The 4870 "2D Low", GPU voltage/Memory clock rate Bios Thread

[Risco]

Found a new sapphire bios, think it is for the VIVO version?

http://us.sapphiretech.com/driver/478.zip

 

[backfeed]

Actually of all of them 550/200/1.083 where the memory is set lower, gives lower temps for the memory which is the hottest part on this cards, so I recommend using these settings since you'll have roughly the same consumption.

I agree. I used to run 160/225/1.083 idle, but I found that 160 MHz on the GPU is too low, atleast for x264 video playback which would artifact like crazy. Going up to 500 MHz on the GPU solved the artifacting problem and as all tests have shown the power consumption did not increase. 200 MHz on the memory instead of 225 works just fine though and lowered the power consumption about half a watt or so.

P.S. On September 26/08, Sapphire realesed a new bios for the 4870, I have applied my mods and currently testing it, if no problems are found...I will post it.

I had a go at that one, it seems to be made specifically for the Sapphire 4870 512 MB I have (the P/N and SKU# listed by Sapphire match exactly with mine).

I had to force-flash it with atiflash to get it in, since the BIOS version string doesn't match. That done, it seemed to work just fine, up until CCC gets loaded in Windows and I get a black screen + reboot. I uninstalled Catalyst completely, rebooted, installed Catalyst (8.9) again, but the same black screen + reboot.

I guess it has something to do with Powerplay; when it's activated, the new BIOS causes some sort of major fuck-up.

Does it work for anybody else?

The new BIOS has new Powerplay states, one for when the GPU is overheated and state 3 has changed into "Accelerated 3D", whatever that really means in practice.

EDIT:

I installed the Catalyst 8.10 driver today and hey presto, the black screen + reboot seems to be gone! I haven't dared try it with Catalyst Control Center (which I don't need anyway, ATT replaces it for all my needs), but the surefire way to cause the crash before was by starting HWMonitor with GPU polling turned on, and after switching from Catalyst 8.9 to 8.10 this never happens anymore!

Hence, it seems there was some odd problem with 8.9 that only manifested itself with the updated Sapphire 4870 bios, and perhaps only just for me. In any case, I'm a happy camper now.

 

[Fastmix]

I agree. I used to run 160/225/1.083 idle, but I found that 160 MHz on the GPU is too low, atleast for x264 video playback which would artifact like crazy. Going up to 500 MHz on the GPU solved the artifacting problem and as all tests have shown the power consumption did not increase. 200 MHz on the memory instead of 225 works just fine though and lowered the power consumption about half a watt or so.



I had a go at that one, it seems to be made specifically for the Sapphire 4870 512 MB I have (the P/N and SKU# listed by Sapphire match exactly with mine).

I had to force-flash it with atiflash to get it in, since the BIOS version string doesn't match. That done, it seemed to work just fine, up until CCC gets loaded in Windows and I get a black screen + reboot. I uninstalled Catalyst completely, rebooted, installed Catalyst (8.9) again, but the same black screen + reboot.

I guess it has something to do with Powerplay; when it's activated, the new BIOS causes some sort of major fuck-up.

Does it work for anybody else?

The new BIOS has new Powerplay states, one for when the GPU is overheated and state 3 has changed into "Accelerated 3D", whatever that really means in practice.

That's strange mine has a different P/N number but I applied the mods and tested it and it works just fine, actually I was getting some game crushes on Need for speed most wanted and now are fixed, so I am posting the new modded bios, it will also be attached to my signature, this new bios adds a thermal power state which means that if the GPU is too hot it brings the clock down to 550/200/1.083, I don't know if this feature works on the first batch of 4870, I have tried running Furmark to see what happens when the card overheat, but the temperature never goes past 74.

If anyone decides to try it...please post your feedback, thanks.

P.S. Yes you need to force flash it....use [atiflash -f -p 0 Sapow.bin]

 

[backfeed]

That's strange mine has a different P/N number but I applied the mods and tested it and it works just fine, actually I was getting some game crushes on Need for speed most wanted and now are fixed, so I am posting the new modded bios ...

I had a go at your modded bios but the same thing happens; black screen + reboot as soon as CCC loads.

