NVIDIA VGA BIOS Modification/Flash/Restore Guide

[Bigspin]

I give up driver level overclocking and decide do BIOS level overclock using VGA BIOS Flash .My Guide will show you how to modify your Nvidia video card BIOS and flashing it. This guide also tells you how to backup/restore your original BIOS .

DISCLAIMER:

I test my guide with following desktop and Laptop cards

Laptops=Aspire 5920/ASUS C90(Both have 8600M GT MXM2.0 Card)

Desktops=ASUS 8800GTS/MSI 7600GT

So I can confirm my guide works and trouble free.

But !!!

I am in no way responsible ,you do this at your own risk.

SUPPORTED CARDS:

You can use this guide to flash any Desktop GeForce 7xxx/8xxx VGA Card or GeForce Go 7xxx/8xxxM Cards (Only MXM Type Cards)with dedicated VGA BIOS

READ FAQ: SECTION @ END OF THE GUIDE TO KNOW MORE INFO ABOUT UNSUPPORTED LAPTOP VGA BIOS TYPES

YOU WILL NEED FOLLOWING THINGS TO FLASH YOUR VGA BIOS

1. USB Flash Drive
2. HP Bootable Flash Disk Maker or any software that can make bootable flash Drive
2. Rivatuner or ATITool(To do a driver level overclock before the BIOS Flash)
4. NiBiTor(To change bios values)
5. NVflash utility (To Backup/Flash your Nvidia VGA BIOS)

DOWNLOADS

NVIDIA BIOS Editor (NiBiTor) 3.5a

nVFlash - NVIDIA Firmware Update Utility

HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool - v2.1.8

Windows 98 System Files

Extract all these files into a temporary folder. Then when you run the HP USB Format Utility select the directory for your bootable files.

THINGS YOU NEED TO DO BEFORE THE BIOS FLASH

# Clean Install stable driver(I recommend Modded 158.45)

# Install RivaTuner or ATITool

# Do driver level overclock using RivaTuner or ATITool

# After set overclocking levels as you wish using Rivatuner or ATITool : Test them to make sure card is stable.
Run 3DMark06 Tests.Repeat each test 16 times or more(select SM 2.0 & Sm 3.0 tests only)
Additionally you can try some GPU power hungry games (Eg:FEAR /SCDA/COD2)

# 3DMark06 tests are very important!!! please do it.

# Remember to monitor your VGA temperature while you are running 3DMark06 tests.

# FLASH YOUR VGA BIOS ONLY If 3DMark06 works perfectly.

# Lower your clock speeds if you got BSODs /ERRORs or ARTEFACTS


HOW TO BACKUP ORIGINAL VGA BIOS

# First make bootable Flash Drive and insert(copy) Nvflash files into it

# Restart your system and Set computer to boot from USB Flash Drive in BIOS

# After the system boot from USB Flash Drive

Type "nvflash[space]-b[space]OLDBIOS.ROM
(Eg= a:nvflash -b OLDBIOS.ROM)

# Press enter key

That command will save your original VGA bios on USB Flash Drive as a OLDBIOS.ROM
You can use that copy to flash back to original state if something goes wrong.

# Done. press ctrl+Alt+Del and restart your system into Windows


HOW TO MODIFY YOUR ORIGINAL VGA BIOS

# Copy your original VGA BIOS into Nibitor folder from USB Flash Drive
(Do not cut & paste .You need to keep original VGA BIOS copy on your Flash Drive until you successfully flash your card)

# Run NiBiTor and open OLDBIOS.ROM from it

# Modify 3D values(Core/Shader/Memory)

# Make sure to enter tested values using driver level overclock.

# Do not forget to reset all the driver level overclock settings to stock values

# GeForce 7xxx card owners can forget shader clock modify part

# You can Modify Voltage values(Strongly recommended only for Desktop VGA cards)

# Save modified VGA BIOS copy as a NEWBIOS.ROM

HOW TO FLASH YOUR ORIGINAL VGA BIOS

# Copy NEWBIOS.ROM into bootable Pen Drive

# Make sure OLDBIOS.ROM and NEWBIOS.ROM both copies available on your Flash Drive

# Restart your system and Set computer to boot from USB Flash Drive in BIOS

# After the system boot from USB Flash Drive

Type "nvflash[space]NEWBIOS.ROM
(Eg= a:nvflash NEWBIOS.ROM)

