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R290 flashed to R290X not booting

Associate
Joined
15 Jun 2005
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648
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Northants
So i got my new graphics card purchased preflashed from here and went to install it this morning and my pc fails to boot with it fitted, it stalls at code 97 on motherboard led display (system spec in sig) which is, i believe, load VGA Rom. Sounds to me like it's not been flashed properly or it just didn't work.

I tried it in another pc and i got no video out with it in that one either. Fit old cards back in each pc and they boot fine. I had uninstalled the drivers prior to fitting the R290

Is my card borked or am i just unlucky and it doesn't like my pc's. Either way i think its time to RMA it.
 
Caporegime
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Essex innit!
You could always flash it yourself by placing it in the second or spare pic-e slot and then using an older card to boot from. I am unfamiliar with flashing AMD GPU's sorry but this is how I would recover a bad flash on a Nv GPU.

If that isn't an option, I would RMA it.
 
Associate
OP
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Brought it preflashed so i don't want to mess about flashing it myself.

Will try the bios switch thanks. I assume it has a dual bios?
 
Soldato
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Plymouth
Brought it preflashed so i don't want to mess about flashing it myself.

Will try the bios switch thanks. I assume it has a dual bios?

They all are. That's all the quiet/uber switch does, it just switches between the two bios configured for each mode. In your case it'll switch between the 290x bios and whichever one they left.
 
Soldato
Joined
6 Feb 2010
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14,591
That's kinda weird...considering these are actually pre-flashed by OcUK, the chances are they must have tested them after flashing before sending them out, thus making them having even less chance of being DOA comparing to brand new sealed cards. May be best make sure you check if it's not other issue of your own PC that's preventing it from booting?
 
Associate
OP
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648
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Northants
Weird it maybe but it definately looks like a bad flash, it boots with the switch in one position and not in the other so it sounds like a bad flash to me? Switch towards exhaust ports = pc doesn't boot, switch towards power connector = pc boots.
 
Soldato
Joined
1 Jun 2013
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9,315
Which BIOS did they flash with? Didn't they say when they first started investigating this that they could flash with the Asus BIOS to get over-voltage features, but that some cards would then not boot up on non-Asus motherboards?
 
Soldato
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14,591
Which BIOS did they flash with? Didn't they say when they first started investigating this that they could flash with the Asus BIOS to get over-voltage features, but that some cards would then not boot up on non-Asus motherboards?
Well, lucky for me I just so happen to be using Asus motherboard with my pre-flashed 290.
 
Soldato
Joined
1 Jun 2013
Posts
9,315
That looks like a stock R290 to me, time to start and RMA request, *sigh*.

It will be stock on the fallback BIOS. They don't just flash both BIOSes the same. If they had you wouldn't be able to boot at all.

At least you've identified the problem. I'd be inclined to ask OCUK what they flashed with and try it again myself. Given that you paid extra for them to pre-flash it, you might want to get OCUK to replace it at their expense.
 
Associate
OP
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15 Jun 2005
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648
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Northants
I did flick the bios switch and the above picture is with the card running in that position, i assume the other position is the "R290X" position and thats the one that doesn't boot.

Yeah its going back for a refund.

I didn't see anything about the cards not working on non Asus mobo's, if i knew that i wouldn't have got it and i can't check now as its no longer listed on the shops website.
 
Soldato
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13 May 2007
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London
FYI i had the same issue when I was trying to flash my previous xfx 290's, would not boot if I flashed anything other than the original xfx bios (tried 6 different ones, HIS, powercolor, asus etc)

I just so happened to be swapping on to a new motherboard and when I flashed on the new motherboard it worked first time.

It's not a non-asus motherboard issue as I flashed different manufacturers and it still wouldn't work. Some incompatibility which I can't explain on my old mobo (Gigabyte Z87X-OC).

Had no issues flashing on my new mobo of both my previous XFX or my new powercolor 290's. Have you made sure you have the latest motherboard bios? Otherwise I'd rma and get a full fat 290x.
 
Man of Honour
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12 Jul 2005
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Aberlour, NE Scotland
Why should he reflash it anyway? He paid extra for a service and the card doesn't work so it should be returned for a refund.

Op, one thing you can try, do you have the latest bios for your motherboard? This can sometimes fix graphics card incompatibilities.
 
Associate
OP
Joined
15 Jun 2005
Posts
648
Location
Northants
Why should he reflash it anyway? He paid extra for a service and the card doesn't work so it should be returned for a refund.

Op, one thing you can try, do you have the latest bios for your motherboard? This can sometimes fix graphics card incompatibilities.

I owe you a beer or three, after updating the bios on the mobo


r290_2 by mac1982, on Flickr

Much happier :D, thanks for all the help guys MUCH appreciated.
 
Soldato
Joined
6 Feb 2010
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14,591
I owe you a beer or three, after updating the bios on the mobo


r290_2 by mac1982, on Flickr

Much happier :D, thanks for all the help guys MUCH appreciated.
Good to hear you got it sorted.

As I said...I find it very hard to believe that OcUK would make a schoolboy mistake like that and not checked/tested the card (to at least bootable without problem) before shipping them out, considering the pre-flash is the "main-feature" of this product :p
 
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