Just to update, I definitely have a successfull flash of a Sapphire 6950 using the Sapphire 6970 bios.
Card is running stable (using Furmark) at 935/1420, which I guess isn't crazy OC's but absolutely a great value!
I'm not sure if this says something good about 6950, or bad about 6970.
Just needed all the files in the same directory, I'm dumb. Anyway, I flashed the card, and it DOES NOT like ATITool, seems to be incompatible.
However, it ran fine through 3dmark11, and 12 minutes of Furmark with no issues other than some good heat (94C max) leaving fan on auto.
Does furmark automatically detect artifacts?
I have a really hard time believing that AMD did not see this coming... Pretty sure that little lever switch was designed for this type of thing... Oh well, I guess we will never know unless AMD comes clean.
Apparently AMD investors are not very happy about this whole flashing thing. Their sentiment is that while it's great that the geeks get some braggin right, the high profit margins of the 6970 may go out the window.
BTW: I think this will be a bigger rage then unlocking the X3 to X4 cpu, because let's face it, in the CPU world, you wouldn't want your mom be caught using anything AMD.
Be interesting to see how the retail prices of 6950 and 6970 be like in a month.
what could it say that is bad about 6970? if this were 570's unlocking into 580's you'd be carping about how nvidia is super consumer friendly by allowing their enthusiast owners to unlock high end cards.
what could it say that is bad about 6970? if this were 570's unlocking into 580's you'd be carping about how nvidia is super consumer friendly by allowing their enthusiast owners to unlock high end cards.
Apparently AMD investors are not very happy about this whole flashing thing. Their sentiment is that while it's great that the geeks get some braggin right, the high profit margins of the 6970 may go out the window.
BTW: I think this will be a bigger rage then unlocking the X3 to X4 cpu, because let's face it, in the CPU world, you wouldn't want your mom be caught using anything AMD.
Be interesting to see how the retail prices of 6950 and 6970 be like in a month.
Yep, that sounds just like investors. Down the pub after work...Apparently AMD investors are not very happy about this whole flashing thing. Their sentiment is that while it's great that the geeks get some braggin right, the high profit margins of the 6970 may go out the window.
Yep, that sounds just like investors. Down the pub after work...
Investor 1 - Good day today, made a packet on the shift in oil price
Investor 2 - Yeah I didn't get in on that, I've been concentrating my investments in AMD recently, and while my sentiment is that it's great that geeks have got some bragging rights about what they're doing with a 6950
Inv 1 - a what?
Inv 2 - a 6950, I don't know, never heard of it but stick with me - I am disappointed in the reduced yield from the higher profit margin there is on the 6970
Inv 1 - the what?
Inv 2 - er, I don't know, my son told me these things were busting the 570 bad or something
etc
Not a bad deal, but the performance difference isn't exactly night and day between the 6950 and 6970. This isn't the 9500pro-> 9700pro performance jump we have seen before.
Mine unlocked easily; flashing the BIOS has become totally user-friendly
... And this is perfect since i wanted to test both HD 6950 and HD 6970 CF .. and i can now do both testing with only two cards! i am going to be running a new evaluation of SLI vs CF.
:biggrin:
The only people buying these cards will be high-end enthusiasts.I really can't see this hurting the 6970's bottom line. You'd be surprised how few people that buy high end cards know how to flash one, as simple as it is
The only people buying these cards will be high-end enthusiasts.
I'm an enthusiast, my wallet just isn't. :|The only people buying these cards will be high-end enthusiasts.