AMD/ATI Flashing Guide

[cdawall]

NEVER FLASH VIA WINDOWS!

I just want you to know Sol I do this every single time

 

[Karl. C]

Thanks for your help Solaris17 !!!
I managed to upgrade a Gigabyte R9 390 to an R9 390x with amazing results. All 44 CU are now unlocked. I was scared as i hit enter in dos and squinted as i continued. So glad i did. I got an average of 40 extra FPS in BF4 and Grid autosport had a simular increase in performance. Other games varied hugely. Now to try Fallout 4 which is a dog at times. Thanks again and yes, some but not all R9 390 can go to 390X. Double check Bios is the right one, and back up before hand !!!!

Note: I think it would be wise to use the versions of ATIflash and the other files as kindly bundled above by Solaris17, i had issues using newer versions.

Thanks again!

 

[Ruru]

Flashed my old X800 Pro VIVO to XT Platinum Edition without problems last night. Damn I can't even remember when I last time booted into DOS for a (v)BIOS flash

Tho never had problems when flashed from Windows when I tried different bioses to my R9 290 some time ago, I guess that it's better not to recommend it

 

[Solaris17]

Flashed my old X800 Pro VIVO to XT Platinum Edition without problems last night. Damn I can't even remember when I last time booted into DOS for a (v)BIOS flash

Tho never had problems when flashed from Windows when I tried different bioses to my R9 290 some time ago, I guess that it's better not to recommend it

That's ok, Its just not a recommended method. Software flashing introduces too much risk between hardware communication CPU interrupts and other pieces of software that can interrupt the flashing process.

While I am happy that some of you have managed to flash without incident I will not be changing or ever recommending that people do this. Considering the readers the guide targets, mitigating so much risk is better than getting them hooked on bad practice.

They will need to know how to flash via BIOS anyway should OS flashing go wrong, a detail I think most of the windows flashers are overlooking. It works for you, for now because you already know how to flash properly.

If you were to teach someone new to flashing how to flash via Windows and it didn't go through correctly, those people are now stuck since they have no method to fall back on.

 

[Ruru]

That's ok, Its just not a recommended method. Software flashing introduces too much risk between hardware communication CPU interrupts and other pieces of software that can interrupt the flashing process.

While I am happy that some of you have managed to flash without incident I will not be changing or ever recommending that people do this. Considering the readers the guide targets, mitigating so much risk is better than getting them hooked on bad practice.

They will need to know how to flash via BIOS anyway should OS flashing go wrong, a detail I think most of the windows flashers are overlooking. It works for you, for now because you already know how to flash properly.

If you were to teach someone new to flashing how to flash via Windows and it didn't go through correctly, those people are now stuck since they have no method to fall back on.

I think that's about a perfect information about it.

Yeah, I've screwed up few times looooong time ago with the Windows flashing, but I relied on the backup BIOS on the R9 290 And to add more risk, I've flashed (v)BIOSes always with an overclocked system, which I wouldn't recommend to others. I'm just too damn lazy to put my system to stock clocks before flashing

 

[Jippo]

Hello

I'm probably not in the right place here to post this issues but its feedback to the autoflasher tool that Solaris17 made. I'm trying to flash a HD6350 with the hybrid rom made using your GOPupd tool.

As I try to flash it it gives the following error.

"Cam not flash a 0x1d200 length image into a 0x10000 length rom!"

I made a new copy of the original rom and ran that with the GOPupd tool again. Placed that rom on the USB and tried flashing that but still no success. I have no clue on what the error message is trying to tell me.

 

[gupsterg]

@Solaris17

The issue on Fiji onwards is no "pure DOS" version of atiflash supports them, so you have to use Windows CLI/GUI ATiWinFlash. The Stilt posted on OCN v4.18 of ATiFlash for DOS with Tonga support, but I have found none for Fiji/Polaris. Even when asking on AMD community site where AMD's Robert Hallock uploaded updated ROMs for Fury X/Nano, there was no response from AMD on "pure DOS" version of atiflash .

 

[Solaris17]

@Solaris17

The issue on Fiji onwards is no "pure DOS" version of atiflash supports them, so you have to use Windows CLI/GUI ATiWinFlash. The Stilt posted on OCN v4.18 of ATiFlash for DOS with Tonga support, but I have found none for Fiji/Polaris. Even when asking on AMD community site where AMD's Robert Hallock uploaded updated ROMs for Fury X/Nano, there was no response from AMD on "pure DOS" version of atiflash .

Thats good to know. I will look into this.

 

[gupsterg]

Sweet .

I've even asked tech support of GPU AIBs directly, at times just using P/N / serials off images on the web to create support tickets with known issues where I'd get a bios update . No AIB has supplied "pure DOS" AtiFlash for Fiji onwards, any ROM packs that AIB have on support sites like Asus/Gigabyte bundle AtiWinFlash with them.

With Fiji/Polaris to make sure windows flash goes smooth you must not have any util monitoring system sensors, like GPU-Z, MSI AB, TriXX, HWiNFO, etc. Otherwise there have been reported issues.

I advise in Fiji bios mod thread to make sure rig is not OC'd and have generally stable OS. Personally I haven't had any issues with flashing whilst having CPU OC'd, but I do go nuts on stability testing for my OC , clocked up hundreds of hours of f@h, etc .

