R9 280x no output until driver installed

[didi79]

Another GPU repair. Little weird.

OK so this R9 280X's electronics seem to be fine. No shorts, all voltages are there. But when plugged in, no output whatsoever. Not even boot logo or BIOS.

If I set my onboard video as primary, I can see in the BIOS that a GPU is detected in the PCIE slot. And in Windows after installing the driver, I do have output on that card.
Then if I set the PCIE GPU back as primary, on booting again: no image. Windows however seems to load and once the desktop appears (or should I rather say once Windows has started the driver), output is there.

So something is preventing the output on the R9 on boot. Maybe startup voltage not coming on fast enough ? But not even on a warm boot ?
I'm kind of stumped. Any ideas what else I could check here ?

[Rasz]

sounds like no vga bios initialization

[didi79]

sounds like no vga bios initialization

That may actually make sense: when in Windows, GPU-Z does not show a BIOS version. Thank you

The card actually has dual BIOS with a physical switch. Maybe both BIOS'es are corrupted.
OR maybe the BIOS circuits get no power. Will chech that after work. Pretty sure it's the two IC's with PM25LD010 marking ;-)

[Whales]

Ah, second hand card?  Potentially ex-miner?

[didi79]

Ah, second hand card?  Potentially ex-miner?

Second hand yes. Not sure where it's been. Came really dusty too.
But I doubt the R9's are/were good for mining: way too high power draw. But please correct me if I'm wrong

[didi79]

Small update.
While GPU-Z does not show a BIOS version, AtiWinFlash does. It even lets me save the BIOS. I can also force flash another rom (using command line tool). So this means that the BIOS chip is in fact working fine.

All suggestion are welcome !

[Whales]

There are such things as "mining BIOS" for video cards.  I'm not sure what they do differently, but apparently they cause issues if you want to use the card for normal use again.

I prefer to load & save BIOS using an external clip and programmer, that way if you stuff up you can still easily recover.  Using in-operating-system flash tools may or may not be as good.  A CH341a off ebay (+ a SOIC clip) cost me something in the realm of $10 and works with flashrom, BUT, I don't know what package your flash chips are.

Alternatively: if you're happy not to have VESA VGA working (no BIOS access) and instead wait for your OS to boot up then it's probably a safe option just to leave it be.  Video drivers load giant firmware files directly into the graphics cards, these _might_ counteract/overwrite any changes to the card BIOS anyway.

[didi79]

Programmer and clip ordered. BIOS is normal SOIC-8. I bet this tool will be useful in later repairs too 

I know the card is otherwise OK, but I would not learn by not fixing it.
If I can get it 100% fixed:

• I will have acquired a new skill
• I will feel good
• I may be able to sell it, to recover the material cost

I will post back if I have progress.

[Whales]

Remember to backup whatever is on those chips before writing over it.  This has saved my hide a few times.

[didi79]

So I got the programmer. The card has two BIOS chips (very generic Pm25LD010).
I was able to read one BIOS once, seemed to contain an actual rom. I was able to backup that one. But trying to read it again gave all FF's. The other one also only shows FF's.

I'm using software AsProgrammer by the way.

Whatever command I throw at the BIOS chips now, fail. Chip identification, setting the unprotect bit or uploading firmware fails. So right now my guess is both chips are fried. I'll try with a donor chip.

[didi79]

Chip replaced and I was able to program it.

But the card's symptoms have changed. Now it's not even being detected in the PCIE slot, Windows doesn't see it 

I will do a little more stabbing, but if I can't find an obvious problem, this one goes on the "donor card" pile. Open to suggestions.

[perieanuo]

CH341a  is not a programmer, it's a toy. the sw is also some beta
write chips with real programmers (if you do this for a living -  you said you got a pile of them), you can't avoid this
solutions CH341a-like are just 50% risk to call somebody with a real programmer. you're not sure on backup, writing etc.
imho, flashrom via OS is 99% more reliable, at least you're sure about voltages and respected reading/writing protocol implementation
why i'm so mean? i wrote sooome bios-es and car chips after hobbyist 'tuning' their machines
and some videocard not starting is more/less disappointing, imagine the guy with his car not starting

[didi79]

Well I'm not doing this for a living and the pile is not that high... don't know where you have read otherwise.
I do this for learning and as a new hobby. So forgive me for trying to keep my budget limited. No need to invest in high end apparatus.