The process is made possible by the shared GPU architecture and specifications of the RX 480 and RX 580 cards.<\/p>\n
The Radeon RX 580 is built on the same Polaris architecture and manufactured on the same 14nm process node as the RX 480, and was released less than a year after its predecessor\u2019s launch.<\/p>\n
Both the RX 480 and RX 580 feature 8GB of GDDR5 memory, 2,304 stream processors, and 256GB\/s of memory bandwidth.<\/p>\n
The only notable difference between the cards is the increased clock speed and power consumption of the RX 580.<\/p>\n
Flashing the BIOS<\/h3>\n
Flashing a graphics card BIOS is a risky process that can potentially brick your hardware.<\/p>\n
We do not recommend that any RX 480 owners attempt to flash their BIOS unless:<\/p>\n
- \n
- They fully understand the risk to their hardware.<\/li>\n
- Are \u201ctech-savvy\u201d users who have a strong knowledge of PC hardware.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The TechPowerUp forum user<\/a><\/strong> who discovered the ability to flash the RX 580 BIOS onto their RX 480 has a hardware BIOS switch on their board \u2013 allowing them to revert to the RX 480 BIOS in the event of a failed flash.<\/p>\n
Before attempting to flash the BIOS of any graphics card, it is recommended that you use GPU-Z<\/strong><\/a> to make a backup of your graphics card\u2019s current BIOS.<\/p>\n
When attempting to flash a new BIOS to your GPU, it is important to remember the following:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Ensure your GPU is not overclocked.<\/li>\n
- If possible, disconnect all other graphics cards before flashing your GPU.<\/li>\n
- Make a backup of your old BIOS.<\/li>\n
- Flashing can result in a permanently-damaged graphics card.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The next step is to select a new BIOS to flash to your GPU.<\/p>\n
In the case of the RX 480, users have succeeded in using the BIOS for a Sapphire Radeon RX 580 8GB<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n
RX 480 owners can use the ATIFlash Tool<\/a><\/strong> to flash the BIOS of the RX 580 to their older card.<\/p>\n
After \u201cupgrading\u201d their graphics cards, users have reported performance gains due to the higher clock speed. Their cards also consume more power and emit more heat.<\/p>\n
![\"Radeon](\"http:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Radeon-RX-480-PCB.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThe Risks<\/h3>\n
The risks associated with flashing a new BIOS are not limited to bricking your GPU.<\/p>\n
Even if the BIOS flash is successful, the increased power draw and clock speed may prove too much for your RX 480 and cause damage to the hardware.<\/p>\n
This could occur if your PCB or GPU chip is not designed to handle the increased power draw specified in the RX 580 BIOS.<\/p>\n
If the flash is successful, it is important to compensate for the additional heat output\u00a0caused by increased clock speeds.<\/p>\n
The best option for attempting this upgrade is to use a card with a built-in BIOS switch, in case the new BIOS is not compatible with your hardware.<\/p>\n
While the RX 580 \u201cupgrade\u201d is impressive, the potential performance gains \u2013 which are\u00a0slight \u2013 are\u00a0arguably not worth the risk of damaging your card.<\/p>\n
Users with little experience or who are uncertain about the risks should not attempt this BIOS flashing trick.<\/p>\n
This article first appeared on MyBroadband<\/a><\/strong> and is republished with permission.<\/em><\/p>\n
Now read:\u00a0Biostar unveils world\u2019s first mini-ITX Ryzen motherboards<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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