VBE7 - vBIOS Editor for Radeon HD 7000 series cards

[yd1]

@MrGenius?

 

[MrGenius]

@MrGenius?

You're good. I know what I'm doing. What you've got is 128KB. So you can't flash anything bigger(ATIFlash won't let you AFAIK). Smaller will work though. I don't know why Afterburner and GPU-Z show different voltages than VBE7. That's just the way it is.

 

[yd1]

You're good. I know what I'm doing. What you've got is 128KB. So you can't flash anything bigger(ATIFlash won't let you AFAIK). Smaller will work though. I don't know why Afterburner and GPU-Z show different voltages than VBE7. That's just the way it is.

OK, so i did it and i sow this progress window goes to full.
Coming back after 5minuts it was still stuck & system was frozen.

After hard reboot windows loaded fine.
I run GPU-Z & exported the bios & loaded it to VBE7 to see what's what.
And infect it did flush to the moded bios.

But when i open GPU-Z sensor it still show's idol vddc as before BIOS flash... ? (@0.947c)

what should i do?
seams moded bios flush was accepted, but idol voltages wasn't changed.

thank you for your generous help MrGenius.

 

[MrGenius]

what should i do?

It might not change in GPU-Z no matter what you do. But that doesn't necessarily mean that GPU-Z(or any other monitoring software) is right. Monitoring software is notorious for being wrong when it comes to voltages(among other things). The only way to know for sure is to probe the card with a voltmeter. Which I can't really give any specific advice on, since I don't own the same card. It's generally a good idea to take a poke at the ceramic capacitors directly behind the GPU die(on the reverse side of the card) to get the most accurate reading. But stabbing the legs of the caps or inductors for the VRM aren't a bad idea either(just possibly slightly less accurate).

Anyway...I probably should have said this earlier. I not only do not recommend doing what you're trying to do, but I fail to see any point in it whatsoever. You're really just asking for a headache. Lowering the idle voltage is not going to gain you anything(aside from instability). Unless there's some kind of problem you're trying to fix that you haven't mentioned. If not...you're really just wasting your time with all of this. But...it's your card...and you're free to do what you want with it. I just couldn't keep biting my tongue any longer.

 

[yd1]

It might not change in GPU-Z no matter what you do. But that doesn't necessarily mean that GPU-Z(or any other monitoring software) is right. Monitoring software is notorious for being wrong when it comes to voltages(among other things). The only way to know for sure is to probe the card with a voltmeter. Which I can't really give any specific advice on, since I don't own the same card. It's generally a good idea to take a poke at the ceramic capacitors directly behind the GPU die(on the reverse side of the card) to get the most accurate reading. But stabbing the legs of the caps or inductors for the VRM aren't a bad idea either(just possibly slightly less accurate).

Anyway...I probably should have said this earlier. I not only do not recommend doing what you're trying to do, but I fail to see any point in it whatsoever. You're really just asking for a headache. Lowering the idle voltage is not going to gain you anything(aside from instability). Unless there's some kind of problem you're trying to fix that you haven't mentioned. If not...you're really just wasting your time with all of this. But...it's your card...and you're free to do what you want with it. I just couldn't keep biting my tongue any longer.

Well, the purpose was to see if i can lower the idle temps.
(which are the same as i can tell after the UV)

and beside that, just to be able to change that, yes just because i can..
i did mentioned in the opening post that this is a strange obsession of my doing this since i got it...
senseless temperature chasing i guess as can be seen by the all 140mm fans,
2 on the card (yeah zip ties) and one on the cpu cooler. (CM v6)
(funny but the original sapphire shroud fans did better job cooling then this x2 140AP fans)

got a multitester & willing to try this, hmm but im bit apprehensive probing such tiny points,
one slip of the probe and ...

i wonder if i can find check points of this card in google
maybe someone did a breakdown of this board.


anyway,
cant thank you enough MrGenius for willing to go with this unique obsession i have.
maybe we can continue this peruse & maybe other members can share knowledge about testing points on this card.
hoping to continiue this till im shure voltages changed

 

[yd1]

@MeGenius & all.
OK here's my sapphire 7970 dual x oc..
how do i test voltages?

i couldn't see any polarity on the ceramic SMD caps.
any idea ?

 

[yd1]

Anyone knows ?

 

[MrGenius]

Anyone knows ?

Either end of a capacitor will work. Polarized or not. Both ends are effectively hot/live. In theory, using the "positive" end is "better". In practice, there's not going to be much(if any) difference(since keeping there from being a difference between incoming and outgoing voltage is what a capacitor's job is). You don't really need to worry about temporarily bridging both ends either. It won't hurt anything.

