Thursday, August 6th 2015

Some AMD GCN GPU Disabled Stream Processors Unlockable via Software

This is big. A new software is doing rounds on the forumscape, with lets you check exactly which GCN compute units (CUs) were disabled by AMD to carve out your "Pro" SKU graphics card (eg: R9 Fury non-X, R9 390, R9 285, etc.), and if you're lucky, re-enable some of those disabled CUs via a good old fashioned soft-mod. Called CUINFO, developed by OCN Forums member tx12, the tool has seen some success in unlocking disabled CUs in graphics cards based on "Fiji," "Hawaii," and "Tonga" chips.

The success is limited probably because AMD appears to be using two methods to disable CUs - laser-cutting them, and through firmware. Even in chips that let you unlock, you may not unlock all CUs, since some are genuinely damaged and disabled as part of the harvesting process, to maximize yield. There are no telltale signs of which chips let you unlock and which don't, and so you'll be playing a lottery. Cards with re-enabled CUs have shown increased performance, confirming that the soft-mod is real.
Sources: OCN Forums, SweClockers, VideoCardz
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43 Comments on Some AMD GCN GPU Disabled Stream Processors Unlockable via Software

#26
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
AquinusI don't think the 390 GAMING has a BIOS switch and I'm not prepared to brick it when I'm not even running it 100% in most cases. I tend to be more cautious however I've read some interesting posts on updating not only to unlock CUs but to enforce lower timings at higher frequencies on the VRAM. Of course this all sounds interesting but, I'm not prepared to potentially brick my new toy just yet. :)
run the program to see if yours can unlock without actually flashing it then.
Posted on Reply
#27
Ruru
S.T.A.R.S.
AquinusI remember when I could turn on/off pixel and vertex pipelines simply by clicking checkboxes in RivaTuner back in the day. Too bad things aren't so simple anymore. :p
Remember soft-modding those GF 6800/6800LE cards with Rivatuner back in the day :)
Posted on Reply
#28
yogurt_21
9700 ProRemember soft-modding those GF 6800/6800LE cards with Rivatuner back in the day :)
the X800 GTO/(GTO^2) put this site on the map back in the day. we had the best guides for it. Get the right 250$ X800 GTO 256MB, do a soft mod or bios flash and BAM it's a 500$ X850XT.

The gamble always seems to be one gamers are willing to take. I will miss the Built By ATI warranty though. V modded and destroyed 3 X700 Pros and they replaced it each time.
Posted on Reply
#29
_larry
My XFX R9 290 is laser cut. Damn...No X for me...
Posted on Reply
#30
Aquinus
Resident Wat-man
Musselsrun the program to see if yours can unlock without actually flashing it then.
I totally missed the download link and wish I hadn't this morning. I'll test it out when I get home. Even if it thinks there are unlockable CUs, I don't want to flash the BIOS because I have no switch so there is potential to brick it I think. Once again, I would rather be cautious.

Edit: Mussels, if you read the link it says this tool only detects if there are potentially unlockable CUs, not to actually unlock them.
Posted on Reply
#31
GhostRyder
AquinusI don't think the 390 GAMING has a BIOS switch and I'm not prepared to brick it when I'm not even running it 100% in most cases. I tend to be more cautious however I've read some interesting posts on updating not only to unlock CUs but to enforce lower timings at higher frequencies on the VRAM. Of course this all sounds interesting but, I'm not prepared to potentially brick my new toy just yet. :)
Unfortunate they no longer have that on those :(
AquinusI totally missed the download link and wish I hadn't this morning. I'll test it out when I get home. Even if it thinks there are unlockable CUs, I don't want to flash the BIOS because I have no switch so there is potential to brick it I think. Once again, I would rather be cautious.

Edite: Mussels, if you read the link it says this tool only detects if there are potentially unlockable CUs, not to actually unlock them.
Yea I was more meaning to check if you could because it would be fun to have an R9 390X for the price of an 390.
Posted on Reply
#32
Aquinus
Resident Wat-man
GhostRyderYea I was more meaning to check if you could because it would be fun to have an R9 390X for the price of an 390.
Yeah, not this one. That settles that. :p
Posted on Reply
#33
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
AquinusI totally missed the download link and wish I hadn't this morning. I'll test it out when I get home. Even if it thinks there are unlockable CUs, I don't want to flash the BIOS because I have no switch so there is potential to brick it I think. Once again, I would rather be cautious.

Edit: Mussels, if you read the link it says this tool only detects if there are potentially unlockable CUs, not to actually unlock them.
bad wording aside, i was aware of that. the tool lets you detect if your card can be unlocked, and they've got various links to modded BIOS'es to flash to unlock if you desire.
Posted on Reply
#35
ur6beersaway
Didn't we go through with this shyt with the 6950..unlock shaders to 6970? Wow here we go again.......
Posted on Reply
#36
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
ur6beersawayDidn't we go through with this shyt with the 6950..unlock shaders to 6970? Wow here we go again.......
why is it 'shyt' ? isnt this a good thing for experienced OCers?
Posted on Reply
#37
Cool Vibrations
Musselswhy is it 'shyt' ? isnt this a good thing for experienced OCers?
It's not "shyt" at all.

He's probably a disgruntled Nvidia buyer and is sad his company offers their consumers absolutely no chance in hell to in unlocking their cards. It plays out perfectly since they're all overpriced.
Posted on Reply
#38
Athlonite
Ohwell :ohwell: never mind


Adapters detected: 1
Card #1 PCI ID: 1002:6939 - 1043:0486
DevID [6939] Rev [00] (1), memory config: 0x500013A9 Elpida
Tonga-class chip with 8 compute units per Shader Engine
SE1 hw/sw: FF010001 / 00000000 [.......x]
SE2 hw/sw: FF010001 / 00000000 [.......x]
SE3 hw/sw: FF010001 / 00000000 [.......x]
SE4 hw/sw: FF010001 / 00000000 [.......x]
28 of 32 CUs are active. HW locks: 4 (R/O) / SW locks: 0 (R/W).
Sorry, all 4 disabled CUs can't be unlocked by BIOS replacement.

:cry:
Posted on Reply
#39
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
my 290 arrives today, cant wait to test the program out
Posted on Reply
#40
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
MysteoaI will come back when the make Cherry Slim keys.
... wrong thread?
Posted on Reply
#41
Ruru
S.T.A.R.S.
yogurt_21the X800 GTO/(GTO^2) put this site on the map back in the day. we had the best guides for it. Get the right 250$ X800 GTO 256MB, do a soft mod or bios flash and BAM it's a 500$ X850XT.

The gamble always seems to be one gamers are willing to take. I will miss the Built By ATI warranty though. V modded and destroyed 3 X700 Pros and they replaced it each time.
That was a popular card here in Finland those days :)
Posted on Reply
#42
Aquinus
Resident Wat-man
So, has anyone with Hawaii/Granada actually found their CUs to be enableable?
Posted on Reply
#43
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
AquinusSo, has anyone with Hawaii/Granada actually found their CUs to be enableable?
no luck for me :(
Posted on Reply
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