In need of 3870 Master VBIOS

I need someone to help me here. I have a Mobility Radeon 3870 Slave card. I am putting this into an Alienware Area-51 m15x, the older Ripley/Skullcap model.

The thing I am worried about is that a slave card will not work in my system, even though it only has one MXM slot. That is why I need a Master VBIOS.

ANYONE WHO HAS ONE, POST IT PLEASE!

 

Try the Alienware Legacy Systems Subforum probably will get better results there. Also, you can try putting the slave in a master slot. I have done it with my slave 5870, but that may be because it's a newer gen.

 

Now remember, I don't have a master or a slave card slot. I just have one regular MXM 2.1 slot, and a slave 3870 to go in that slot. The thing is is that I do not know if the 3870 will work since it is a slave card. My system does not support Crossfire. It is the Alienware Area-51 m15x Ripley model.

 

Right I understand, but the whole point was that a slave card worked in a primary card slot regardless of the second slot being occupied or not. I would give it a shot worst case scenario you get a no post, if so the VBIOS will fix that problem(if you can get one).

Also, Try here this is a thread about 3870's in xf. They will be able to dump a Master VBIOS for you.


3870X2 = 2 x 3870's.

 

That is the thing here. That is why I posted this thread.

I cannot seem to find one that is openable. I am trying to convert it to an iso file, but I keep getting that the file is invalid.

Even if I did get it to work on boot, how would I actually flash the VBIOS? My actual system BIOS looks like you can only change the boot order. That is all I can do. No DOS command windows or anything.

How do I do it with this system? Again I only have ONE MXM slot, not two.

I don't see how a Slave card would not work in the ONLY MXM slot in a system that does not support Crossfire. That is where you have to have a Master and Slave card. Do you agree with this?

 

Wait.... You have one already?

is it in the .ROM format? or .BIN?

 

It is in bin format, but the software I am using says its invalid.

Ill try to upload it so you can see.

 

Download these programs.

RBE -Radeon BIOS Editor You can open and edit the VBIOS, Over/Underclock, and Over/Undervolt with this program.
ATIFlash THis is the flashing utility to flash the VBIOS.

Just checked your VBIOS you posted with RBE.

Arima_W840_Master M88 GDDR3_16Mx32 256bit 512MB 660e/850m Its a master for an Arima W840 DI this may cause issues with your Alienware.

 

So I did not even find the right one. That's good news. What if I can't find one?

 

Try installing it Wear an Anti Static Bracelet. Ask a member to dump their master VBIOS from the link I posted above ( here is the link again)

If you can get it installed and it runs even if nothing is showing up on the screen. As long as the system posts we can do a blind flash.

 

Might have to wait a while for that to happen.

Still, don't you think that it will work without flashing to master?
If a system does not support SLI or Crossfire, it does not make a difference if you use a Slave or Master card, especially if you only have one MXM Slot available. It makes sense to me.

 

Ya me too! lol That is why I have been saying you should try it, worst case scenario you get a No Post.

 

Actually, the worst case scenario is that if it doesn't work, and I can't find a Video BIOS for a Master 3870, I will have spent alot of money on something that doesn't work.

What I am saying here is that I will have a card sitting with me that I can't use and can't return.

I will have it probably by the end of this week, but I want to try to find all of this stuff in advance so I can be prepared.

 

That indeed is a pretty fecal position to be in. I am sure there are other options out there for you to try. There might be someone willing to flash it for you in their M17x. If not you can always resell it and buy a master.

 

Ok, so lets say this. Lets say that I have a Master VBIOS that is in bin format. I would open RBE, see if the clocks look stable, save it as a rom file, write it to a disk, reboot my system, load the disk in, put the DVD to boot first, then flash the BIOS from there?

And actually, I couldn't find any masters that were in new condition. All of them are used, and used to me could mean it has a defect. Even the ones that are new say that they could have defects or could be a factory second. I don't like that.

 

Yah you use RBE to convert the .BIN into a .ROM, OC or whatever you wanna do. I would just convert it and leave it stock. Then you place ATIFLASH + the VBIOS onto a bootable DVD/CD. (Bootable USB stick, USB will be the best option) Boot to that media.

