Resolved Flashing Nvidia GeForce 7800 GT (specifically the Firmware)

[MrRichBOB]

This is an obscure card for the Power Mac G5, but I have heard of it being done and I know someone here did it by replacing the ROM, but I think I have heard of doing it without having to do that.

I bought an unused 7800 GT with 256MB of video RAM.

Ignoring I have no experience whatsoever with flashing video cards before, I could probably figure out that and I know I can replace the ROM chip with the other if need be, but my problem is finding compatible Apple Firmware.

I ask that if any has an Apple branded card or what if they can give a copy of their firmware, if that is safe to do. Or a compatible firmware in general. Like is the Apple 7800 GTX firmware compatible?
[doublepost=1544912596][/doublepost]LoL, I found it: http://themacelite.wikidot.com/wikidownloads2

This is specifically the download link: http://campahunta.free.fr/Downloads/ROMs/nv_oem_7800gt_2152_2_pcie_full.rom.zip

Always when I give up:

 

[3MaN4reVer]

Wrote instructions for you:

1. To flashing the firmware you need a PC.
2. Install your card in PC.
3. Download DOS version of NVFlash:
https://www.techpowerup.com/download/nvidia-nvflash/
4. Create bootable FlashDrive with FreeDOS (for example using Rufus in Windows)
https://rufus.akeo.ie/downloads/
5. Copy NVFlash to FlashDrive and boot from it.
6. Navigate to the folder with NVFlash.
cd nvflash
7. Save backup of your vBIOS.
nvflash.exe --save backup.rom
or
nvflash.exe -b backup.rom
8. Flash down the new firmware.
nvflash.exe -4 -5 -6 firmware.rom
If the error is "EEPROM erase failed. ERROR: Software write protection enabled, unable to erase EEPROM." Unlock firmware write protection:
nvflash.exe --protectoff
9. If there are several NVIDIA video cards, then you need to add the index of the card being flashed to the command:
nvflash -4 -5 -6 --index=1 firmware.rom
(The index card can be found with the command: nvflash.exe --check)
If the second video card, like mine, is of a different manufacturer (ATI), then the index should not be indicated.

Successful flashing!

 

[MisterKeeks]

This is an obscure card for the Power Mac G5, but I have heard of it being done and I know someone here did it by replacing the ROM, but I think I have heard of doing it without having to do that.

Wrote instructions for you:

1. To flashing the firmware you need a PC.
2. Install your card in PC.
3. Download DOS version of NVFlash:
https://www.techpowerup.com/download/nvidia-nvflash/
4. Create bootable FlashDrive with FreeDOS (for example using Rufus in Windows)
https://rufus.akeo.ie/downloads/
5. Copy NVFlash to FlashDrive and boot from it.
6. Navigate to the folder with NVFlash.
cd nvflash
7. Save backup of your vBIOS.
nvflash.exe --save backup.rom
or
nvflash.exe -b backup.rom
8. Flash down the new firmware.
nvflash.exe -4 -5 -6 firmware.rom
If the error is "EEPROM erase failed. ERROR: Software write protection enabled, unable to erase EEPROM." Unlock firmware write protection:
nvflash.exe --protectoff
9. If there are several NVIDIA video cards, then you need to add the index of the card being flashed to the command:
nvflash -4 -5 -6 --index=1 firmware.rom
(The index card can be found with the command: nvflash.exe --check)
If the second video card, like mine, is of a different manufacturer (ATI), then the index should not be indicated.

Successful flashing!

Sadly you will likely not have successful flashing without replacing the EEPROM chip.

As you can so on the themacelite webpage, the size of the Mac ROM is 128kb. The size of the EEPROM chip on PC Cards is only 64kb. You won't be able to successfully flash the Mac ROM to this chip. Won't fit. That was the reason for replacing it in my thread. After replacement, one still has to flash the card as if it were an unmodified PC Card.

That said, replacement isn't that hard if you are handy with a soldering iron. I might be able to find the spare chips that I could send for the cost of postage if you are interested in going that route.

 

[DearthnVader]

Sadly you will likely not have successful flashing without replacing the EEPROM chip.

As you can so on the themacelite webpage, the size of the Mac ROM is 128kb. The size of the EEPROM chip on PC Cards is only 64kb. You won't be able to successfully flash the Mac ROM to this chip. Won't fit. That was the reason for replacing it in my thread. After replacement, one still has to flash the card as if it were an unmodified PC Card.

