Easy Software Voltmod for your GT200 / HD4870

[Tempered81]

Warning: Apply more voltage at your own risk! Not responsible for fried cards.

-Remember to carefully monitor your temperatures.

Overclocking a gpu is similar to overclocking a cpu. When you oc without increasing the volts to your graphics card, it is essentially the same as CPU overclocking using "stock volts". This is an easy modification to increase the GPU voltage which works in conjunction with Rivatuner. It is proven to work on newer cards with voltera VRM which include:
HD4850 (some models w/ reference) HD4870, HD3870, HD3850, HD4870x2, some HD4830s?, GTX280, GTX260, GTX260 216, GTX295, GTX295+, 9800GX2

No love for:
GTX265, gtx285, 55nm gtx260, g92's (except for 9800gx2), and g80s, radeon 2900 and below.

All you need is EVGA voltage tuner, and an unlocking patch.
Have fun!

link:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/f...howthread.php?t=215521

EVGA GPU Voltage Tuner
By Hilbert Hagedoorn, February 8, 2009 - 8:34 PM



EVGA released its GPU Voltage Tuner (GVT) software utility, allowing end-users to control the voltage of the graphics processor. Higher voltages equal better overclocks which can be download from here, more info here.

Using a simple slider, the user can set the vGPU voltage from 0.82V to 1.18V and beyond, depending on the accelerator. Initial tests have shown even simple increases in voltages to send the maximum overclock for the core speed by as much as 100 MHz. The initial graphics card support-base includes the GeForce GTX 260, GTX 280 and GTX 295 series accelerators by EVGA. Future releases may expand the support base.

Provides an environment to possibly increase your GPU voltage allowing for higher Core/Shader clockspeeds.

Features:

* Provides an environment to possibly increase your GPU voltage allowing for higher Core/Shader clockspeeds.
* Easy to use interface, with ?Apply at Startup? functionality so you do not need to apply on every bootup.

Meanwhile, merely hours after its release, a simple patch, now widely spread over the web, became available allowing GVT to be unlocked for all brands, and .. no boundaries in voltages. It shows that GVT is rather sloppy programmed as BRAND IDs are written in a non-encoded text file (which can be re-written by a 16 year old with a-typical computer knowlegde).

Let me warn you in advance, if you play around with voltages, be damn sure what you are doing as in combo with overclocking you can easily damage the videocard. Temperatures will go up. The hack patch as mentioned, is therefore even more dangerous as it also opens up the voltage limit that eVGA has set. As such Guru3D will not support that patch.

http://www.guru3d.com/news/evga-gpu-voltage-tuner/

 

[TC91]

thanks for the info jaredpace

 

[thilanliyan]

Doesn't work for me in Windows 7 32-bit.

 

[Tempered81]

No probs, here is the EVGA voltage tuner download link:

http://www.evga.com/articles/00462/

@thilan - what program did you use for your xfx 4870?

 

[SSChevy2001]

Originally posted by: thilan29
Doesn't work for me in Windows 7 32-bit.

Here's a batch file I made for my 4870, which works fine in Windows 7. You might need to change some settings at the top of the batch file, but I made it very easy.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/teeqis

http://img294.imageshack.us/im.../5027/4870tunerta7.jpg
http://img292.imageshack.us/im...373/4870tunerocai1.jpg

 

[geokilla]

Awww no love for 9600GT.

How can I detect what voltage my 9600GT has. According to GPU-Z, the 9600GT has 4 sensors, which are Core Clock, Memory Clock, Temperature, and Fan Speed

 

[Tempered81]

You can use a digital multimeter, since your 9600gt does not have a programmable Voltage regulator module. Usually it's only the cards that show VRM, "vgpu" or "gpu voltage" in gpu-z that allow you to monitor and/or alter voltage settings.