Here's a fine example(stolen from this thread here) of what people typically do(and will also apply to your card). One of the white wires is for Vcore/VDDC, the other would be for Vmem/MVDDC. I don't know which is which...you'll figure it out...one will be ~ what you'd expect Vcore/VDDC to be...the other will be ~1.6V(Vmem/MVDDC). It might not be the some positioning on your card. But Vcore/VDDC and Vmem/MVDDC will be somewhere in the same line of capacitors(most of which will be Vcore/VDDC, and 1 or 2 will be Vmem/MVDDC)

 

[yd1]

Either end of a capacitor will work. Polarized or not. Both ends are effectively hot/live. In theory, using the "positive" end is "better". In practice, there's not going to be much(if any) difference(since keeping there from being a difference between incoming and outgoing voltage is what a capacitor's job is). You don't really need to worry about temporarily bridging both ends either. It won't hurt anything.

Here's a fine example(stolen from this thread here) of what people typically do(and will also apply to your card). One of the white wires is for Vcore/VDDC, the other would be for Vmem/MVDDC. I don't know which is which...you'll figure it out...one will be ~ what you'd expect Vcore/VDDC to be...the other will be ~1.6V(Vmem/MVDDC). It might not be the some positioning on your card. But Vcore/VDDC and Vmem/MVDDC will be somewhere in the same line of capacitors(most of which will be Vcore/VDDC, and 1 or 2 will be Vmem/MVDDC)

let me see if i got you & the procedure i need to do correctly.

the negative (-) side of the multi-meter alligator clip go's on the IO shield or PCB screw holes. (assuming its the ground)
and the positive stick can go ANYWHERE on the board?
(is this safe, assuming im not bridging 2 components or the same component -"legs"- or any component that is NOT a capacitor? < is this correct?)

1. i can't damage to card ?
2. i can't hurt my self?

assuming im right, i just have to find the spot on the board showing the voltage level corresponding to my BIOS preset idle of 0.800mv,
or 1.6v of the memory voltage, or while GPU under load the near voltage of what i set in MSI AB ( 1.031 my UV), right MrGenius?

 

[MrGenius]

The picture there. Look at it. See those white wires? Those are connected to capacitor leads/legs(positive capacitor leads/legs to be specific). They are for the main VRM bank that supplies voltages to the GPU core and VRAM. They will have positive voltages flowing through them. If that voltage is ~1.6VDC it's your VRAM voltage. If that voltage is anything other than ~1.6VDC it's your GPU core voltage. You'll need to probe them to find out which is which. The only thing I can guarantee you is that your card will have a similar(or identical) row of capacitors in a similar(or identical) location on your card(which can't really be mistaken for something/somewhere else).

And NO. I'm NOT saying to go poking around anywhere because you're 100% safe from shorting something and causing damage. I'm telling you to probe capacitor leads/legs because that's the safest thing to do(to help prevent shorting anything and causing damage).

EDIT: The part about capacitor negative leads being good for reading voltages was a brainfart. Don't do that. You'll get 0V every time. Just use the positive leads. You can do that with inductors(use either lead to read voltage), but it doesn't work with capacitors. And it's actually best to not use inductors. Because you'll frequently(if not always) get slightly different(if not very different) voltages from each lead(as in both leads will typically not read exactly the same voltage, usually pretty close...but not exactly the same). So then you'd need to know which one is closer to what you're looking for...just don't bother with it...use a capacitor instead. Anyway...sorry for the confusion. I'm known to be wrong from time to time. Only human...

 

[yd1]

I got a working HD 4870 & another PSU, best to start with it till i get confidence.
But can a PSU without motherboard power-up the GPU for voltage check?

 

[Caring1]

I got a working HD 4870 & another PSU, best to start with it till i get confidence.
But can a PSU without motherboard power-up the GPU for voltage check?

There is a method of shorting two pins in the 24 pin connector to simulate a load on the PSU, or use a special 24 pin load tester which are found cheaply on eBay.
Link describing the shorting method: https://bit-tech.net/guides/modding/how-to-jump-a-psu/1/

 

[yd1]

There is a method of shorting two pins in the 24 pin connector to simulate a load on the PSU, or use a special 24 pin load tester which are found cheaply on eBay.
Link describing the shorting method: https://bit-tech.net/guides/modding/how-to-jump-a-psu/1/

ok, thanks ill look how to do it.
will it power the card Vcore so i can test voltage?

 

[Caring1]

Yes.

 

[yd1]

OK here's the jumper & PSU.


I turn PSU on & put hand on HIS but i feel no heat.
so i check with multi-meter but i get nothing no voltages.
i checked directly from 6-Pin cable connector as in picture but NOTHING no power?

i wonder if the digital PSU is preventing power to GPU for some reason,
because i also don't see the LED indicator on PSU working.
any ideas ?


