Guide to Radeon X800/X850 bios modding

[EngineD]

this is kinda off topic,but i have an question that's is bothering me for a wile,does any one have experienced crashes in windows with the X800 Chipset , specially with the GTO series, because my computer restarst and i don't know if the video card is the fault. It on PCI-E and what i know is that some mainboard vendors doesn't support some video cards with X800 GTO chipsets. Although my card has become an X850XT i've seen that the rate of reboots on my PC has come to a fairly 1-2 reboots once or 2 weeks.The GTO had at least 1 reboot at a 2-3 times a week, specially in games restarst the PC. can it be a faulty BIOS or hardware?

 

[ozzy]

my video card starts to crash after i made it 16 pipelines i try to make it again 12 pipeline with hex editor and winflash it doesnt go back it saysin winflash the bios already installed i changed the values in hex editor to 61 is there any other method???

 

[dolf]

my video card starts to crash after i made it 16 pipelines i try to make it again 12 pipeline with hex editor and winflash it doesnt go back it saysin winflash the bios already installed i changed the values in hex editor to 61 is there any other method???

The other method is flashing in DOS mode using atiflash and the following command line:

atiflash -f -p -newbios biosname.bin 0

 

[skippy258]

unlocking 16 pipes on R420 chip Powercolor ATI x800 Pro Non Vivo

Hi all I want to flash my bios and unlock the 16 pipes in my card if I have them.

I have read a few different ways of doing it but unsoldering parts can be touchy and just flashing a bios sounds more safe.

I pulled out my Powercolor x800 pro and removed the Heat sink and had a look at the GPU under the heat sink to see what it had written on the GPU, there was:

ATI Radeon x800
215RAACG11F
GCO5541
0429AA
TAIWAN

My graphics card is not a Vivo card Sticker specs on the graphics card was R42-PD3B

PowerColor Radeon X800 PRO 256MB R42-PD3B 256MB AGP 4x,8x CRT, DVI-I & TV-Out
(This Card is my card)
Link to all ATI cards Here: http://ati.amd.com/products/certified/tul.html

After that I installed RaBiT v2.2.0 and opened the backup bios from Atitool I made. When opening the file it come up with the CRC error then I saved the file in .rom and .txt now I followed your instructions and went to 0x000007A in hex editor on that point it had (2000) so the 2nd value was allready 0 = zero pixel pipeline quads disabled (16 pipelines enabled) so I did not have to change it. (Hex editor BIOS text file here)
So is this be right?
Click on thumb nail to view

Question, Is my GPU chip a R420 and if it is can I change it to a R480 ATI Bios

If I can flash this ATI GPU BIOS what bios do I use for my chip set?

*Powercolor.X800GT_R480_16P.256.Samsung20_050726.zip
http://forums.techpowerup.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1054&d=1131990444
This is the second revision of the Powercolor X800 GT bios, but modified to be identified as a Powercolor X800 GTO with an R480.

*Powercolor.X800GT_Evo_R480_16P.256.Samsung16_050726.zip
http://forums.techpowerup.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1269&d=1134096745
This is the bios for the Powercolor X800 GT Evo, modded to R480

*Powercolor.X800GT_R480_16P.256.Samsung20_050715.zip
http://forums.techpowerup.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1272&d=1134157032
This is the first revision Powercolor X800 GT bios, modded to R480

Click on thumb nail to view
When I run the Ati tool to do a core test I get this:

*Find Max Core started. Clocks set to: 474.43 / 445.50

*The highest it went was I Clocks set to: 569.25 / 445.50

*Also the system is running on Clocks set to: 525.00 core/ 549.00 memory no problems sitting on that clock speed yet..
Click on thumb nail to view
When I run the ATI tool and go into settings then look at overclocking, the spec's are this:

0x4A49: R420,Bus:2,Dev:0

Device ID.............................4A49
Chip Name............................R420
Host Interface.......................AGP
Catalyst Version....................7.4
Memory Size.........................256 MB
Memory Type........................DDR3
Memory Bus With...................256 Bit
Active Pipelines.....................12
Default Gpu Clock..................492.75 Mhz
Default Mem Clock.................452.25 Mhz
CONFIG_DIE_FUSES................0xFFF38FFF
CONFIG_SUBSTRATE_FUSES.....0xFFFFFF1E
CONFIG_ROM_FUSES...............0x20
GB_PIPE_SELECT....................0x12B84

Click on thumb nail to view

ATOMBIOSBK-ATI VER009.001.001.001 13A26101.103 117017 6929

Sorry do not know if I have 1.6ns or 2.0ns ram chips on the card. I can not tell as I have heat sinks glued to my ram chips on the ATI card but I do know they are samsung ram chips.