That said, replacement isn't that hard if you are handy with a soldering iron. I might be able to find the spare chips that I could send for the cost of postage if you are interested in going that route.

Or you could edit the 7800GS rom to work with the GT.

 

[MisterKeeks]

Or you could edit the 7800GS rom to work with the GT.

Is this something that anyone has done? I guess the cards must be similar enough, but I certainly lack the expertise to modify the ROM and I think most people who do have moved on to modern cards.

 

[DearthnVader]

Is this something that anyone has done? I guess the cards must be similar enough, but I certainly lack the expertise to modify the ROM and I think most people who do have moved on to modern cards.

It's documented on themacelite wiki how to edit the roms. It's not really very hard, in this case, just need to change the device ID, copy over the soft straps, and edit the other tables. Mostly just copy and paste from the PC VBios to the Mac FCode ROM.

http://themacelite.wikidot.com/nv-rom

I made the 7800GS rom, so I assume I know what I'm doing. Really all the work done on the Geforce cards from the GF5xxx was based on my hacks.

 

[3MaN4reVer]

It's documented on themacelite wiki how to edit the roms.

The wiki does not say where the firmware checksums are and how to calculate them. It is not difficult, but they did not write it there.

Most of the parameters are conveniently replace with NiBiTor 6.06. Nvidia PCI-E 7800 GT and Nvidia PCI-E 7800 GS cards are supported.

NiBiTor 6.06:
https://www.guru3d.com/files-details/nvidia-bios-editor-download-nibitor.html

Spoiler: NiBiTor 6.06 Supported BIOSes:

Nvidia PCI-E 590 GTX
Nvidia PCI-E 580 GTX
Nvidia PCI-E 570 GTX
Nvidia PCI-E 560 GTX
Nvidia PCI-E 550 GTX
Nvidia PCI-E 520 GT
Nvidia PCI-E 480 GTX
Nvidia PCI-E 470 GTX
Nvidia PCI-E 465 GTX
Nvidia PCI-E 460 GTX
Nvidia PCI-E 450 GTS
Nvidia PCI-E 440 GT

Nvidia PCI-E 330 GT
Nvidia PCI-E 295 GTX
Nvidia PCI-E 285 GTX
Nvidia PCI-E 280 GTX
Nvidia PCI-E 275 GTX
Nvidia PCI-E 260 GTX
Nvidia PCI-E 250 GTS
Nvidia PCI-E 240 GT
Nvidia PCI-E 230 GT
Nvidia PCI-E 220 GT
Nvidia PCI-E 210 GT
Nvidia PCI-E 140 GT
Nvidia PCI-E 130 GT
Nvidia PCI-E 100 G

Nvidia PCI-E 9800 GX2
Nvidia PCI-E 9800 GTX+
Nvidia PCI-E 9800 GTX
Nvidia PCI-E 9800 GT (55nm)
Nvidia PCI-E 9800 GT
Nvidia PCI-E 9600 GSO
Nvidia PCI-E 9600 GT
Nvidia PCI-E 9500 GT
Nvidia PCI-E 9500 GS
Nvidia PCI-E 9400 GT
Nvidia PCI-E 9300 GE
Nvidia PCI-E 9300 GS

Nvidia PCI-E 8800 Ultra
Nvidia PCI-E 8800 GTX
Nvidia PCI-E 8800 GS
Nvidia PCI-E 8800 GT
Nvidia PCI-E 8800 GTS G92
Nvidia PCI-E 8800 GTS
Nvidia PCI-E 8600 GTS
Nvidia PCI-E 8600 GT
Nvidia PCI-E 8600 GS
Nvidia PCI-E 8500 GT
Nvidia PCI-E 8400 GS

Nvidia PCI-E 7950 GX2
Nvidia PCI-E 7900 GX2
Nvidia PCI-E 7950 GT
Nvidia PCI-E 7900 GTX
Nvidia PCI-E 7900 GT
Nvidia PCI-E 7800 GTX
Nvidia PCI-E 7800 GT
Nvidia PCI-E 7800 GS
Nvidia PCI-E 7600 GT
Nvidia PCI-E 7600 GS
Nvidia PCI-E 7300 GT
Nvidia PCI-E 7300 GS
Nvidia PCI-E 7300 LE
Nvidia PCI-E 7300 SE/7200 GS

