ATI 5870 flash to bypass 900/1300 limit

Martini1991 · 4 Oct 2009 at 09:34

Ok, this works. Just follow the guide, written in my own words, albiet I take no credit for this.

Here's a picture of my flashed Sapphire 5870 to an Asus

With the Asus BIOS, I'm able to use just the MSI tool to increase clocks over 900/1300.. I've heard that AMD GPU Tool will mess with the memory timings, so I'd advise NOT to use it.

Here is the ASUS BIOS
http://rapidshare.com/files/288531683/Asus.rom

Here's the latest ATIflash

http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/1650/ATIFlash_3.75.html

Here's the tool to format a USB flash drive
http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=18807&d=1222699942

Here's the bootfiles I used
http://www.4shared.com/file/43544416/39060a9e/HPUSBFW_BOOTFILES.html?s=1 (Extract them, then make a folder called BOOTFILES, stick the extracted files into the folder)

Plug in the USB drive that you want to use.

Install and run HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool.
Select the USB Drive. In the "File system" drop down box, pick FAT32. Tick "Quick Format". Tick "Create a DOS startup disk, using DOS system files located at and click the "..." and direct it to the BOOTFILES folder you made.
Click start.

Once that's done, copy the ATI Flash and ASUS BIOS into the USB drive.

Restart your PC and boot from the USB Flash drive.

Once it's booted in type
atiflash -f -p 0 asus.rom (If you're not using crossfire)

If you're using crossfire, I'd suggest you flash each card individually (For people like Virus). More so that I don't know how to flash more than one card at once

Good luck

kylew · 4 Oct 2009 at 12:22

ATi flash is used in a dos environment isn't it? It'll have nothing to do with whether you're using 64 bit or not.

If that's what you mean?

I've flashed both my 4850s and I've been on 64 bit for quite some time now.

Martini1991 · 4 Oct 2009 at 12:28

kylew said:
ATi flash is used in a dos environment isn't it? It'll have nothing to do with whether you're using 64 bit or not.

If that's what you mean?

I've flashed both my 4850s and I've been on 64 bit for quite some time now.

Yeah, I confused it, I've rewritten what I posted.

JediFragger · 4 Oct 2009 at 12:50

Cheers dude, will give this a try later

Just one question, do you rename the bin to rom in Windows or Dos?

Martini1991 · 4 Oct 2009 at 12:54

JediFragger said:
Cheers dude, will give this a try later

Just one question, do you rename the bin to rom in Windows or Dos?

In Windows.

I'll edit my OP with a link to my ASUS.rom hosted on rapidshare.

Theguy · 4 Oct 2009 at 12:54

A more user friendly way of booting into dos by the way, would be by using unetbootin - from within that program it can download onto the usb freedos. without the need for the bootfiles and ect ect.

Martini1991 · 4 Oct 2009 at 12:56

Theguy said:
A more user friendly way of booting into dos by the way, would be by using unetbootin - from within that program it can download onto the usb freedos. without the need for the bootfiles and ect ect.

I'm new to this. First time I've flashed a graphics card, so I'm not up to date with all the tips and tricks lol.

Theguy · 4 Oct 2009 at 13:30

well it was a suggestion - still good for you for giving it ago. its the only way you can really learn these things imo.

gurusan · 4 Oct 2009 at 13:36

JediFragger said:
Cheers dude, will give this a try later

Just one question, do you rename the bin to rom in Windows or Dos?

Doesn't matter whether it's named as a bin or rom or no name at all

kylew · 4 Oct 2009 at 15:37

gurusan said:
Doesn't matter whether it's named as a bin or rom or no name at all

I've found that it doesn't make a difference, I was gonna say something, but I wasn't entirely sure as I'm heavily sleep deprived and my memory's suffering due to that.

gurusan · 4 Oct 2009 at 15:38

Your sentence is a bit deprived of a word there

Sleep? Crack?

kylew · 4 Oct 2009 at 15:40

gurusan said:
Your sentence is a bit deprived of a word there Sleep? Crack?

Hey, my lack of sleep is showing

I just about managed to ninja edited it in

wolvers · 4 Oct 2009 at 22:11

So ATI actually put something in the stock bios that puts a limit on the clocks you can set with software?

Is there a bios of this type floating around for the 5850 yet?

Martini1991 · 4 Oct 2009 at 22:16

wolvers69 said:
So ATI actually put something in the stock bios that puts a limit on the clocks you can set with software?

Is there a bios of this type floating around for the 5850 yet?

No word on the 5850 yet.. And some vendors of ATI cards don't have the limit, hence the need for the ASUS BIOS..

However tools can bypass this limit, I wouldn't risk it.

wolvers · 4 Oct 2009 at 22:43

OK ta,

What's risky though?

Martini1991 · 4 Oct 2009 at 22:48

wolvers69 said:
OK ta,

What's risky though?

Rather low? What can happen if you follow the one actual command, the one command that will always do the same thing lol.

The actual flashing takes seconds.

Although, with all flashing there is risk, like a power outage or summit.

antran · 4 Oct 2009 at 22:49

the flashing is quick, just flashed my xfx with a asus's bios

djkav · 15 Oct 2009 at 09:43

Anyone else tried this with the Sapphire 5870?

drunkenmaster · 15 Oct 2009 at 09:49

wolvers69 said:
So ATI actually put something in the stock bios that puts a limit on the clocks you can set with software?

Is there a bios of this type floating around for the 5850 yet?

Its a limit because you can unlock overclocking to what ATI has deemed pretty safe levels in the CCC, if they don't limit the speeds in CCC somehow you'll get any average user going in going, look ma, I can set it to 3000Mhz core and 12Ghz mem, it doesn't work and ATi get a support e-mail from Mr Stupid saying there card doesn't work.

Generally the limits they put in aren't that bad and relatively safe/doable limits within stock voltage settings.

Plenty of 5850's are doing 830Mhz on stock voltage fine, but i'm sure there will be a few that struggle at 800Mhz, so 775Mhz is a safe option.

Theres quite a few apps, including gpu clock tool, that let you clock to whatever speed you want.

ViRuS2k · 15 Oct 2009 at 10:08

drunkenmaster said:
Its a limit because you can unlock overclocking to what ATI has deemed pretty safe levels in the CCC, if they don't limit the speeds in CCC somehow you'll get any average user going in going, look ma, I can set it to 3000Mhz core and 12Ghz mem, it doesn't work and ATi get a support e-mail from Mr Stupid saying there card doesn't work.

Generally the limits they put in aren't that bad and relatively safe/doable limits within stock voltage settings.

Plenty of 5850's are doing 830Mhz on stock voltage fine, but i'm sure there will be a few that struggle at 800Mhz, so 775Mhz is a safe option.

Theres quite a few apps, including gpu clock tool, that let you clock to whatever speed you want.

Yes thats all very well and good, but if you use that so called GPU CRAP TOOL it will break ATIpowerPlay`s uber idle temps and clocks and voltages.