[Softmod] AMD 6970m -> FirePro M8900 *UPDATE* 6990m works too!

[sadegh93]

hello

could anybody explain me how to flash 6970m in np700g7a to m8900 ?

is that like the way as you have explained ?

thanks

excuse me if my post is repetitive

[svl7]

The vbios of that system is part of the bios as far as I know, so the only way would be to modify the bios. However I can not guarantee that it will work in your case, if I'm not mistaken then the GPU of your system isn't MXM compliant and therefore it's not possible to say whether the vbios of a regular m8900 would work on your system.

[BENETNATH]

Hi everybody,

i'm a fresh buyer of a Dell M6600 with a M8900 card in it. It was a good price in a forum, but my main intend is no pro-oriented.

As i will use it for some gaming, i am considering to flahs it to a 6970M with a dell vbios.

i've gathered the different tools for flashing, but i need to find a 6970M vbios for dell card.

I've found a website listing different ones :

Video Bios Collection | techPowerUp

i'm not sure which one i should take.

any advice ?

also, whick tool is better to make the save gpu-z or atiflash ?)

in addition, what is your POV on that, will i really bring a boost ?

i'm a bit concerned as the laptop is still under warranty, and if i need to use it, i'll need to flash it back.

thanks for any help and comments

[svl7]

Use atiflash (DOS version) for backup and flashing.

If you just want to use it for gaming I don't think you will see a big difference, at least my DX10 and DX11 performance was pretty good with the Firepro vbios, even with the Firepro drivers. Maybe you can install the Radeon drivers with a simple .inf mod, so you don't need to flash anything at all.

[michal.glocki]

Hello everybody.

I'm complettly new in this subject and today I have tried to change my Radeon M6990 into FirePro M8900 but without success. Everything looked fine untill the drvier instalation that was impossible to recognize by the system (Windows 7 64bit). I have download the drvier directly from AMD site so I think that it should be correct.

The second problem is that I have in my Alienware 2 Radeon cards with CrossFire and the VBIOS have changed only on one of them (at least that what GPU-Z say). I it posiible to change VBIOS on two GPU? Is for this any other command?

Unfortunately I have to do this modification cause one of the software, I need, don't want to start because of the problem with OpenGL.

[svl7]

For flashing check this: http://forum.techinferno.com/general-notebook-discussions/1738-%5Bguide%5D-amd-vbios-flashing.html

You will need to specify to which GPU you flash the vbios.

What error message do you get while installing the driver? Also make sure to flash both cards before trying to install the driver.

[michal.glocki]

For flashing check this: http://forum.techinferno.com/general-notebook-discussions/1738-%5Bguide%5D-amd-vbios-flashing.html

You will need to specify to which GPU you flash the vbios.

What error message do you get while installing the driver? Also make sure to flash both cards before trying to install the driver.

I simply recieve an information that driver is not supported by the system. I have downloaded 2 different drivers from 2 sources (one of them directly from AMD site and both for win 7 64bit). Maybe the problem was because I,ve made the flash just one card. I will try to do it again after reading attached guide.

[Chaosstorm]

Hi,

okay so I did the mod on my clevo 6970m card. (I'm working on a 3 year old clevo w860cu )

I didnt reinstall the drivers, amd catalyst does still work. But it doesnt say catalyst pro on the top, but it has the 10bit firepro options .

I dont really notice any difference in 3ds max probably because, with the 2012/13/14 versions they switched from open gl special

drivers to nitrous which is directx 9 or 11 based. (and the amd card always had great performance any way)

Heh whoops, I just saw my post from a year ago Nvm this post

Still, thanks for the work you did!

[Ezio21]

Hello, does it will decrease performance in games and increase in 3D work apps or it will just increase 3D and stay on same level with games?

Regards

[landsome]

Would the 6970M modded into an M8900 be able to output in 10bit-mode, i.e., on a Premiercolor/Dreamcolor RGB IPS display?

[svl7]

I never had the possibility to test this, but I don't see a reason why it wouldn't work.

[jhill3d]

I want to flash my Firepro m8900 to the 6990m for better gaming performance. Is this still the best option right now? If so, can someone point me in the right directions please?

Thanks

[landonepps]

I want to flash my Firepro m8900 to the 6990m for better gaming performance. Is this still the best option right now? If so, can someone point me in the right directions please?

I am pretty certain that this does not work. I flashed my 6990m so I could use the FirePro drivers and get better performance in programs like Adobe After Effects.

I modified the clocks to match the original 6990m clocks before I flashed it and still got worse gaming performance--probably because the drivers are not optimized for games.

[steni1975]

Hello there,

I have a problem with the ATI HD 6990M. I want to use these graphics cards in CF mode. I have installed both cards in my Eurocom X8100 and connected to a CF Cable. Unfortunately, the CF mode is not active.

I read that on the maps the wrong BIOS installed. Which bios do I have to flash the card in CF mode to use?

What possibly is still important to have a HD 6990M has a HD 6990M Hynix memory has Samsung memory.

Many thanks for the help,

Stephan

[timenewton]

 I know this is a semi old topic but I got an m6600 about 3 months ago and am trying or wondering if you can flash the m8900 to an 6990m. If that be the case would it unlock shaders?

[pseudodeed]

Hello is this working for 6630m too?

