Are there 128 bit 9700 Pros ?

[Dragonprince]

Are there 128 bit 9700 Pros ?

[The_man27]

depends how you look at it. 9500pros are basically downclocked 128-bit versions of 9700pros :)

[Yuriman]

The 9500pro is a 9700(np) with 128bit ram. Its called the 9500pro though. You can get 128bit or 256bit 9500np's, but they only have 4 pipelines as opposed to the 9500pro's and 9700's 8.

[Dragonprince]

Yeah I know all of that, my question specificaly is this, "Are there any 128 bit 9700 Pro's?"

The reason I ask is ATi sent me a card with a 9700 Pro sticker to replace a defective 9500 Pro that I sent in for repair. The card they sent has a 9700 Pro BIOS because the drivers detect it at installation as a 9700. But shortly after installation the card started having artifacting problems. The card has the same inline memory on it that the 9500 Pro had that I sent back. I thought all of the 9700's were 256 bit. So im wondering if the card was flashed with the wrong BIOS and mislabeled by mistake. Im tempted to flash the sucker with a 9500 Pro BIOS and see if the issues clear up....

[Gautam]

Very interesting. If there can be 128bit 9800's, can't see why there can't be 128-bit 9700's either. Do you know how many pipelines it has for sure?

[Dragonprince]

No I dont know about the pipelines, have not had a chance to check before the card goes into artifacting. Im going by the ram arrangement on the card. 4 inline BBA ram moduals on the top of the core side, 4 more inline on the top of the back side.

[Gautam]

Could you try 3dmark03, in spite of the artifacting, and see how you do in it, just for kicks? I'm putting money on it being a normal 9500pro, but who knows?

[Dragonprince]

Well I tired the flash to a 9500 Pro BIOS that matched my type of ram....nothing. Black screen. Had to use a PCI card to blind flash it back to the original BIOS.

[Dragonprince]

Can not run 3DMarks, artifacting is too heavy.

[tainice]

so both the 9700pro and 9500pro's bios won't work? maybe you should try other bios first, then give ati a call if everything fails. or...you can hard/softmod the card (9500np/pro to 9700pro mod), just to see what happens, i am very curious about the end result.

[james.miller]

Very interesting. If there can be 128bit 9800's, can't see why there can't be 128-bit 9700's either. Do you know how many pipelines it has for sure?

There's two possibilities:

1) It's got 8 pipelines open. That would make it a 9500pro (8 pipes, 128bit ram)
2) It's got 4 pipelines open, making it a 9500np (4 pipes, 128bit ram)

Either way its not a 9700 at all. Either ATI have screwed up there and didnt test the card, or like sapphire they are pulling a fast one - tricking us.

I'm interested in this aswell.

[Dragonprince]

James do you have a suggestion on a BIOS to try? I know you've been into the 9500np to 9700 scene so I figure you'd be a good one to ask. Like I posted earlier, I have tried flashing the card to a 9500 Pro BIOS but it would not even boot so I had to blind flash it back to the original Bios. Run the ATIFLASH -i command retrieved the following card data:

Adapter = 0
bn = 02
dn = 00
dID = 4E45
asic = r300/r350
flash =
ID =
flash type = ST M25P05
remap =
lock = yes
romsize = 0x10000

This was pulled after reflashing back to the original BIOS which I can not identify.

[james.miller]

i really have no idea:( I'm not well veresed in the various different bioses for the cards.

odd to say the least.

[hUMANbEATbOX]

9700pro = ram in an L config.

9700np = ram in either L or | config.

does the sticker they put on it look like its been there since the day the card was made? any corners peeeling on it?

i would give ATI a call...

[CircuitBreaker8]

You can flash the 9500np to a 9700np to

[james.miller]

9700pro = ram in an L config.

9700np = ram in either L or | config.

does the sticker they put on it look like its been there since the day the card was made? any corners peeeling on it?

i would give ATI a call...

no im afraid your wrong. The 9700np's have the same hardware configuration as the 9700pro's - 8 pipelines and 256bit 'L' configured ram.

[violineb]

no im afraid your wrong. The 9700np's have the same hardware configuration as the 9700pro's - 8 pipelines and 256bit 'L' configured ram.

Yes indeed they do. They're just downclocked 9700 pros; after all I have one right here :clap: It's my birthday :bday: (just had to mention that ;) )

[Steven4563]

james is right.

but Dragonprince has your card got L or I shaped mem ??

[dumpa]

Yes indeed they do. They're just downclocked 9700 pros; after all I have one right here :clap: It's my birthday :bday: (just had to mention that ;) )

Happy BDay! :D


I would give ATI a call...

[Dragonprince]

I shaped memory. The core and memory clocks are 275 and 270 respectively. I think the issue is the card is loading 9700 Pro 256bit memory bus drivers because of the BIOS. The strange thing about it is that it will work for a while sometimes and other times it goes to heavy artifacting almost right away.

[Dragonprince]

Here are some pic's of the card and the sticker. Running the number on the ATi support site indicates a 9500 pro....

http://img9.imageshack.us/my.php?loc=img9&image=Radeon_a.jpg

http://img9.imageshack.us/my.php?loc=img9&image=Radeon_b.jpg

http://img9.imageshack.us/my.php?loc=img9&image=Radeon_c.jpg

[james.miller]

I'm getting the feeling this card has been RMA'd before and im suspecting it's because of damaged pipelines.

[man_utd]

Yikes, that ain't a 9700Pro, call them and explain whats been going on.

[Dragonprince]

Flashed the card to a 9500 Pro. Finaly found a BIOS that matched the ROM chip on warp11's page. Still artifacting like crazy. Looks like the card is consigned to the garbage, not worth my money to send it back to ATi for replacement for the 4th time...... :temper: