Fixing a Bad BIOS Flash on the 4870

[jimmyz]

It's not just people who've flashed bios, random cards are dying too.

I 've been reading up all day I feel now the GDDR5 is going belly up most of the people have clocked up in ccc or flashed. I think the ram is dying, could be way off but I wouldn't overclock one until we all know for sure.

I also updated the 4850 bios first post to reflect that it most likely will kill a 4870.

Even the people I talked with outside of XS are reporting many dead cards... surely something besides the flash is killing them. most outside of this forum never saw the flash option.

I wish someone would reply who has a MM and a camera. I think we can eliminate some possibilities if we can get some measurements. and short of me bouncing a check to get one I am unable to help, or someone could mail me a dead card to check.

[Kensek]

The Mobo is fine. It can run all of my other VGAs still.

But the VGA cannot dispay or POST. Tried the dead HD4870s in my BlackOps, P5Q3 and IP35 Pro.

[Edin]

Well I've given up on these cards (can't believe they died just like that) I took'em out of my system gonna pack them up and off back they go where they came from... it s me now even more that I can't get CCC to start now at all even with just HD3870X2 installed...

[jimmyz]

The Mobo is fine. It can run all of my other VGAs still.

But the VGA cannot dispay or POST. Tried the dead HD4870s in my BlackOps, P5Q3 and IP35 Pro.

We are all still at a loss as to the cause for this.I mean we know ATI must have tested their own CCC yet many cards have died just using it, and some even stock. all we can do right now is try different things and see what may be causing it, so we know where the issue is.

if anyone with a dead card is near Richmond IN I will drive to your house if needed to get a look at the card, please reply.

Unless we eliminate some things from the list we are just spinning our wheels.

has anyone tried flipping the pal/ ntsc switch on the card?
has anyone tried the other port for the monitor?
has anyone tried booting with no power to see if the pwer message shows up?
has anyone tried the command line W1zzard posted a page back?
has anyone tried anything I left out?

any more advice? all input is needed at this point and be honest about clocks and such , we aren't here to judge we just want to figure this out so you guys don't lose your cards. I know as well as anyone what that is like.

[ghost101]

Any new information?

Got 4 dead here, as well.

To fuel the fire and speculation, both sets we have died in Crossfire mode. (may be a trend from the looks of it)

For all 4 to die like that, it must mean that they are failing under certain conditions. For them to die together independently of each other is very unlikely. As you mention, it could be due to crossfire-x, or is there something specific to you?

[Kensek]

I tried - "has anyone tried the other port for the monitor"? Still No Display or Post

[Edin]

My gut feeling now suspects sticker "Made in China" on the cards and such low price could be poor(er) quality components chosen for the card and who knows what else... I am so disapointed in this...

[jimmyz]

I tried - "has anyone tried the other port for the monitor"? Still No Display or Post

could you try all the others, none should cause any problems.

[jimmyz]

4850's have much cheaper components and are also made in china, I haven't heard of a dead one yet.

[SimBy]

My gut feeling now suspects sticker "Made in China" on the cards and such low price could be poor(er) quality components chosen for the card and who knows what else... I am so disapointed in this...

Everything is made in China today my friend HD4850 also and it has no issues.

I don't wanna rub in the salt but it is your fault. You flashed the cards with edited bios and the result is a dead card.

We can debate if the card would die anyway even without the flash. I don't think it would, but I sure hope you guys can figure it out

[Edin]

Ah what ever... if it was the flash I think card would stop working straight after the flash, not few reboots and testing after... and I said it's just my gut feeling, no scientific reasoning on it

Anywho, if I canget it working gain I'm not gonna return it (logically) and if I can help I would like to so I took a high res screenshot of the back of the whole card... image size is 3.15MB 3888x2592 pixels... I have a multimeter so if someone need me to send him the image I'll email and if they can point me out what points on the card to check I'll measure it...

[jimmyz]

Ah what ever... if it was the flash I think card would stop working straight after the flash, not few reboots and testing after... and I said it's just my gut feeling, no scientific reasoning on it

Anywho, if I canget it working gain I'm not gonna return it (logically) and if I can help I would like to so I took a high res screenshot of the back of the whole card... image size is 3.15MB 3888x2592 pixels... I have a multimeter so if someone need me to send him the image I'll email and if they can point me out what points on the card to check I'll measure it...

email to jimmyz@insightbb.com


same for any of you. please contact if you need help, I will do what I can to help out.

[Kensek]

has anyone tried flipping the pal/ ntsc switch on the card?
has anyone tried the other port for the monitor?
has anyone tried booting with no power to see if the pwer message shows up?
has anyone tried the command line W1zzard posted a page back?

1) I see No switch on the card
3) Tried No 6-pin hookup and all i GET is a BIOS beeps. It is either 1 long and then 3 shrt beeps. Or 4 short. But the first one is only a little longer than the last 3.

What command line wizzard wrote?

[cantankerous]

This is why I always cringe when I see cards using this Quimodo crap. I remember hearing of all the issues this brand of ram caused on the 8800GT cards on release. They are just no where near as robust as Samsung branded ram. Once the 8800GT starting using Samsung ram the problems were gone. ATI should have stuck with Samsung ram I feel. Just saying.

[Edin]

Just now I plugged one of the HD4870's in the system (HD3870X2 is still set in primary PCI-E slot and monitor is connected to it and CAT's 8.6 are installed (but for some reason CCC won't start now at all???)) and I have no 6-Pin PSU cables connected to it... system booted into windows... I got no warning about cable not being plugged in... the HD4870 hardware got recognised and windows started installing the driver for it... and then whole system just stopped and monitor screen got black... same as always... I have to now boot in Safe Mode, disable the HD4870, to be able to boot into windows again... or uninstall Catalyst drivers... what a pain...