Zhanks

[Macrofeet]

Hi, came to this post from google was only 1 of 2 threads i found about flashing this card sorry if its to old to post on but thought might be useful for people trying to press the last out of the precision laptop.

 

*Disclaimer following could brick/break the GPU making the laptop useless

 

I have the dell 6600 precision I7 with the m8900 and wanted to do the reverse flash for gaming and overclocking if anyone was still wondering (this worked  correctlyish)

 

Roms from https://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/?manufacturer=Dell&model=HD+6970M

 

Dell.HD6970M.2048.101214 Ver  013.010.000.009.039462 Date 2010-12-14 17:33:00 (0ld)

Dell.HD6970M.2048.110418 Ver  013.012.000.012.040739 Date 2011-04-18 16:55:00 (new)

 

Process

 

I tried the latest windows flash did not want to spend the time to make a usb boot drive,  ended up worrying about using this as background services etc, also could not figure out how to force flash, did not seem to work in admin command prompt in the end I made a usb dos boot drive as shown in first post. On first boot realised you need *atiflash 417 latest DOS ver https://hw-lab.com/atiflash.html

 

i flashed the newer rom(Dell.HD6970M.2048.110418)  but for some reason graphics were still showing up as a m8900 in bios and windows so tried again, same thing even tho flash completed both times.

 

Next I tried the older rom(Dell.HD6970M.2048.101214)  this flashed fine but must have predated the m6600 as boots with no dell logo and bios boot option does not appear but boot options still working if you blind press f12 then wait blind press the down and enter key = 1-5 times until you hit lucky with bios or boot from usb. However even with no bios splash screen Windows 7 with (Dell.HD6970M.2048.110418) booted fine and accepted it as a new card.

 

Next I tried flashing over the older rom (Dell.HD6970M.2048.101214) again with latest (Dell.HD6970M.2048.110418) and got it all working post screen options etc now even in bios graphics show as a 6970m.

 

downloaded https://leshcatlabs.net/ Catalyst_16.2.1_UnifL_v1.0 this i think is the newset posiible 3rd party driver for 6970 and allows over clocking etc i think its really for dual gcard systems but just install/unzip it all then install from the amd folder.

 

Overdrive settings gpu: 730 mem: 960 temps do look hot but no artifacts etc going to try out cooler later.

 

Also been playing around with radeonmod https://www.guru3d.com/files-tags/download-radeonmod.html everytime you restart the gcard it does crash radeon control settings.

 

Anyway hope this helps anyone wanting to play fortnite etc as the m8900 is to slow in the recent updates with tubes etc can just about run it in 60fps, after doing this strangly won a game, Cant really see a massive change in FPS not had time to run test properly but at least unlocked overclocking/ drivers etc should be better.

 

 

Edited July 19, 2019 by Macrofeet
more info

[Macrofeet]

How I UNBRICKed 8900m or M6970 from bad flash

 

Took things  further made a custom rom so that the overclock would be default... however i stupidly used the windows flash to do this and it bricked my card...

 

i found a way to unbrick if software flash goes bad but you need to spend some money

 

You will need one of these cost around $5 with clip (you need the clip)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CH341A-24-25-Series-EEPROM-Flash-BIOS-USB-Programmer-SOIC8-Clip-On-Board-Kit/183561041571?hash=item2abd1736a3:g:SaMAAOSwe9Vb~615

Connect the clip to the usb writer board in the same way from the youtube video for 8900m is 25xx chip

 

1/ Get linux if you dont have https://linuxmint.com/

IMO Best way is to use linux as installing drivers/apps in windows looked possible grief

I used linux mint 19.2 not sure if this fix will work booting from a usb boot drive without installing as you will need to install flashrom so you will probably have to install linux. if you dont know what linux is or how to install give up here.

 

2/ Once installed and running in cmd type "lsusb"  make sure when usb programmer plugged in it says QinHeng etc in list this means the usb board is probably working

 

3/ type  "sudo apt-get install flashrom"  (get/install flashrom the program to flash the card)

 

4. Connect the clip to mxm graphics card

Hold the card with gold pins facing up so that the gpu chip/metal surround is slightly to the right of the card the bottom right of the gpu surround a small chip with a blue mark on

on the edge of the card is an arrow this is pin 1 and the red cable on the usb programmer clip goes to pin 1. The chip above blue marked chip is not readable.

 

5. read the rom and backup "sudo flashrom --programmer ch341a_spl -r Biosbk.rom" the extra light mentioned in youtube video did not appear for me it still read the chip fine after playing about getting the clip aligned was slightly greif it felt like the pins were not touching.

 

6. Download/copy bios you want to flash from https://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/?manufacturer=Dell&model=HD+6970M

copy into the same folder as biosbk.rom is now located

 

7.  Only if 5 worked meaning the pins are aligned correctly and the programmer can read the chip etc you could at youre own risk type

 "sudo flashrom --programmer ch341a_spl -w 6970.rom"

 

6970.rom < The file name of the bios file you want to flash (the one you downloaded)

 

This should hopefully fix you're card if it was not fried when you powerd back on from the bad flash.

 

watch and follow this guide turn up the volume the sound is bad it is the same thing but for a desktop Nvidia card

 

 

Edited August 9, 2019 by Macrofeet