Atiflash not working on borked 2400 pro AGP

[TiMiN8R]

Someone over on a Dutch forum was so kind to give me his 2400 Pro AGP for free to use in my HTPC to be.
Only problem is, the card's pretty dead. He tried to flash it with lower clocks and lower fanspeeds in order to use it in his own HTPC. It's a Club3D and it's loud! and hot! so lowering the clocks was necessary to put it to good use. But the flash failed and now it just gives a blank screen.
I've been at it all day using a PCI-card but I can't bring it back to life.
Here's a picture of what Atiflash's information (-ai 0) looks like:
http://project-acoc.nl/timin8r/fotos/100_1408.jpg

I've tried all the switches:
http://project-acoc.nl/timin8r/fotos/100_1411.jpg

With the -mi switch I should get the SSID but it says "invalid pc bios"

So it seems the card has no or an invalid bios and it won't accept a new one, not even the original one that the other guy saved to file, not with all the bypass switches.

Tried with Ati winflash but it just completely hangs the system.
Windows sees a "VGA controller" or something along those lines, I've tried force-installing the catalyst drivers (bad idea :banghead:) resulted in a reboot and a windows reinstall.

I've found someone with a similar situation over @ XS (http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=80775), he never got it fixed either (well he got a new one from RMA).

Is this one ever gonna fly again?

[dark2099]

Have you tried just doing atiflash -p 0 2400pro.bin?

[TiMiN8R]

Well, yes, of course, sorry I didn't make that clear.
That was the first thing I tried but it just gave me the same error: rom not erased 0FL01.
Then tried -f to force it, and then...more and more switches but nothing.

[dark2099]

I see you did "atiflash -i 0," I think that might just be listing the primary card being used, try doing "atiflash -i" and paste a screen shot if it isn't too much, when I was flashing my AGP card, atiflash read my PCI card as a Rialto so you might might be trying the wrong card.

[TiMiN8R]

From what I've read it's my understanding that the Rialto (device 0) is actually only the pcie-agp bridgechip and it should show a device 1 which should be the actual card.
But anything to do with device 1 will just completely hang the system. I get a blinking cursor and nothing else happens.
examples:
-i (no device specified)
-ai (no device specified)
-i 1
-ai 1
-flashing the bios to device 1, or -pa for all cards.
it's all the same.

Am I correct in understanding that there should be another device?
As in this picture posted in the thread at XS?
http://hem.spray.se/hanzzzon/PICT2617.JPG

[dark2099]

The 2nd card listed as the RV423 is the card you want to flash the BIOS.

[TiMiN8R]

No, the Rialto is on the same card!
As you can see they have the same device ID's en BIOS P/N, it's just two chips on the same card.
For some reason it's just not recognizing my videochip, only the Rialto.

The example above is not mine, it's from a thread at XS.

In my case the device ID's for both chips should be 94C4 and device 1 should be a RV610LE.

[TiMiN8R]

After some more reading and experimenting I have come to the following conclusion:
Since the card is essentially a PCI-e card any and all communication has to go through the Rialto bridge chip. If this chip is for some reason incapacitated (bad flash, corrupt bios) then there seems to be no way of getting through to the actual card. But since it will not identify as the correct card, it does not accept the flash and therefore will be bricked forever.
Unless you could write to the bios directly but that's way out of my league.

[dark2099]

You need to flash the 2nd option for the card, trust me as I had to flash my 2600XT BIOS once, here is a link to my thread and I listed the options (instead of taking a picture) and ended up doing "atiflash -p 1 new.bin"

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=59573

[TiMiN8R]

Dude, I'm very sorry if I come across rude but did you read anything I wrote?
I don't get a second option, i.e. device 1.
I've tried flashing and getting info to and from device 1 but this just hangs the system.

[dark2099]

Ah, so I did read it wrong, my apologies, um..now I think I cannot help you further.

[TiMiN8R]

No biggie, I just got a little frustrated after trying to get the f-ing thing to work all day.
Seems no-one can help me :confused:

I've submitted a ticket to Ati & Club3D tech support, maybe they can help me figure it out.

[DaedalusHelios]

In the future I would just upgrade cooling on the card.:)

I know its expensive though.:(

[TiMiN8R]

Yeah, that's what the other guy should have done and I will if I ever get it to work again.
Doesn't have to be expensive, I've got a slot 1 heat sink lying around, screw on a 80mm fan @ 7v and voila!

[TiMiN8R]

Well, I've officially declared it dead.
Got a response form AMD tech support:
Hi Tim,

ATI always suggests to never update/flash your video card BIOS as this can result in a non-working card.

We do not have any tools to re-flash / repair your existing card.

A HD2400 card is a low power / entry-level card and as such should never have had a loud fan or be running hot, so it may have been faulty from the start and should have been returned to the place of purchase or to the manufacturer for a RMA replacement.

Then he pointed me to a Sapphire 2400Pro which he said was passively cooled but the pictures I've found all show a fan :banghead:

I've been offered a 2600XT but then I'd also have to upgrade my PSU.