4850/4870 soft/hard mods

Instead of jacking everyone else's thread I thought it'd be a good idea to start our own.

With the release of these cards many software mods and hard-wired mods have popped up in an attempt to squeeze every last drop out of these cards. These cards have wicked potential when pushed, and if you don't mind voiding your warranty then read on!

I'm dividing this thread into several sections:

Fan control
Overclocking control
More voltage!
Aftermarket cooling

Please add any information you find from the web or personal experience (please note where you got the info, so that the source can be properly credited). XS and OCF already have a wealth of info, but I think this thread will be a welcome site to anyone looking for 1 place to take these cards to the next level.

I'll keep the first several posts up to date w/ info that gets added in subsequent posts.

Enjoy!

*Disclaimer: Please note that many of the mods listed may still be experimental in nature, and there is always a possibility that you might kill your card. No one is forcing you to do these mods. Any damage that may occur to your hardware is your own responsibility...that being said if you do something which damages your card please report it asap so that others may avoid your mistake.

Fan Control

It seems that the safest way to adjust the fan so far is based on an XML file. The links only mention the 4870, but I think this should work on the 4850 too.

This was copied from Hardware Canucks, but the original source is actually Rage3D.

You can change the fan speed on the 4870 by editing a profile.

http://www.rage3d.com/BOARD/showthread.php?t=33926633




"I'd love to take credit for this, but someone else came up with it. I wouldn't be surprised if the person worked for ATI either as it was his first post. Anyway, I'll cut to the chase. All you need to do is change just two values in the XML which is attached to an ATI Profile you created. I tried this and it worked perfectly, other than the noise generated by 65% fan speed as suggested. I'll experiment later. But it works and easy as anything. I edited his instruction just a hair. See below ....

http://forums.guru3d.com/showpost.ph...69&postcount=8

Make a profile in catalyst after turning on Overdrive and make sure clock and memory settings are correct.

For Vista

Then go to the following location and open the following file for editing "C:\Users\Your Windows ID\AppData\Local\ATI\ACE\Your CCC Profile.XML. The xml file will have the same name as the Catalyst Profile you saved. right click and hit edit.

For XP

Then go to the following location and open the following file for editing "C:\Documents and Settings\Your Windows ID\Local Settings\Application Data\ATI\ACE\Your CCC Profile.XML. The xml file will have the same name as the Catalyst Profile you saved. right click and hit edit.

Now go down the page until you see the following lines in the XML file ...


Automatic" />





23" />

Change the "Property name="FanSpeedAlgorithm" value=" from "Automatic" to "Manual"

Then change "Property name="Want" value=" from "23" to your desired fan speed.
Save the file then reload the Profile you just edited in the CCC.

You will have to select the profile everytime you re-start the computer.

Edit:

After experimenting with my HIS HD4870 I found a fan-speed of 40% works best for me. My temps went from 79C at idle to 49C, and now 47C.

Backed off Fan to 35% like Runeman and still at only 48C. I'll take it."

Click to expand...

It has also been shown that removing the blue wire (PWM) from the fan connector will make the fan run 100%. Maxi has confirmed this to be working

You can also make an adapter to run the fan at 100% or allow it to be regulated by the mobo.

Red to red, and black to black. The yellow wire is the speed sensor wire, so if you're connecting into the mobo you might want to rig it up as well. Blue is PWM, and can be ignored if you go this route.

This one plugs into a spare molex, but you can make something similar that would plug into a mobo header.



**********************update****************************

If you're just looking to run 100% fan the hard-mod above works great, but for those who want more control I've found the BIOS mod to be the best. Using the XML Profiles means I have to use overdrive which in turn means my BIOS OC's won't function. BIOS mod is the only way for me to get clock speeds above the CCC limit, and have fan control.

Using RBE I simply set the fan speed like this:



Now the fan idles around 50%, and increases as needed under load.

Overclocking Control

Riva Tuner doesn't have support for these cards yet, so while we wait on Unwinder to work his magic we have to use the tools currently available.

CCC - this will allow you to OC to a max of 700/1200 (4850) and 790/1100 (4870). On stock voltage you won't be able to get a whole lot higher, but some people have.

AMD-GPU-Clock-Tool This should allow you to clock to your hearts content. This utility doesn't allow fan control, though, and doesn't allow you to set the 2D clocks like you can via the BIOS. This tool also reverts your voltage to the default voltage, so if you've increased your voltage via BIOS you will lose that extra voltage when you run AMDGPUTool.