It might be that my card is flawed, or perhaps it's because I don't use the fan connector on the card? If so, Sapphire must have added some crappola to the BIOS that crashes if there's no fan, which would be rather amusing.

I might try reconnecting the fan if I can squeeze the cable in under my Accelero S1, and see what happens...

I've now tried just about everything (except connecting a fan since that's just ridiculous), and the only thing I've actually managed to do is to brick CCC - it now refuses to recognize my card and won't start. Heh. The drivers work though. I guess I'll just give up on this for now...

 

[Fastmix]

I had a go at your modded bios but the same thing happens; black screen + reboot as soon as CCC loads.

It might be that my card is flawed, or perhaps it's because I don't use the fan connector on the card? If so, Sapphire must have added some crappola to the BIOS that crashes if there's no fan, which would be rather amusing.

I might try reconnecting the fan if I can squeeze the cable in under my Accelero S1, and see what happens...

Where is your fan connected, because you could try setting the fan speed in the lock up table all to 0, that's if your fan is not connected directly to the card.

 

[azazyl]

That's strange mine has a different P/N number but I applied the mods and tested it and it works just fine, actually I was getting some game crushes on Need for speed most wanted and now are fixed, so I am posting the new modded bios, it will also be attached to my signature, this new bios adds a thermal power state which means that if the GPU is too hot it brings the clock down to 550/200/1.083, I don't know if this feature works on the first batch of 4870, I have tried running Furmark to see what happens when the card overheat, but the temperature never goes past 74.

If anyone decides to try it...please post your feedback, thanks.

P.S. Yes you need to force flash it....use [atiflash -f -p 0 Sapow.bin]

Hi.I have a gigabyte reference 4870 and i have flashed your modded bios. It works great with temperatures but i have crushes in specific games like Devil May Cry 4. Does this new bios work with my 4870?

 

[Fastmix]

Hi.I have a gigabyte reference 4870 and i have flashed your modded bios. It works great with temperatures but i have crushes in specific games like Devil May Cry 4. Does this new bios work with my 4870?

If my other bios worked, this one will work as well, I am just not sure if the new power state works on the original reference cards.

 

[Fastmix]

4870 Thermal state bios

I have made another little change to the thermal bios feel free to use it....and post your feedback.

This is what you have in this bios...

ATI PowerPlay (BIOS)
State #1 GPU: 750 MHz, Memory: 900 MHz (Boot)
State #2 GPU: 550 MHz, Memory: 900 MHz (Powersaving)
State #3 GPU: 750 MHz, Memory: 900 MHz (UVD)
State #4 GPU: 750 MHz, Memory: 900 MHz (3D)
State #5 GPU: 550 MHz, Memory: 200 MHz (Thermal)

 

[EastCoasthandle]

OP updated
Is that for reference or non reference boards?

 

[sirbaili]

Hi.
I have Reference Gigabyte Card.

I wanted powerplay feature enabled - so I've flashed to asus top bios + 200/250 2D power saving feature with no screen flickering.

It worked like charm with catalyst 8.7 driver - but when upgraded to catalyst 8.9 - it would boot up with the setting 800/250 no matter what I have put in the bios: like Boot=200GPU/250Mem.
Is there any WorkAround with this particular Problem.

Any Help is appreciated.

 

[Fastmix]

OP updated
Is that for reference or non reference boards?

I am using it on reference, however the thermal state is still experimental.

 

[Fastmix]

Hi.
I have Reference Gigabyte Card.

I wanted powerplay feature enabled - so I've flashed to asus top bios + 200/250 2D power saving feature with no screen flickering.

It worked like charm with catalyst 8.7 driver - but when upgraded to catalyst 8.9 - it would boot up with the setting 800/250 no matter what I have put in the bios: like Boot=200GPU/250Mem.
Is there any WorkAround with this particular Problem.

Any Help is appreciated.

Can you explain a little more is it a 4870 or 4850, the driver shouldn't affect what the bios says, if it worked on 8.7 it should work on 8.9.

 

[LuxZg]

I will pretend I never read that!

Thank you for being so helpfull :shadedshu

I guess at least you've explaind it in the later posts where you mention this new "thermal state".