Nvidia PCI-E 6800 Series GPU
Nvidia PCI-E 6800 GS
Nvidia PCI-E 6800 XT
Nvidia PCI-E 6800
Nvidia PCI-E 6800 XE
Nvidia PCI-E 6800 LE
Nvidia PCI-E 6600 GT
Nvidia PCI-E 6600
Nvidia PCI-E 6610 XL
Nvidia PCI-E 6600 LE
Nvidia PCI-E 6500
Nvidia PCI-E 6200 TC
Nvidia PCI-E 6200 LE
Nvidia PCI-E FX5900
Nvidia PCI-E FX5750
Nvidia PCI-E FX5300

Nvidia PCI-E Quadro CX
Nvidia PCI-E Quadro 7000
Nvidia PCI-E Quadro 6000
Nvidia PCI-E Quadro 5000
Nvidia PCI-E Quadro 4000
Nvidia PCI-E Quadro 2000
Nvidia PCI-E Quadro FX3700
Nvidia PCI-E Quadro FX600
Nvidia PCI-E Quadro FX570
Nvidia PCI-E Quadro FX380
Nvidia PCI-E Quadro FX3450/4000 SDI
Nvidia PCI-E Quadro FX4500
Nvidia PCI-E Quadro FX4000
Nvidia PCI-E Quadro FX1800
Nvidia PCI-E Quadro FX1700
Nvidia PCI-E Quadro FX1400
Nvidia PCI-E Quadro FX1300
Nvidia PCI-E Quadro FX560
Nvidia PCI-E Quadro FX540

Nvidia AGP 7950 GT
Nvidia AGP 7900 GS
Nvidia AGP 7800 GS
Nvidia AGP 7600 GT
Nvidia AGP 7600 GS
Nvidia AGP 7300 GT
Nvidia AGP 6800 Ultra
Nvidia AGP 6800 GT
Nvidia AGP 6800 GS (BR02)
Nvidia AGP 6800 GS
Nvidia AGP 6800 XT
Nvidia AGP 6800
Nvidia AGP 6800 LE
Nvidia AGP 6600 GT
Nvidia AGP 6600
Nvidia AGP 6600 LE
Nvidia AGP 6600 A- LE
Nvidia AGP 6200
Nvidia AGP FX5950 Ultra
Nvidia AGP FX5900 Ultra
Nvidia AGP FX5900
Nvidia AGP FX5900 XT
Nvidia AGP FX5900 ZT
Nvidia AGP FX5800 Ultra
Nvidia AGP FX5800
Nvidia AGP FX5700 Ultra
Nvidia AGP FX5700
Nvidia AGP FX5700 LE
Nvidia AGP FX5700 VE
Nvidia AGP FX5600 Ultra
Nvidia AGP FX5600
Nvidia AGP FX5600 XT
Nvidia AGP FX5500
Nvidia AGP FX5200 Ultra
Nvidia AGP FX5200
Nvidia AGP FX5100

Nvidia AGP Quadro FX5500
Nvidia AGP Quadro FX4000
Nvidia AGP Quadro FX3400/4400
Nvidia AGP Quadro FX3500
Nvidia AGP Quadro FX3000
Nvidia AGP Quadro FX2000
Nvidia AGP Quadro FX1100
Nvidia AGP Quadro FX1000
Nvidia AGP Quadro FX700

Nvidia C51G 6100

Nvidia 580M
Nvidia 570M
Nvidia 560M
Nvidia 555M
Nvidia 540M GT
Nvidia 525M GT
Nvidia 480M GTX
Nvidia 470M GTX
Nvidia 460M GTX
Nvidia 435M GT
Nvidia 425M GTX
Nvidia 420M GT
Nvidia 350M GTS
Nvidia 320M GT
Nvidia 310M GTS
Nvidia 285M GTX
Nvidia 280M GTX
Nvidia 260M GTX
Nvidia 160M GTS
Nvidia 130M GTS
Nvidia 9800M GTX
Nvidia 9800M GTS
Nvidia 9800M GTS 1GB
Nvidia 9800M GT
Nvidia 9800M GS
Nvidia 9700M GT
Nvidia 9650M GT
Nvidia 9650M GS
Nvidia 9600M GT
Nvidia 9600M GS
Nvidia 9500M GS
Nvidia 9300M GS

Nvidia 8800M GTX
Nvidia 8700M GT
Nvidia 8600M GT
Nvidia 8400M GS
Nvidia 8400M
Nvidia 7950 GTX Go
Nvidia 7900 GTX Go
Nvidia 7900 GS Go
Nvidia 7800 GTX Go
Nvidia 7800 Go
Nvidia 7600 Go
Nvidia 7400 Go
Nvidia 7300 Go
Nvidia 7150M
Nvidia 6800 Ultra Go
Nvidia 6800 Go
Nvidia 6600 Go
Nvidia 5600 Go

