Can a gf2 be flashed to a gf2 pro or ultra

[SuperSonic]

my friend has a radion 8500 oem and flashed it to the retail version, so i was wondering if the samething could be done to a gf2.

 

[Shooters]

The Geforce2 Pros and Ultras are the same as the standard Geforce2 GTS except for a bump in clockspeed; flashing a GTS won't get you any new features.

Geforce2 GTS: 200 MHz core / 166 MHz DDR memory
Geforce2 Pro: 200 MHz core / 200 MHz DDR memory
Geforce2 Ultra: 250 MHz core / 230 MHz DDR memory

Just overclock the GTS and it will perform like a Pro or Ultra.....unless of course it's a 32MB variant.

 

[Fisher999]

The difference between the GF2 GTS and the "Pro" and "Ultra" models has to do with the Speed of the Core Chipset and the Speed of their memory. These are PHYSICAL differences are NOT "flash" upgradeable". Firmware, in simple terms, a combination of software and hardware, can be "Flashed".

If you want more SPECIFIC info on the specs of the GF2 line, send me a private message.

 

[Fisher999]

😉 Shooters must be on broadband since there had been no response to your post as I was typing mine.....

He gave you the "nvidia recommended" core frequencies and Memory speeds.... some manufacturers chose to intentionally
"bump up" or "overclock" these "default" specifications by using faster core chipset speeds, and memory that was rated for
faster speeds; e.g., a 4 ns (nanosecond) memory chip can usually be run at a faster frequency (in MHz) than 5 ns memory chips.

So, for example, some of the "Pro" versions of the GF2 ran at a CORE frequency of 200MHz and a Memory Speed of 250MHz (500 MHz effective because of the use of DDR, double data rate, memory) . They were able to "pull this off" because of the use of "faster" memory
(rated in ns, nanoseconds) as I mentioned in the other post.

Also, the "drivers" used to interface between the O.S. (operating system such as Windows 98, 98SE, ME, 2k, etc...) and the Videocard
Hardware often included the ability to "overclock" (speed up) the memory or core chipset frequency (at the user's own risk) to obtain
faster frame rates in games.

 

[Fisher999]

😱 😱 I need to correct a statement I made in my first post in this thread before I get burned.

ROM chips (or Read Only Memory chips) are a type of memory chip which is permanent memory as opposed to RAM (Random Access Memory), for example, which is not. Motherboards utilize ROM chips as well as do many other of the "add-in" cards installed in one's computer. This usually includes videocards.

ROM chips are a type of firmware (which I described earlier). They provide "instructions" that other chips on a hardware component utilize to perform their function. In this manner, "flash upgrades" often DO become available for the ROM chips on a particular piece of hardware, usually released by the hardware manufacturer as a way of increasing the performance of the hardware by "changing" the ROM's instructions to a more efficient state; often times ROM BIOS "flash upgrades" are "posted" for download at hardware manufacturer's websites to elleviate or minimize a particular "bug" or "compatiblility problem" in a piece of hardware.

So, I was wrong to say that your videocard could not be "flashed". It may or may not be able to be "flashed" depending on it's componentry and (if it CAN be "flashed") whether or not the manufacturer or a third party has "posted" a "flash upgrade" for one's PARTICULAR piece of hardware or "chip" on the hardware. The "flash upgrade" usually consists of a "rom" file and a "flashing" utility program and a readme file for SPECIFIC instructions on HOW to "flash" ones ROM chip. Keep in mind that "flashing" CAN be risky, although most people have no problem successfully completing the procedure.

The point I was trying to make in the first post in the thread is that "flashing" a ROM chip does NOT PHYSICALLY alter the videocard's core chipset or memory but changes or updates the "instructions" in the card's ROM chip which "controls" or "monitors" the functioning of OTHER chips on the videocard (or other hardware) in question thus (usually) resulting in higher performance for the hardware piece.

 

[SaturnX]

You can flash the bios of any nVidia to your heart's content, I've done it before, done it now, and I'll continue doing it 😀 it makes it easier than having to apply new clock settings at boot. All the clock speeds are held within the card's BIOS, so you can adjust the default speed via editing the BIOS.

Anyways, there's a program that makes everything nice and simple, check it out:

nVidia Bios Editor

*Use at your own risk, it will void the warranty by flashing the bios*

Just adjust all your settings, also, the GF2, GF2 Pro, and Ultra, AFAIK, are all indentical, only difference is the clock speed, similar how a GF3 Ti200, is GF3 Ti 500 only clocked lower. Also, with the BIOS editor, you can edit the ID string, which *i think* will change which drivers are installed, I've never changed the Device ID though.

Hope this helps you out.

--Mark