Attachments:

My computer specs:
cpuz2.txt 43919 bytes http://www.filebam.com/download/9793-6e568d/cpuz2.txt

My gpu bios made into a text file:
backup1_1.txt 213313 bytes http://www.filebam.com/download/9794-e4e45b/backup1_1.txt

My Graphics card specs:
GPU-Z specs.JPG 49075 bytes http://www.filebam.com/download/9797-9be417/GPU-Z specs.JPG

Code in Hex edit program:
Hex edit x800 Bios.GIF 76993 bytes http://www.filebam.com/download/9798-385d04/Hex edit x800 Bios.GIF

Frame rates and card temps:
AtiTool.JPG 49429 bytes http://www.filebam.com/download/9795-e8677c/AtiTool.JPG

Could someone tell me from the spec's given, if I am wasting my time trying to unlock the pipes on this graphics card.

Any info on this would be ever so grateful
Thanks Skippy258

Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting
Thanks to Filebam.com for Free File Hosting

 

[skippy258]

Hi again all,
I have been doing a bit of research on the R420 chip and x800 Pro and x800 XT and come up with some promising news on the matter so far it looks like my card is a under clock of a x800 xt of the earlier versions using the R420 chip.

If you have this chip and want to learn some stuff about the card I give this article a 10 out of 10.

ATI RADEON X800: R420 Totally Exposed
Category: Video
by Tim Tscheblockov , Alexey Stepin , Anton Shilov[ 05/04/2004 |
Pasted from http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/r420.html

It dose not say my card has 16 pipes but is a good 50/50 chance it is.
Plus now I have a good idea on what specs I have to look for in my driver I will look for old xt drivers first and go up from there.

ATI Radeon X800 XT (R420): Extreme force
By: Andrey Kuzin
Rus version: ATI Radeon X800 XT
Pasted from http://www.digital-daily.com/video/ati-radeon-x800xt/index03.htm

Some more good reading.

ATI R420 Chip Details
Pasted from http://www.beyond3d.com/resources/chip/63 Down the bottom of the page it has links to R420 x800 xxx series cards

Some x800 pro and x800 xt specs for the R420 chip set.

Click on thumb nail to view
Click on thumb nail to view

Because the fact my GPU model was one of the first pro versions to come out it might not run on some bios types this would have to do alot do with the change in architecture: versions R420/R423/R430/R480/R481.

ATI R420-based Boards
ATI Radeon X800 PRO 256MiB
ATI Radeon X800 XT Platinum Edition 256MiB
ATI All-In-Wonder X800 XT 256MiB
ATI Radeon X800 XT 256MiB
ATI Radeon X800 SE 256MiB
ATI FireGL X3-256 256MiB

If you find any more info or stumble on a xt driver that might work on this chip please let me know

Thanks again all Later Skippy

Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting
Thanks to Filebam.com for Free File Hosting

 

[jweir22]

X850 Pro Bios Help

Can someone tell me if this Bios is unlockable tried unlocking the pipes with a flash but didn't work.Thanks guys ATI X850 PRO

Device ID---------------------4B4B
Chip name--------------------R481
Host Interface----------------AGP
Catalyst Version-------------- 6.1
Memory Size------------------256 MB
Memory Type-----------------DDR3
Memory Bus Width------------256 Bit
Active Pipelines---------------12
Default GPU Clock-------------500 Mhz
Default Mem Clock------------500 Mhz
CONFIG_DIE_FUSES-----------0xFFFFDFFF
CONFIG_SUBSTRATE_FUSES---0xFFFFFF9E
CONFIG_ROM_FUSES----------0x861
GB_PIPE_SELECT--------------0xAD46

 

[dolf]

Can someone tell me if this Bios is unlockable tried unlocking the pipes with a flash but didn't work.Thanks guys ATI X850 PRO

