View Full Version : If you have a grouper report in here
I have a tweaked bios guys, issue is its AMI, you will need a spare bios chip so you can revive your boards just in case and you may have to use a different flasher to get the bios on the board.
If you are willing to test and you under stand no warranty on this and no guarantee's then PM me.
No asking where the file came from, all i have been promised is this is the best bios to date for the board.
Tony
NicoOCZ
03-22-2006, 04:20 PM
ARG! Why does it have to be AMI ... I just have this one chip it came with and I desperately need a new (working) bios :(
Anyway, thanks for your efforts Tony.
ARG! Why does it have to be AMI ... I just have this one chip it came with and I desperately need a new (working) bios :(
Anyway, thanks for your efforts Tony.
My bad guys its award, TBH I never liked the award builds the AMI ones always clocked a lot better for me.
So to confirm its AWARD but you may have to force the flashed to ignore the rom ID....PM me for the file.
Remember...this bios is unsupported, try at your own risk.
NicoOCZ
03-22-2006, 04:27 PM
Nice, any words about what makes this bios so much better than the official ones?
PM on it's way ...
Nice, any words about what makes this bios so much better than the official ones?
PM on it's way ...
I can't comment more than i have already.
NicoOCZ
03-22-2006, 04:30 PM
Alright ... :toast:
chew*
03-22-2006, 06:21 PM
Ok guys I figured since i have a spare board and spare cmos chips I'd do it for you. I first tried an old epox nforce 2 bios chip but the rom size was wrong, undaunted i carnaged a chip out of a dead asus nforce 2 board. Note this is hotflashing meaning removing the original chip while the PC is on and inserting a new one. If it fails DO NOT restart with the new bios chip as if the flash did not suceed a diff bios is in it and can damage the board. I swapped 2 roms while attempting this.
Use this command substituting the name of the bios files you receive.
Make sure you are in pure DOS and type
f32a bios.bin /b [<------- note the spacing]
Hit enter
It will either say the rom is to small or it will ask if you want to force the flash, If it says rom is to small use a diff rom chip.
Ok the force flash.
Once flashed hit escape
I always do this and suggest you do also hit f1 load defaults let the machine boot then shutdown. remove battery jump cmos jumper then reinstall and you will be good to go.
Once again i have taken the risk to flash this and it does work. The bios also works which is a +.
Aversio
03-22-2006, 08:47 PM
I can't comment more than i have already.
ygpm :toast:
Aversio
03-22-2006, 08:49 PM
Oh, and let me publicly thank you as well. :)
I'm glad there's guys like you around to help noobs like me!
situman
03-22-2006, 08:54 PM
so hows the overclocking compared to a regular bios?
chew*
03-22-2006, 09:32 PM
im at 3 gig stable again so i didn't lose anything.
Snot aap
03-23-2006, 12:19 AM
I have no spare bios.
Can someone test it first :stick:.
If it works on a stock sapphire grouper i will take the risk. :banana:
chew*
03-23-2006, 12:39 AM
already tested it. The suggestion is mainly in case something goes wrong mid flash......
REBEL900
03-23-2006, 12:55 AM
ohh man, time to start building and benching again.. :woot:
Thanks Tony and Chew* :toast:
Snot aap
03-23-2006, 01:12 AM
Okay, will test the bios this evening.
I hope my board will survive :toast:
lv_dicedealer
03-23-2006, 02:44 AM
OK... I have a grouper and am more than willing to test this out, but I want to get a hold a replacement BIOS chip beforehand. I want to flash the new bios onto the new chip and save my original chip just in case.... Any suggestions as to where to scavenge a new chip or buy a new one (preferred method for me)?
xforce
03-23-2006, 03:55 AM
Hi tony, i've sent you a pm regarding acquiring this tweaked bios.
thanks.
:woot:
OK... I have a grouper and am more than willing to test this out, but I want to get a hold a replacement BIOS chip beforehand. I want to flash the new bios onto the new chip and save my original chip just in case.... Any suggestions as to where to scavenge a new chip or buy a new one (preferred method for me)?
old dead boards are the best place, try to keep the brand and part numbers on the chip as close as you can
chew*
03-23-2006, 10:35 AM
I've hosted this to take some of the load off tony. I'm sure he gets numerous pm's a day as is just for OCZ inc.
