X800Pro to X800 XT hardmod
 

I got a new baby, a sapphire X800 Pro, and it ended up under the soldering iron less then 5 hours later.

However, I don't get the 16 pipelines it ATi tool.

I still need to upgrade the bios but that shouldn't prevent me from seeing them.

I used to have a good website with a nice howto for the hardmod, but with all the other ****, I can't find it anymore in google.
Can anyone give me some help on the subject. (websites with howto, and bios downloads.
Tnx.

same problem here, it doesn't work.
tried it 5 times, no go.

owke tried the bios flashy thingie, but it's the wrong bios.
When I install this one, it asks for WDM drivers, but this isn't a vivo card. When I install these drivers, me PC just reboots during the install process (when it shouldn't)

I need the bios for the regular card.

you have to mod the files, so it doesn't install those drivers.
then disable de VIVO part in Windows, that what I read on xtreme).

the fact remains that the bios is for a vivo edition, and I can't help but wonder if that doesn't create any problems.

the pipelines remain dead, but the core/mem speeds are updated perfectly.
Oh and I'm 99.9% sure it's a *.1 core.

I'll resolder and try some other things once I get home.

man, I can only dream about that card (or buy it) and you allready want to mod it :mad: actually a bit crazy. So I like it :super: .

But I advise you to stop trying if it doesn't work, don't screw up such a nice card.
BTW, why you want to mod it? good scores at benchmarks? or playing games even better?

i think just for the kick, and the "extra" score you get with 3mark or doom3 fps

I think you get quiet a kick if you screw up that card :D

LOL:D

the experience.
beating it.

no special kicks or fetishes, for fun.

ow and you were waying something about "wanting" to mod it?
too late, it's been soldered. gonna try some smaller wire now, might work a bit better. but I stil think it provides good contact.

Any more info on the subject is still welcome.

http://www.madshrimps.be/gotofaqlink.php?linkid=2504
http://www.madshrimps.be/gotofaqlink.php?linkid=2577
http://www.madshrimps.be/gotofaqlink.php?linkid=2535

use the force luke! http://www.madshrimps.be/?action=hwfaqsearch

yea sofar the staticitcs. But it still doens't find the extra pipelines.

I tried soldering the pins together several times, sometimes I saw that one pin wasn't making contact. I made sure both do now, but it still doesn't work.

I'm going to double (triple) check 2 things;
the core ( if it is an x.1 type)
the trace (cause I don't think mine is cut, wich would be wierd)

---edit---
The core is definitly an *.1 core.
Unfortunately the picture isn't sharp enough to see the trace.
I'll have to remove the arctic again.

Choose your BIOS :)

there are only 2 applicable BIOS files on that page...

better than one VIVO bios :p

tried some rearwindowdefoggerrepairkit (uhu)
not working either.

didn't see any cuts over the bridge, so I'm kinda at loss with the exact type card I have.
It's the sapphire X800pro with a x.1 core, but without the cut bridge, and without the pipelines apparently.

anyone got an X800 I can try this on, just to verify it (I'l do it for free, at your own risk, but I'm good)

I just tried for the last time. And I saw the cut of the trace this time, so that checks out too.

I did a near perfect soldering job, but I'm still getting 12 pipelines.
There has got to be something else that has to be done to enable those other 4. Or they nerved it on some deeper level.

--edit--
small image of the bridge, sorry for sucky quiality, this was the best of 10 pictures I took.

sorry, jus got here, sorta skimmed throught the thread....jus curious, did u scrape the contacts b4 soldering, cuz they put fake contacts, so u hafta scrape them off till u c a distinct copper color, be careful tho, dont go 2 far....i wud use a defogger kit rather than solder, its easier to under imo

scrapped them off, otherwise solder won't stick.

Tried defogger kit (very old, but still did the trick on my multimeter) but I found solder easier and more exact.
It won't work.

hmmm, did u just get the card recently?.....maybe theyve made a way 2 stop us from doing that too.....sux when they do that, leaves us modders with nothin 2 do

first week of august, but it was a card that arrived at the shop around the beginning of july.

It just doesn't work.

bah....keep trying i guess, just dont fry it.....unless u can afford to, i kno i cant

hmmm, I tried plenty.
I'l just tired of getting the cooler on and off all the time.

cant blame you, im still tryin 2 turn a duron into an athlon xp.....with a sp97 heatsink, its a pain to take off the fan and undo 4 screws everytime to try it.....so its sitting on my shelf now, im bored with it, like alot of other projects i had

I'm currently searching for the article which supports these claims, but there were only a limited number of cards which were receptive to this mod. Even among the very early cards, the mod was successful only 40% of the time opening all 16-pipe's.

