Best Radeon 6950 to unlock to 6970

Just my $0.02.

If you want the performance of an HD 6970, purchase an HD 6970, unless you're willing to eat the cost of a bricked card.

Purchasing an HD6950 and expecting to unlock it to an HD 6970 is fool-hardy at best and borderline (if not out-right) illegal if the flash fails and you attempt to return it as faulty.

Again, just my two cents.

-Wolf sends

Why not alleviate the risk of bricking a perfectly good HD6950 and just leave the HD6950 alone OR just buy a HD6970? Just something to think about.

Thanks for the condescending advice...
/sarcasm

But seriously, I was hoping for more helpful and less instructive responses.

Fact is, I'm looking for a card with a BIOS switch -- I wanted to know what the BEST all round 6950 is anyway. Also I understand that many new ones aren't unlockable. So I was wondering where might be the best place to pick up a reference or otherwise reliable card for unlocking.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

http://www.overclock.net/t/1070678/unlock-and-oc-that-6...

google is you friend sir

Get one such as an msi twinfrozr iii 6950, and OVERCLOCK THE HELL OUT OF IT!

the 6950's people are unlocking generally have the bios switch, if you f%# up the flash, i think you can just flip the bios switch. i'm not 100% sure of that, but that is what i've read.

I googled it--and this it where it took me.

Is there anybody here with first hand experience doing the deed?

Yes, I've done it now. Get an MSI twinfrozr 6950. It has a switch and there is a proper modified bios available to easily get it to 6970!

There's a huge thread at techpowerup on the subject of flashing and possible issues.
http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1371...

The how to article is here:
http://www.techpowerup.com/articles/overclocking/vidcar...

Did the deed myself some time ago but after reading the thread I decided to simply unlock the extra shaders and overclock rather than risk damage from running the memory at 6970 voltage/timings.