************************************Update****************************************

BIOS editing:

Here's what you'll need:

GPU-Z

RBE BIOS Editor

WinFlash



1st thing you'll want to do is save and backup a copy of your original BIOS. Use GPU-Z to do this. There is a small button next to the 'BIOS Version' box on the 'Graphics Card' tab. This is a BIN file, but later you will see ROM files. They both work the same, so don't worry. To be safe put a copy in a few different places (HDD, USB flash, floppy, etc).

Next thing to do is to open your BIOS using RBE. As you can see here I've made some changes to the 'Clock Settings' tab.



You can pretty much copy mine except to insert your max clocks where I have my max clocks. I'm not going to pretend I know what all the different 'Clock Info' boxes are for, but after reading up and trying these settings they work for me. Also, I have my 2D voltage set at the min allowed (0.94v). You might see artifacts while in 2D mode if this is too low for your card. I've done volt-mods, and so my 2D and 3D voltages have been increased that way. I wanted to get 2D and 3D voltages as far apart as possible via BIOS, so that when I started cranking up the 3D voltage I would still have a relatively low voltage when in 2D mode. My 3D voltage has been increased via BIOS, and although you see 1.263v in the pic it actually corresponds to something closer to 1.2v. If you want a little extra speed w/o doing hard-mods then this extra 0.05v above stock can help.

The final step is to flash via winflash. I normally prefer a DOS based flash utility, but this worked for me, so I'm sticking w/ it. Start up winflash, load your modded BIOS, and press 'Program'. Wait till it completes, and then it will prompt you to reboot. Once you get back to windows run GPU-Z. Use the 'Sensors' tab to see clocks in real-time. Run ATI Tool or similar to confirm that your clocks are changing appropriately.

*I also wanted to note that running DreamScene in Vista makes my clocks lock at 675/1000. Running ATI Tool does not kick the card into full 3D mode. I may need to play w/ 1 of the other 'Clock Info' boxes, but in the mean time I just decided to use a standard desktop background.

More Voltage!

If you haven't already figured it out...I love taking my trusty soldering iron to my equipment. At first the device is a little bit scared, but after surgery the card just loves the new found power!

First up are the points where you will be able to take measurements, so that you will will know how much voltage you are actually giving the card.





Below you can see both the hard-mod, and the pencil mods...yes PENCIL MODS!!!

Pencil mods are great b/c you don't need a soldering iron. Personally, I like hard-mods A LOT better b/c of the control you have, but for someone who isn't very handy w/ an iron (and doesn't want to pay someone else to do it ) the pencil mod is an easy way to take their card to the next level. *I tried my first pencil mod on one of these cards, and found it extremely difficult to get the voltages where I wanted them. I'll be sticking w/ my trusty iron!


I can't stress this enough...
Don't even try this unless you have a DMM! You need to know the resistance values before you plug the card back in. This is the best way to double-check our work before you put the card back in the PC.

Stock vGPU - 1.05v idle / vMEM - 2.01v

You can see the points marked below for vGPU (voltage to the core). Either green dot to ground w/ a 100k VR (always install VRs at their maximum value...they come from the factory set to a medium value). Or you can do the pencil mod across the blue points shown.





We have a similar thing going on w/ the RAM. 100k VR from green point to green point. Or you can pencil across the area shaded in blue.



Pics courtesy of XS


Here are some pics I took of the 4850 i recently hard-modded:








Happy modding!

Here's a link to another vmod guide for this card on TechPowerUp!

******************************************************************************************

There also appears to be a way to add 0.05v to the 4850's vcore via a BIOS edit. See Overclocking section above.

Aftermarket Cooling

One great aspect to ATI's latest release of cards is that ATI stuck w/ the same mounting holes which means that folks who have already dished out $10-$100+ on aftermarket coolers can now re-use them! With the aggressive pricing of these cards this added benefit only further adds to their value.

The following aftermarket coolers are known to fit or should fit given their design.

Any cooler that's compatible w/ the G92 (8800) series:
HR03-GT
Arctic Cooling ACCELS1 Rev 2

Any cooler that's compatible w/ the 3800 series:
Duorb


Thanks Brollocks!

**************update************************







This 4850 is responding very well to better cooling...especially the memory. I was stuck at 1000 before (despite being stable at 1150 in ATI Tool, I kept crashing to black screen in actual games), and now I'm 100% stable and cool at 1200!

Not sure if new owners of the 4850/4870's know but any aftermarket cooler that fits the G92 8800 series and the 3800 series do fit on the 4850/4870 cards. So the most effective and popular HR03-GT fits as well.

