ATI HD 6950 2GB 'Dirt 3' unlock

Discussion in 'Videocards - AMD Radeon' started by slippy1010, Sep 3, 2011.

  1. slippy1010

    slippy1010 Guest

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    GPU:
    Sapphire HD6950 2GB
    How to unlock your HD 6950 'Dirt 3 Edition'

    [​IMG]


    BIOS SWITCH

    Click on pic for larger image

    [​IMG]



    Part 1:


    Download:

    http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/Utilities/RBE/
    http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/1967/ATI Winflash 2.0.1.14.html
    http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/SysInfo/GPU-Z/
    http://www.sapphireselectclub.com/ssc/TriXX/TriXX.aspx

    Extract programs/folders to desktop



    Part 2:

    1. With the computer turned OFF, set the bios switch to the position that is furthest away from the crossfire connector.
    2. Make a backup of the card's bios with RBE to your desktop, and name it: unmodified-bios_1.rom
    3. Copy the backup file to the atiwinflash folder, and name it: modified-bios_shaders_1.rom
    4. Load modified-bios-shaders_1.rom into RBE
    5. In RBE, selected: Additional features
    6. Under Unlock 6950 -> 6970, select: 6970 shader count
    7. Save the bios, in the atiwinflash directory, as: modified-bios-shaders_2.rom





    Part 3:


    1. I read that having UAC set to its lowest setting might be needed, your choice.
    2. Click Start Button.
    3. Type "cmd"
    4. Right click the entry and select "Run as Administrator"
    5. Black command prompt windows opens
    6. Type "cd %USERPROFILE%\desktop\winflash"
    7. Type "atiwinflash -unlockrom 0"

    {the 0 means first adapter, if you have multiple cards, physically uninstall all but the one you want to flash}

    8. Type "atiwinflash -f -p 0 modified-bios-shaders_2.rom"
    9. The flash completed successfully and prompted to shutdown/reboot.
    10. Shut the computer down for 30 seconds to a minute, and also flip the PSU power switch off.



    Part 4:


    1. Boot the computer up, run GPU-Z to check the shader count, which displays: 1536 Unified
    2. Use Sapphire Trixx to modify the "Core Clock" and "Memory Clock" settings, to 880 and 1375.
    3. Re-enabled UAC to its default setting.
    4. Enjoy your new unlocked HD 6950 2gb



    Locked

    [​IMG]


    Unlocked

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Oct 2, 2011
  2. BlackZero

    BlackZero Guest

  3. Pill Monster

    Pill Monster Banned

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    GPU:
    7950 Vapor-X 1100/1500
    Man, now this is starting to piss me off.

    I can't understand why my card won't unlock, the shader count doesn't change but the clocks speeds do, so I know my flash is working.
    I have the exact same card as in the screenshot, same BIOS version as well, I must have tried 50 times although only once using DOS.

    OP did you actually unlock your card or are you simply passing on the info from tpu?
     
    Last edited: Sep 4, 2011
  4. slippy1010

    slippy1010 Guest

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    GPU:
    Sapphire HD6950 2GB

    Yes my card has unlocked.

    A little bit of history here,
    My first HD6950 'Dirt 3' would not unlock, it didnt matter what I done to it.
    That card died after being 3 weeks old, it got replaced with the one Ive got now.
    With luck the new HD6950 'Dirt 3' that I got unlocked with no problems.

    There seems to be 2 types kicking about, locked down & unlockable cards.
    I read on another forum about a guy who bought 2 cards at the same time.
    Only 1 card would unlock and the other would not.
     
    Last edited: Sep 4, 2011

  5. Pill Monster

    Pill Monster Banned

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    GPU:
    7950 Vapor-X 1100/1500
    Died how?

    How do I know if mine is unlockable? Maybe I cud return it, it's only a week old..
     
    Last edited: Sep 4, 2011
  6. slippy1010

    slippy1010 Guest

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    GPU:
    Sapphire HD6950 2GB



    I dont know it died, it just wouldnt fire up one day.
    When I switched on the pc.

