Weird results with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670?

[alperalper]

UPDATE:

flashed original BIOS, ran the unlockrom command, got message "rom unlocked", rebooted to windows, changed settings again from RBE, but this damn card just refuses to move away from 400MHz...!

In contact with the support though, let's see If they have any other ideas...

While I wait for their reply, If I understood correctly, you suggested trying to flash the modified BIOS from atiflash? So, first create it from RBE and save it somewhere, but then apply it from atiflash instead of AtiWinFlash, is that right?

In that case, I just have one question, RBE saves Bios in .ROM files, but what I flashed before from atiflash was a .BIN file. Is it ok to save my modified settings from RBE in a .ROM file and then flash it from Atiflash?

[Marecki_clf]

UPDATE:

flashed original BIOS, ran the unlockrom command, got message "rom unlocked", rebooted to windows, changed settings again from RBE, but this damn card just refuses to move away from 400MHz...!

In contact with the support though, let's see If they have any other ideas...

While I wait for their reply, If I understood correctly, you suggested trying to flash the modified BIOS from atiflash? So, first create it from RBE and save it somewhere, but then apply it from atiflash instead of AtiWinFlash, is that right?

In that case, I just have one question, RBE saves Bios in .ROM files, but what I flashed before from atiflash was a .BIN file. Is it ok to save my modified settings from RBE in a .ROM file and then flash it from Atiflash?

Yes, it will work that way.

[alperalper]

Ok, it's been a long day and it only ended with another strange finding...

So after creating the modified bios from RBE and flashing it from atiflash (I ran unlockrom -0 before flashing it) I yet again ended up with 400/500. This time however, GPU-Z notified of a newer version available. In the changelog this was mentioned: Fixed clocks not showing correctly on some systems with Catalyst 12.2 Could that be I thought? Installed the new GPU-Z and for the 1st time, I saw the clocks running at 675/500!

The joy didn't last long though... In 3DMark06 I achieved exactly the same score as before (4660) and, when I switched to the 2nd tab of GPU-Z (sensors) I saw once again that clocks were running at 400/500. So despite the 1st tab now showing the values I have set from RBE (I set it at 800/667) the 2nd tab still shows the old values (400/500) and even If I ignored GPU-Z completely, I have not seen any improvement at all in 3DMark06 which is what counts after all...

Here is what I get currently from GPU-Z in the 1st and 2nd tab:





I'd like to thank all people for their advice, but this proves to be impossible to revert to original values no matter what I've tried, and I am seriously thinking of returning the card. I'll wait till the support gets back to me but I don't exactly hold my breath tbh...

[Marecki_clf]

Theese GPU-Z screenshots indicate, that Your system hasn't been loaded with anything GPU-taxing. Start GPU-Z and while it's running in the background, run 3DMark06. Make a screenshot of GPU-Z sensors straight after 3DMark run is finished and then post it here.

It is normal, that GPUs throttle down while not being loaded, in order to reduce power consumption and heat output, especially in laptops.

Also make sure, that the Windows power profile in Your laptop is set to high performance. You may also check Powerplay settings in CCC. Don't forget to plug in the PSU while running the tests .

Keep in mind, that Your card's default clocks were 675/500. 500MHz frequency for DDR2 means, that it will effectively run at 1000MHz. You've set 667 for the DDR2, which means that it will run at 1333MHz, which is a bit too high IMHO. Also, setting the core to 800 from the default 675 might be a little too fast forward. I think that 800/667 clocks were for DDR3 versions of Your card. Try setting it at its default clocks (675/500) and after making sure that it runs at full clocks under load, You may start overclocking.

[alperalper]

Ok, so I don't have the battery in, I have selected High Performance from power options, and Powerplay is disabled. It was like that from beginning.

I opened GPU-Z, and started the 3DMark06 test. Between the 3d tests when 3dMark returned to desktop, I had a glimpse at GPU-Z indication and the clocks were staying all the time at 400/500. Another proof is that the AVERAGE Clock Reading even after the complete test was again 400 MHz as If it hadn't increased at all during the test.

Here is the GPU-Z screenshot right after the 3dMark06 test finished, I selected the Average values and as you see they had stayed at 400 MHz all along during the test

[Marecki_clf]

You can try one more thing. While rebooting, go into Your laptop's BIOS and reset it to factory defaults. Reboot into Windows and see if it has changed anything.

MXM-Upgrade (I suppose that's the source of Your card) says, that the laptop's BIOS needs to be updated to the latest revision in order to prevent the 4670 from throttling. If You haven't done that, I suggest downloading the latest BIOS for 5920G from Acer's Web page and updating it.

[Partizan]

You can try one more thing. While rebooting, go into Your laptop's BIOS and reset it to factory defaults. Reboot into Windows and see if it has changed anything.

MXM-Upgrade (I suppose that's the source of Your card) says, that the laptop's BIOS needs to be updated to the latest revision in order to prevent the 4670 from throttling. If You haven't done that, I suggest downloading the latest BIOS for 5920G from Acer's Web page and updating it.

Just wanted to say the same thing. My gpu kept crashing during games, I went to the owner of the mxm upgrade company and we spend hours of finding a solution, while all we needed to do was to upgrade the bios of the acer laptop itself.

This however, has nothing to do with clocking your amd gpu to its 'normal' clocks. If you won't find an aswer here, try and contact the owner of mxm-upgrade, he helped me with dozens of mails with instructions. (Oh and keep the voltage at 1.1, then your temps shouldnt go higher than 94 celcius, which has worked fine for me for the past 1.5 years).

[alperalper]

Thanks guys, I wish I would read something which I haven't tried already. I had read the notice on the MXM website that BIOS needs upgrading so I had done that before I start with all the flashing process.

In case anybody cares to do a search, the version I applied and currently have is 1.3813 which according to the ACER website is the latest available for the 5920G so that should have done it?

I really am a little disappointed up to now, as I've tried everything but I'll wait to see what MXM suggest. I cannot deny they have been helpful so far, although maybe not as quick as this forum (which is understandable) but If its so much fuss, wouldn't it be a far more better idea to "unlock" the cards to their original values before they ship them? I personally wouldn't mind If my card was not 100% "brand new" but worked as it should, instead of a shiny but 400MHz locked unit.

Anyway, I hope it can get shorted soon as I was really looking forward to revive my laptop with this card and all the good stuff I'd read about it but it's all been in vain so far...

[alperalper]

So seems I'm on my own on this one after the official reply was a poor and very disappointing "play around with catalyst control center. Disable/enable the performance schedules etc." as If I hadn't already been applying any possible fix...

One last thing that comes to mind is trying to alter the clocks using an XP system and an old Catalyst version through Microsoft Virtual PC 2007... Does anybody reckon this could work? I am not sure how can the catalyst control can affect the "flashability" or not of the card but If others have succeeded reverting the card to its original values in the past then there must be something wrong with my system...

[Marecki_clf]

Have You tried first unlocking the vBIOS, then modifying it with RBE, then flashing it with atiflash?