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Other => Beginners & Help => Topic started by: dhblaz on June 30, 2011, 04:33:55 PM



Title: Unlocking XFX HD-695X-ZNFC 6950 1GB (non-reference design)
Post by: dhblaz on June 30, 2011, 04:33:55 PM
The challenge about unlocking the version of the card that I got in the mail is that the flash chip needs to have write protect disabled.
Adapted from this: http://www.techpowerup.com/articles/overclocking/vidcard/159

I don't run Windows on my mining rig.  If you do things are much easier than what I did.  This is about what I did, not necessarily the easiest way for you.  I use ATIFLASH in DOS, you can use whatever flash utility you want.  You will also need RBE (which requires windows).  I use mac/unix so I made a bootable USB drive with an UBCD iso and UNetBootin (http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/).  On that flash drive I made a directory called ATI where I installed ATIFLASH.  For RBE (http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/Utilities/RBE/) I used a Windows virtual machine on my Mac.

The basic process is this:

Boot into DOS download the flash from the card:

ATIFLASH -s 0 A0-ORIG.ROM

(change 0 to whatever position your card is in)

Then in windows use RBE to unlock shaders; save the ROM as A0-UNLCK.ROM

Jumper pins 3 and 8 on the flash chip.  Someone on IRC pointed out that I should use a pull up resistor.  Well I am very lazy and I wanted to leave the mod in place so this is what I did.  I got a circuit writer pen (http://www.amazon.com/CircuitWriterTM-Precision-Pen-silver-based-grams/dp/tags-on-product/B0002BBVQO) from Radio Shack.  I covered the top of the flash chip with a regular pencil (like the ones you use to take a scantron test).  I then used a dab of circuit writer pen to connect pin 3 and 8 to the top of the chip.  The graphic from the pencil acted like a resister.

There is discussion about identifying the chip and the correct pins here: http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=146951

I then booted back to DOS and use ATIFLASH to write the modified BIOS back to the card:

ATIFLASH -p 0 A0-UNLCK.ROM

I have had mixed results.  The first board I did went well and it has a stable 303MH/S with 840 OC Core (I know people go much higher than this but I am running this at 45C ambient.  The second card doesn't maintain a very stable hash rate.  This may be caused by me trying to flash the card without the cooler attached.  I may have damaged something.


Title: Re: Unlocking XFX HD-695X-ZNFC 6950 1GB (non-reference design)
Post by: btcsquirrel on June 30, 2011, 04:41:59 PM
I'm running a pair of XFX 1GB 6950s and get a steady 320 MH/s without any flashing, unlocking, OCing, etc.  I just use the factory settings on my Windows 7 gaming beast.


Title: Re: Unlocking XFX HD-695X-ZNFC 6950 1GB (non-reference design)
Post by: dhblaz on June 30, 2011, 04:47:26 PM
I am using  Pheonix with phatk.  Perhaps I should look at a different miner.


Title: Re: Unlocking XFX HD-695X-ZNFC 6950 1GB (non-reference design)
Post by: rob80 on June 30, 2011, 05:37:48 PM
With under clocking memory, i get about 325mh/s at 80c or so running non-stop...until microsoft decides to patch windows.


Title: Re: Unlocking XFX HD-695X-ZNFC 6950 1GB (non-reference design)
Post by: legendster on April 10, 2013, 09:38:01 PM
The tittle actually looks like the Serial number of a game lol