Undervolting GTX280 - The Way To Be Cool!

[Tomsen78]

Undervolting GTX280 - The Way To Be Cool!

Be careful, you are loosing your guarantee!
Everytime use your own original Bios for modding!
If the flashing is going wrong and you have a black screen, you can use a pci-graphic card for flashing the GTX280 again or keep the steps in mind and blind-type the commands!

What u need:
Download: Nibitor 4.2 (http://2960.lb-server.de/GTX280/Bios-Mod/NiBiTor.v4.2.zip)
Download: nvflash (http://2960.lb-server.de/GTX280/Bios-Mod/nvflash.zip)
Download: GPU-Z 0.2.4 (http://2960.lb-server.de/GTX280/Bios-Mod/GPU-Z.0.2.4.exe)
Floppy Disk
coolness


If You cant read out the Bios of your card with Nibitor, use GPU-Z and save the file then open it with nibitor.

Change the "EXTRA" voltage (in the pic below) from 1.18v down to 1.06v and save the file. I recommend to use 1.06v cause 1.03v could not be good in overclocking the card. With 1.03v the system freezes over 665MHz.
The "3D" clock ist 1.06v at stock, you can set it down to 1.03v.
http://www.abload.de/img/nibitors5k.jpg

Anytime, if you´re getting freezes, raise the EXTRA voltage from 1.03v to 1.06v for example.

Save nvflash.exe, the original and modded biosfile on the dos-start-disk and boot from the floppy disk.
Type during the dos screen "nvflash.exe -5 -6 biosfile.rom" - confirm with "y" and the flashing is done.

With my Point of View GTX280@ 1.03v, only 655/1410/2430 are stable instead of 700MHz with 1.18v, but its much cooler and more quiet.

stock-modded bios
1.03v (2D)
1.06v (3D) – now 1.03v
1.18v (Extra) – now 1.03v
380Watt vs. 320 Watt!!! > ~60Watt

I need only 320W at maximum, witch was 380W bevore flashing, thats incredible.

Test (25° celsius room temperature)

30min Furmark
GTX280 - 1.18v
88° - 100% fan

GTX280 – 1.03v
78° - 61% fan (down to 68° Grad with 100%) :D

1h Crysis
GTX280 - 1.18v
~82° - ~80% Lüfter

GTX280 – 1.03v
~72° - ~51% Lüfter

It doesnt matter which game, the fan is not faster than 1080rpm/61%!!
In Crysis, Age of Conan, Assassins Creed, Jericho the Fan is mostly about 50%, 72-76°, and ~280W, thats amazing! :captnkill:

The Card is absolutely silent in 2D with the Fan at 25%. Rivatuner is managing the Fan by itself and only if the GPU Temp is getting over 65° celsius the fan ist moving from 25% to auto. (you have to create oc and fan profiles in rivatuner!) :D
In idle, the GPU is about 55° celsius and 25% fan (25° room temperature)

OC with less Volt? SURE!! (nana2)

With 1.03v under load, i can manage 655/1410/2430

I played Crysis, Age of Conan, Assassins Creed, Jericho for about 12h and the card was absolutely stabel, even in Benchmarks (3Dmark/Furmark)

Stay cool! :afro:

[Lfctony]

It's the 6800GT all over again... Soon the threads will begin "Is my card dead" and "Major artifacting"...

[Dreamingawake]

haha yeah, wow, i'd be careful with this.

a little patience never hurt anyone..

[Uberpwnage]

I'd rather lower the temp in my room and oc more, but that's just me.

[Madpistol]

Oh my god.... no. I would kill myself if I bricked my video card.

[luigimita]

Undervolting GTX280 - The Way To Be Cool!

Be careful, you are loosing your guarantee!
Everytime use your own original Bios for modding!
If the flashing is going wrong and you have a black screen, you can use a pci-graphic card for flashing the GTX280 again or keep the steps in mind and blind-type the commands!

What u need:
Download: Nibitor 4.2 (http://2960.lb-server.de/GTX280/Bios-Mod/NiBiTor.v4.2.zip)
Download: nvflash (http://2960.lb-server.de/GTX280/Bios-Mod/nvflash.zip)
Download: GPU-Z 0.2.4 (http://2960.lb-server.de/GTX280/Bios-Mod/GPU-Z.0.2.4.exe)
Floppy Disk
coolness


If You cant read out the Bios of your card with Nibitor, use GPU-Z and save the file then open it with nibitor.

Change the "EXTRA" voltage (in the pic below) from 1.18v down to 1.06v and save the file. I recommend to use 1.06v cause 1.03v could not be good in overclocking the card. With 1.03v the system freezes over 665MHz.
The "3D" clock ist 1.06v at stock, you can set it down to 1.03v.
http://www.abload.de/img/nibitors5k.jpg

Anytime, if you´re getting freezes, raise the EXTRA voltage from 1.03v to 1.06v for example.

