Much thanks to Naennon and JoeDirt for making this all possible with Maxwell Bios Tweaker and the patched version of nvflash!
JoeDirt's Thread for updated NVFLASH and MBT
AIR, and H2O BIOS Release!
As always, FLASH AT YOUR OWN RISK!
Before you begin
My BIOS's are not magic, if your GPU has limits placed on it by the VRM, we can't get past those yet.
Likewise if you have a low ASIC, your card won't suddenly start performing like a high ASIC card. Generally the gains are between 2 and 4 bins.
I've put the changelogs in each zip. Simply follow the changelog to turn any existing BIOS into NOLIMITS or GameStable.
You'll need to copy the voltage table from one of the existing BIOS's. I'm too lazy to type out all 78 changes.
In each download you'll find:
1. AIR or H2O bios.
2. JoeDirts's 5.206 NVFLASH.
3. Maxwell II BIOS Tweaker v 1.36.
4. The original BIOS used for modification.
H2O BIOS for Reference GTX 980(Nolimits replacement)
EVGA.GTX980SCACX.04G-P4-2983-KR.84.04.31.00.83-H2Ov2.zip 2006k .zip file
Air BIOS for Reference GTX 980(GameStable replacement)
GM204-REFERENCE-EVGA980SCACX20-AIR-31-83.zip 1129k .zip file
Blower version:
EVGA.GTX980SCACX.04G-P4-2983-KR.84.04.31.00.83-AIRv2.zip 2006k .zip file
Air BIOS for EVGA GTX 970's
EVGA.GTX970SSCACX.04G-P4-3975-KR.84.04.36.00.70-AIR.zip 2006k .zip file
EVGA.GTX970FTW.04G-P4-2978-KR.84.04.36.00.71-AIR.zip 2006k .zip file
JoeDirt AMP Omega Extreme GTX 970 BIOS
JoeDirt-ZotacAmpOmega-Extreme-970.zip 136k .zip file
JoeDirt EVGA Classified 980 2F.00.80 BIOS
JoeDirtEVGAClassified980.zip 136k .zip file
1. Extract your own card's bios using nvflash or GPUz.
2. Open the AIR or H2O bios side by side in MBT with your existing bios.
3. Copy all tabs.
4. Flash your card.
Usage Notes/Benching Tips
1. For NOLIMITS bios, set "Power management mode" in the NVCP to "Prefer maximum performance".
2. Although the power limits are increased, the sliders still go to 125%. This is because the default power was also increased.
3. The BIOS still scales to low voltage/clockspeeds when idling, and does not implement the P00,P02 workaround, it actually does voltage scaling correctly.
4. If benching, be sure to set Preferred refresh rate to "Application-Controlled".
5. If benching, remember to set Vertical sync to OFF. Leaving G-SYNC enabled, for example, causes a severe drop in bench scores.
6. There is strong evidence that afterburner may be incorrectly showing 1.275v. Several people, including myself, have measured the actual voltage from the back of the card to be at ~1.31-1.32v.
7. Gamestable final tested for 10 hours by playing borderlands TPS WHILE encoding x264 at the same time using OPENCL extensions.
8. NOLIMITS bios tested bench stable 3dmark firestrike ultra.
9. These BIOS's were tested on 980 SLI 70.5% ASIC and 64% ASIC quality.
NCP81174 VRM datasheet: http://www.onsemi.com/pub/Collateral/NCP81174-D.PDF
It does not appear to be programmable, it doesn't support I2C. That would explain why Kingpin went to a hardmod in order to exceed 1.3v and disable OVP/OCP.
Some of you noticed the Reference cards are getting updates before everything else. Naturally the card I own will get updates before anything else.
Obviously, the only BIOS i've actually tested is the EVGA/Reference BIOS. The previous NOLIMITS bios did not feature changes to the voltage tables, so again...
Flash at your own risk!
Still with me? Then, GO NUTS!
Flash guide:
1. Unpack both zips to the same folder.
2. Right click "Computer" and to go Manage. Computer Manager opens.
3. Click Device Manager
4. Expand Display Adapters
5. Right click your GTX980/970 and Disable it(all of them if you have more than one).
6. Start -> run -> cmd (must be administrative, or you must have UAC disabled)
7. Navigate to your nvflash folder: cd\folder\path\here\
8. If you are flashing a BIOS intended for your card, simply type:
nvflash BIOSNAME.rom
9. If you need a PCI DeviceID Override, add -6 after nvflash and before your filename.
nvflash -6 BIOSNAME.rom
If you have more than one card and want to flash a specific one:
nvflash --list
Look at the index number (0, 1, 2, 3) and then
nvflash -6 --index <#> BIOSNAME.rom
Images here (Posted by DBEAU 10/22/2014): http://www.overclock.net/t/1517316/extract-and-flash-gtx-970-and-980-firmware-nolimits-and-gamestable/100_50#post_23040140
Power Table Information Posted 10/23/2014
http://www.overclock.net/t/1517316/extract-and-flash-gtx-970-and-980-firmware-nolimits-and-gamestable/150_50#post_23042849
Clock State Information Posted 10/24/2014
http://www.overclock.net/t/1517316/extract-and-flash-gtx-970-and-980-firmware-nolimits-and-gamestable/250_50#post_23049300
Why Disabling Boost is totally unnecessary
JoeDirt's Thread for updated NVFLASH and MBT
As always, FLASH AT YOUR OWN RISK!