Im going to post this on Bleedinedge also and host the file on I4memory, i also have board mods coming soon that should enhance overclocking.
its time to get this board performing as best it can ;)
chew*
03-23-2006, 04:41 PM
Thx for the help tony. Its greatly appreciated........
Snot aap
03-24-2006, 06:08 AM
Im going to post this on Bleedinedge also and host the file on I4memory, i also have board mods coming soon that should enhance overclocking.
its time to get this board performing as best it can ;)
I like mods :D .
Need more HTT can't get past 285 with the old bios.
295 is the max i could get unstable.
I wil test my 144 in an DFI soon.
Any hints for higher htt on this board.
chew*
03-24-2006, 11:23 AM
pll speed set to high........
Snot aap
03-24-2006, 03:04 PM
pll speed set to high........
Yes, only gave me xtra stability @ higher htt. (5 mhz xtra)
Will test my cpu in a DFI tomorow.
chew*
03-24-2006, 03:08 PM
yah im thinking your cpu is limited...Board itself has no problem doing 330htt with a 3xldt
Snot aap
03-26-2006, 01:43 PM
Killed the damn DFI with condensation (Dry ice) before I had the change to test ny cpu in it. :toast:
So still no idea if it is the cpu or not.
I will try to get an other CPU so I can test it in my board.
Or i will buy a used DFI for testing purposes. :)
But first I need a new graphics card before i kill this one. :toast:
NicoOCZ
03-26-2006, 03:06 PM
Tested this bios and agree with Tony and chew, this is by far the best bios for (Sapphire) Grouper. Did for me what not a single official bios could do: get my GSkill ZX stable.
Thanks again for providing this Tony :toast:
xforce
03-27-2006, 03:29 AM
That's a good sign indeed. Have not flashed on mine yet. Need to get a vga card.
:(
Ok, first in a series of hard mods to get Grouper clocking like halibut. i actually did this mod to a rather sweet ATI Grouper a while back, and it did enhance performance.
Its a quick and easy mod, here are the instructions, please do the mods in the order that i post them, do NOT jump back and forth.
Stage 1 Improve Vref as seen by the memory modules.
The recomended resistors are 30 ohm for a full 4V Vdimm. If Vdimm is kept below 3V, for say TCCD or UCCC etc, then 15 ohms is better (actually ideal).The resistor footprint is too small to support a 15ohm 250mW resistor else 15 ohms could be used all the time. It is important the resistors are 1% tolerance.
I actually used 1/4W 1% resistors 15 ohms on my mod, its looked a bit naff but worked real well ;)
here is the link for the 0120 bios (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/a.leach80/bios%20files/Grouper%20bios%20files/0120%20bios.zip)
I have included F32a with the file so you can flash it to the sapphire board, Chew has already oulined how to do this in an earlier post in this thread.
[XC] DragonOrta
03-27-2006, 06:40 AM
So if you use more than 3v VDimm, should you keep the resistors as they are?
Get some normal 1/4w 15ohm 1% resistors, fit them and forget them, thats all i did...the issue is they are large so you will have to be tricky how you mount them.
chew*
03-27-2006, 07:21 AM
Quote from sapphire support........
Yes, the problem is one of the voltage value was set too high in default, changing that default value will cure the stability issue. This BIOS is to make sure noboby has to fiddle around.
They claim pci e volts at 1.3 caused issues.....there is a new bios out now.
I personally think the modded bios is the most stable however i can test this new bios if you guys would like me to.
lv_dicedealer
03-27-2006, 07:53 AM
Since I am not the most skilled with a soldering iron, any suggestions as to who I could ship this off to to get modded?
chew*
03-27-2006, 02:06 PM
:slap: Since I am not the most skilled with a soldering iron, any suggestions as to who I could ship this off to to get modded?
lol my soldering has suffered greatly due to the lack of doing mod.......The word buggershnots comes to mind when looking at my most recent solder job.