 

[geokilla]

Originally posted by: jaredpace
You can use a digital multimeter, since your 9600gt does not have a programmable Voltage regulator module. Usually it's only the cards that show VRM, "vgpu" or "gpu voltage" in gpu-z that allow you to monitor and/or alter voltage settings.

That's so difficult...I'm not good with these type of things. Guess I'll leave it be for now.

 

[tigersty1e]

Originally posted by: jaredpace
Warning: Apply more voltage at your own risk! Not responsible for fried cards.

-Remember to carefully monitor your temperatures.

Overclocking a gpu is similar to overclocking a cpu. When you oc without increasing the volts to your graphics card, it is essentially the same as CPU overclocking using "stock volts". This is an easy modification to increase the GPU voltage which works in conjunction with Rivatuner. It is proven to work on newer cards with voltera VRM which include:
HD4850 (some models w/ reference) HD4870, HD3870, HD3850, HD4870x2, some HD4830s?, GTX280, GTX260, GTX260 216, GTX295, GTX295+, 9800GX2

No love for:
GTX265, gtx285, 55nm gtx260, g92's (except for 9800gx2), and g80s, radeon 2900 and below.

link:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/f...howthread.php?t=215521

Do you have confirmation that the 4850 works with the gpu voltage tool?

I'm reading that it doesn't work.

 

[MarcVenice]

I'd love to try it with my HD4850's ...

Btw, the reason some gpu's can't use the voltage tuner is indeed because of the lack of the Volterra-chip. Nvidia for example removed the chip from the gtx260 pcb to cut costs. It might still work, but is a little more complicated with the newer pcb's (gtx265 for example, the gtx285 also uses a diff pcb then the gtx280, but I can't say for sure if the volterra-chip has been removed, but it does look like it). But if you read this: http://en.expreview.com/2009/0...esign-to-cut-cost.html you'll see the upcoming pcb's are also a no go. This is something to consider for people wanting to use the voltage tuner.

How this affects ATI, I have no clue. And, it's very much possible that the likes of evga etc will come up with a non-standard pcb-design, that does have a volterra-chip.

 

[Tempered81]

well it's hit & miss with 4850's you could try to probe the registers and see. If all attempts return "invalid", then it's not possible.

 

[MarcVenice]

I've got 2 gainward golden samples, they allready run at 700mhz, but they also have quite a good cooling solution. But, the guys at xtremesystems say it won't work on non-ref pcb's, and they also say gainward uses non-ref pcb's.

I'll try later this evening just to be sure though.

 

[tigersty1e]

So all 4 values turn up invalid when I run these commands...

1. Find the I2C bus of your card by running the following CLI commands:
RivaTuner.exe /ri0,70,1A
RivaTuner.exe /ri1,70,1A
RivaTuner.exe /ri2,70,1A
RivaTuner.exe /ri3,70,1A
Three of these four commands will return "invalid" take note of the one that doesn't (for me it was /ri3,70,1A)
This will find the I2C bus (highlighted in red in my example)


That means I'm a no go with this voltage thing, right?

 

[error8]

Originally posted by: SSChevy2001

Originally posted by: thilan29
Doesn't work for me in Windows 7 32-bit.

Here's a batch file I made for my 4870, which works fine in Windows 7. You might need to change some settings at the top of the batch file, but I made it very easy.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/teeqis

http://img294.imageshack.us/im.../5027/4870tunerta7.jpg
http://img292.imageshack.us/im...373/4870tunerocai1.jpg

Does it work? I'm trying it now but nothing seem to happen.

 

[SSChevy2001]

@error8

I've been using it for many days now. As I said you 1st should edit the top settings for what you want.