Device ID---------------------4B4B
Chip name--------------------R481
Host Interface----------------AGP
Catalyst Version-------------- 6.1
Memory Size------------------256 MB
Memory Type-----------------DDR3
Memory Bus Width------------256 Bit
Active Pipelines---------------12
Default GPU Clock-------------500 Mhz
Default Mem Clock------------500 Mhz
CONFIG_DIE_FUSES-----------0xFFFFDFFF
CONFIG_SUBSTRATE_FUSES---0xFFFFFF9E
CONFIG_ROM_FUSES----------0x861
GB_PIPE_SELECT--------------0xAD46

Yes the BIOS can be unlocked but the core can't be .

 

[jweir22]

X850 Pro

So the 16 pipes can't be unlocked.Can it be done manually thru hex.Or a solder job.Thanks

 

[dolf]

So the 16 pipes can't be unlocked.Can it be done manually thru hex.Or a solder job.Thanks

No way. You stick with 12 pipes. Just overclock.

 

[bugmenot]

Anyone know where to buy the now discontinued Arctic Cooling ATI Silencer 5 Rev. 2?

I haven't been able to find it anywhere online.

Or perhaps there is a better product out that deprecates this?

My fan just recently has started making a whirling noise.

 

[jameskelsey]

Thats a great cooler,I had one on my X850 Pro.You probably wont find a new one anywhere but keep your eye out on ebay.There might be a Zalman that fits so check that out too.

 

[2in10ce]

Bad Pipes

I have a Sapphire X800 Pro VIVO AGP with 256Mb Samsung 1.6ns which was flashed to X800 Pro VIVO (16p). I'm experiencing tile effects in 3D games but 3DMark 2003 performs without problems. Do I have bad pipes and how can I determine which are bad? I've since flashed back to 113-A021607-100 from the database (my card p/n is 102 A021607 00)but still get the artifacts. I tried to follow a post by 'coodiggy' which was very informative but couldn't work out how he found the bad quad of pipes. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Wakou]

Confused, despite reading this....

I have a conundrum, and I hope that some of you ATI Guru's can help.
My card was sold as a Giga-Byte GV-RX80256D X800

On the Chip it says X800 Pro
Omega drivers report X800 GTO

The Chip says:
X800 Pro
R430
215RBCAKA11F
N17472.00
0508 AAP (Mfr date?)

Memory Chips are 2.0ns Samsung (256Mb, natch)
I cannot post any active results ATM as I have a corrupted BIOS, thanks to GigaByte's VGA Utility.I am thinking of flashing a X800XL BIOS, any thoughts, please?

 

[Hun]

Hey, Dudes!
I'll post you a copied text from thread "X800 fuses" that I wrote.

I've got an unbelivable problem. I flashed my Sapphire x800GTO/256/AGP/R430/1.6ns card to handle its 16P. It worked fine in a special case when flashed into AGPX850XT (failed) and then to PCI-EX800XL, because the BIOS of the Rialto bridge.
But!
After that I realized that the cooler's fan not works fine, exspecially when it runs 3D applications. Why? I thought the problem is probably caused by the BIOS flash. Maybe this bios is for a card with no external power input! That's why the AGP cannot power my card.
But!
When flashing again using Club3D's X800XL BIOS, it failed.
I tried to reflash, but now the ATIflash can't read the BIOS ROM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WTF?
I tried to get information about the adaptors in the system with command
atiflash -i and atiflash -ai, then the ATIflash made the floppy drive seeking, and then done nothing. Same problem when typing atiflash -t (tests access to VBIOS)
Please help me!

 

[Frogger]

try the moded flash rom here http://www.techpowerup.com/articles/overclocking/vidcard/100

 

[Hun]

Thanx, Frogger, but I'm sure, that modified flashrom is not for this problem.
I can describe the problem clearly, since I've downloaded flashrom:

There are 2 adapters should be detected by flashing utilities. In my case there is only one now.
Adapters should be: -no.0-Rialto bridge
-no.1.-GPU.

I think my current BIOS (which should be burned to the place no.1) can be found on the Rialto chip. And that's why the flashrom can't detect any other devices. (The second line which flashrom shows, created by "-"s,there is no detail, and the adapter number is "-", too.