Nvidia Quadro FX 3800M
Nvidia Quadro FX 3700M
Nvidia Quadro FX 3600M
Nvidia Quadro FX 2700M
Nvidia Quadro FX 2500M
Nvidia Quadro FX1600M
Nvidia Quadro FX770M
Nvidia Quadro FX1500 Go
Nvidia Quadro FX1400 Go
Nvidia Quadro FX1000 Go
Nvidia Quadro NVS 140M

[doublepost=1545821687][/doublepost]

As you can so on the themacelite webpage, the size of the Mac ROM is 128kb. The size of the EEPROM chip on PC Cards is only 64kb. You won't be able to successfully flash the Mac ROM to this chip. Won't fit. That was the reason for replacing it in my thread. After replacement, one still has to flash the card as if it were an unmodified PC Card.

Yes, of course, the EEPROM chip needs to be replaced. I recommend using a hot air soldering station and a programmer. If not, then a soldering iron and a PC motherboard with two or more PCI-E slots for flashing will be enough.

 

[SnakeCoils]

Hello, I join this thread because I recently purchased a 7800GS, still to be delivered but in meantime I try to gather some extra informations while I am waiting the postman to ring the doorbell.
The model I choosen was taken apart from a SEGA Lindbergh arcade rig. Before the purchase I have made an extensive research on the web to be sure the bios was the required 5.70.xx and also the seller verified for me the label was reporting it, I have also verified the visual and board layout was the same as the BFG reference and marked as "p492n0" so everything should be fine once it flashed with MacElite reduced ROM.
The doubt at this point is about the VRAM brand and specs... in the past I have encountered problems while I was looking for a FireGL X3 to flash as X800XT Mac edition, mainly because the MacElite ROM was for a Samsung memory while on the model purchased the first time it was different (maybe Hynix, I do not remember for sure).
Since both the BFG model and SEGA have the memory chips covered by the heatspreader I can't tell for sure if both matches or if there are differences so it could be either a good shoot on first try or a wrong purchase at all.
Has anyone flashed a SEGA Lindbergh 7800GS before? It can't be the BFG is the only possible solution, those cards are almost impossible to find in Europe while the SEGA ones are quite common because they are sold as replacement for that particular arcade system. Also, if we consider how stressed is an arcade machine compared to a desktop installation the reliability should be even higher...

 

[SASDakota]

Hello, I join this thread because I recently purchased a 7800GS, still to be delivered but in meantime I try to gather some extra informations while I am waiting the postman to ring the doorbell.
The model I choosen was taken apart from a SEGA Lindbergh arcade rig. Before the purchase I have made an extensive research on the web to be sure the bios was the required 5.70.xx and also the seller verified for me the label was reporting it, I have also verified the visual and board layout was the same as the BFG reference and marked as "p492n0" so everything should be fine once it flashed with MacElite reduced ROM.
The doubt at this point is about the VRAM brand and specs... in the past I have encountered problems while I was looking for a FireGL X3 to flash as X800XT Mac edition, mainly because the MacElite ROM was for a Samsung memory while on the model purchased the first time it was different (maybe Hynix, I do not remember for sure).
Since both the BFG model and SEGA have the memory chips covered by the heatspreader I can't tell for sure if both matches or if there are differences so it could be either a good shoot on first try or a wrong purchase at all.
Has anyone flashed a SEGA Lindbergh 7800GS before? It can't be the BFG is the only possible solution, those cards are almost impossible to find in Europe while the SEGA ones are quite common because they are sold as replacement for that particular arcade system. Also, if we consider how stressed is an arcade machine compared to a desktop installation the reliability should be even higher...

Hey I ended up purchasing this exact same card, what was your fix to get it working in an MDD?

To add some more details I found details showing P.492n30

It works fine in FreeDOS on P4-PC motherboard. When I load the G4 notemp ROM off wikidownloads2 I get major artifacting when loading OSX apple. I assumed softstraps and timing were the cause. But the timing tables from Stock to Notemp ROMs are vastly different so I am holding off making the changes. Looking for someone who can help guide me a little further than generic NV ROM page has.