EDIT:
i sow a corsair video saying when using a jumper you should add an external fan to the PSU
because the PSU need some lead for it to power up.
i did that & the external fan works, but 0 power to GPU.
even when i connected its fan & the DVI cable to it & the monitor nothing no power goes to the card

@MrGenius
any ideas ?

 

[Tatty_Two]

Does the GPU not have to request power to draw it from the GPU? Not sure how it can do that if it's not in a motherboard PCI-E slot..... dunno.

 

[MrGenius]

It looks like you're probing a ground pin there. Most of the upper pins are ground(relative to the top of the connector, where the clip is). Except for the upper middle pin on a 6 pin connector. Which is a sense pin. Most of the lower pins are +12V(relative to the top of the connector, where the clip is). Except for the lower pin provided by the 8 pin connector. Which is a sense pin.

There's no reason you would not be able to read voltages from those connectors(or whatever they're connected to) with a PSU that's turned on. However, the GPU/card itself is probably not going to power up(as in the VRM switch on) without power coming from the PCI-E slot and the 6/8 pin power connectors. You could rig some wire(s) up to the correct pin(s) on the card and a +12V source(one wire to one pin would probably be enough). And that should allow the VRM(and thus the GPU/card) to power up...in theory.

We are WAAAAAAAYYYYYY off topic here. I suggest this conversation go no further...in this thread anyway.

 

[Amber Shade]

Hello. Could you allow ULPS editing? I mean, there are graphs for 300 core 150 mem clocks, but they can't be adjusted. Whatever I dial in, it's reset after I leave field

Or have anyone else bypassed an issue when screen flickers with multiple screens plugged in? Except disabling for ULPS

 

[Tatty_Two]

Assuming you have an older card that is compatible with this software you will see from post 1 what the software can do and ULPS is not mentioned.

 

[Amber Shade]

Assuming you have an older card that is compatible with this software you will see from post 1 what the software can do and ULPS is not mentioned.

7970 is compatible, and ULPS is accessible through the software in multiple places (in state 1 (pefrormance) it's #4, and there's a state 3 that has the said clocks with even lower voltage at #6)
The only thing is that I can't edit either #4 or #6, values get reset wherever I leave fields..

 

[Tatty_Two]

7970 is compatible, and ULPS is accessible through the software in multiple places (in state 1 (pefrormance) it's #4, and there's a state 3 that has the said clocks with even lower voltage at #6)
The only thing is that I can't edit either #4 or #6, values get reset wherever I leave fields..

That's because it won't do it, many cards in any case just are not software programmable sadly. I did a lot of modding with an old Sapphire 280X I had using VBE7 but there were many here that couldn't do anything with their 280 models, outside of the capabilities of this software it's just luck of the draw.

Happy to take a look at your Bios if you want to upload it here.

 

[Lorec]

View attachment 120174

Sorry to kind of interrupt here, but this beautiful picture should by all means find its way to Ghetto Mods thread

 

[Amber Shade]

Here it is. I was trying to get a bit lower voltage and a more agressive fan curve (to be at 100% rpm at around 76-77 degrees, with a steep raise from around 52-54 which I consider to end the acoustic comfort zone, and screw overclock headroom. Could do everything, but haven't flashed (marked as slow)
This way I could screw 3rd party utils like MSI afterburner I use to control the fans now, and let driver control the clocks (which I've set to be game-specific, because only two need stock or above stock and few need a bit below it (~800), rest is ok at 500mhz I currently have as my lowest available clock on the slider
P.S. and I'm using two screens which may cause the flicker I'm trying to get rid of here
P.P.S. if (I know it's a big if) gpu-z is right, card idles at .85V, which makes it clock set #4. I believe upping that just a little would solve the issue... to, say, 350 core 250 mem? Or whatever works really

 

[Tatty_Two]

No it will not work, the fixed state clocks/volts are locked, can you let me know the exact model of your card and it's reference performance stock clocks (what would show in GPU-Z and I will take a look in our downloads to see if I can find a more recent bios for your card that might not be locked..... long shot but will try. I have your device ID etc from the Bios so hopefully I can match.

 

[Amber Shade]

No it will not work, the fixed state clocks/volts are locked, can you let me know the exact model of your card and it's reference performance stock clocks (what would show in GPU-Z and I will take a look in our downloads to see if I can find a more recent bios for your card that might not be locked..... long shot but will try. I have your device ID etc from the Bios so hopefully I can match.

It's Asus hd7970-dc2t-3gd5, stock clocks are 1000 core 5600 memory. I can also add that I know for sure that it works perfectly at 1020 at 1102mv (with old driver gputweak worked properly and I downvolted it as much as it let me), could probably allow even more clocks at that voltage but I'm not sure, just didn't need that much. I believe it's been below stock for a year or more, all the time