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The Golden Guide to Flashing Graphic Cards

4870 problem

I just picked up a 4870 XFX ZDDC card. Yes, it is a XXX version but I didn't think that was much of an issue. Plugged it in and ran in Windows 7 just fine. Dumped the firmware, jumped to my laptop and edited it using the tools provided in the guide. Reflashed it and everything worked well. Booted in mac osx and ran GLViewer to test it. All the numbers fell in line with the modded 4870's. I shut the computer off but when I came back to it it refused to display. Occasionally I can get a very messed up grey screen but that is it. I've attempted to plug the 4870 into slot 2 and my x1900 into slot one. This still results in a failure to output any image whatsoever, even through the x1900. I'm pretty stumped on what to do. I'd like to reflash the card with original firmware but I can't seem to get my Mac Pro 1,1 to even boot with the card in it. Any advice?

Attatched are the original and modified roms.
 

Attachments

  • Roms.zip
    187.5 KB · Views: 347
Looking for a 4890 that will work without any hiccups, anybody have a link to a site selling them?
 
Quick Questions

About to get my card I think... we'll see anyway.

Just a few quick questions that I wasn't completely clear about with the guide.

So I'm getting a Sapphire 4890 new edition, I see where to get the ROM for it and everything. Mainly I'm just concerned about this,

can I flash in OSX only with Zeus and get my card working completely in both OSX and Windows 7? Or will I have to also do something to get it recognized in Windows 7? What about latest drivers, will I have to get those on the Windows 7 side?

Finally, since the card won't be recognized at all in OSX at first, do I need to have an nVidia 7300 put in already? I think I have my old one saved around here somewhere... If I don't have that though, would an nVidia 8800 GT fit with the 4890, and if so, can I manage with just 1 power cable to the 8800 and 1 to the 4890?
 
I got the flash and everything working and my MacPro 1.1 recognizes the Sapphire 4890.

I can't seem to fit the card without it bending on Slot 1. So I put it on Slot 2 and cannot seem to get it to run x16 using Expansion Slot Utility. For now I set it at Two x8 Lane + Two x4 Lane Slots so Slot two is running x8.

Is there anyway to get Slot 2 to run PCIe Lane Width of x16?:confused:
 
OPIO said:
I got the flash and everything working and my MacPro 1.1 recognizes the Sapphire 4890.

I can't seem to fit the card without it bending on Slot 1. So I put it on Slot 2 and cannot seem to get it to run x16 using Expansion Slot Utility. For now I set it at Two x8 Lane + Two x4 Lane Slots so Slot two is running x8.

Is there anyway to get Slot 2 to run PCIe Lane Width of x16?:confused:
Click to expand...

no.
 
Novablas said:
About to get my card I think... we'll see anyway.

Just a few quick questions that I wasn't completely clear about with the guide.

So I'm getting a Sapphire 4890 new edition, I see where to get the ROM for it and everything. Mainly I'm just concerned about this,

can I flash in OSX only with Zeus and get my card working completely in both OSX and Windows 7? Or will I have to also do something to get it recognized in Windows 7? What about latest drivers, will I have to get those on the Windows 7 side?

Finally, since the card won't be recognized at all in OSX at first, do I need to have an nVidia 7300 put in already? I think I have my old one saved around here somewhere... If I don't have that though, would an nVidia 8800 GT fit with the 4890, and if so, can I manage with just 1 power cable to the 8800 and 1 to the 4890?
Click to expand...


OMG!

That is EXACTLY my question too :eek:... same card even... what are the odds?

Anyway, i am expecting the card's delivery tomorrow (bought it at Pixmania as one fine gentleman a couple of posts above suggested)... oh dear i hope i can get this to work.

Thank you for this very interesting thread guys, much appreciated!


PS oh yeah: ******* the 8800GT Mac Edition, it just blew up (right after the warranty period was over, of course) :-/
 
Hey sibbz just to let you know, I successfully flashed with ONLY the 4890 in my computer by using screen sharing on another mac.
 
I'd be willing to sell my already flashed 4980. Thinking about going with one of the new cards...
 
