7800 GT with 64k ROM - no go?

[joevt]

I used nvflash v5.95.0.1 in Windows 10. It is the last version for Windows that supports Fcode ROMs.
Get it from https://www.techpowerup.com/download/nvidia-nvflash/ - click "Show older versions', search for "nvflash_windows_5.95.0.1.zip".
Copy the files to an ExFAT partition. Boot Windows. Run cmd as Administrator (in the Windows search box). Run nvflash --save backup.rom to save a backup. Then run nvflash new.rom. To flash the new rom. I don't have any other Nvidia cards so I don't need the --index option. If you have more than one Nvidia card, then use nvflash --list to get a list.

The #25 compressed ROM in my Quad G5 doesn't boot. There's a startup chime, then nothing. The screen doesn't get enabled. The keyboard caps lock key doesn't respond. Maybe I'll compare with #24.

 

[MDBenson]

Same result I had, so at least it's consistent.

 

[joevt]

#26 works in my Quad G5. Haven't tried it in my B&W G3 or Power Mac 8600 yet but it should work since that was the original purpose of Test2.

The compressed 64KB ROM is at Test3/7ROMs/7800GT_compressed.rom

I suppose the only thing that can be improved is moving the BMP data outside the compressed part so the timings can be modified by whatever method or utility that can update timings (Graphiccelerator 1.3.4? - haven't tried it) for cards that don't have the same timings as the Nvidia 7800 GT Mac Edition.

 

[MDBenson]

#26 works in my Quad G5. Haven't tried it in my B&W G3 or Power Mac 8600 yet but it should work since that was the original purpose of Test2.

The compressed 64KB ROM is at Test3/7ROMs/7800GT_compressed.rom

I suppose the only thing that can be improved is moving the BMP data outside the compressed part so the timings can be modified by whatever method or utility that can update timings (Graphiccelerator 1.3.4? - haven't tried it) for cards that don't have the same timings as the Nvidia 7800 GT Mac Edition.

Well I managed to get a genuine Apple GeForce 7800 GT (my wallet didn’t like it but hey) and usdd tgat to get my G5 Quad bootstrapped. I found it’s git some thermal issues so the LCS has to come out and at least be repasted with the CPUs.

I will keep testing after that is done though and appreciate your help. I’d like to see a 64k ROM working and tested enough that it can be added to the pool for people with 64k ROMs on a PC card.

 

[MDBenson]

Well I managed to get a genuine Apple GeForce 7800 GT (my wallet didn’t like it but hey) and usdd tgat to get my G5 Quad bootstrapped. I found it’s git some thermal issues so the LCS has to come out and at least be repasted with the CPUs.

I will keep testing after that is done though and appreciate your help. I’d like to see a 64k ROM working and tested enough that it can be added to the pool for people with 64k ROMs on a PC card.

Hi. Sorry for the extended radio silence. It took a while to get the G5 to an operating state, and also I stripped my GeForce 7800 GT PC card and cleaned and rebuilt the thermal solution. Thay and I’ve also got caught up in a bunch of other Mac projects recently.

I flashed #26 to my card and sure enough it works superbly. Thank you so much for your diligent work.

The only lingering issue is my flashed 7800GT seems to run the GPU fan flat out all the time. Is anyone else’s card doing this? Is it a common problem?

EDIT: Scratch that, the fan on my Apple GF7800 GT has a dry bering and *it’s* the one making the racket 🤣

EDIT2: they’ve both slowed down significantly as the system has warmed up.

 

[MDBenson]

The happy couple in situ

 

[DearthnVader]

The happy couple in situ

So I take it one is the Apple OEM GF7800 GT and the other is the EVGA 7800 GT?

Did you copy over the NVStrap from the PC VBIOS for the EVGA card to the FCODE ROM before you flashed it?

 

[MDBenson]

That's correct. The Apple GeForce 7800 GT is purely there because I have it and it makes testing easier.

No I just used the ROM #26 image that joevt provided above. I dumped the PC ROM image before proceeding but we didn't use any parts of it as far as I know.