REM The default RivaTuner Path
REM
Set RivaTuner="C:\Program Files (x86)\RivaTuner v2.22\RivaTuner.exe"
REM
REM This is the default I2C bus value
Set I2C="1"
REM
REM This is the voltage register values for Idle/3D
Set VIdle="15"
Set V3D="18"
REM
REM This is the QuickConfig voltages values for Idle/3D
Set QuickIdle="2C"
Set Quick3D="42"
REM
REM This is the Rest all values for Idle/3D
Set ResetIdle="33"
Set Reset3D="41"

Also the voltage value you'll find throughout the batch file for example

:1.4000v
Echo.
Call %RivaTuner% /sd0 /wi%I2C%,70,%V3D%,4C /sd2 /wi%I2C%,70,%V3D%,4C

 

[thilanliyan]

Originally posted by: SSChevy2001
@error8

I've been using it for many days now. As I said you 1st should edit the top settings to for what you want.

For example 1.4v = 4C

:1.4000v
Echo.
Call %RivaTuner% /sd0 /wi%I2C%,70,%V3D%,4C /sd2 /wi%I2C%,70,%V3D%,4C

Nice it works. Thanks very much. How do you get the settings to stick on a restart?

 

[error8]

Yes it works now. But I can't seem to get past 850 mhz no matter what I do. I think I'm temperature limited. Anyway, GREAT THREAD HERE, GOLDEN.

I just hope I'll find a way to keep my head and don't go crazy with these voltages. It's so easy to increase it. Amazing stuff. Many beers for you, jaredpace. :beer:

 

[SSChevy2001]

@thilan29

Edit the settings and save this as a batch file. Then link to it in the run section of the registry or startup folder. You can also make this shorter by not using values, but maybe this will be easier for some.

@Echo off
REM The default RivaTuner Path
Set RivaTuner="C:\Program Files (x86)\RivaTuner v2.22\RivaTuner.exe"
REM
REM This is the default I2C bus value
Set I2C="1"
REM
REM This is the voltage register values for Idle/3D
Set VIdle="15"
Set V3D="18"
REM
REM This is the QuickConfig voltages values for Idle/3D
Set QuickIdle="2C"
Set Quick3D="42"
Echo.
Call %RivaTuner% /sd0 /wi%I2C%,70,%VIdle%,%QuickIdle% /sd2 /wi%I2C%,70,%VIdle%,%QuickIdle%
Call %RivaTuner% /sd0 /wi%I2C%,70,%V3D%,%Quick3D% /sd2 /wi%I2C%,70,%V3D%,%Quick3D%
Exit

 

[error8]

How far did you took your 4870 SSChevy?

 

[SSChevy2001]

Originally posted by: error8
How far did you took your 4870 SSChevy?

Honestly it hasn't been all that great about 845Mhz, I might be able to squeeze out 850.

I really don't need the extra speed, but I'm just going for the lowest value that get's me to 830 or 835, which should be 1.2750v. Also I lowered my idle voltage now to 550/200 @ 1v which brings down my VDDC to 1.4A.

 

[Cookie Monster]

This only works with cards which have voltera VRM chips. Those components are pretty expensive, so this voltage mod will only work for pretty much the highend cards.

 

[thilanliyan]

I got mine up to 875 core @ 1.35v and ran the FC2 benchmark tool (1920x1200, ultra settings) and it ran fine but I gained nothing in the fps compared to running it at 750MHz (looks like my 3GHz CPU is holding me back) so I'm not gonna bother OCing anymore...I'll just leave it at 800MHz.

Anyone know at what values OVP and OCP kick in?

 

[error8]

What voltage for that 875 mhz, thilan?

 

[thilanliyan]

Originally posted by: error8
What voltage for that 875 mhz, thilan?

Just edited my post 1.35v (I just set it straight to that and tried it...didn't try any lower).

I'm only running 1 2x120mm radiator to cool both the CPU and GPU so I think I'll hold off on upping voltages any more to keep temps down...until I mod the case again and fit another radiator in.

 

[geokilla]

Drop in a Phenom II thilan. Then you'll notice the increase. Or you can always turn up the eye candy.

Don't forget that sometimes, drivers make the game's benchmark perform really well, while elsewhere in the game, the increase in performance is minimal. At least that's what I keep on reading about...