Firegl series cards...

[dontgvadamn]

I do graphics and animation and heavy 3d work. So I use the firegl cards. I currently have a v5600 which is the same as the hd 2600x from what I have read. The problem is that ATI unlike nvidia doesnt support dual graphics cards (yet anyhow) So I have two questions.

One is it possible to modify the drivers from the hd 2600x and mesh the crossfire with the firegl drivers?

and two looking at the new hd 3870x2 its short on the ram that the top of the line firegl card has. However its ddr4 as opposed to ddr3.. would it be possible to take a 3870 and upgrade the ram? as well as volt mod it to run faster...also from what I have read and I might be wrong but this is the same gpu as the hd 2900 cards...so it should be able to be flashed to the firegl profile????

my other option is if its possible to mech the drivers and get crossfire going then I could mod antoher 2600 card or 2 cheap 2900 cards and flash them to the equivelant firegl card and have the same card....any advice on which path I should take would help me out alot.

I dont want to pay $3,000 a card thats just insane.

[jimmyz]

what programs do you use? I see people all the time thinking that they need fire GL cards when a regular radeon will do exactly the same.

[dontgvadamn]

I have seen that alot as well. I use cad mainly, Autedesk mechanical, inventor, softimage and rhinocerous I also use maya and 3ds max a little. Mainly cad cam however which is why I went with the firegl.

[dontgvadamn]

ok I was doing some looking aorund price wise since the hd 290 xt flashes into the v8650 I priced it out and the lowest I could find it was like 349.
Alternativly I can find the hd 3870 for about 209 and id get ddr4. Which I have too call but I have found suppliers for the samsung ddr4 ram I just need to get a price.

What I need to know is if the gpu on the 3870 is the same as the 2900. which would allow me to flash it to a firegl card. So essentially id flash it to a v8650 but have the ddr4 which I would add more ram to get the 2gb of the 8650 but have the ddr4 instead of the ddr3....Does this sound possible?

[jimmyz]

no need to flash run it as is, I use autodesk, solidworks 2007 & 2008 Delcam, artcam, surfcam etc. also I have used a little Rhino 4.0 there in really nothing you need for those applications that the 3870 will not run fine.

the gpu is a new revision, seriously doubt it will be compatible to flash, like I said though just try one as is, I work for a small engineering company and I built all of the shops rigs, all use ati radeon cards, a X850 PE , 1900xtx and a HD2900XT. (now you see where I sell my old cards...lol). most of the rigs use solidworks 10 hours+ 5-6 days a week, I never have any issues and the bosses love their rigs.

[dontgvadamn]

Humm, ive never had issues with regular series cards just slow rendering speeds with the cad and 3d stuff. I dont game so dont reallyc are about that. I might play a game once a year I need the rendering speeds the firegl's can get with the 3d stuff.

so there goes the 3879 modification.
that leaves me getting either another 2600 or a couple 2900 cards. Cant say as I am going to mod this stuff yet as I already have a v5600. But I am considering it if it can be done. Do you think its possible to mod them up to equal the firegl and then patch the driver so I can get crossfire?

[dontgvadamn]

Shoot I was just wondering if anyone thinks this would be possible...

[STEvil]

Use Rivatuner to enable professional features on a normal Radeon, no flashing required.

Video card ram is not upgradeable. HD26xx and 38xx series cards do not use the same GPU as HD2900.

[dontgvadamn]

Yes I know the 26xx doesnt use the same GPU as the 29xx and just learned the 38xx is a new gpu model.

The 2600 cards I would flash to a v5600 card thats their equivelant.

why isnt the ram upgradable? De solder and then solder a new ram module on the board wouldnt do the trick?

I dunno maybe I am just stupid on this one and trying to do something thats impossible. Which is a word I hate.

[STEvil]

Yes you can resolder it if you have access to a lithography machine and people who know how to operate it.

I dont suggest doing it yourself with an oven.

[dontgvadamn]

interesting. I tryed to search lithography machiens and came up with printing presses. lol.

But did find a couple and glanced over it and from what I see at a quick view is a lithography machine is for imprinting circuits...basically circuit production. I am going to search some more.

Now I am wondering since I already have a firegl card if there is a possibility of gettign crossfire to work on the firegl cards. Driver mod or something. The connections are already on the cards. Just not in the drivers. And be damned if I can get much usefull info on this. There is a lack of info out there for workstation cards. And leaves a rather confused group of animation people. I see it constantly in a CG forum I am part of.

I am not sure how crossfire works but since the regular cards have crossfire could you crossfire link a regular card with a workstation card?
I feel stupid asking this stuff but cant find crap for info on these firegl cards.

[STEvil]

I dont see why the FireGL cards wouldnt work in crossfire as long as you've got a crossfire connector and a motherboard that it will work with (others will work but require driver mods).

[dontgvadamn]

Well I am considering trying it. Mostly its got my curiousity if I can get crossfire to work with friegl cards. And what mods I could scratch out of them.

So I might go buy a hd 2600 xt which is the equivelant of my current card and see if I can get it to work. According to ATI crossfire is disabled with the firegl cards. Any Ideas on how to patch the drivers?

The card has the connections, so how do I enable crossfire on it? is it just a matter of patching the driver with the crossfire stuff?