How-to: Pencil mod your HD 3870!

[Thrackan]

for resistance, measure Ohms... symbol is like an O with an opened bottom

 

[decmasta]

thanks for the quick response, has anyone here modded the visiontek version?

and im pretty sure it was Ohms i was trying to measure in...

 

[Random Murderer]

thanks for the quick response, has anyone here modded the visiontek version?

and im pretty sure it was Ohms i was trying to measure in...

if it's on a reference pcb, it doesn't matter what manufacturere it is. is there any way you could post a pic of the back of the card?

 

[Wile E]

thanks for the quick response, has anyone here modded the visiontek version?

and im pretty sure it was Ohms i was trying to measure in...

If your multimeter was set to kV, you were trying to measure kilovolts (aka: volts x 1000).

You need this symbol to measure resistance/ohms: Ω

 

[Thrackan]

Ok, so the Asus non-reference 3870 is out of the case for a good while now. If anyone (RM?) is interested in up-close and personal pics of the entire PCB, front and back, give a shout.

 

[Cold Storm]

I shout! Come on, we need those hi-res pron pictures!!!

 

[Random Murderer]

yes, please.
even if you don't use yours anymore, if i can come up with a voltmod for it, it will help others.

 

[Thrackan]

I'll get shooting tomorrow, macro sucks without daylight.

 

[microbious]

Please Help

i used winflash2002 with RV670 XT.bin bios for my HD 3870 X2 to flash but i did not do any electrical or soldering work.
My video card does not display anything anymore after reboot.
$ 500.00 OH MY GOD please help.

Someone please send me original bios and maybe ATIWinflash.exe command line to program default bios ?
I still have another video card but its not crossfire, so i think that i could make a batch and than activate it blindly navigating in my computer.

 

[Random Murderer]

i used winflash2002 with RV670 XT.bin bios for my HD 3870 X2 to flash but i did not do any electrical or soldering work.
My video card does not display anything anymore after reboot.
$ 500.00 OH MY GOD please help.

Someone please send me original bios and maybe ATIWinflash.exe command line to program default bios ?
I still have another video card but its not crossfire, so i think that i could make a batch and than activate it blindly navigating in my computer.

as stated in the first post, the bios files and tools i posted are not for the x2.
i'm sorry, but as i have never used a 3870x2, i don't have the knowledge to help. what i do know is that the x2 uses two bios files and they need to match. i also know that the bios files used are specific to the x2.
you may have killed your card. i suggest opening a new thread and asking for help there.

sorry i can't be of more assistance.

 

[troyrae360]

i used winflash2002 with RV670 XT.bin bios for my HD 3870 X2 to flash but i did not do any electrical or soldering work.
My video card does not display anything anymore after reboot.
$ 500.00 OH MY GOD please help.

Someone please send me original bios and maybe ATIWinflash.exe command line to program default bios ?
I still have another video card but its not crossfire, so i think that i could make a batch and than activate it blindly navigating in my computer.

Hey mate
Do you still need those bios? i can extract mine if you want

 

[microbious]

i managed to run both old one and the one i just flashed bios (the 3870 X2)
Thanks to old one i can type this message LOL.
I noticed with both cards inside computer i can see them in display properties but i can only flash the one am using right now.
Anyway that i could flash another one while using this one if they are both connected and installed ?
winflash2002 can only see old one and does not see the 3870 X2 that i want to flash with default bios.

 

[microbious]

yes please share your bios with me or email it at dirty@adrenalineparty.com
Make sure its RADEON HD 3870 X2 very important to match.
Thanks

 

[sneekypeet]

fellas please continue this line of conversation here.... http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=90520

Also I wouldn't leave that address out there too long

 

[troyrae360]

ok then, do you want me to Overclock and set the fan or would you rather do all that yourself?

 

[microbious]

if your settings are safe than sure go ahead.

 

[Thrackan]

Rapidshare: Click

I've left all pics uncompressed and unedited for maximum viewing pleasure.
If someone can host it at a place where it can be downloaded more than 10 times, they have my full blessing to do so.
Also, these pictures may be used freely when used for the purpose of learning or teaching how the Asus EAH3870/G/HTDI/512M/A works, or graphics cards in general for that matter.

I claim "it was in plain sight" if anyone is concerned about Asus' rights in this matter

 

[Random Murderer]

Rapidshare: Click

I've left all pics uncompressed and unedited for maximum viewing pleasure.
If someone can host it at a place where it can be downloaded more than 10 times, they have my full blessing to do so.
Also, these pictures may be used freely when used for the purpose of learning or teaching how the Asus EAH3870/G/HTDI/512M/A works, or graphics cards in general for that matter.

