Need advice on flashing bios on a HD5970

[mostachio]

I've had a HD5970 for a while and always had a problem in Windows 7 with
'Display driver amdkmdap stopped responding and has successfully recovered.'

Recently found a fix for this with the HD5970 Overvolt tool, have tested it well, and it does not crash if I overvolt it before I game. The volts it overclocks to are;
Engine Clock Original 1.05V to 1.1625V
Memory Voltage Original 1.10V to 1.15V

I'd like to permanently fix my card so I don't have to overvolt it every time I start a game so i've been looking into flashing it's bios with the original rom image and those voltage adjustments made permanent.

Can I do this with radeon bios editor? Is it advised? Are those safe voltages?... I can only see one 3d voltage in there under clock settings 1.05V (I'm guessing this is the Engine voltage), How would I make the change to the memory voltage as well?

The only 1.1V setting I have found is under the VTT Registers, Is this the memory voltage I am looking for?

Also under GPU Registers, there is another 1.05V under 0x18, Would I change this also?

I have a custom fan profile set with MSI Afterburner... Should I write the new bios with that too?

My card doesn't crash 2d so I don't think i'd need to change anything else...

Thanks in advance

 

[soundguruman]

The bios has nothing to do with it.
Never flash the bios unless you are fixing a specific known issue.
Sign in as administrator (If you are not administrator you may be blocked)
Close all the applications that are being used...save and close your files...
Turn Off the antivirus and firewall, turn off the functions of windows defender.
If you have multiple security programs installed, they must be turned ALL off. Security will prevent your driver from installing...
Download the latest CCC driver package, and save it to an easy location. Make sure this is the correct driver for your card.
Delete all the current AMD video software and drivers, restart the system (the video will look screwy, don't worry)
Now load install all the newest CCC drivers and restart the system (the driver will not work (yet) as you said, but load it anyway)
left click start
left click computer
right click C drive
Left click Open
Right click Users
Left click properties
"Check" mark the box that says: Attributes: "Hidden" (there is now a check-mark in the "Hidden" box)
Click: "Apply"
Now the system will apply the hidden attributes...and this will take a while, or maybe a long while. Let this proceed, and don't interrupt it...
During this procedure, a message may inform you that you do not have administrator privilege to the file you are trying to change the attributes of. That's OK. Just click: "ignore all."
When this procedure is finished, click OK (the box will close after you click OK)
Now you will once again be looking at folders in C drive (don’t close the C drive window or you may regret it)
(once again) right click Users
(once again) left click properties
UN- check the box that says: Attributes "Hidden" (you will now take the check mark OUT, Hidden is no longer checked)
Click Apply
Now the computer will UN-apply the hidden attributes, and it may take a while, or a long while...but let it proceed, and finish, don't interrupt it.
During this procedure, a message may inform you that you are not the administrator of the file that you are trying to change the attributes of. That's OK, just click: "ignore all."
When this is completed click OK
Now close all windows and restart the computer
turn all the security back on.
At this point, the CCC should be functional. Open the CCC and test the functions...

 

[mostachio]

Thanks for your reply soundguruman, and cool pic, I grew up on an emu farm!!

I wish it were that easy, but it's not something updating drivers would fix (though I have a clean install with the latest drivers installed) ... I could give you some background of the pains i've had to go to trying to fix this, but let's just say the card has been through 2 computer builds, both completely different hardware, first x6 phenom II then i7 3770k, As well as all the last 20 or so different drivers from ATI, all uninstalled/reinstalled correctly with driver sweeper etc. I've fully cleaned it, replaced thermal padding, paste.. and the list go's on and on...

The problem is the card is old. It is having trouble maintaining it's clocks with it's current voltage, At 650Mhz Core clock it will not crash either, But i'd rather have the full 725Mhz and the only way to do that is by upping the voltage with the HD5970 Overvolt tool (I've tried just using MSI Afterburner to do this but it doesn't work, I think because the Overvolt tool addresses the memory voltage also).

CCC has always been functional. The crash is a crash to black screen and a message popping up saying Display driver has stopped responding and has restarted & A log in the event viewer 'Display driver amdkmdap stopped responding and has successfully recovered.', Some games it will come back to, Some not.

Though i'm curious why you suggest removing hidden attributes of files..?

 

[soundguruman]

Did you TRY to do what I told you?
Return all the settings to stock first.
The hidden / non hidden attributes trick will cause the driver to work again.

As far as stuff like "driver sweeper" you should NEVER load stuff, "free" from the internet into your computer.
It will only make it worse. That is a FACT.

Emus are cool.

 

[mostachio]

Yes, I did try it, All settings to stock, hide and unhide entire users folder. Still crashing, Thanks for trying to help though

Sorry, i'd have to disagree there,.. Driver Sweeper is a great program, ATI/Nvidia leaves traces of their drivers throughout your computer/registry even after uninstall & restart. Please tell me a paid for app that is better than driver sweeper for that specific purpose. I understand what you mean regarding free software, and it does pay to do your research first, Agreed some can make things worse, dodgy registry cleaners etc, but don't let one or two bad experiences tarnish your view of them, there are a lot of absolutely brilliant freeware apps out there that I couldn't do without, to name a few CPU-Z, GPU-Z, ATI Tray tools, MSI Afterburner, freeisoburner, ... Among many many others. Credits to the makers.