Save nvflash.exe, the original and modded biosfile on the dos-start-disk and boot from the floppy disk.
Type during the dos screen "nvflash.exe -5 -6 biosfile.rom" - confirm with "y" and the flashing is done.

With my Point of View GTX280@ 1.03v, only 655/1410/2430 are stable instead of 700MHz with 1.18v, but its much cooler and more quiet.

stock-modded bios
1.03v (2D)
1.06v (3D) – now 1.03v
1.18v (Extra) – now 1.03v
380Watt vs. 320 Watt!!! > ~60Watt

I need only 320W at maximum, witch was 380W bevore flashing, thats incredible.

Test (25° celsius room temperature)

30min Furmark
GTX280 - 1.18v
88° - 100% fan

GTX280 – 1.03v
78° - 61% fan (down to 68° Grad with 100%) :D

1h Crysis
GTX280 - 1.18v
~82° - ~80% Lüfter

GTX280 – 1.03v
~72° - ~51% Lüfter

It doesnt matter which game, the fan is not faster than 1080rpm/61%!!
In Crysis, Age of Conan, Assassins Creed, Jericho the Fan is mostly about 50%, 72-76°, and ~280W, thats amazing! :captnkill:

The Card is absolutely silent in 2D with the Fan at 25%. Rivatuner is managing the Fan by itself and only if the GPU Temp is getting over 65° celsius the fan ist moving from 25% to auto. (you have to create oc and fan profiles in rivatuner!) :D
In idle, the GPU is about 55° celsius and 25% fan (25° room temperature)

OC with less Volt? SURE!! (nana2)

With 1.03v under load, i can manage 655/1410/2430

I played Crysis, Age of Conan, Assassins Creed, Jericho for about 12h and the card was absolutely stabel, even in Benchmarks (3Dmark/Furmark)

Stay cool! :afro:

fantastic idea, I made the change and loaded the new modded bios. Everything works perfectly and now the fan does not exceed 60% in full load! WOW!!!

one question..... if i have problems and i must send my card in assistence, loading the original bios I would be warranted? :):D

[Tomsen78]

fantastic idea, I made the change and loaded the new modded bios. Everything works perfectly and now the fan does not exceed 60% in full load! WOW!!!

one question..... if i have problems and i must send my card in assistence, loading the original bios I would be warranted? :):D

Its more dangerous to change the cooler than to flash the bios!

The garantuee is gone if you flash the Bios. But I dont think its easy to proove this that you have flashed the bios.

I flashed the bios to 1.06v in Extra and 676/1411/2428 are stable!
The maximum fan was 61%! Thats amazing! ;)

[Xion X2]

Why anyone would buy a high-performance card that costs over 600$ and want to "undervolt" it is beyond me.



Don't do drugs.

[Tomsen78]

fantastic idea, I made the change and loaded the new modded bios. Everything works perfectly and now the fan does not exceed 60% in full load! WOW!!!

one question..... if i have problems and i must send my card in assistence, loading the original bios I would be warranted? :):D

Lol! Are you serious?

Cause the 80%-100% Fan is annoying! (nana2)

I know about 30 people who own a GTX280 and 10 are getting a watercooler for the GTX280 and 10 are flashing their bios.
What you do is your choice - my choice is the silence (less heat, less power consumption)

[Ninja Prime]

Why anyone would buy a high-performance card that costs over 600$ and want to "undervolt" it is beyond me.



Don't do drugs.

lol I was thinking the same thing.

[Xion X2]

Lol! Are you serious?

Cause the 80%-100% Fan is annoying! (nana2)

I know about 30 people who own a GTX280 and 10 are getting a watercooler for the GTX280 and 10 are flashing their bios.
What you do is your choice - my choice is the silence (less heat, less power consumption)

Undervolting the card is not the way to go, though. If you undervolt it, then when the card is under full load and needs that extra voltage and can't find it, then it's going to either fizzle out or die. Perhaps both.

There's an easier solution for a buzzing fan. It's called "case airflow." Either get a case that has vents on the side or buy a couple of high CFM fans to place around the card to suck in cool air through. Voila. The extra loud fan on the card won't have to spin as fast because the temps inside the case won't be like a sahara desert.

But no one should undervolt their video card; that's just asking for trouble. If the voltage is set at spec, it's because the card will eventually need it to perform. I'm always amused by forum gurus who think they know more than MIT engineers up at Nvidia.

[Bman212121]

Undervolting the card is not the way to go, though. If you undervolt it, then when the card is under full load and needs that extra voltage and can't find it, then it's going to either fizzle out or die. Perhaps both.