Well jason has owned this thread up before I could even add anything useful. Thanks!

I use a duorb on my 3870 and it does a fantastic cooling job. I assume I can use it on a 4850 or 4870?

I don't know if Rivatuner works for fan control yet, but I do know that regardless of the driver rivatuner allowed me to cool down my 3870x2.

vixro said:

I use a duorb on my 3870 and it does a fantastic cooling job. I assume I can use it on a 4850 or 4870?

Click to expand...

It will fit on both the 4850 and 4870, it will be a bit light in the pants for the 4870, that card needs a beefier cooler.

I get 50-52c load temperatures and 46c idle temperatures on the 3870 with the DuOrb (and my room is 33.5c ambient, yes). You sure it wouldn't be good enough for a 4870? I have 7 120mm fans in my computer and 2 others.

I smell a sticky!

The Arctic Cooling ACCELS1 Rev 2 fits both G92 and 3800s, should fit these.

got a stupid question here. can some one teach me how to use the DMM? i wanna start pencil modding but have no idea wtf to do with it.sorry never hard modded in my life.

tvdang7 said:

got a stupid question here. can some one teach me how to use the DMM? i wanna start pencil modding but have no idea wtf to do with it.sorry never hard modded in my life.

Click to expand...

Install the card, and while it's running very carefully take some measurements. Be careful...if you slip, and short something you might kill your card!

Set the DMM to DC voltage mode-20. Put one lead on a screw and the other on the vGPU measure point. If you do it backwards you'll get a (-) voltage reading, but it doesn't really matter. Record this value...should be close to 1.05v idle.

Do the same thing w/ the RAM.

Now take the card out of the PC.

Now set your DMM to resistance mode-20k. Put one lead (doesn't matter which one) on the vGPU mod point and the other lead on a screw (ground). That should give you the stock resistance. Pencil across the points and continue taking readings. The pic above gives some example readings.

Do the same thing w/ the vMem except just put 1 lead on each of the marked pins on either side of the chip shown.

Make sure to blow off any residual graphite from the board, and then install it when you're satisfied w/ your readings and your work.

Cross your fingers and fire it up! Take some more readings to confirm if it worked or not.

nicely done Jason, sticky!!!

jason4207 said:

Install the card, and while it's running very carefully take some measurements. Be careful...if you slip, and short something you might kill your card!

Set the DMM to DC voltage mode-20. Put one lead on a screw and the other on the vGPU measure point. If you do it backwards you'll get a (-) voltage reading, but it doesn't really matter. Record this value...should be close to 1.05v idle.

Do the same thing w/ the RAM.

Now take the card out of the PC.

Now set your DMM to resistance mode-20k. Put one lead (doesn't matter which one) on the vGPU mod point and the other lead on a screw (ground). That should give you the stock resistance. Pencil across the points and continue taking readings. The pic above gives some example readings.

Do the same thing w/ the vMem except just put 1 lead on each of the marked pins on either side of the chip shown.

Make sure to blow off any residual graphite from the board, and then install it when you're satisfied w/ your readings and your work.

Cross your fingers and fire it up! Take some more readings to confirm if it worked or not.

Click to expand...

Thank you for posting that, I have been interesting in volt modding my ds3l when I get a chance and those instructions, I assume, would work for both (obviously using the different points).

Janus67 said:

Thank you for posting that, I have been interesting in volt modding my ds3l when I get a chance and those instructions, I assume, would work for both (obviously using the different points).

Click to expand...

Yep, but you might have to adjust the DMM ranges depending on the situation.

If you're trying to measure 2.05v, and you select 2000mv (2.0v) it will not work, and if you select 200v or 2000v then your results won't be as accurate as you might want them. 20v is the right range in this example.

If you don't know the voltages to look for then a simple trial and error protocol should reveal the correct range.

ahh, cool, thanks for the info!

I actually wonder about something regarding mods and Powerplay. Powerplay is a great feature for power saving and decreasing heat when not gaming and it bugged me that NV cards didn't downclock to 2D or low 3D mode. We know BIOS sofmods through RBE can tune this on the AMD cards but how do hard mods, pencil or solder, affect Powerplay? It would be a shame to lose Powerplay altogether by doing those types of mods.

Jason when you get your personal cards which you are undoubtedly going to hardmod it would be something new to look in to...just need to make a BIOS profile that definitely uses Powerplay then add a hardmod and see how the two work together.