X800 GTO² to X850 XT BIOS Mod

[scorpion_amd13]

I want to mod an X800GT card. I've seen that no one managed to mod an X800GT so I'm going to take my chances. I'm going to buy a HIS or PowerColor Radeon X800GT with 256MB GDDR3/256 bits.

First of all, I've noticed that there are no X800GT cards equiped with the additional power connector, which would normally mean that a succesfull mod from X800GT to X850XT is impossible. I can't stop wondering, can't I just mount a connector on the PCB? I didn't find the answer to this question yet and I was hoping you could help out here. If I could get a power connector, can I mount it on the PCB?

The second problem is the BIOS. Can I use one of the modded BIOS versions presented at the begining of this article on a HIS/PowerColor X800GT with 256MB GDDR3/256 bits? Or would that be a mistake?

I was also thinking of buying an Arctic Cooling ATi Silencer 5 (Rev. 2) to cool the card.

What do you think?

 

[p0lly]

Rather focus on some optimised timings given by an XS member

Even if you lose some MHz, you'll win much more from decreasing latency

TRCDRD: 7
TRCDWR: 3
TRP: 5
TRAS: 13
TRRD: 4
TWR: 6
TR2W: CL+2
TW2R: 4
TR2R: USE TWR RULE
TR2R: 2
WR_LATENCY: 1.5
CAS_LATENCY: 7
CMD_LATENCY: 0
STR_LATENCY: WR LATENCY
REFRESH_RATE: 0x75
TRFC: 23

are these the optimized timings? are they slightly tweaked or fully (w/ stability of course)? what is the equivalent performance of the mem at stock timings... ie. with the lower clock speed but decreased latencies, what speed is it equal to at normal latencies?

IS THERE A THREAD DEDICATED TO THIS TOPIC??

 

[GreenBaron]

X800 vs. X850

I heard that the X800 cards do not support DirectX9 Shader 3.0. This seems true enough. But I also heard that X850 cards DO support Shader 3.0. Is this true?

If it is true, then how does this pertain to making a GTO2 into an X850 XTPE? If the XTPE can do Shader 3.0, is this because of the R480 chip? Then what would it take to make the GTO2 run Shader 3.0 --- would this be a reason to use the real XTPE bios?

IF the R480 supports this, do any other chips support Shader 3.0 also? The R423? -- Thinking of my GTO.

BTW:

Connect3D 12p GTO OC 540/540 - 5610 at 68 degrees 80% FAN. Athlon 64-3200+ eMachines. Pretty good for an EMACHINES!!! I'll flash to 16p later.

-GB

 

[GreenBaron]

Flashing Question

Everyone is mentioning to use a boot disk (so you are not in Windows XP) to do the BIOS flashing. This makes sense.

But what about using Safe Mode Command Prompt? Wouldn't this be just as good?

-GB

 

[Ombracol]

I heard that the X800 cards do not support DirectX9 Shader 3.0. This seems true enough. But I also heard that X850 cards DO support Shader 3.0. Is this true?

If it is true, then how does this pertain to making a GTO2 into an X850 XTPE? If the XTPE can do Shader 3.0, is this because of the R480 chip? Then what would it take to make the GTO2 run Shader 3.0 --- would this be a reason to use the real XTPE bios?

IF the R480 supports this, do any other chips support Shader 3.0 also? The R423? -- Thinking of my GTO.

BTW:

Connect3D 12p GTO OC 540/540 - 5610 at 68 degrees 80% FAN. Athlon 64-3200+ eMachines. Pretty good for an EMACHINES!!! I'll flash to 16p later.

-GB

I believe only the new ati cards x1800 etc support 3.0 shaders and certain nvidia

 

[Dynamic]

From gathering information throughout this forum i've came to a conclusion on attempting the mod on a Connect3D X800 GTO. First i'll try to see if the fuses match, then get on with the mod....

Method:
1)atiflash -s 0 c3dgto.bin (Save old bios)
2)atiflash -p 0 newbios.bin -newbios (X800 PRO VIVO 16PP Mod bios or GTO MOD [This Site])
If the second procedure doesn't work i'll do the force command....
3)atiflash -f -p 0 newbios.bin -newbios (Force flash with modded bios)
4)atiflash -f -p 0 c3dgto.bin (Flash back my original bios including the new 4 pipelines)
Reboot....
One thing i would like to make clear is that when i do use the "-newbios" to preserve bios settings the command comes after the bios and why? So that's what i'm going to do, flash it with a Connect3D X800 PRO VIVO 16pp bios modded with the -newbios command and then reflash my old original bios that i backed up before. I'll then reboot and go back into windows and hopefully everything works, if not....
1)reinstall ati drivers "5.10" and hopefully works...
If not....
Try to clear all my modded/unmodded bios with the specific command listed somewhere i have to find right now and reflash with original Bios. I'll then try Flashrom instead of Atiflash and do the same thing over...What do you guys stink?

 

[nick255]

From gathering information throughout this forum i've came to a conclusion on attempting the mod on a Connect3D X800 GTO. First i'll try to see if the fuses match, then get on with the mod....