Before you begin
My BIOS's are not magic, if your GPU has limits placed on it by the VRM, we can't get past those yet.
Likewise if you have a low ASIC, your card won't suddenly start performing like a high ASIC card. Generally the gains are between 2 and 4 bins.
I've put the changelogs in each zip. Simply follow the changelog to turn any existing BIOS into NOLIMITS or GameStable.
You'll need to copy the voltage table from one of the existing BIOS's. I'm too lazy to type out all 78 changes.
In each download you'll find:
1. AIR or H2O bios.
2. JoeDirts's 5.206 NVFLASH.
3. Maxwell II BIOS Tweaker v 1.36.
4. The original BIOS used for modification.
H2O BIOS for Reference GTX 980(Nolimits replacement)
EVGA.GTX980SCACX.04G-P4-2983-KR.84.04.31.00.83-H2Ov2.zip 2006k .zip file
Air BIOS for Reference GTX 980(GameStable replacement)
GM204-REFERENCE-EVGA980SCACX20-AIR-31-83.zip 1129k .zip file
Blower version:
EVGA.GTX980SCACX.04G-P4-2983-KR.84.04.31.00.83-AIRv2.zip 2006k .zip file
Air BIOS for EVGA GTX 970's
EVGA.GTX970SSCACX.04G-P4-3975-KR.84.04.36.00.70-AIR.zip 2006k .zip file
EVGA.GTX970FTW.04G-P4-2978-KR.84.04.36.00.71-AIR.zip 2006k .zip file
JoeDirt AMP Omega Extreme GTX 970 BIOS
JoeDirt-ZotacAmpOmega-Extreme-970.zip 136k .zip file
JoeDirt EVGA Classified 980 2F.00.80 BIOS
JoeDirtEVGAClassified980.zip 136k .zip file
1. Extract your own card's bios using nvflash or GPUz.
2. Open the AIR or H2O bios side by side in MBT with your existing bios.
3. Copy all tabs.
4. Flash your card.
Usage Notes/Benching Tips
1. For NOLIMITS bios, set "Power management mode" in the NVCP to "Prefer maximum performance".
2. Although the power limits are increased, the sliders still go to 125%. This is because the default power was also increased.
3. The BIOS still scales to low voltage/clockspeeds when idling, and does not implement the P00,P02 workaround, it actually does voltage scaling correctly.
4. If benching, be sure to set Preferred refresh rate to "Application-Controlled".
5. If benching, remember to set Vertical sync to OFF. Leaving G-SYNC enabled, for example, causes a severe drop in bench scores.
6. There is strong evidence that afterburner may be incorrectly showing 1.275v. Several people, including myself, have measured the actual voltage from the back of the card to be at ~1.31-1.32v.
7. Gamestable final tested for 10 hours by playing borderlands TPS WHILE encoding x264 at the same time using OPENCL extensions.
8. NOLIMITS bios tested bench stable 3dmark firestrike ultra.
9. These BIOS's were tested on 980 SLI 70.5% ASIC and 64% ASIC quality.
NCP81174 VRM datasheet: http://www.onsemi.com/pub/Collateral/NCP81174-D.PDF
It does not appear to be programmable, it doesn't support I2C. That would explain why Kingpin went to a hardmod in order to exceed 1.3v and disable OVP/OCP.
Some of you noticed the Reference cards are getting updates before everything else. Naturally the card I own will get updates before anything else.
Obviously, the only BIOS i've actually tested is the EVGA/Reference BIOS. The previous NOLIMITS bios did not feature changes to the voltage tables, so again...
Flash at your own risk!
Still with me? Then, GO NUTS!
Flash guide:
1. Unpack both zips to the same folder.
2. Right click "Computer" and to go Manage. Computer Manager opens.
3. Click Device Manager
4. Expand Display Adapters
5. Right click your GTX980/970 and Disable it(all of them if you have more than one).
6. Start -> run -> cmd (must be administrative, or you must have UAC disabled)
7. Navigate to your nvflash folder: cd\folder\path\here\
8. If you are flashing a BIOS intended for your card, simply type:
nvflash BIOSNAME.rom
9. If you need a PCI DeviceID Override, add -6 after nvflash and before your filename.
nvflash -6 BIOSNAME.rom
If you have more than one card and want to flash a specific one:
nvflash --list
Look at the index number (0, 1, 2, 3) and then
nvflash -6 --index <#> BIOSNAME.rom
Images here (Posted by DBEAU 10/22/2014): http://www.overclock.net/t/1517316/extract-and-flash-gtx-970-and-980-firmware-nolimits-and-gamestable/100_50#post_23040140
Power Table Information Posted 10/23/2014
http://www.overclock.net/t/1517316/extract-and-flash-gtx-970-and-980-firmware-nolimits-and-gamestable/150_50#post_23042849
Clock State Information Posted 10/24/2014
http://www.overclock.net/t/1517316/extract-and-flash-gtx-970-and-980-firmware-nolimits-and-gamestable/250_50#post_23049300
Why Disabling Boost is totally unnecessary