 

[H82LUZ73]

Recently I learned that a new bios was out for my 4870 Sapphire blue pcb, I quote:

And if you have bios ver: 11.006.000.003.000000 of 24/07/2008 is a bios Bugged for some games that do not guzzle 3D. (crash and reboot hard on spore or css eg)
If you SKU 11133-00-20R on your label on the box rather put it this bios

This bios is in my 2 cards and runs fine.My cards are a Sapphire and Palit reference boards.

 

[LuxZg]

OK, so a question about the latest official BIOS that is available on Sapphire site (direct link)...

As much as I've understood from the posts above:
a) obviously works for all reference boards - no matter which P/N or board maker
b) it has this new "thermal" mode

But what I want to check is - it too has support for 1,083V right "out of the box", just like the old "-105" BIOS that was leaked few months ago? And can this be changed "on the fly" with ATT just like with -105 BIOS? If so, than there is no need to additionaly enable this in RBE, right? I just wanted to double check.. Because than I'll probably flash this BIOS on my reference Club3D board, just to get this new "thermal" state and perhaps see if there is anything else new in it..

 

[H82LUZ73]

I was going to try fastmix new bios here then try the new Sapphire stock ..

Arg
Just spent 2 hours trying the bios out only discover i had a hacked up C:\ from combat arms game just restored the drive....will try again when i did the CCC was not starting works now from the backup image files.

 

[leifeinar]

I need some help here with my bios editing. Got a powercolor "pcs" 512 mb. have been working on a powerplay bios, but the card keeps jumping from 2D to 3D settings. from 500 to 800 mhz and from 1,083V to 1,26V and is doing this every second, leaving me with no powersavings

any sugestions??

 

[Fastmix]

I need some help here with my bios editing. Got a powercolor "pcs" 512 mb. have been working on a powerplay bios, but the card keeps jumping from 2D to 3D settings. from 500 to 800 mhz and from 1,083V to 1,26V and is doing this every second, leaving me with no powersavings

any sugestions??

Download the first bios attached to my signature and use the same fields for lower and higher values on your bios, I think your 3d has mixed values, that is why is jumping from low to high and from high to low.

 

[Fastmix]

OK, so a question about the latest official BIOS that is available on Sapphire site (direct link)...

As much as I've understood from the posts above:
a) obviously works for all reference boards - no matter which P/N or board maker
b) it has this new "thermal" mode

But what I want to check is - it too has support for 1,083V right "out of the box", just like the old "-105" BIOS that was leaked few months ago? And can this be changed "on the fly" with ATT just like with -105 BIOS? If so, than there is no need to additionaly enable this in RBE, right? I just wanted to double check.. Because than I'll probably flash this BIOS on my reference Club3D board, just to get this new "thermal" state and perhaps see if there is anything else new in it..

Yes it does support 1.083 just like the 105 variant.

 

[sirbaili]

Hi FastMix.
I Have A Gigabyte HD4870 Reference card.

 

[leifeinar]

Download the first bios attached to my signature and use the same fields for lower and higher values on your bios, I think your 3d has mixed values, that is why is jumping from low to high and from high to low.

no, it was the first thing i did. tried 15 variations of my bios. even tried setting all exept 3 and 9 @ 500/1,086V.

setting either 3 or 9 lower it want clock up in 3d mode (as it should). might it be that i have a none reference card? powercolor "pcs"?

and i cant flash with your bios?

its to bad, at IDLE it draws 160W, but at @ 1,083V it draws 20W less (system)

thanks for helping

 

[Fastmix]

Hi FastMix.
I Have A Gigabyte HD4870 Reference card.

How is it that you had no flickering, can you post your modded bios so we can take a look a it.

 

[gjweb]

Where is your fan connected, because you could try setting the fan speed in the lock up table all to 0, that's if your fan is not connected directly to the card.

i have the same problem with a sapphire ref board and no fan (watercooling), crash when the CCC load.

I tried to change the fan setting with rbe like you said, but this does not solve the problem

 

[Fastmix]

i have the same problem with a sapphire ref board and no fan (watercooling), crash when the CCC load.

I tried to change the fan setting with rbe like you said, but this does not solve the problem

In that case, the only other solution that I can think of..is to install only the driver manually from the device manager.

 

[ultimate11]

same problem here , i tried to put 500/200@1.083 within bios but when i enter windows / the clocks are diff.. what am i doing wrong