Grayskull
03-27-2006, 02:40 PM
I would only use SMT resistors on a motherboard. Especially where signal integrity is important.
Get some normal 1/4w 15ohm 1% resistors, fit them and forget them, thats all i did...the issue is they are large so you will have to be tricky how you mount them.
REBEL900
03-27-2006, 02:51 PM
Get some normal 1/4w 15ohm 1% resistors, fit them and forget them, thats all i did...the issue is they are large so you will have to be tricky how you mount them.
So do this mod, and what about the other where you swap resistor spaces (Remove R3044 and replace on R3403)
What's that for?
I would only use SMT resistors on a motherboard. Especially where signal integrity is important. Well going by results the use of standard resitors worked just fine...but as always i would take your advice over mine.
I did keep the legs real short,as this usually helps.
NicoOCZ
03-27-2006, 03:57 PM
Quote from sapphire support........
They claim pci e volts at 1.3 caused issues.....there is a new bios out now.
I personally think the modded bios is the most stable however i can test this new bios if you guys would like me to.
I'm absolutely satisfied with Tony's bios, but if you have some spare time ... I'd like to know what Sapphires new bios is about ;)
chew*
03-27-2006, 04:31 PM
I'll give it a go later. I noticed that even with this release they state to set NB-SB port configuration to default. Its set to advanced by default. If they want it on default they should have set it that way by default IMHO.
0120 was built specially to address overclocking and other minor issues, i have a feeling its about as good as its going to get at this time.
On a side note i have Sapphire Manta here, testing as i write. i will try to post pics etc soon
Grayskull
03-27-2006, 08:29 PM
0120 is the version to have. That's what I run on my Grouper. ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)
There's a trick or two hidden in there...especially for the hard modder. :fact:
0120 was built specially to address overclocking and other minor issues, i have a feeling its about as good as its going to get at this time.
On a side note i have Sapphire Manta here, testing as i write. i will try to post pics etc soon
chew*
03-27-2006, 08:36 PM
For a little more stability with 0120 run NB-SB port configuration at default if you experience any odd hangs or freezing when oced.
trodas
06-09-2006, 02:19 PM
I won't experienced any stability related problems with the modded 0120 one, tough the PowerLed was off when machine is on and come as ON, when machine is off.
(errrr, about to off, dues to the ASPI changes - when one upgrade from too old bios, need win reinstall to get reboot/power off working)
I also thought that it might address my USB issue (7+1 FA404 Mitsumi reader won't detected, hard to transfer files from my digi cam w/o one...), but it won't do it. My O/C aren't get past 250x11 - probably because I have no clue how to set the PLL stability calibration? (00 - 1F in bios, IIRC)
Anyway, the USB issue I just fixed - it was enought to move the FA404 to the other USB connector :rolleyes: When I have frontpanel one AND the FA404 into one USB header (the most front one) the FA404 don't get detected at all :nono:
Moving the FA404 to the second USB pin connector at the bottom pins, just like the front connector (I use only one, so, one) - it get detected and work. Very slow, tough :(
Compared to my DFI LP B, the USB copy/write speed is about 1/20 ... Writing on 4G Corsair Voayger at 500kBy/sec are nowhere near stable 10 - 12MB/sec writing I used to (yep, faster that 100MBi/sec network) ...
So, thanks for the efforts, Tomy, but my O/C is not improved (probably something else holding me back that bios ATM) and I miss the PowerLed as well, as starting from PowerOff to TurnOn, witch does not work at all in the moded bios.
To be honest, even the latest official got problems with it, but seems that setting the ASPI as S1+S3 make it work :rolleyes: Futher testing need, tough - it worked few times, but that it not proof :slap:
BTW, when the led indicition could be so easily changed - then what about mod that disable PATA IDE activity monitoring (by the LED) on secondary channel? I mean - on secondar users have CDROM, Zip (like me) or stuff that have OWN activity led :) And I would love to see that just my DVDRW is in action and not my hdd :p:
How hard that could be? :D ;)
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