Unlocking the 4 pipelines on a 6800 (non GT or Ultra)

[Pants0fAuthoritah]

I've heard some claims that this is unfixable. I want to do it but I want to find out if these claims are true.
Even though it's a software change, I heard once you change the BIOS (what RivaTuner effectively does when you mess with the option) you can't change the BIOS back? Wouldn't I be able to flash the BIOS on the card at that point?

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Schadenfroh]

Text

 

[otispunkmeyer]

wont yield too much performance IMO......still got a$$ slow DDR memory

 

[NightFalcon]

Based on what I read on X-Bit you cna easily do this, but the current 6800 are Ultras with damaged pipes. In the production process they test each chip, and if they find a pipe damaged they lock 4 and sell it as a NU. Right now I would say it's nearly impossible to unlock those without starting problems during games. Later on when they start using good chips for 6800 it may be possible, but they may come up with a better way to lock them.

 

[Marsumane]

Some ppl are reporting no visual difference on iq while many actually do have damaged pipes. Its a gamble basically. 4 extra pipes does mean a significant boost when paired w/ a good memory oc IMO, but also IMO its not worth the risk if its permanant. The thing is, i dont see how it could be permanant, because even if they did req a bios change, u can always flash it back. So upon rethinking this, id cover my bases by getting a copy of my orig bios and then flash it.

 

[NightFalcon]

Not really, since the damaged pipe numbers can be different for every chip each bios will have different pipes disabled. You can flash it to unlock those pipes, but even if you flash it back to the 6800 you have no idea which pipes should be locked. So in fact, you can end up locking 4 good pipes, while the damaged ones are going to become part of the 12.

Seems very risky too me. I'm currently waiting for my Leadtek 6800 to come in, but the most I'm willing to do with it is overclock it by maybe 10% at the most.

 

[nitromullet]

Later on when they start using good chips for 6800 it may be possible, but they may come up with a better way to lock them.

I would be willing to bet when that happens, you will all of a sudden see the 6800NU's disappear to be replaced by comething like the 6800SE or 6600GT. This same type of situation happened last gen with the FX5900 and the FX5900SE/XT. The vanilla 5900's were nowhere to be found anymore because the stability of the cores were such that they could be easily run at 5900 Ultra specs so they were replaced by the 5900SE/XT. IMO, the only reason that 6800 exists is because nVidia doesn't want to waste GT/Ultra NV40 cores with only 1 or 2 damaged pipes.

 

[Yanagi]

Seems reasonable. With such a complex chip i guess it is expensive to manufacture. And they might have a great deal of chips with 1 pipe damaged.