I HAVE MADE AN ODD DISCOVERY ABOUT SOME 9550 cores that could possibly help!

[car852]

I was checking out a review the other day for a card I had just bought. The Powercolor 9550 256MB. I've flashed it into a Powercolor 9600Pro @ 410core/440memory. While looking at the review of the 9550, I decided to check out the really huge close up of the 9550 core. I pulled out my old 9600NP 256MB and looked at the core very closely comparing the two. Besides the fact that one said R350 and one said 9550, there was a resistor that is in a different place. Could this possibly help anything in performance? Maybe a hardmod to unlock something, probably not pipelines of course, but possibly memory bandwidth leading to higher memory clocks? (Although the MIRA memory on the Powercolor 9550 is rated at 250, it seems that it'll only go up to 220. This might have something to do with how much bandwidth the core can take in.)

Could doing a hardmod to the 9550 core possibly unlock some bandwidth leading to higher memory clocks? If this is possible, why has no one discovered this except me?

Here is an image showing the 9550 core on a Powercolor 9550. I have outlined in red where the resistor is located and where it should be on a 9600.

 

[car852]

NOTE: I have not tried this because I only have this Radeon 9550 and I have no extra graphics card to use. I'm poor.

BTW, this is only one of my theories. Just something I thought about when I noticed the difference between the cores. Very interesting I'd say. Maybe someone will try to hardmod then OC to see if max OC for the memory or core changed at all.

 

[W1zzard]

yep thats exactly how the mod is done .. i took pictures of my 9550 core yesterday .. a writeup will follow in the next days

all you get is
a) overclocking lock disabled in catalyst
b) device id changes to 9600

 

[Dedodido]

why do people want to do that when they can just flash the bios?

 

[car852]

If you read my whole post, you'd notice that I said nothing about turning a 9550 into a 9600 by using the hardmod. I already flashed my BIOS in my 9550 to a 9600Pro. I was just curious, and wondering if maybe since the core is a little different, maybe hardmodding it into a true 9600 core will get better overclocks or maybe unlock memory bandwidth. (Because apparently the bandwidth is limited to the core, and because of this, the memory on my Powercolor 9550 is limited to overclock at 220MHZ when the RAM chips are rated at 250MHZ.)

 

[wazzledoozle]

If one were to solder the bridge, would you have to cut the other one?

 

[W1zzard]

are you sure it is the second resistor? someone with another 9600 says its the first resistor thats different

 

[wazzledoozle]

http://www.hardinfo.dk/art/site/pic/video/graphiccard/ati_radeon_9600_pro_reference/chip.jpg

He is right

I noticed another difference, pointed out here
http://www.geocities.com/wazzledoozle/difference2.JPG

 

[W1zzard]

those capacitors are just for stabilizing power .. hmm maybe the first row is for rv360 .. anybody got pics?

 

[wazzledoozle]

The RV360 has the almost the same resistor layout as the Radeon 9550
http://www.comexgroup.com/videosystem/video_cards/img_asus_r9600xt/chip_rv360.jpg

There are 2 resistors that are different at the bottom right (Pointed out by W1zzard)

Also, I just ordered some copper ramsinks from newegg, ill see if that gets me to the 250 MHz the ram si rated at.

 

[sweeper]

Not sure about all this hard modding. My Gigabyte R9550 will run @ 390 / 270 (stock: 250/200). Although not as fast as a 9600 Pro, it's a decent overclock without flashing the BIOS or Hard Modding.

Even if I wanted to flash the bios, gigabytes card will not allow for a flash. It's bios is locked. And yes I have tried every possible flash program , path, etc. It just won't flash.

 

[wazzledoozle]

Not sure about all this hard modding. My Gigabyte R9550 will run @ 390 / 270 (stock: 250/200). Although not as fast as a 9600 Pro, it's a decent overclock without flashing the BIOS or Hard Modding.

Even if I wanted to flash the bios, gigabytes card will not allow for a flash. It's bios is locked. And yes I have tried every possible flash program , path, etc. It just won't flash.

You probably need a new cooler, does your card currently have a fan or just a heatsink?

 

[W1zzard]

look at the 4 resistors below the line of 3

 

[wazzledoozle]

Here is a comparison shot, differences shown between RV350 and 9550-
http://www.geocities.com/wazzledoozle/compare2.JPG

Now who will solder these points on a 9550 and see what difference it makes?

 

[sweeper]

Not me.... don't think it will do much good unless you have a resister to put in there to solder.

 

[wazzledoozle]

Not me.... don't think it will do much good unless you have a resister to put in there to solder.

They are not actually resistors, they are bridges. Or I could be wrong. The capacitors on the top right arent moddable but just pointed out to show the difference.

W1zzard, do these bridges have to have a certain amount of conductivity? Also, if I were to solder to bridge on to middle right, would I have to cut the original connection?

 

[car852]

Crap. I just flashed my Powercolor 9550 to a 9600XT and now my computer is blank. Just to post I am using my PCI card. Does anyone know how to save a bad flashed card? I tried flashing but according to ATIFlash there is no ATI adapter. I have had this problem a couple of times with different cards and bad BIOS flashes. some can be saved, but others say there is no adapter. Anyone know how to save a card that according to the flash tool it isn't there?

 

[W1zzard]

wazzle: bridge = resistor .. resistance doesnt really matter .. common is something in the 1-4 k range so enough current flows but not too much .. adding a 0 ohm bridge on the other side should "override" the setting like with the 9800se hardmod .. i'll try afew things out tomorrow

 

[ati.bob]

I have downloaded the pictures and made a direct side-by-side comparison.. each difference between these two chips are marked with a different colour...

Red - 2 missing resistors
Green - Difference placement of resistors
Blue, Magenta - Looks like a laser cut, but in a different position between those two chips

 

[W1zzard]

the "laser" cut is too precise to be a laser cut .. i would just say its a new layout revision

the capacitors can not control anything .. i would just say its a new layout revision

i think the resistors are key .. naked 9550 board is already lying on my table waiting for the solder iron

 

[W1zzard]

i assume those pictures are coprighted from another site?

 

[ati.bob]

Err.. I don't think so.. I compiled it from the pictures linked by wazzledoozle..

 

[ati.bob]

the "laser" cut is too precise to be a laser cut .. i would just say its a new layout revision

the capacitors can not control anything .. i would just say its a new layout revision

i think the resistors are key .. naked 9550 board is already lying on my table waiting for the solder iron

Erm.. not sure about the laser cut.. looks like one from the pict..

Wow.. a 9550 card ready to be trashed.. Do post the results here W1zzard..!

 

[Dedodido]

o.o


let us all knwo how it goes!

 

[wazzledoozle]

Bob, also look at the lower right resistors. I missed that also