 

[Solaris17]

Sweet .

I've even asked tech support of GPU AIBs directly, at times just using P/N / serials off images on the web to create support tickets with known issues where I'd get a bios update . No AIB has supplied "pure DOS" AtiFlash for Fiji onwards, any ROM packs that AIB have on support sites like Asus/Gigabyte bundle AtiWinFlash with them.

With Fiji/Polaris to make sure windows flash goes smooth you must not have any util monitoring system sensors, like GPU-Z, MSI AB, TriXX, HWiNFO, etc. Otherwise there have been reported issues.

I advise in Fiji bios mod thread to make sure rig is not OC'd and have generally stable OS. Personally I haven't had any issues with flashing whilst having CPU OC'd, but I do go nuts on stability testing for my OC , clocked up hundreds of hours of f@h, etc .

Yeah info like this is good. If its relevant I will always add it to benefit the greater good. If I cant find anything I will add or amend a section on the safest way to flash via windows if needed. Thanks again!

 

[Bojcha]

So version 2.74 atiflash does not work in pure dos mode?

 

[Tatty_Two]

So version 2.74 atiflash does not work in pure dos mode?

only for Fiji and newer according to post #82

 

[gupsterg]

So version 2.74 atiflash does not work in pure dos mode?

@Bojcha v2.74 is AtiWinFlash , the Win in the title denotes Windows. It is only Windows GUI (graphical user interface = atiwinflash.exe) and Windows CLI (command line interface = atiflash.exe). None of those executables will work under "pure DOS" (ie USB stick with bootable DOS files) for any AMD card.

AtiFlash v4.17 is on TPU this supports AMD GPU before Tonga for "pure DOS".

AtiFlash v4.18 is on OCN (The Stilt posted it) this supports AMD GPU upto Tonga for "pure DOS".

 

[MacNavy]

Hi guys,
i can't update my Fury X (sapphire) at the last bios, i have follow the guide (thanks to have realized it), but atiflash reply me "no adaptor found"! How it's possible?
Thanks

 

[Solaris17]

Hi guys,
i can't update my Fury X (sapphire) at the last bios, i have follow the guide (thanks to have realized it), but atiflash reply me "no adaptor found"! How it's possible?
Thanks

Please make your own thread.

 

[MacNavy]

Please make your own thread

Ok i make it.

Thank you

 

[Azrael5]

I've a question about latest AGP VGA; how all ones know this kind of VGA have 2 main chips: the real processor of the video card which operates as pci-express serial unit and the bridge unit able to manage the flow of data computing them into AGP MODE; Since the vga implements this 2 different kind of processor the bios flash utilities (atiflash for example) state the presence of 2 different ADAPTERS or bioses listing them with different nouns and or codes with the same length (bytes); so begins the confusion:

1. one or more eeprom exist for each adapters;
2. only one eepom exists listing 2 different bioses or adapters;
3. the new bioses concerns only the pci-express eeprom;
4. the bridge bios is the same such as the pci express bios;
5. the birdge bios is different form the pci-express adapter;
6. 2 separate eeproms are plugged on the PCB with different bioses;
7. 2 separate eeproms are plugged on the PCB with the same bios;
8. 1 only eeprom is plugged on the PCB providing one only bios;
9. 1 only eeprom is plugged on the PCB providing 2 sections which represent 2 different adapters each one with its specific bios.
   
   This information is useful to understand how and what flash in an hybrid pci-express agp vga. thanks.

 

[Sempron Guy]

does the autoflasher work for polaris cards? Cause up till now atiflash still doesn't have an updated version that supports polaris cards in dos mode and I had no luck flashing the gpu inside windows.

 

[Solaris17]

does the autoflasher work for polaris cards? Cause up till now atiflash still doesn't have an updated version that supports polaris cards in dos mode and I had no luck flashing the gpu inside windows.

Than no

 

[Hobar]

Help. I am a stupid. My Sapphire Rx480 nitro try bios update via Windows. But vbios is damaged. System not booting. i'm flashed again backed up original vbios but I can't boot up.

 

[cdawall]

The card has two BIOS swap to the backup

 

[Hobar]

The card has two BIOS swap to the backup

There is no switch on my card

 

[Solaris17]

Help. I am a stupid. My Sapphire Rx480 nitro try bios update via Windows. But vbios is damaged. System not booting. i'm flashed again backed up original vbios but I can't boot up.

This thread isnt for support requests, like the OP and previous posts mention.

 

[cdawall]

There is no switch on my card

I have that card yes there is. Try reading something about it

 

[gupsterg]

Help. I am a stupid. My Sapphire Rx480 nitro try bios update via Windows. But vbios is damaged. System not booting. i'm flashed again backed up original vbios but I can't boot up.

The card has two BIOS swap to the backup

There is no switch on my card

Spoiler

I have that card yes there is. Try reading something about it

Seems @Hobar is right.

SKU codes 11260-01 , 11260-07 , 11260-10 in specs show dual bios, these are cards with PCI-E power plug on rear. This is also true for SKU codes 11260-02, 11260-09.

SKU codes 11260-13, 11260-16 in specs show no dual bios, these are cards with PCI-E power plug on side. This is also true for SKU code 11260-20.

As advised open another thread @Hobar .