There's an easier solution for a buzzing fan. It's called "case airflow." Either get a case that has vents on the side or buy a couple of high CFM fans to place around the card to suck in cool air through. Voila. The extra loud fan on the card won't have to spin as fast because the temps inside the case won't be like a sahara desert.

But no one should undervolt their video card; that's just asking for trouble. If the voltage is set at spec, it's because the card will eventually need it to perform. I'm always amused by forum gurus who think they know more than MIT engineers up at Nvidia.

QFT.

The people who designed the card didn't pull the stock voltage number out of thin air. They rigorously tested the card to make sure it was perform correctly without errors. The card may run with a lower voltage, but it will likely have worse performance and causing more issues such as BSODs or display driver stopped responding.

[Feyy]

paying over 600 USD to have to undervolt and possibly underperform a card....
















Oh hai ATI 4 series you're more appealing by the minute.

[nekrosoft13]

great idea, kiss your warranty goodbye.

my card after a small change doesn't exceed 80c, and i kept my warranty.

screwing with bios on something that cost over $600 is never a good idea.

[turdhat]

Man I dont get all this noise/heat crap that people are talking about and I am running 691/1404/1250 (lame shader clock artifacts at 1435 so I backed it way off) with no fan mods etc.. I use Rivatuner and fan is auto in drivers and Rivatuner.

This card is not loud (for me) and only went above 80c when I used that furmark program. Even in Crysis with max settings and 16xaa it never gets above 75c. My ambient is around 72-75c and the card idles around 43-46 in low power 2d mode. I have an antec full tower case with a zalman 9700. Two normal sized case fans pull in the front and two blow out the back. Nothing too fancy here. Maybe I got lucky with this card.

My 8800 GTX Oc edition was louder and hotter.

[luigimita]

Its more dangerous to change the cooler than to flash the bios!

The garantuee is gone if you flash the Bios. But I dont think its easy to proove this that you have flashed the bios.

I flashed the bios to 1.06v in Extra and 676/1411/2428 are stable!
The maximum fan was 61%! Thats amazing! ;)

mmmm....there aren't good news .. after 15 minutes crysis was freezed. I have restored the original bios...

in any case I don't think that it is very easy to notice if you have flashed a bios if you restore the original bios. :afro:

[K007]

i can understand on a 4850;...or maybe 4870....but jesus...the gtx280...its price premium.......

[SLippe]

This Thread is eligible for a Darwin Award.

[Bman212121]

mmmm....there aren't good news .. after 15 minutes crysis was freezed. I have restored the original bios...

in any case I don't think that it is very easy to notice if you have flashed a bios if you restore the original bios. :afro:

That is true, but if you brick the card after flashing it you won't be able to change it back. ;)

[Dreamingawake]

lol im starting to think the original post in this thread was a joke because honestly
how could anyone literally be so DUMB?:thumbdwn:

[Tomsen78]

mmmm....there aren't good news .. after 15 minutes crysis was freezed. I have restored the original bios...

in any case I don't think that it is very easy to notice if you have flashed a bios if you restore the original bios. :afro:

Which voltage and timings did you use?

There you can see that the very high standard voltage of 1.18v is to get every poor GT200 Chip stable. Some GT200 like mine is a very good one, that is why i can lower the voltage to 1.03v without any problem. I know about 10 people in the hardwareluxx forum who flashed the bios like me without ANY problem. Not a single card broke or something. To brake a card wont happen if you know what you are doing. So if you are a beginner in hardware stuff, dont do it.

[Dreamingawake]

lol, wouldn't you assume only a beginner would be ignorant enough to actually risk
doing something that silly ?

just because it's possible doesn't mean it's necessary, have some patience
and wait for nvidia to address the issues the 280 has..

[Tomsen78]

lol, wouldn't you assume only a beginner would be ignorant enough to actually risk
doing something that silly ?

What do i risk? Its only a video card, not a car. And no, a beginner dont even know that you can mod a bios. :D

Btw, its silly to buy a GTX280 if you only have a E6300 @ 1.9GHz. So you throw out the money for a card that is not faster than a 8800GT cause of your crappy cpu.

[nrdstrm]

:udawg:

This thread delivers!

[luigimita]

Which voltage and timings did you use?

There you can see that the very high standard voltage of 1.18v is to get every poor GT200 Chip stable. Some GT200 like mine is a very good one, that is why i can lower the voltage to 1.03v without any problem. I know about 10 people in the hardwareluxx forum who flashed the bios like me without ANY problem. Not a single card broke or something. To brake a card wont happen if you know what you are doing. So if you are a beginner in hardware stuff, dont do it.

extra : 1.06
3d : 1.03
2d : 1.03


default timings and clock. Now i have restored original bios and all work fine