I should be formatting the BIOS, I think, but it's not as easy as it seems.

 

[Frogger]

^^ so let me try to understand your prob you have 2 cards in 1 rig #0=pci-e/Rialto bridge chip-- x800GTO #1=AGPX850XT
you flashed both cards & now you can only 'see' the '0' card & not the #1 card ?right?
if above is true then it sounds like you flashed the AGP[#1] card with a pci-e bios:shadedshu
is that possible

 

[Frogger]

you might have to do this http://reference.techpowerup.com/Fixing_a_completely_gone_wrong_ATI_BIOS_flash
if you flashed the AGP[#1] card with a pci-e bios
have to go out on a service call will check back later

 

[Hun]

Not exactly... LOL!
I've got an AGP X800GTO only. This VGA contains 2 processors: a Rialto chip, and the GPU. The Rialto is a realtime AGP to PCI-E flashing unit or WTF. In the Radeon Xxxx, X1xxx, HD2xxx and HD3xxx series you can't find native AGP GPU-s, that's why they use Rialto chip.
Now the BIOS tries to control the Rialto chip instead of the GPU, and there is no GPU found.

 

[dolf]

In this case you have to prevent loading of the VGA BIOS. Doing this you will be able to see the core . Of course if everything else is OK. I didn't understand whether you can boot with your card installed or not?

 

[Hun]

Installed? Did you mean can I boot up with the card in my rig? Of course, not, the card produces not much than a black screen. It is in my AGP slot, and now I boot up with my old pci card. I think in this case the BIOS of the AGP card loads, too, cuz i can see the cores in flashig utilities. How can I prevent loading of the BIOS, and what can I do then?

 

[cc2918]

Hello, I've been eye-balling in techpowerup.. recently bought 2 computer for my lil bros.. and i'm using 1 of their v-card.. which is sapphire x800 vivo

Please help this newbie T_T I cant seem to flash my card to XT..
I tried using the bios from database.. after installing.. card changed the name to x800GT(500/500) in vista.
I checked ATI tool.. and only 12 pipes enabled..
can someone help me flashing right bios?

Card info
SAPPHIRE 100600SR Radeon X800PRO 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16

devide id : 5549
chip name : r423
host interface : pci-e
memory size : 256mb
memory type : gddr3
memory bus width : 256 Bit
active rop : 12
vertex shaders : 6
pixel shaders : 12
gpu clock : 475
memory clock : 450
die_fuses : 0xeff3dfff
substrate_fuses : 0xfffff71e
rom_fuses : 0x864
pipe select : 0xad96

its PCI-E if need more info, let me know. i believe chip is r423
1x vga 1x dvi 1x s-video

thanks.

going to test hex editor now =(

 

[Fahim]

Hi everyone,

I have an ASUS AX800 XL PCI-E card, the core is R430, The clocks are 400/100, and all the 16 pipes are working. However, it doesn't overclock even 10MHz more than the stock, and whenever I try running ATI Tool, it freezes the computer after 2 minutes. I replaced the cooler with ZEROtherm GX710 and used arctic cooling MX-2 paste, but still having the same problem. Any ideas anyone? please help. I want to overclock it to get close to XT or even XT PE speed.

 

[Hun]

Hi, Fahim!
I afraid that no one can help to fix your problem, because sometimes the R430 core doesn't manage overclocking at all. One of my X800s is overclockable by 25%, the other is "unoverclockable". Both have R430 GPU.

By the way you probably don't need to OC the GPU, because overcolcking of the RAM chips helps a lot more to hit higher FPS levels. (In 16p mode.)

 

[HopnDude]

I'm making a old rig (Athlon XP 3200+, DDR 333mhz 2x 512mb CL2, etc. etc. etc.) to load w/ games I grew up with, so my kids can play the way I did before I build them something modern.

I just obtained a X850 Pro that has the VIVO chip/connector next to 4 pin molex, and 16 branded memory chips. I also obtained a X700/X800 XT PE cooling assymbly.

I want to flash my X850 Pro to a X850 XT/XT PE....but none of the past links work. Can I just flash it using this rom file? https://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/576/ati-x850xt-256-samsung16-050118 and the atiflash utility?

If not, does anyone still have the vBIOS file archived that could share?!

Thanks