EDIT: like all of you I also get only 3 red lights lit up on system restart (on tha image light that doesn't lit up is labeled D601 - second from top - located right side, right next to the 6-Pin PSU connectors) and this seems to regardless if I have the PCI-E power cable connected or not...

[Dragy2k]

cross fingers

Long live Nvidia
RUN!

not needed and not usefull..........time for a troll cull !!
any news on possible fix im getting my single 4870 soon!

[jimmyz]

Just now I plugged one of the HD4870's in the system (HD3870X2 is still set in primary PCI-E slot and monitor is connected to it and CAT's 8.6 are installed (but for some reason CCC won't start now at all???)) and I have no 6-Pin PSU cables connected to it... system booted into windows... I got no warning about cable not being plugged in... the HD4870 hardware got recognised and windows started installing the driver for it... and then whole system just stopped and monitor screen got black... same as always... I have to now boot in Safe Mode, disable the HD4870, to be able to boot into windows again... or uninstall Catalyst drivers... what a pain...

EDIT: like all of you I also get only 3 red lights lit up on system restart (on tha image light that doesn't lit up is labeled D601 - second from top - located right side, right next to the 6-Pin PSU connectors) and this seems to regardless if I have the PCI-E power cable connected or not...

can you upload a pic of the other side also naked please I'm not seeing the chip I need.

[SNiiPE_DoGG]

This is why I always cringe when I see cards using this Quimodo crap. I remember hearing of all the issues this brand of ram caused on the 8800GT cards on release. They are just no where near as robust as Samsung branded ram. Once the 8800GT starting using Samsung ram the problems were gone. ATI should have stuck with Samsung ram I feel. Just saying.

very true


so guys i earlier reported that one of my HIS 4870s has major artifacting issues on desktop but is still "functional"

now i have even better news! my other "working card" has now started to exhibit the same symptoms you all are having... no post and my DFI x38 poster LCD gives me post code 26 in the post where jimmyz asked all those questions i tried all those things and no luck.

when i have my 3870 in my systems posts and boots for about 30 seconds then goes black screen

here is the COMPLETE list of things i did to the card that will not post:
-used ATIWinflash and RBE to edit the fan profile on my card, never changed and clock settings or voltages
-Used ATItool to check for artifacts and temp issues
-clocked the gpu to 790, no isuues with that (many reboots at that frequency)
-clocked the ram to 1060 ----> after i confirmed no artifact issues at this speed i rebooted my computer, this is when post code 26 started happening and all went to hell.

Any info you need jimmy, maybe a high res pic of my card (even tho you have one already, i have an EOS 1ds Mk III so i can pretty much get the most detailed pics around of whatever you want.


update on the fragmenting card: i believe this card to be truely defective from the start when i put it in for some fixing attempts to day it reached incredibly high temps without ever reaching the desktop (nearly burned my hands, must have been over 100c) and i truly cannot see how it ever passed QA

[Edin]

can you upload a pic of the other side also naked please I'm not seeing the chip I need.

comming right up...

[Calmatory]

You have 4 dead 4870 cards... omg...
Just great... I've been looking for 2 of those cards since I want some new toys again... NVIDIA is ridiculously expensive and ATI cards just die for no apparent reason... just perfect

Guess BIOS flashing is "no apparent reason".

There is a reason why it voids warranty, just like overclocking and voltmodding does.

[SNiiPE_DoGG]

Guess BIOS flashing is "no apparent reason".

There is a reason why it voids warranty, just like overclocking and voltmodding does.

read what jimmyz said, many people who dont even know how to flash a bios are getting dead cards, flashing is not the cause and it certainly doesn't fix it

[keiths]

Except, as has been repeatedly pointed out, there have been cards that haven't been modified or overclocked that have met the same fate.

[Big.Wayne]

the thread need the name changed

if it was the flashing that caused the problem, the title of this thread is a little unfair

Yup that title could cause unnecessary worry amoungst the faint hearted who just spent they last buck on a shiney new HD4870!

"4870 randomly bit the dust in less than 24 hours "

I don't call a BIOS flash random, although there may be other reasons, the flash has gotta be the prime suspect. As they say "Mess with the Bull, You’ll Get the Horns"

It's not just people who've flashed bios, random cards are dying too.

Well as we all know some computer hardware has a habit of just dying with no apparent reason and I expect a very small percentage of HD4870's will give up the ghost pretty quickly.

I do sympathize with you to some extent but from what I have read it seems you may have had a hand in the demise of your new card. I feel really sorry for the guys/girls who receive HD3870 cards that are DOA!

Personally I would never dream of flashing a brand new card? and I suggest to anyone reading who likes an easy life to let the card run at stock for a few days at least before abusing it

Anyway good luck in sorting things out, worst case scenario is you will have to RMA the card and miss out on a little gaming or benchmarking, no one dies!

[jimmyz]

read what jimmyz said, many people who dont even know how to flash a bios are getting dead cards, flashing is not the cause and it certainly doesn't fix it

At this point even speculation is fine, any input might be the one that triggers a solution, also any bump that keeps this thread being seen is good, until we have solid answers any guess is welcome. and the more people who see this before flashing the better. it may be completely unrelated but it is definitely a prime suspect right now, not so much the flashing but the raising of clockspeed. like a cop solving a murder we need facts from witnesses, please explain all symptoms and be honest.

[dnottis]

Full size pics of HIS 4870 can be found here -swapped the cooler for a TT Duo Orb running great.