Then it's a matter of using the ATIFlash codes.

atiflash -i (this will display the VBIOS info from the card)

atiflash -cf biosname.ROM (this is a checksum)

atiflash -s 0 Biosname.rom (this will dump the VBIOS from the GPU to the USB stick won't work on CD/DVD)

atiflash -p 0 Biosname.rom (this will flash the VBIOS that is located on the USB/CD/DVD to the GPU)

To make a USB drive bootable
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/246530-how-flash-your-bios-dos-using-usb-stick.html

 

Ok, so now I come to this.

What files do I need to flash the bios other than the rom file on the CD?

And why do I put ATI Flash on the CD? Is that so I can get a DOS Prompt on startup when booting from the CD?

 

RBE and ATIFLASH. I linked them on the last page, if you need to make a Bootable USB then you will need the two files in the link I posted above.

You need RBE to convert from a .BIN to a .ROM if it is already in .ROM skip this step.

ATIFLASH + VBIOS.ROM should be on the media you are flashing from.(USB/CD/DVD) I really can't stress enough to not use a CD/DVD to do this.

So there should only be two files on the USB or CD/DVD which are ATIFlash + the ROM and they should not be in folders, but in the root of the media.

 

Dang, I think that I worded my last reply wrong.

I meant what files do you need to put on the CD other than ATI Flash and the VBIOS?

I am sorry for being repetitive, but this is the first time I am doing this so I need to be sure.

 

No worries bud, I was nervous as hell when I first flashed.

You do not need anything else besides ATIFlash and the ROM on the media. Just make sure they are not in any folders. (Root)

 

Ok good, so now all I need is the correct VBIOS.

How will I know that I have the correct one?

I will use the example you stated before when I had a BIOS you said it would have problems.

 

Yup, Here is a pic so you can see where I got it from.



Sometimes it won't list the laptop model though.

Mine shows up like this

BROADWAY XT B96101 GDDR5 64Mx16 4CH 400m/300e @0.9V UCODEv:128

So make sure you are getting it from an Alienware issued 3870, if not you can always use the one you posted it will work, but there may be issues with the fan's and some other things.

 

So pretty much the right one isn't going to be an Anima or whatever. In the circumstance you specify, it should say Alienware something. Is this because the VBIOS has to match the system its in or the brand its in?

Something to do with the coding of the flash?

 

It has more to do with the Device/hardware ID's more than the VBIOS. Each OEM has certain ID's that are compatible with the system BIOS. There are workarounds though, but it is always best to get the VBIOS from a system that is similar to the one you are using. Not always will it list the PC Manufacturers name so that is why I pointed you to the 3870X2 thread. They can dump you an Alienware Master VBIOS, and you don't have to worry about the source you got it from, unlike google.

 

Could dump the M17-R1 master bios, will do so in a second.

Edit : Still look for the M15's 3870 bios anyway and use this as a last resort.

 

Already looked up and down, could not find one that will work. Found an Arima version or whatever it is, and I have been told it would have problems with my machine.

 

The arima could have problems, but the M17 VBIOS would be the next best thing to the M15's. It will still carry the Alienware Device/Hardware id.

 

Note that the clocks are slightly off default, has been like this since I got the machine day one.

654 mhz on core vs default 660.
846 mhz on memory vs default 850.

 

Ok, why won't the Arima VBIOS's work properly?

The one that you gave me is a Slave Arima 3870 VBIOS. Should it still work properly on the Area-51 m15x to flash a Slave card to a Master?

 

Look up a few posts for the M17 3870 bios. That is the bios I dumped from my 3870X2.

 

If he just dumped you an Arima slave that could very well mean that they are the same cards used in the Alienwares.

 

Will redump both cards tomorrow, gotta go.

 

So since they are all Arima BIOS's, are you saying that I may not have to flash it at all? Or still have to flash it but have the correct ones sitting everywhere, turning out to be these Arima VBIOS's?

And these VBIOS's, do they have stable overclocks on them already? A core default speed of 600, then the overdrive settings for core are like 1500. Is that ok?

 

If the first card appearing in GPU-Z (that I dumped previously) was the slave the second should be the master, its a larger filesize. Its labeled M88-2 in the zip.

 

I would give that a shot Sniper M88-2 is indeed the Master BIOS. Since that has come from an Alienware system might have some changes that the first one you posted may not.

 

Ok, I do see that the M88-2 one is a master VBIOS. That is what I want.

