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Niko

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This guide will explain how to flash a GeForce 7900 series video card with the Elsa 979 Bios for use in a Taito Type X2.

Any GeForce 7900 series card should work, the Geforce 7900GS is a direct replacement for the Elsa 979. Beware of some of the more "beefy" alternatives like the Geforce 7900GTX which require more power via the PCI-E slot and will be automatically underclocked by the nvidia driver to prevent damage to the card.

Things needed:
USB Thumb Drive ( atleast 256MB )
PC with PCI-Express Slot
GeForce 7900 series video card
FreeDOS USB image with Tools : Download Here
Win32 Disk Imager ( only needed if running windows ) : Download Here
Beer ( Possibly optional )


To make things simple I have created USB disk image with FreeDOS and the tools needed to flash your video card.
Download and unzip the USB disk image.
Using a image writer tool, write the image to a USB drive.
Install the new video card into the PC being used to flash the video card.
Boot the USB drive, depending on your system you may need to play around with some different boot options.
Once booted into the FreeDOS environment, change directory to the "ttx2" folder.
From there run:

nvflash --list (to identify the index of your card, the index of my card was (0))
nvflash --index=0 --save original_firmware.rom (to backup the existing firmware as original_firmware.rom)
nvflash --index=0 -4 -5 -6 Elsa_TX2.rom (to flash the firware to the card, options -4 and -5 are to ignore card differences)

you will be warned and prompted to confirm that what you are doing is dangerous and can brick your card.
agree to the prompts and when the flashing process is completed shutdown the PC and test out your newly flashed card.
 
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By chance do you know what part of the bios the TTX needs to launch a game.
bought a reference one but that was DOA and have bought the only other remaining 7900gs available on eBay in Australia but it is a non reference card that will not run with the bios posted here or the one from my original card.

Hoping i can patch this cards bios to work with a TTX so i don't need to get one shipped internationally.
 
Solved it. from what i can gather it only needs matching board IDs. changed them on mine and works like normal

If anyone has a similar issue let me know and i can try and help you out with changing the board ID
 
Did anyone try with a 7900GTO? I just edited the stock MSI GTO bios and switched the BIOS board id's

The card boots ok with a regular PC, and shows the Gladiac GS bios boot messages.

On the X2 I get just three loud beeps and does not show anything.
 
When you say edit you mean you only changed the board and sub board ids to match the original ttx gpu bios
 
i just changed the device id, sub vendor Id, subsystem Id and board id to match the Elsa_TX2.rom values. I didn't touch the rest.

Do I need to change something else?
 
No. Just looked up the gto looks like it is very similar to the gtx so you could be experiencing pci power issues.
 
Yes it's like a gtx but with slightly lower clocks.

This pci power issues also apply if the board is powered by a regular ATX PSU? (My TX2 is installed in a regular ATX case)

I guess I will have to try with a GT instead :(
 
as said above in nikos post the PCIE slot on the taito type x doesn't deliver enough power to 7900GTX which a GTO is very similar so may have the same issue. as niko explains it can cause your card to be underclocked.
but the issue you described could also be due to this same PICE power issue.

have you tried your TTX with another card doesn't need to be a 7900gs just something that will let it boot to make sure it's the GTO causing it.
 
my TX2 boots with the original Elsa 7900gs and with a reflashed Asus7900GS.. I just got a Gainward 7900GT on eBay, I will test it in the next days :)

Thanks!
 
my TX2 boots with the original Elsa 7900gs and with a reflashed Asus7900GS.. I just got a Gainward 7900GT on eBay, I will test it in the next days :)

Thanks!
Hey deibit how did you go with the 7900GT. just for reference for others that may stumble across this thread.
 
I have played with several configurations.. my experience is:

- Route 1:

If you want it quick, get a regular 7900GS 256MB and flash it directly with the original TTX2 BIOs, works without problem *in most cases* (even works with a normal GT)

- Route 2:

1- read the original bios " nvflash --index=0 --save original_firmware.rom
2- download NiBiTor: http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/nvidia-bios-editor-download-nibitor.html
3- Open original_fimware.rom with NiBiTor and just change: device id, sub vendor Id, subsystem Id and board id to match the original TX2 Bios

2n9gnih.png


4- reflash the newly edited BIOS: nvflash --index=0 -4 -5 -6 edited_firmware.rom

- Route 3

For the adventurous, get a good card with customs cooling and good memory chips and play with the clock values (don't touch timings!!) The original clocks are more than sufficient for the standard TX2 games thought

My experience with hardware is so far:

MSI GTO: Flashed according to route 2, it boots ok on a normal PC (as ELSA 7900GS), doesn't boot on the TTX2....

Asus 7900GS 256: No issue with route 1 or 2

Gainward 7900GT 256: No issue route 1 or 2

Gainward Bliss 7900GS 512MB: does not work for me with route 1, works with route 2, I played with route 3 and despite the oversized cooler, it doesn't overclock that much.. probably because of the RAM

XFX 7900GS 256 - Zalman Edition (Zalman fan, heatspreaders in memory chips) : My prefered option, works with route 1, route 2 and route 3. Is "silent", cool, overclocks like hell (good quality memory). These are my clocks with the XFX, the original 7900GS has 450 as Core and 660 (1320mhz DDR) as Memory-

2ihup1z.png


Note: If something goes wrong with the flash, don't panic you can reflash a bricked card, just boot with the card in a PC, use either a secondary PCI graphic card or set the integrated graphic card as "master" (you can change it inside the PC BIOS options), reflash the card with the original bios, and that's it (happened to me many times while playing) :)
 
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I added some screenshots to show the two tabs to be altered. The "Adv. Info" tab *must* be changed (or else the card will not be recognized as Elsa), the Clockrates tab is only for information, "use it at your own risk" :)
 
The one inside the USB image, in the first post from Niko, works for sure.
Thank you and Niko for creating the image. I was able to successfully flash the 7950 GT using the FreeDos boot image the nvflash found there in.

Now I need to find the short in my cabinet as I'm feeling a current when I touch the X2 when it's powered on! =O
 
I would recommend to increase the clock values in case you flash the 7950GT with the 7900GS BIOS (so that they match the stock 7950GT clocks). If you don't do that you will be running a 7950GT with underclocked clocks. Which is not necessarily bad, but not optimum.
 
I would recommend to increase the clock values in case you flash the 7950GT with the 7900GS BIOS (so that they match the stock 7950GT clocks). If you don't do that you will be running a 7950GT with underclocked clocks. Which is not necessarily bad, but not optimum.
Oh, thanks for the advice.
This can be done with nibitor, right?
 
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