Kepler VBIOS Tuner: How to Unlock and Customize Your NVIDIA Kepler Graphics Card
Kepler VBIOS Tuner: A Powerful Tool for NVIDIA Graphics Cards
If you are an owner of an NVIDIA GeForce graphics card based on the Kepler architecture, such as the GTX 600 or GTX 700 series, you might be interested in a software tool that can help you customize and optimize your card's performance and features. This tool is called Kepler VBIOS Tuner, and it is developed by Svet, a well-known member and administrator of the MSI Global English Forum. In this article, we will explain what Kepler VBIOS Tuner is, how to use it, and what are the benefits and risks of using it.
Kepler VBIOS Tuner
What is Kepler VBIOS Tuner?
Kepler VBIOS Tuner is a software tool that allows you to modify the VBIOS of your NVIDIA Kepler-based graphics card. But what is VBIOS, and what is Kepler?
What is VBIOS?
VBIOS stands for Video BIOS, which is a firmware that controls the basic functions and settings of your graphics card, such as clock speeds, voltages, fan speeds, power limits, etc. The VBIOS is stored in a chip on your graphics card, and it is loaded into memory when you boot up your computer. The VBIOS can be updated or flashed with a new version to fix bugs, improve compatibility, or add new features.
What is Kepler?
Kepler is the codename for the microarchitecture that powers the NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards of the GTX 600 and GTX 700 series, such as the GTX 690, GTX 680, GTX 670, GTX 660 Ti, GTX 660, GTX 780 Ti, GTX 780, GTX 770, and GTX 760. These cards were released between 2012 and 2014, and they offer high performance and efficiency for gaming and other applications. Kepler cards are based on a 28 nm process technology and use PCI Express 3.0 interface.
What can Kepler VBIOS Tuner do?
Kepler VBIOS Tuner can help you modify the parameters of your Kepler-based graphics card's VBIOS, such as:
Clocks: You can adjust the core clock, memory clock, and boost clock of your graphics card to increase its performance.
Voltages: You can adjust the core voltage, memory voltage, and boost voltage of your graphics card to increase its stability or lower its power consumption.
Boost Limits: You can adjust the boost limit of your graphics card to control how high it can boost its clock speed under load.
Fan Speeds: You can adjust the fan speed curve of your graphics card to control how fast and loud it spins under different temperatures.
Power Limit: You can adjust the power limit of your graphics card to control how much power it can draw from your power supply.
By modifying these parameters, you can customize your graphics card's performance and features according to your needs and preferences.
How to use Kepler VBIOS Tuner?
To use Kepler VBIOS Tuner, you need to download and install it on your computer, backup and flash your VBIOS with it, and modify your VBIOS parameters with it. Here are the steps:
How to download and install Kepler VBIOS Tuner?
You can download Kepler VBIOS Tuner from this link: https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?threads/svets-fermi-kepler-vbios-ec-fw-tuner-ver-3-26u.148273/
You need to register an account on the MSI Global English Forum to access the download link. After downloading the zip file, extract it to a folder on your computer. You will see two files: Svet's Fermi/Kepler vBios/ec tuner.exe and Svet's Fermi/Kepler vBios/ec tuner.ini. These are the executable file and the configuration file of Kepler VBIOS Tuner.
To install Kepler VBIOS Tuner, you need to run the executable file as an administrator. To do this, right-click on the file and select Run as administrator. You will see a window like this:
![Kepler VBIOS Tuner window](https://i.imgur.com/6lXa9fR.png) This is the main window of Kepler VBIOS Tuner. Here you can select your graphics card model from the drop-down menu at the top left corner. You can also see some information about your current VBIOS version at the bottom left corner.
How to backup and flash your VBIOS with Kepler VBIOS Tuner?
Before you start modifying your VBIOS parameters with Kepler VBIOS Tuner, you need to backup your original VBIOS file in case something goes wrong. To backup your VBIOS with Kepler VBIOS Tuner, follow these steps:
Close all applications that are currently running on your computer, especially any antivirus scanners or other resident scanners.
In the main window of Kepler VBIOS Tuner, click on VGA Tools.
Select NVFlash Tool.
A command prompt window will open. Type -b org.rom and press Enter.
This will create a backup file of your original VBIOS named org.rom in the same folder where you installed Kepler VBIOS Tuner.
You can close the command prompt window after seeing a message that says The display may go *BLANK* on and off for up to 10 seconds during access to ...
To flash your modified VBIOS with Kepler VBIOS Tuner, follow these steps:
In the main window of Kepler VBIOS Tuner, click on VGA Tools.
Select NVFlash Tool.
A command prompt window will open. Type -4 -5 -6 mod.rom and press Enter.
This will flash your modified VBIOS file named mod.rom in the same folder where you installed Kepler VBIOS Tuner.
You will see some messages that ask you to confirm if you want to continue flashing. Type y and press Enter for each message.
You will see a message that says The display may go *BLANK* on and off for up to 10 seconds during access ...
You will see another message that says Your display adapter has been updated successfully!
You can close the command prompt window after seeing this message.
You need to reboot your computer for the changes to take effect.
How to modify your VBIOS parameters with Kepler VBIOS Tuner?
To modify your VBIOS parameters with Kepler VBIOS Tuner, follow these steps:
In the main window of Kepler VBIOS Tuner, click on VGA Tools.
Select VGA BIOS Editor.
A new window will open. Here you can see some tabs that correspond to different parameters that you can modify.
Select a tab that you want to modify.
For example, if you want to adjust the clocks of your graphics card, select the Clock Tune tab. You will see a window like this:
![Clock Tune window](https://i.imgur.com/4yYwL2N.png)
Here you can enter the desired core clock, memory clock, and boost clock for your graphics card. The tuner will automatically calculate the necessary changes for you. You can also see the current and modified values in the table below.
Click on Apply to save your changes.
Repeat steps 4-6 for other parameters that you want to modify, such as voltages, boost limits, fan speeds, and power limit.
When you are done modifying your VBIOS parameters, click on Save to save your modified VBIOS file as mod.rom in the same folder where you installed Kepler VBIOS Tuner.
Flash your modified VBIOS file with Kepler VBIOS Tuner as explained in the previous section.
What are the benefits and risks of using Kepler VBIOS Tuner?
Using Kepler VBIOS Tuner can have some benefits and risks for your graphics card. Here are some of them:
What are the advantages of using Kepler VBIOS Tuner?
Some of the advantages of using Kepler VBIOS Tuner are:
You can unlock the software overclocking limits of your graphics card and achieve higher performance than possible with tools like Nvidia Inspector.
You can customize your graphics card's performance and features according to your needs and preferences.
You can optimize your graphics card's efficiency and reduce its power consumption and heat output by lowering its voltages and clocks.
You can improve your graphics card's stability and compatibility by updating or fixing its VBIOS.
What are the disadvantages and dangers of using Kepler VBIOS Tuner?
Some of the disadvantages and dangers of using Kepler VBIOS Tuner are:
You can damage or brick your graphics card if you flash a wrong or corrupted VBIOS file.
You can reduce your graphics card's lifespan or cause it to malfunction if you overvolt or overclock it too much.
You can void your graphics card's warranty or violate its terms of service if you modify its VBIOS.
You can encounter some issues or errors with some games or applications if you modify your graphics card's VBIOS.
How to avoid or recover from a bad flash with Kepler VBIOS Tuner?
To avoid or recover from a bad flash with Kepler VBIOS Tuner, follow these tips:
Always make a backup of your original VBIOS file before flashing a modified one.
Always verify that your modified VBIOS file is healthy and compatible with your graphics card model before flashing it.
Always close all applications that are running on your computer before flashing your VBIOS.