 

[SASDakota]

It's documented on themacelite wiki how to edit the roms. It's not really very hard, in this case, just need to change the device ID, copy over the soft straps, and edit the other tables. Mostly just copy and paste from the PC VBios to the Mac FCode ROM.

http://themacelite.wikidot.com/nv-rom

I made the 7800GS rom, so I assume I know what I'm doing. Really all the work done on the Geforce cards from the GF5xxx was based on my hacks.

Are you willing to take a look at my ROM compared to the G4 No Temp sensor ROM on wiki? It appears this SEGA purposed 7800gs card does not like the currently offered ROM options.

 

[SnakeCoils]

Hey I ended up purchasing this exact same card, what was your fix to get it working in an MDD?

To add some more details I found details showing P.492n30

It works fine in FreeDOS on P4-PC motherboard. When I load the G4 notemp ROM off wikidownloads2 I get major artifacting when loading OSX apple. I assumed softstraps and timing were the cause. But the timing tables from Stock to Notemp ROMs are vastly different so I am holding off making the changes. Looking for someone who can help guide me a little further than generic NV ROM page has.

At first I've tried the procedure described in the MacElite wiki articles, dumping the 7800GS Lindbergh firmware and then proceeding to edit/cut/paste dozen of hex strings. The resulting ROM, once flashed back to the card, never worked as expected: while in OS9 the picture was clean, in OSX I had every kind of artifact, the desktop was there but ruined by vertical garbage. I've tried a second time from scratch but with the same results, in the end I gave up and purchased a BFG card (copper heatsink) where the MacElite "official" reduced ROMs worked perfectly.
After a while I decided to go back, once for all, to the FireGL X3-256 because its better support in OSX and a partial support in OS9: if you apply the "Radeon 9200 Hotfix" to the OS9 install the FireGL it will be able to detect (and select) the monitor supported resolutions, otherwise it will be sticky with the one from the latest OSX boot. No acceleration, of course, but at least when a OS9 boot is needed the use is a bit more comfortable.

 

[SASDakota]

At first I've tried the procedure described in the MacElite wiki articles, dumping the 7800GS Lindbergh firmware and then proceeding to edit/cut/paste dozen of hex strings. The resulting ROM, once flashed back to the card, never worked as expected: while in OS9 the picture was clean, in OSX I had every kind of artifact, the desktop was there but ruined by vertical garbage. I've tried a second time from scratch but with the same results, in the end I gave up and purchased a BFG card (copper heatsink) where the MacElite "official" reduced ROMs worked perfectly.
After a while I decided to go back, once for all, to the FireGL X3-256 because its better support in OSX and a partial support in OS9: if you apply the "Radeon 9200 Hotfix" to the OS9 install the FireGL it will be able to detect (and select) the monitor supported resolutions, otherwise it will be sticky with the one from the latest OSX boot. No acceleration, of course, but at least when a OS9 boot is needed the use is a bit more comfortable.

Thanks for getting back to me on this!

Do you happen to have the ROMs you tried to make work? I'm going to try and track down a stock BFG ROM and compare to the lindbergh ROM.

 

[SnakeCoils]

Thanks for getting back to me on this!

Do you happen to have the ROMs you tried to make work? I'm going to try and track down a stock BFG ROM and compare to the lindbergh ROM.

Sadly no, I haven't no more the ROM I edited at the time but in my experience not all the Lindbergh 7800GS are the same. For example with the reference design (with silver heatsink) the reduced MacElite ROM didn't work but with another kind of board (with squared orange heatsink) it did.
I tried my best in accurately following the steps on the MacElite guide but I believe some extra undocumented customizations were done, some touches here and there made possible only by experience and knowledge.
I have also tried to reduce the X850XT Apple ROM following the other guide but it did not work also. I have wasted so much time in this kind of hex editing (without reliable results) that I really prefer go for the verified working hardware where the available modified ROMs works at first try.
A thing that is really tempting me is trying to adapt the ROM of the OEM X1900GT PCIe to work on the X1950GT AGP version (it would be nice to use it in my G4 MDD), but from a preliminary look at the code I don't recognize any of the points where the MacElite guides says to start for modifications and since my previous attempts did not go so well I think I will leave the challenge to someone else.
I really wish you the success on the Lindbergh card, but without an help from the original firmware modders it could be like driving in an blind roundabout.

 

[SASDakota]

I think I may start a thread specific to this card and see how far I can take it. I'm hoping DarthnVader chimes in also.

 

[SASDakota]

Sorry wrong thread...