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Some AMD (Fiji/Hawaii/Tonga)GCN GPU Disabled Stream Processors Unlockable via Software

tommybhoy

tommybhoy

tommybhoy

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This is big. A new software is doing rounds on the forumscape, with lets you check exactly which GCN compute units (CUs) were disabled by AMD to carve out your "Pro" SKU graphics card (eg: R9 Fury non-X, R9 390, R9 285, etc.), and if you're lucky, re-enable some of those disabled CUs via a good old fashioned soft-mod. Called CUINFO, developed by OCN Forums member tx12, the tool has seen some success in unlocking disabled CUs in graphics cards based on "Fiji," "Hawaii," and "Tonga" chips.

The success is limited probably because AMD appears to be using two methods to disable CUs - laser-cutting them, and through firmware. Even in chips that let you unlock, you may not unlock all CUs, since some are genuinely damaged and disabled as part of the harvesting process, to maximize yield. There are no telltale signs of which chips let you unlock and which don't, and so you'll be playing a lottery. Cards with re-enabled CUs have shown increased performance, confirming that the soft-mod is real.
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http://www.techpowerup.com/215001/s...tream-processors-unlockable-via-software.html

OCN thread can be found here:

Activation of cores in Hawaii, Tonga and Fiji (unlockability tester ver 1.6 and atomtool)
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http://www.overclock.net/t/1567179/...iji-unlockability-tester-ver-1-6-and-atomtool
 
So if you successfully unlock more CU's they should be stable or would anyone recommend looping Heaven for a few hours to verify that the CU's are undamaged?

How would damaged CU's be identified?
I can't see them testing the CU's to see if they function correctly so it must be visual and not just individual but wafer areas.
 
Not seen a single tonga be unlockable yet btw.

Also, be VERY careful and don't rush it, some people seem to have borked their cards, mainly due to using ATIWinFlash rather than ATIFlash (Dos version). This was not their fault btw, just the windows version was thought to be safe originally.

It has been mentioned on overclock.net that a member of Xtremesystems does have some internal knowledge and may have an alternative process for unlocking, but unsure how this will pan out due to possibly not wanting to make that information public. (I cannot find the thread btw, I only saw references to that being mentioned).
 
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What's the chances of any lower Fury-based chips being released? Surely there must be some more defective chips that could be binned e.g.:

2048, 2560, 3072 Shader parts?
 
Armageus said:
What's the chances of any lower Fury-based chips being released? Surely there must be some more defective chips that could be binned e.g.:

2048, 2560, 3072 Shader parts?
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Nano should have been such a part but it seems like AMD are trying to sell all of the best cores. I'm guessing that HBM is complicating things. ie. they don't want to waste HBM memory/manufacturing time on the bad apples when they can barely ship good ones out of the door.
 
Saw this thread, and thought it might be new news that Tonga was finally unlockable... but it's the old thread. Tonga is not unlockable as far as I'm aware (I know nothing! lol), so not even sure why they included it in the title of that original article.
 
Scougar said:
Saw this thread, and thought it might be new news that Tonga was finally unlockable... but it's the old thread. Tonga is not unlockable as far as I'm aware (I know nothing! lol), so not even sure why they included it in the title of that original article.
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Sorry for bumping the thread and disappointing you :)

Didn't know where else to put it and didn't think a question about parts warranted a new thread
 
Armageus said:
Sorry for bumping the thread and disappointing you :)

Didn't know where else to put it and didn't think a question about parts warranted a new thread
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Sorry if I came across arsey, certainly wasn't meant that way.. I just got excited when I saw the thread :D
 
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