Novablas said:
Hey sibbz just to let you know, I successfully flashed with ONLY the 4890 in my computer by using screen sharing on another mac.
Click to expand...

cool :)

I've put it in, works great in Windows 7, but i must be too stupid to follow instructions for flashing it in OSX... it gives a kernel panic at boot..

when can/do i put the 4890 in?? puzzles me...
 
guide for flashing bootcd:


before flashing bootcd, take a backup of original rom with GPU-Z in windows
then send over the rom to OSX
inside OSX, use Zeus to make Mac-rom from it
then send it back to Windows

for flashing bootcd:
download this in windows
http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/1123/mirrors.php
http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/download.html
http://www.magiciso.com/download.htm

open magiciso and open the UBCD.

make a folder like this

_DSC5356.jpg


drag the unzipped atiflash contents to the mac folder + the mac rom

now save the image and burn it do a disc.

reboot from the disk and you will get to a blue menu.

from the menu, choose
DOS/Linux boot disk

and then

DOS Boot disk

and then

OpenDOS

now several windows will pop up, press enter at them to get to the command prompt

at the promt, enter the drive letter for your UBCD
in this case here
_DSC5370.jpg

, it would be t:


then type cd mac

then type dir
you should now see atiflash and your mac rom

type

atiflash -i

make sure what adapter number your 4890 is (usuallly 0)

now type

ATIFlash -p 0 theromfile.rom -f

replace 0 with other adapter number if you have. and make sure rom name is right


now reboot... try boot osx
 
Cindori said:
some cards do that, ou'll have to flash bootcd
Click to expand...

thank you for the reply.

since i was trying any option, i gave the ATI flashing tool a try and installed Natit from it. The computer booted without a problem (monitor attached to the 7300GT, the 4890 obviously still not producing an image)...


for the rest i am experiencing the exact same problems as juanm (couple of posts above).

if all else fails i'll try the bootcd option... omg ;-)
 
just an fyi, for anyone looking for a new sapphire 4890, there's one on eBay that's already been flashed for osx.
 
problem with vapor-x

Hi!

I was wondering if anyone has had any luck with this particular vapor-x (or knows anyone who has.) I have a Mac Pro 1,1.

The card I am using is the Sapphire Radeon HD 4890 Vapor-X with 1gb GDDR5.

I am guessing it is OverClocked as most Vapor-Xs are.
PN 288-1e115-320SA
SKU# 11150-12-20R

So I downloaded the utility flashed the rom with the provided rom, it booted into OSX fine. However, I could not get QE/CI to run correctly after patching via Zues for 10.6.4 and exotics. Also, there is frequent screen tearing and I get the powerplug issue.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

-h.
 
are you using the Snow Leopard Graphics Update released by apple 2 days ago? if so you need to use the 10.6.4+GraphicsUpdate package. to make it appear in zeus, click the Update button under Driver.
when you update zeus to 2.1, you will also get a button to disable power cable warning.
 
Upgraded from 10.6.3 -> 10.6.4, restarted and then upgraded to get the latest graphics update and restarted. Then downloaded Zeus 2.1, turned off the power cable check, downloaded and ran the 10.6.4 + Graphics Update installer, then logged out and restarted.

I've gone from having 2 working screens to 1 and the Quartz Driver Installed reports "NO".

Just for fun I tried running the old Kext Helper b7 app (the one that has the 10.6.2 drivers present for this case). It also did nothing to improve things.

Still using the 4870. Any ideas?
 
Unfortunately, I haven't had as much luck as Naaaaak.

Here's what I'm working with:

XFX ZWFC vG.1
10.6.4 with graphics update on MacPro 1,1
Zeus 2.1

Used Zeus to mod my rom, and flashed back in FreeDOS. Seemed successful.

Zeus power warning update worked to kill the dialog.

Funny thing, at this point I hot-plugged my second monitor, and it came up. I wasn't expecting that to work.

Slight tearing artifacts when moving windows on screen, and general slowness.
Driver Check, Quartz driver not installed.
Installed QECI_1064+Graphics, obtained from Zeus. No luck. In fact, it killed my second monitor.

Applied mapp. Second monitor returned, but no luck on Quartz.
Applied dualdvi. No luck.

OpenGL tests are quite pathetic.

Here are my ROMs. Any thoughts?
Tusen tack...
 

Attachments

  • ZWFCvG1beforeafter.zip
    139.9 KB · Views: 348
Is there anyway to use Zeus Flashing tool to flash a Graphics card for a PowerMac g5? I have the late 2005 DP model and need an upgrade, since my stock one died!

Can anyone help me....Ive researched the last 5 hours and have came up with nothing....How do i go about flashing a card for my G5? Is Zeus restricted to Mac Pros or will it work on my g5....any help would be great.

And sorry for crashing this mac pro forum with my g5 talk....don't really know where else to go. Thanks.
 
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