Also from what I've read, VIVO cards only require a soft-Mod. Ironically if you've done the hard-mod, you may have prevented yourself from opening all 16-pipes permanently. I hope I'm wrong. I'll be back when I find the articles.

yes that would be very interesting
i've a msi x800 pro vivo
so only replace pro to an xt bios and finisched?

that would decrease the chance of a dying card :p

isnt softmodding done through drivers?

bios is hardware :huh:


;)

BIOS = Basic Input Output System; i.e. software as defined here

The BIOS ROM chip is hardware.

Flashing a BIOS is purely software related, and involves changing the Baisc Input Output instruction set. And this is why PC's are so integral in the study of Neuroscience (my feild) because they resemble the human brain in so many respects. For example, both are physical but rely on binary code, "the language of thought" for "processing". The brain also uses language (or at least area's of it does) to represent thought, and to formulate thoughts such as these I'm sharing. Idea's are usually fomulated in language, and of course language is the universal tool for communication (next to Love). This led to the discovery of Universal Grammer, which has it's physical location in the brain, in an area known as the LAD (Language Aquisition Device). This was all the work of Noam Chomsky whom discovered UG (Universal Grammer) some years ago at MIT.

Many claim our thought's are not physical but etheral, or non-physical entities, since we can't "touch" them or "see" them. This was known as the argument of Dualism, which pre-occupied Philsopher's for thousands of years. That argument has been resolved in the 21st Century as we now know we are purely physiochemical beings, and so are our thought's, desires, and dreams. They are known as Brain States.

If you want to get technical, since we are material, and live in an atomic world, even the "code" which comprises the BIOS instruction set is made-up of 1's and 0's which eventually reduce to electrical impulses, but that's Reductionism and an entirely different subject. Yes Kristos I can see your a true Materialist, as am I, but we musn't be confused by the "language" of thought, or in this case, the terminology of Computer Science.

When I say VIVO cards only require a Soft-Mod, I mean BIOS flash, and Update driver (software)

Nice field of expertise you have :)
not my brand of vodka though...
I can somewhat see how a computer and a human brain are in some ways alike.
I however fail to see it's relevance here.

When I said: "bios is hardware?"

I merely meant that to me, bios is the software and the bios chip (EEPROM if I am not mistaken) is the hardware.

There, simple and clear :)

and what exactly do you mean by me being a materialist? To me, a materialist is someone who is fond of material things:
but I doubt that is what you meant, or at least, not entirely.

And another thing: how did you come to the conclusion that I'm a materialist (whatever the "broader" meaning may be), merely form 3 words and 2 smilies. :D

it's the smilies
it's always the smilies

No offense my good man, I simply meant by my interpretation of your definition of BIOS being "hardware" I thought you were strictly speaking of it in those (material) terms, and didn't see it as software.

It was more of a good natured sharing of my love for Neuroscience, and I thought the few references were kinda fun. I enjoy learning more about other's then their struggles, or opinions on PC's. Sure there's a specific off-topic section for this, but I didn't think I was hurting anyone in sharing that.

I was strictly speaking in philosophical terms when I referred to you as a Materialsit, and thought my rant indicated as much. As I said, it was in jest, and you may be a Monist, Dualist, Reductionist, Behaviorist, Idealist, Existentialist, or subscribe to Functionalsim, Eliminativism, Identity Theory, Pragmatism, Transcendentalism, Empiricism, Epistomology, Phenomenology, or Nihilism. It wouldn't matter to me, but I'd be glad to discuss any of those topics with you. AI is intimately related to computer's and Computer Science, so given the opportunity to share a little I did. As they say in A.A. ...take what you like and leave the rest.

When we began discussing "hadrware/software" we were inadverantently discussing questions of Dualism whether we intended to or not.

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

Buddhism: return your mind to zero stage.:)

Yes I agree, centered, and calm.

none, taken, although when I said: BIOS is hardware :huh: I was being ironic and I acutally meant that bios is software. I should have explained the software/hardware matter a bit because I didn't help ssl6 with my remark.

I doubt you would "hurt" anyone by going offtopic and the moderators are very easy going: In all the months that I've been on this forum, I have only once seen an intervention by a moderator and you are offcourse free to share your thoughts and ideas with us :) I usually enjoy reading your posts, it's somewhat of a challenge trying to grasp everything you say :D

Well then would you mind sharing with me the philosophical meaning of materialism? I I googled it but didn't come up with anything usefull.