I claim "it was in plain sight" if anyone is concerned about Asus' rights in this matter

i'll have a look.

 

[kellottajaFIN]

Damn there wasn't a thread for just 3850 only, so I post into this.. Okay, I have Sapphire's NON-reference HD3850 with 512 ddr3 but 1.4ns chips.. It OC's nicely @ 815MHz memspeed and core goes to 766MHz (vpu recover jumps @ 775MHz), so I think after short reading of some posts at this thread, that if i pencil the R1222 resistor (I hope my card has one, I am not at home right now so I can't look it now..), that the vgpu will rise? Of course there would be bios mods also, but I busted my X1800XL with biosmods some years ago.. And a poor student like me doesn't have in fact no money at all atm to buy a new card (at summer maybe after job, but..)
But back to the point, it has completely different pcb than the reference 3850, it's at least 3cm shorter I think etc.. But does it work or not, I least try to hunt the resistor when I get home

...stupid post after all, but I would like to know that does anybody else has a similar card?
http://koti.mbnet.fi/kello90/HD3850_ja_kotelomodia/03042009010.jpg

 

[Random Murderer]

Damn there wasn't a thread for just 3850 only, so I post into this.. Okay, I have Sapphire's NON-reference HD3850 with 512 ddr3 but 1.4ns chips.. It OC's nicely @ 815MHz memspeed and core goes to 766MHz (vpu recover jumps @ 775MHz), so I think after short reading of some posts at this thread, that if i pencil the R1222 resistor (I hope my card has one, I am not at home right now so I can't look it now..), that the vgpu will rise? Of course there would be bios mods also, but I busted my X1800XL with biosmods some years ago.. And a poor student like me doesn't have in fact no money at all atm to buy a new card (at summer maybe after job, but..)
But back to the point, it has completely different pcb than the reference 3850, it's at least 3cm shorter I think etc.. But does it work or not, I least try to hunt the resistor when I get home

...stupid post after all, but I would like to know that does anybody else has a similar card?
http://koti.mbnet.fi/kello90/HD3850_ja_kotelomodia/03042009010.jpg

would you mind posting a picture of the back of the card when you get home?

 

[kellottajaFIN]

would you mind posting a picture of the back of the card when you get home?

Whoops, I truly forgot! Well, here are few pics what I took with my N95 (my only camera..well, it's ok for a phonecamera)

http://www.aijaa.com/v.php?i=4290627.jpg
http://www.aijaa.com/v.php?i=4290642.jpg
http://www.aijaa.com/v.php?i=4290645.jpg


Stupid thing is that there weren't a pic from this card in the webstore where I ordered this.. Pic was from HD3650 And there wasn't no word about that this card is non-reference.. Damn, my uncle has a broken HD3850 256M and I saw the magical R1222.. Just haven't seen it on my card.

And oh, by the way, sorry that those images are a bit large, but now u guys should see the needed info from the card.. Hopefully somebody finds out what I need to pencil!

 

[Random Murderer]

i'll need you to type out the writing on the IC i circled in red.
http://www.aijaa.com/v.php?i=4291546.jpg

 

[kellottajaFIN]

i'll need you to type out the writing on the IC i circled in red.
http://www.aijaa.com/v.php?i=4291546.jpg

DAMN. I'm away from home (=from my pc) this week.. I'll tell u the writings on the IC next monday.. Aaargh, I want to vmod that card.. 766MHz isn't enough, not at all..


EDIT: Yeah! One guy from a Finnish gaming forum has the same card, and I got the needed info from him.

uP6201BQ
VLP89F

I put also a PM for you if you don't check this thread before monday.

 

[SkY-ScRaPeR]

I have Powercolor 3870 512 M.B volt modded with Pencil & Lowered the specific resistor from 4.7 Kohm to 4.3 Kohm to increase Voltage from 1.3volt to 1.5 volt

And gained about 90 Mhz from the previous Overclock 823 Mhz -before volt mod - to be up to 905 Mhz after volt mod without problems,
but in expense of minor increase in temp about 10 c only,
COOOL

 

[LaidLawJones]

3870 Hard V Mod Picture

Please forgive the cross post but I thought this thread was all but forgotten. Here is a shot of my successfully modded 3870 Diamond. I had to solder in an extra 100K in resistors for the mem. 250K trimpot would work nicely. 100K for GPU worked fine set at 75K~. Thank you again Random Murderer for the guide.