will brick my VGA?

It's possible, but there's no guarantee. The problem here is that the 6870 BIOS expects more shaders and doesn't always end up mapping your existing pipelines to your existing memory. I have an 1120SP 6850 BIOS from an early, unlocked 6850(pre-release review sample) that I tried on one of my 6850s and it booted, but showed only 320SP and 64MB of VRAM. It flashed back to the stock BIOS just fine, but it did give me a hell of a scare as the card was a gift and I was unemployed at the time, therefore unable to replace it, lol.

TL;DR: Just don't try it. At this point, a hard-mod would probably be safer for the card.

 

[sulfur]

Very small, very retarded country called... Poland...
I i will send them a bricked GPU, they will reflash it or give me another 6850 OC? Or newer card?

I will have a backup gpu HD 4350 ready for this situation. 4350 is good for notepad but not even for youtube 1080p ;F

@EDIT: 6870 OC Bios on 6850 OC is not unlocking any shaders and it shouldn't be a problem. What do you mean with "hard-mod"?

 

[Random Murderer]

@EDIT: 6870 OC Bios on 6850 OC is not unlocking any shaders and it shouldn't be a problem. What do you mean with "hard-mod"?

It is not unlocking any more shaders, but each card has a set number of shaders and their BIOSes expect to see that many. I.e. a 6870 BIOS expects the card to have 1120SP and a 6850 BIOS expects to see 960SP. In these cases, the BIOSes are NOT interchangeable, and should not be cross-flashed.
To re-state this as clearly as possible:
DO NOT FLASH A 6870 BIOS ONTO A 6850! Just don't do it.

And a hard-mod is a hardware modification. You want more voltage? Modify the power circuit on the card and force it to do so. I'm not sure if there is one available for your card, however. I always buy reference cards for this exact reason.

 

[Bo$$]

68XX series DO NOT UNLOCK.

Only some review samples did.

all you'll do if properly fuck this working card up.
it'll cost you money, only the 69XX series unlock.....

 

[Random Murderer]

68XX series DO NOT UNLOCK.

Only some review samples did.

all you'll do if properly fuck this working card up.
it'll cost you money, only the 69XX series unlock.....

He's not trying to unlock shaders, he's looking to raise voltage on a voltage-locked card.

 

[sulfur]

I dont want to unlock... I want this 0.025V from 6870 bios :/
Some guys did flashed 6850 OC to 6870 OC without any problems and without unlocking shaders etc. but they got this 0.025V + stock 6870 clocks. And what about 6950-6970? It's the same but there we can unlock shaders etc.

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1562148

"No shader's unlocked or anything, but now I have my default clocks at 6870 level.
My AMD overdrive limit has been raised to 1000/1250.
My fans spin slower at 20% during idle vs 75% with no real adverse effect on idle temps.
I get a nice .025v boost to core voltage."

And what about if i will try to modify my 6850 OC bios (stock) with 1.175V (99% it's not gonna work)? Can I brick the card then?

 

[FreedomEclipse]

If the overclock is pronounced like say 100 MHz or more, I say do it. Else don't.

"I say do it. Else don't" - Isnt that just the same as saying "Its all up to you" ???

I have a Sapphire HD6770 default 850 MHz core and 1200 MHz memory. I run it overclocked at 960 MHz core and 1300 MHz memory since day 1 and didn't increase voltage(can't because of voltage controller issues like you). Trust me, I gained over 10 FPS in Battlefield 3 on everything on Ultra and 2x MSAA on 1600*900

highly Doubtful, but your scores must of been low to start off with anyway.

the 5770/6770 sits somewhere around (maybe slightly above or below as most people would put it) the 7750 and under the 650Ti. Factor in the fact that the 6770 has 1GB dedicated ram and your ram being 1333Mhz & only having 4GB of it knocks quite a lot of performance off, not to forget your WD Green drags performance down even more as its a slow drive and when the system fills up 4gigs of ram which it will because you have a 1GB GPU it will need to create pagefile and not only is the WD a mechanical drive, it is also a slow one. When windows starts swapping files between ram and pagefile constantly to keep up with the game you will notice stuttering and big drops in frames while the system struggles to keep up with whats being shown on screen.

If i had to provide a guesstimate - Id say 40-50fps that drops to maybe around 30-35fps or maybe lower when theres a lot going on, on screen (huge battles and such)

take it to the service center and tell them it stopped working - you don't know how

Highly doubtful, Service centers usually dont accept parts for RMA unless it has been assigned an RMA number.

Its not like some garage or workshop you can just pull up to when you have engine trouble and demand they look at it straight away. There are procedures that have to be followed.

On the other hand if it is not under warranty and you can't afford a new one if it bricks, do not do it or do it only if there is enough evidence that someone else is successful in doing it on the same card.

Its a 6850 - Doubtful if its still under warranty since it was released around 2010. The OP can afford a new non-X 290 or a 780Ti, so whether there's evidence or not is a moot point.

 

[Random Murderer]

Not sure if you're handy with a soldering iron, but I did find this hard-mod for core voltage.