MSI R6950 Twin Frozr III flashing

[NightShadow]

Well, here's my story: I tried to flash the new MSI BIOS. It bricked the card. Nada. Black screen. So I switched to the backup BIOS and found this site. Tried the simple update from here. Box poped up saying I had successfully updated the card to the same firmware it already had on it. Rebooted. Nothing. Still a brick. Tried to reflash the stock firm. Nope. Brick.

I don't get it. The flasher says it was a good flash. It is the correct card. Correct firmware.
The card seems dead but only with the switch in position #1. Works fine in #2, just not as fast as I'd like it.

I did the same but found a way to restore it (I know I'm late on the topic, but someone might read this and find it useful)

1st, you will need a "dos bootable usb drive" (google it, it usually uses files from win98..)
2nd, copy the files from msi to this usb drive (http://www.vortez.net/articles_pages/msi_r6950_twin_froz_iii_power_edition_unlocking,1.html) -- click "download the BIOS here"
3rd, set the bios switch to 2 (backup that works)
4th, boot computer from usb drive
5th, change bios switch to 1 (the bricked one)
6th, follow the two steps from MSI (cd\ati389, then, atiflash -p -f 0 r6950pex.bin)
7th UNBRICKED restart computer

Sadly, this only means your card was lasercut and you can't unlock the shaders. On the other hand, in doing this you have successfully unlocked the max clocks, you can now boost it up to 1300MHz gpu and 1600 for the memory (though I don't really recommend it!)
4th,

 

[Slacker]

Den Sorte Los, thank you very much for the script. it worked like a charm. I was very hesitant about unlocking my card because it was a gift of mine by my gf back in december. i wanted performance but dont want to buy a new card. I actually, accidently flashed my card. i was reading this post and the instructions and i clicked the flash to 6970 bat.file. then it said to press any button to quit, so i did then it just started to flash. i was freaking out because i dont want a bricked card and my gf would flip out. but it works! i got the 1536 shaders and the whole 6970 specs, except for the speeds. My card was made in sept. 2011 thanks again Den Sorte Los

 

[TikiThorsen]

Hello, hopefully someone can help me with my issue;
After flashing and unlocking my MSI R6950 Twin Frozr III Power Edition/OC successfully I launch MSI Afterburner, unlock the voltage control as "extended MSI" set the "graphics processor type" to 1150mv, power Limit is at +20, configure the clocks to what a 6970 would be; 880/1375 and is stable while gaming and on Heaven Benchmark.

Now the problem is that any core clock higher then 880MHz becomes unstable (video drivers resets/game locks up ) and also I can't increase the voltage (I will not bother to play with the memory clock until I get a stable core clock).
So I do the logical thing and raise the core voltage to 1.200v and set the core clock to 900MHz and is still unstable.
I was about to give up hope to overclocking the GPU when by checking with AIDA64/HWMONITOR/HWINFO/OHM notice that the core voltage on load/performance NEVER changes from 1.150v even when is set to 1.300v on Afterburner and it the voltage monitor in AF is does show 1.300v (Using the Catalyst 15.7.1)

Things I have tried:
Changed back to "silent mode" with the BIOS switch of the GPU (which is the stock bios, not unlocked) and I have the same problem as described above.
AMD Uninstaller and do a clean install of all drivers.
Uninstall and Reinstall MSI Afterburner and changing around every single option in AF, nothing works.
Even went as far as doing a clean install of Windows 7 to no avail, the same problem persist. (Same drivers)

 

[eidairaman1]

@Tatty_One, @cdawall, @Law-II

It's possible the voltage controller is not programmable or not able to step up and down in volts.

 

[Tatty_Two]

@Tatty_One, @cdawall, @Law-II

It's possible the voltage controller is not programmable or not able to step up and down in volts.

If the option for voltage control is enabled in MSI AB that's normally an indicator that it is programmable. It could be something at the Bios level preventing the Op for holding the voltage, the only thing I can think of that could help is modding the 3D voltage in RBE and trying a flash...... obviously there is a risk there BUT if the Op chooses to go down that route please do not at the same time raise the 3D clocks because if the voltage won't hold the higher base clock will cause the card to brick, try voltage first and if it holds then raise core clock in AB.

 

[eidairaman1]

If the option for voltage control is enabled in MSI AB that's normally an indicator that it is programmable. It could be something at the Bios level preventing the Op for holding the voltage

That's what I meant by programmable or not. Yeah RBE could be used hopefully.

Definitely back up the bios before modding anything and keep it in a safe spot lol

 

[TikiThorsen]

Hi, thanks for your replies.
I have "experience" with modding BIOS's with RBE, I modified the clocks and voltages and flashed my 5770 a lot of times without any issues. I have no problem doing it now since this card has a dual BIOS with a switch (already test it).
What really ticks me off is that if its unlocked in AB and being a custom overclocking card from MSI... why the heck does it not work? :S

 

[TikiThorsen]

Also, with AB not running (and voltages not unlocked) I get this readings from GPU-Z:

And with AB running (and unlocked voltage) i get this readings:

Could it be a driver issue?
Would it help if I give you a screenshot of the bios as shown in RBE?

 

[eidairaman1]

Also, with AB not running (and voltages not unlocked) I get this readings from GPU-Z:

And with AB running (and unlocked voltage) i get this readings:

Could it be a driver issue?
Would it help if I give you a screenshot of the bios as shown in RBE?

You could try asking the afterburner engineers at MSI on that even.

 

[Tatty_Two]

Maybe it is holding, if I remember rightly, once I unlocked my old 6950 she became very intolerant of any decent overclocks, MSI may have cut down the PCB and/or phases for the lower power draw 6950 and those extra shaders are maybe taking their toll, voltage or not.

 

[TikiThorsen]

Maybe it is holding, if I remember rightly, once I unlocked my old 6950 she became very intolerant of any decent overclocks, MSI may have cut down the PCB and/or phases for the lower power draw 6950 and those extra shaders are maybe taking their toll, voltage or not.

That could be it, yes... but I double-checked and have the same problem with the stock ROM.

So, short of modding the BIOS with RBE I'm out of luck?

 

[Tatty_Two]

Unless you can find on the interweb others with the same card and issues who managed to solve it, at least you have more performance out of the card with the extra shaders.

 

[TikiThorsen]

Modding the BIOS (tired around 4) is pointless too, dosent work or it directly messes the clocks/voltages and they get stuck at idle clock and 1.000v ALWAYS.
I will have to conform with a stock 6970 performance

 

[eidairaman1]

Modding the BIOS (tired around 4) is pointless too, dosent work or it directly messes the clocks/voltages and they get stuck at idle clock and 1.000v ALWAYS.
I will have to conform with a stock 6970 performance

That or restore the card to 6950, change the thermal compound on the gpu, thermal pads on ram and vrm circuitry and just overclock it.

 

[TikiThorsen]

That or restore the card to 6950, change the thermal compound on the gpu, thermal pads on ram and vrm circuitry and just overclock it.

Sadly thats no an option either, since the BIOS it came with and 3 other stock 6950 bios I tried have the same problem with the voltage control and overclocking.
Also already did a full clean up of the card, applied MX-4 but dint change the thermal pads since I font currently have any to replace them with)

 

[eidairaman1]

Sadly thats no an option either, since the BIOS it came with and 3 other stock 6950 bios I tried have the same problem with the voltage control and overclocking.
Also already did a full clean up of the card, applied MX-4 but dint change the thermal pads since I font currently have any to replace them with)

Sounds like it is time to buy a new card