NVIDIA GeForce To Quadro Soft-Mod Guide

[magicine]

I currently run a true quadro fx 3500. I read this thread fully, so I did a bench mark of my current card, the current FX3500 before moding an 8800GTS or GTX to achieve an FX4600 hopefully. I run solidworks 2007 which the benchmark was written for.

my question is in the softmod guide which uses the same benchmark tool, SPECapc, states that higher numbers are better.

but when I use the SPECapc tool it states all results are in seconds and that lower numbers are better?

here were my results with the real FX3500

SolidWorks 2007 Workstation Benchmark
Manufacturer : NVIDIA
Model : AWRDACPI
OS : Microsoft Windows XP Professional
OS SP : Service Pack 3
CPU : AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4800+
# of CPU : 2
Memory : 3327

**** Overall Test Results ****
Note: All results are in seconds.
Lower scores are better.

Test Number 1
Test Total = 241.94
Graphics = 92.41
CPU = 63.75
I/O = 85.78

Test Number 2
Test Total = 238.45
Graphics = 90.76
CPU = 62.51
I/O = 85.18

Test Number 3
Test Total = 235.87
Graphics = 88.67
CPU = 61.99
I/O = 85.21

Test Number 4
Test Total = 236.22
Graphics = 89.04
CPU = 62.21
I/O = 84.97

Test Number 5
Test Total = 237.94
Graphics = 90.49
CPU = 62.13
I/O = 85.32

Test Averages for 5 tests(s).
Test Total = 238.08
Graphics = 90.27
CPU = 62.52
I/O = 85.29


so what am I missing? If I come back with lower numbers how would they correlate into the other test scores??

also, is the geforce 8800gtx the best choice to achieve an FX4600?
also again, there are different manufactures using the GeForce 8800 chipset. IE EVGA, BFG, XFX, are these able to be modded just as the Nvidia brand is?

john h

[tryharder]

... anybody over here who modded a GTX 285 ???

[Adrian Wong]

Originally Posted by magicine

I currently run a true quadro fx 3500. I read this thread fully, so I did a bench mark of my current card, the current FX3500 before moding an 8800GTS or GTX to achieve an FX4600 hopefully. I run solidworks 2007 which the benchmark was written for.

my question is in the softmod guide which uses the same benchmark tool, SPECapc, states that higher numbers are better.

but when I use the SPECapc tool it states all results are in seconds and that lower numbers are better?

here were my results with the real FX3500

SolidWorks 2007 Workstation Benchmark
Manufacturer : NVIDIA
Model : AWRDACPI
OS : Microsoft Windows XP Professional
OS SP : Service Pack 3
CPU : AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4800+
# of CPU : 2
Memory : 3327

**** Overall Test Results ****
Note: All results are in seconds.
Lower scores are better.

Test Number 1
Test Total = 241.94
Graphics = 92.41
CPU = 63.75
I/O = 85.78

Test Number 2
Test Total = 238.45
Graphics = 90.76
CPU = 62.51
I/O = 85.18

Test Number 3
Test Total = 235.87
Graphics = 88.67
CPU = 61.99
I/O = 85.21

Test Number 4
Test Total = 236.22
Graphics = 89.04
CPU = 62.21
I/O = 84.97

Test Number 5
Test Total = 237.94
Graphics = 90.49
CPU = 62.13
I/O = 85.32

Test Averages for 5 tests(s).
Test Total = 238.08
Graphics = 90.27
CPU = 62.52
I/O = 85.29


so what am I missing? If I come back with lower numbers how would they correlate into the other test scores??

also, is the geforce 8800gtx the best choice to achieve an FX4600?
also again, there are different manufactures using the GeForce 8800 chipset. IE EVGA, BFG, XFX, are these able to be modded just as the Nvidia brand is?

john h

When it comes to render times, the lower the better. You should always test your performance before and after the mod so you can see the effect of the mod.

Actually, there are many types of GeForce 8800 GPUs - 8800 GT, 8800 GTS 512, 8800 GTS 320, 8800 GTS 512, 8800 GTX.

As far as EVGA, BFG, XFX are concerned, most use the NVIDIA reference design so they are really alike. In any case, the softmod only unlocks software optimizations in the driver that are "tied" to the NVIDIA Quadro identification strings. The same GPUs are used in both Quadro and GeForce cards. NVIDIA does not make special GPUs for Quadros.

[magicine]

This should be good info since we now have a true quadro fx3500 as a base line. I'll base line the unmodded EVGA 8800gtx, then after the softmod. If the softmod if successful it should out perform my fx3500 by a good margin since it has three times the memory etc. as an unlocked fx4600.

I'll keep everyone abreast.

jh

[alpha754293]

Okay. just tried it with a BFG GTX260OC (590/1000) 896 MB.

