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Sapphire X800 Series Roundup
[Abstract]
Sapphire's Radeon SistersIt is not too often that we get a whole posse of hot aliens of the female persuasion dropping in on our labs. Well, we don't actually remember any or at least we don't ...
[Content] PCDigitalMobileGame
The Step Sister Unleashed
Armed with detailed instructions from techPowerUp, we set about doing our own modding. Note that we are only trying to give an overview of the whole modding process, as it is not the main focus of our review here. You can get all the details and the links to the modified BIOS and other necessary files at the techPowerUp website that we mentioned before. While following those instructions, please do remember to check that your card is modifiable before you start. Although we are almost certain that all Sapphire Radeon X800 GTO2 cards are modifiable, it is better to be safe than be sorry. Again, how to verify this is detailed at techPowerUp. www.hardwarezone.com assumes no responsibility for any mishaps that should occur through this process and nor does the manufacturer as your warranty is then void. If you are willing to go ahead, here then is the concise version of the instructions we found to unlock the pipelines in the Sapphire Radeon X800 GTO2:
Download and install ATI Tool. We shall be using this tool to check whether the mod is possible and to verify that it has been successful. So acquaint yourself with its usage.
Download the unlocked BIOS file provided at techPowerUp's website. Make sure that you have chosen the correct BIOS file, as there are two BIOS versions for download (one of which is for the Connect3D Radeon X800 GTO).
Download a modified Flashrom utility to replace the original BIOS with the unlocked BIOS. The website has links to more verbose flashing instructions for those who need more handholding.
After the flash and a reboot, all16 pipelines will be enabled if everything has been done correctly. You can use ATI Tool to check the mod has been successful.
It looks easy on paper and we can assure you that following these instructions closely, we managed to get the pipelines unlocked in around 15 minutes (including waiting time to obtain the required files). From what we have gathered, the success rate for modifying the Sapphire Radeon X800 GTO2 is almost as good as 100%, provided you know what you are doing. On the other hand, the Sapphire Radeon X800 GTO2 seems to be limited in numbers and getting your hands on one may be harder than actually modding it. An interesting tidbit is that the GTO2 SKU was initially slated to be a proper 16-pipeline product, but somehow, it never got around such in actual retail and is in limited quantity. While there have been no known issues of the GTO2 operating in 16-pipeline mode (thus far), we do have a hint of reservation on what could have prevented ATI and its board partners to launch such a product. The most likely answer would be to avoid cannibalizing sales of their existing higher-end Radeon X800 and X850 series, which the unlocked GTO2 does rival to a certain extent.
As we just mentioned, the results of modding the Sapphire Radeon X800 GTO2 were nothing short of astounding. As the benchmark figures below show, the unlocked Sapphire Radeon X800 GTO2 256MB easily exceeded its original 12 pipelines incarnation by up to 17%. When we overclocked the card to 540/1240MHz, the Sapphire Radeon X800 GTO2 actually performed on par with a true Radeon X850 XT Platinum Edition, the top dog from ATI's previous generation. This was not as far fetched as you might think, since both the Radeon X850 XT P.E and the Sapphire Radeon X800 GTO2 used the same core; once the pipelines were unlocked, both cards now have an equal number of 16 each. Therefore, if you are lucky with your overclocking, you could get a Radeon X850 XT P.E class performance at a bargain.
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