    I think its down to being lucky on which card you get.
     
  7. So Sick

    So Sick Guest

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    GPU:
    twinfrII HD6950 1000/1475
    wrong thread excuse me
     
  8. deluxe

    deluxe Guest

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    GPU:
    Gigabyte 980Ti G1
    Nice guide!
    Mine unlocked, I thought they were not able to :p

    [​IMG]
     
  9. slippy1010

    slippy1010 Guest

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    GPU:
    Sapphire HD6950 2GB
    Enjoy the free speed :banana:
     
  10. ShavedApe

    ShavedApe Guest

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    GPU:
    Saphire HD7970 GHZ x2
    Big thank you I did it last night after finding this thread linked elsewhere and now I have a 6970 :D
     

  11. Vomit

    Vomit Member Guru

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    GPU:
    SAPPHIRE 7970 Vapour-X
    Thanks

    I have also done my saphire card dirt card.

    I switched my switch with the machine powered off (no mention anywhere of how this should
    or shouldn't be done, might make the difference between success and failure)

    increased volts through trixx to 1.15 seems to be stable with no artifacts or driver failures


    as a side note their is an option to fix riva tuner so the gpu monitor sidebar and side show gadgets
    will work properly with this video card, that is a huge bonus i wasent expecting:)

    Congrats to you all that have gained from this guide and an even bigger one to the peeps that found
    out how to do it and passed the information on to the rest of us mere mortals :banana:


    :puke2:
     
  12. dbrowny

    dbrowny Guest

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    GPU:
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    Hi,

    Ive been doing some research on how to unlock my Sapphire hd6950 cards and the first thing I found was this guide
    http://www.techpowerup.com/articles/overclocking/vidcard/159

    but then I find this thread which seems to be considerably more complicated :S Im not sure which method I should follow, has anyone had experience with doing this with the techpowerup method and does it work the same as this one?

    In addition, I have 2 of these cards in crossfire and have no idea how either method would be used to unlock them both. If anyone knows how to do this that would help a lot.

    Thanks.
     
  13. slippy1010

    slippy1010 Guest

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    GPU:
    Sapphire HD6950 2GB

    You can try the thread from tech power, I tried it in the past and it would not unlock my 6950. So I made the above guide on how I done it.
     
  14. slippy1010

    slippy1010 Guest

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    Good point, Ive edited the guide to state to have pc turned OFF.
     
    Last edited: Oct 2, 2011
  15. Rodaxx

    Rodaxx Active Member

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    GPU:
    XFX R9 290x DD
    which revision/product # did you unlock?

    i've just ordered a 11188-05-50G Dirt 3 Edition, but there are also 11188-05-20G available
     

  16. Codeman

    Codeman Guest

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    GPU:
    Sapphire 6950 2G Unlocked
    Awesome...just picked this card up from NewEgg on Thursday (11188-05)

    Every reviewer said it wouldn't unlock. Followed your instructions and it unlocked on the first try and is running like a champ! Thanks!!
     
  17. Rodaxx

    Rodaxx Active Member

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    GPU:
    XFX R9 290x DD
    (11188-05) all dirt3 have this number - the number after is interessting. could you look it up pls?
     
  18. Vomit

    Vomit Member Guru

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    GPU:
    SAPPHIRE 7970 Vapour-X
    Sorry, not had chance to look up the number yet, label cant be seen without taking the card out
    of my pc, i will have a look on the box for you soon, its in the garage loft at the moment so might be a day or so.
     
  19. thatguy91

    thatguy91 Guest

    RBE doesn't unlock a lot of the non-reference cards, the W1zzard script does. Most reviewers try and use RBE with non-reference cards, so they mistakenly claim they're unlockable.

    Very few cards are totally unlockable, and the reason would be more to do with a completely stuff locked part of the GPU more than it being purposefully unlockable.
     
  20. Rodaxx

    Rodaxx Active Member

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    GPU:
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    well the w1zzard script does flash another bios - don't know what should make the difference with this method.

    wizzard clearly stated, that his method is only for reference cards and non-ref cards should use RBE

     

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