If something goes wrong during the flashing process, such as a power loss, a PC crash, or a reboot, do not panic. You can try to perform a VBIOS recovery by using a bootable USB drive with nvflash and your backup VBIOS file. You can find more details on how to do this here: https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/how-to-recover-from-a-bad-video-bios-flash.57750/
Conclusion
In conclusion, Kepler VBIOS Tuner is a powerful tool for NVIDIA graphics cards based on the Kepler architecture. It can help you modify the parameters of your graphics card's VBIOS, such as clocks, voltages, boost limits, fan speeds, and power limit. By doing so, you can customize and optimize your graphics card's performance and features according to your needs and preferences. However, using Kepler VBIOS Tuner also involves some risks and responsibilities. You need to be careful and cautious when flashing and modifying your VBIOS, as you can damage or brick your graphics card if you do it wrong. You also need to be aware of the possible consequences of modifying your VBIOS, such as voiding your warranty, violating the terms of service, or encountering some issues or errors with some games or applications. Therefore, use Kepler VBIOS Tuner at your own risk and discretion.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about Kepler VBIOS Tuner:
Where can I download Kepler VBIOS Tuner?
You can download Kepler VBIOS Tuner from this link: https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?threads/svets-fermi-kepler-vbios-ec-fw-tuner-ver-3-26u.148273/
Which graphics cards are compatible with Kepler VBIOS Tuner?
Kepler VBIOS Tuner is compatible with NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards based on the Kepler architecture, such as the GTX 600 and GTX 700 series.
How do I know which version of Kepler VBIOS Tuner is suited for my system?
You need to select your graphics card model from the drop-down menu in the main window of Kepler VBIOS Tuner. The tuner will automatically detect and load the appropriate version for your system.
How do I check my current VBIOS version and parameters?
You can check your current VBIOS version and parameters by clicking on VGA Tools, then VGA BIOS Editor, then VGA BIOS-Z Report. This will show you a report with all the information about your current VBIOS.
How do I modify my VBIOS parameters with Kepler VBIOS Tuner?
You can modify your VBIOS parameters with Kepler VBIOS Tuner by clicking on VGA Tools, then VGA BIOS Editor, then selecting a tab that corresponds to the parameter that you want to modify, such as Clock Tune, Voltage Tune, Boost Limit Tune, Fan Tune, or Power Limit Tune. You can enter the desired values for each parameter and click on Apply to save your changes. You can also click on Save to save your modified VBIOS file as mod.rom.
How do I check my VBIOS health with Kepler VBIOS Tuner?
You can check your VBIOS health with Kepler VBIOS Tuner by clicking on VGA Tools, then VGA BIOS Editor, then VBIOS-Z Report. This will show you a report with all the information about your current or modified VBIOS, along with a healthy status of [OK] or [Not OK]. You can also compare your current or modified VBIOS with your original or backup VBIOS by clicking on VGA Tools, then VGA BIOS Compare. This will show you a comparison table with the differences between the two VBIOS files.
How do I flash my modified VBIOS with Kepler VBIOS Tuner?
You can flash your modified VBIOS with Kepler VBIOS Tuner by clicking on VGA Tools, then NVFlash Tool. A command prompt window will open. Type -4 -5 -6 mod.rom and press Enter. This will flash your modified VBIOS file named mod.rom in the same folder where you installed Kepler VBIOS Tuner. You will need to confirm the flashing process by typing y and pressing Enter for each message. You will need to reboot your computer for the changes to take effect.
How do I recover from a bad flash with Kepler VBIOS Tuner?
If you encounter a bad flash with Kepler VBIOS Tuner, such as a power loss, a PC crash, or a reboot during the flashing process, do not panic. You can try to perform a VBIOS recovery by using a bootable USB drive with nvflash and your backup VBIOS file. You can find more details on how to do this here: https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/how-to-recover-from-a-bad-video-bios-flash.57750/
I hope this article has been helpful and informative for you. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below. Thank you for reading.