# Press Enter key

That command will flash your VGA BIOS and press "y" key or press Enter key when program ask your
confirmation

# Done.press ctrl+Alt+Del and restart your system into Windows



FIRST THING YOU NEED TO DO AFTER THE SUCCESSFUL VGA BIOS FLASH


# Run 3DMark06 tests again and repeat 16 times or more to make sure your VGA is stable after the BIOS flash.



WHAT YOU CAN DO IF VGA CARD IS UNSTABLE OR IF YOU GOT BSOD
(BLANK DEAD SCREEN) AFTER THE BIOS FLASH


FOLLOW THESE STEPS IF YOUR VGA BEHAVES STRANGELY

Your Simple solution is restore your original VGA BIOS again or Modify your 3D clocks to lower values .

# Restart your system and Set computer to boot from USB Pen Drive in BIOS

# After the system boot from USB Flash Drive

Type "nvflash[space]OLDBIOS.ROM
(Eg:a: nvflash OLDBIOS.ROM)

# Press Enter key

That command will flash your VGA BIOS to it's original state and Press "y" key or press Enter key
when program ask your confirmation

# Done.press ctrl+Alt+Del and restart your system into Windows


FOLLOW THEASE STEPS IF GOT BLANK (Dead Screen) AFTER THE VGA BIOS FLASH


Your only available option is boot blindly from the Flash Drive (That's why I told you to Set computer to boot from USB Flash Drive in BIOS)

# After the system boot from USB Flash Drive (Oh...sorry you can't see anything...so wait 1-2 min after you restart your system blindly)

Type "nvflash[space]OLDBIOS.ROM blindly
(Eg:a: nvflash OLDBIOS.ROM)

# Wait 2-3 second and Press Enter key blindly

That command will flash your VGA BIOS to it's original state and Press "y" key or press Enter key

# wait 10-20 second

# Done.press ctrl+Alt+Del and restart your system into Windows

######### PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO POST YOUR SUCCESS STORIES WITH MY GUIDE #########

FAQ:

####STILL NOT COMPLETE :More come later####

GENARAL QUESTIONS:

Can I use a mass storage external USB disk instead of the USB pen(Flash Drive)

No you can't

what's the best clock speed for my card?

Every card have unique overclock level,so find it your self using Rivatuner or ATITool

I got low score compared to others who have same clock speeds

Everything depend on your system spec and the way way you tweak your system.
BTW some users forget to increase shader clocks(Not valid for GF 7XXX Users)

I seem to be having an issue...when i to try to test with 3dmarks05 after the driver level overclock,i get the error : "IDireect3DDevice9: resent failed: Device lost (D3DER_DEVICELOST)

Those kind of error shown if card is overclock too much.Lower your clock speeds and try again

INTEGRATED BIOS QUESTIONS(FOR LAPTOP USERS ONLY)

I want to flash my 8600gt in a dell vostro 1500. But after I typed nvflash new.rom to flash the card i ever get this:
Warning: Firmware image Subsystem ID(1028.01F1) does not match adapter PCI Subsystem ID(1028.0228)

This can happen if vga bios integrated into your system bios .Integrated BIOS not work 100% correctly
Make sure you have mxm type vga card

When I saved my stock bios,nvflash said that the version was unavailable, and the resulting file which it named OLDBIOS.ROM is
0 bytes. When I try and open the bios with nibitor I get an error message and it will not open.

# Make sure your vga card is MXM type(dedicated vga bios)
# Usb pen drive have free memory space to save the bios file(B'coz your flash drive act like a floppy & only few space available)

##########################################################################

 

[dpg]

Nice work m8.

 

[Bigspin]

I wrote the guide for notebookreview.com users last Aug & finally I post it here (You can find original post Here )

 

[geethq]

thankuu thankuu
weri valuable

 

[Bigspin]

thankuu thankuu
weri valuable

Welcome bro

 

[amila325]

ane machan me mokuth nathda ATI walata ohoma ekak

 

[Anusha]

I would prefer to use that "Find maximum clocks" in ATITool. See, there are many artifacts that occur when you pass the cards limits, which cannot be noticed by the naked eye. That little tool in ATITool helps you catch them. I think it is better to set an overclock that doesn't give any artifacts for a long period of time....