Method:
1)atiflash -s 0 c3dgto.bin (Save old bios)
2)atiflash -p 0 newbios.bin -newbios (X800 PRO VIVO 16PP Mod bios or GTO MOD [This Site])
If the second procedure doesn't work i'll do the force command....
3)atiflash -f -p 0 newbios.bin -newbios (Force flash with modded bios)
4)atiflash -f -p 0 c3dgto.bin (Flash back my original bios including the new 4 pipelines)
Reboot....
One thing i would like to make clear is that when i do use the "-newbios" to preserve bios settings the command comes after the bios and why? So that's what i'm going to do, flash it with a Connect3D X800 PRO VIVO 16pp bios modded with the -newbios command and then reflash my old original bios that i backed up before. I'll then reboot and go back into windows and hopefully everything works, if not....
1)reinstall ati drivers "5.10" and hopefully works...
If not....
Try to clear all my modded/unmodded bios with the specific command listed somewhere i have to find right now and reflash with original Bios. I'll then try Flashrom instead of Atiflash and do the same thing over...What do you guys stink?

If your going to use the modified c3d bios, use the modified flashrom from the article instead of atiflash or you will end up with a black screen

 

[Dynamic]

nick255,
That's exactly what i was going to use on the first method. By the way, did you get my private message? Thank you again and in advance....

 

[Dynamic]

When you look at the page #4 on the mod site, now it's updated to:
Success 23 : 1 Failed (last update Oct 21 2005)
On which cards, GTO2 or GTO, or both? 1 fail, oh oh......

 

[nick255]

im quite interested in this faliure, because either the failed card doesnt have an R423 core or i dunno what.
I find it hard to believe ati started making R423 cores with 4 cut pipes just for connect3ds gto.
The other R423 cores currently are 16 piped apart from the one thats going in the x800 gt which has 8 pipes.... Though if the x800 gts can be modified to 12 pipes then i guess it could be this core turning up in c3d gto cards now

 

[Ombracol]

help

i think o lost my 4 pipelines when trying to flash the modified bios with higher oc now i get horrible 3dmark scores even after flashing with the moded bios i'm gonna try a spyware scan and reinstalling drivers but if anyone have any ideas help please

 

[Vario]

So do we know for sure if the connect3d x800 gto will unlock? The sapphire x800gto2 oem went out of my price range.

I am looking at this particular model http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814142052.

 

[Ombracol]

i think o lost my 4 pipelines when trying to flash the modified bios with higher oc now i get horrible 3dmark scores even after flashing with the moded bios i'm gonna try a spyware scan and reinstalling drivers but if anyone have any ideas help please

I am such an idiot i taught i had the gto on optimal performance but i had it on optimal quality

 

[mascaras]

my conect3d x800 GTO arrive next monday , then i will see if i can make de MOD or not.

 

[mascaras]

by now, who is the one who cant make the MOD (Success 23 : 1 Failed )????Strange

 

[Dynamic]

Yeah, who is the failure, SHOW YOURSELF...

 

[mascaras]

lolololol not for that , only to know what hapened , my GTO arrive monday now i have afraid

 

[Dynamic]

Damn, Newegg just took the OEM Gto2 $199 off it's charts, it's only selling the $279 retail, bastards! Okay, Directron and Zipzoomfly gto2 are out of stock, but they both have very nice prices, $214-$220? Okay, how many C3D Gto and Gto2 mod success owner here in this thread, SHOW YOURSELF!

 

[mascaras]

my conect3d already in store but only come to my house monday , then i post .

 

[Trevor]

Damn, Newegg just took the OEM Gto2 $199 off it's charts, it's only selling the $279 retail, bastards! Okay, Directron and Zipzoomfly gto2 are out of stock, but they both have very nice prices, $214-$220? Okay, how many C3D Gto and Gto2 mod success owner here in this thread, SHOW YOURSELF!

It's still there.
Search for "Sapphire X800" and scroll down. Just out of stock.

 

[Ombracol]

New record

So i flashed my card with the x850xtpe bios and did a fresh install of catalyst and since it thinks its a x850 it downloaded overdrive with catalyst a built in overclocker for those of you who did no know and achieved a personal best of 554/614 artifact free the only thing is fan does not start up unless you use atitool and set fan speed but you can exit afterwards and keep the fan running i have to read more into that problem i taught i saw something about the fan issue on previous posts but i like that oc tool in catalyst pretty neat dont need atitool hoging up extra resources

 

[DanishDevil]

So i flashed my card with the x850xtpe bios and did a fresh install of catalyst and since it thinks its a x850 it downloaded overdrive with catalyst a built in overclocker for those of you who did no know and achieved a personal best of 554/614 artifact free the only thing is fan does not start up unless you use atitool and set fan speed but you can exit afterwards and keep the fan running i have to read more into that problem i taught i saw something about the fan issue on previous posts but i like that oc tool in catalyst pretty neat dont need atitool hoging up extra resources

Ever heard of a period? Not bad results BTW. I've heard of fan problems with modding these cards to X850XTPEs. I'm ordering my Zalman V700CU tomorrow.

 

[Ombracol]

lol danish

 

[p0lly]

Ombracol,
do you have a power cable from your PSU to power your card, oe are you using the cable that was supplied with your card? Some people think that the three wire connector that comes with the card may be the culprit vs. the six wire connector that comes with certain PSU's.

 

[2BIG4U]

http://www.allstarshop.com/shop/product.asp?pid=12993#
this is the right card? because i want to order.