The thing is I am wondering about the increased value speeds/overclocks. Should I stay with the default ones, or switch to the values that are a bit higher and have an upper limit ram and GPU? I am thinking that I should switch to the upper ones to get high performance out of it.

Also, for the BIOS checksum values. The ones that are in the M88-2 (the one on this page) are different from the others. It says on the bottom with the other versions of the M88 Master Bios that these values are different from what they should be. Does that mean anything significant?

 

No, it's not significant just means that a clock or something else was altered, but you should stick to the one that Skittles has posted, and definitely try to get it running before you up the clocks. Once it is running then OC your heart out, but with OC's everyone can get different results so it is better for you to incrementally go up than flash a clock that might not be stable.

 

Does the card support Overdrive in the ATI Catalyst Control Center?

I would just use that to overclock the card right?

 

No, Mobility cards just started getting OD support from the 5xxx series and up.

You can do this one of two ways.

If you want a permanent OC use RBE to change the active state values.(this will still allow power play to work)

If you want a non permanent OC that resets everytime your computer does than use software such as Trixx, ATI GPU tool, MSI Afterburner...Etc.(This will lock the clocks that you specify, until you restart meaning no Power play)

 

Alright then, I guess I'll worry about all of this when I get the card.

Who knows, maybe I won't even have to flash the VBIOS to make it work.

BTW, what is power play?

 

Exactly if it is plug and play, Then it is a matter of getting the clocks you want which you can do through the two methods I posted in my previous post.

Keep us posted and hope it all goes well!

 

No...

That IS the Arima vBIOS, check them yourself. The M17 IS the Arima w840di.

I don't see why the m15x wouldn't work with that vBIOS though.

 

You mentioned something about powerplay?

What is it?

 

Powerplay lets the GPU auto adjust to load, For example mines works like this

when I idle my clocks and voltages automatically drop to 100/150 @ .9v

If I play a game or watch a movie or anything that moves the GPU to the active state my clocks automatically go up to the OC I defined when I altered my VBIOS which are 850/1200 @1.1v(Stock is 700/[email protected])

@Niffcreature

Wasn't sure if the Alienware was indeed based off the Arima, but since you confirmed it then there will be no issues. My assumption was that they were separate entities my mistake.

 

Ok, I think I like how I am seeing everything here. So the VBIOS on page 4 will be my best choice, I presume. If the slave card does not work, I will load the VBIOS and ATIFlash onto a CD, then flash the VBIOS from Slave to Master using the M88-2.

If that does not work, I will be screwed.

 

Don't use a CD use a USB stick, but yes that is the gist of it. I think you will be ok though since the whole ARIMA thing is solved that it will work with your ALienware no problems.

Get like a 512mb USB sick, I use a 256mb one dedicated specifically for flashing my GPU's.

 

Whats wrong with a CD? The advantage of a CD is you don't have to worry about using all of that other crap to make it bootable like a USB.

 

Right, but then you won't be able to dump a VBIOS with a CD only flash so you will have to make several CD's in order to flash your GPU to clocks you like/are stable.


Let me put it like this

You make a CD to flash the master
then you make another CD to OC
then you make another CD to adjust your clocks
so forth so on where a USB you don't waste CD's like that or have to worry about the burn corrupting your VBIOS ROM.(Can happen)
You can just alter the original MASTER to the clocks you want, and keep altering it without all the hassle of burning CD's to do the same function.

Also, Making a USB bootable put's nothing visible on the USB it is all hidden and does not appear or affect your flashing process.

 

So where can I find the files I need to make a USB drive bootable? I saw a couple guides online in these forums, and they involve putting a Windows 98 thing on the USB drive, along with installing HP software to make the USB a bootable flash drive.

Also, if I flash the VBIOS just once with a CD to make it a master card, will I have to do it again in the future if I need to reinstall my system?

The overclock is not what my primary focus is, but is something I would like to do. Getting it to work is my main focus.

 

The one I linked you uses the windows 98 bootfiles to make the USB drive bootable through the HP software. Once the drive is Bootable all that stuff can be deleted. No once you flash it is saved permanently to the GPU,(Until you flash again) reinstalling windows or drivers has no affect on your VBIOS. Only need to mess with it when you want to adjust the clocks.


EDIT: here is the link again

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/246530-how-flash-your-bios-dos-using-usb-stick.html