GeForce drivers tested:
178.24
181.20

RivaTuner tested:
2.0 RC 15.6
2.0 RC 25.8
2.05
2.24

Anything < 2.05 --> no lower-level system tweaks button.
2.24 --> lower-level system tweaks button exists, but no NVstrap.

Looks like that it doesn't work the GT200 GTX260, GTS250, GTX275, GTX280, GTX285, GTX295 probably won't work.

keywords: GTS250 GTX260 GTX275 GTX280 GTX285 GTX295 soft mod does not work rivatuner geforce nvidia

(tested with:
Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P
Intel Core2 Quad Q9550 (2.83 GHz, quad-core)
4x G.Skill 2GB DDR2-800 SDRAM
1x Western Digital 36 GB 10krpm SATA
2x Western Digital 250 GB 7.2krpm SATA
Windows XP Pro SP2

[magicine]

OK real Quadro FX 3500 $850 used 2 years ago

Graphics Solidworks benchmark
Test Averages for 5 tests(s).
Graphics = 90.27

GeForce EVGA 8800GTX $180 used week ago

Graphics Solidworks benchmark
Test Averages for 5 tests(s).
Graphics = 121.78

Soft modded EVGA 8800 to Quadro FX4600
Test Averages for 5 tests(s).
Graphics = 83.31

about a 10% improvement over the FX 3500, the improvement really shows when I have many more parts and assemblies opened. The 3500 would choke and bring my system to a stand still after about 15 parts and 1 assy, and 4 app's open.

I haven't found the limit of the soft 4600 yet.

I deem it a success since I will now sell the 3500 and make a couple of hundred.

I used instructions found here
softmodding Geforce 8800gts to quadro - Rage3D Discussion Area
and Riva tuner 2.24

jh

PS: The latest Quadro driver 182.65 from did not want to work but I had earlier ones for the 3500, same driver pack for the 4600 185.42 from 11/08, this one worked fine. I'll try 182.5 next.

[Wolvenmoon]

So...I've read through the entire thread (WHEW!) and saw some mention of G92 boards, but don't remember seeing any benchmarks of them softmodded to quadro, nor did I see any that were flashed.

I run a 9800GTX+ and blender 3D, but am looking at purchasing something like 3DS max after I'm absolutely certain I like blender (Yay student status, still like 300 bucks)

I'm not even sure there is a quadro with this card's specs. The 3700 actually has physically worse specs than this. Am I barking up the wrong tree here?

Thanks for the informative thread!

[consolation]

G92 8800GT cards can be easily flashed to 3700FX, presumably the same applies to 9800GT ones as well. I have a 250GTS (9800GTX+) atm, so I'm curious about cross flashing to an equivalent quadro as well... I'm guessing we could use the modded 3700FX bios and just copy over the clock and memory timings from 250/gtx+ BIOS. Theoretically we would then have a very fast 3700FX . That way, under windows, it would let us use the quadro optimised drivers -the only real benefit to a quadro (since we are not going to get the super duper cash cow customer support.) Note, that when you cross flash the G92 8800GT, you retain the faster GT clock speeds at the cost of raised temperatures; if you drop the core to the Quadro 500MHz the temp goes back to normal. This is, I suspect, why vanilla quadros bench lower in games. I'm guessing with the higher accuracy required in pro apps, the driver defaults to higher quality processing, and since the cards share the same shitty heatsink, something had to give. Or, nVidia are less concerned about the consumer cards dying and are bit more slap happy with the clock speeds... I really wish I did more benching on my flashed GT before I gave it away. Interestingly the mobile version of the Quadro, the 3700M, is apparently based on 128SP G92 found in the 8800GTS/9800GTX(+)/250GTS cards (bloody nVidia and their SKU diarrhoea); so perhaps that'd be the BIOS to start hacking. Anyone... ? I'm mostly running under OSX; I'm not sure that there's any difference in pro apps performance under that OS tbh, I'm bit loath to risk borking my card for negligible gains in my main OS, at least not until it's due an upgrade in a few months.

[arch_sb]

I have successfully softmodded my 8800 ultra to a fx4600 with the quadro drivers and everything, but cannot get the 3ds max performance driver from nvidia to install. I get an error saying i don't have a quadro card installed. Anyone have any luck with these performance drivers???

[Adrian Wong]

Originally Posted by arch_sb

I have successfully softmodded my 8800 ultra to a fx4600 with the quadro drivers and everything, but cannot get the 3ds max performance driver from nvidia to install. I get an error saying i don't have a quadro card installed. Anyone have any luck with these performance drivers???

You won't be able to get official NVIDIA drivers to work with the softmodded Quadro because the 3ds max performance driver has not been softmodded and will detect the card as a GeForce.

You will have to flash the GeForce with a Quadro BIOS. That may allow the 3ds max performance driver to be installed.