On paper, unlocking the AMD Radeon RX 460 appears to be a simple affair. You only need to update the firmware and you should get as much as 10 percent performance boost.
If you are an expert, the process would be basic but if you are not, any modification to your graphics processing unit should be approached with auction. A mistake could lead to irreparable damage, so you will have to proceed at your own risk and we are not responsible if you wreck your GPU.
Unlocking The GPU
GPU manufacturers like Nvidia and AMD sometimes create a chip that can be modded so that it assumes a different class of card. The Radeon RX 460 is an example of such GPU.
It ships with 56 TMU and 896 Stream Processors but unlocking or modding it could gain you an additional 8 TMUs and 128 Stream Processors. These are currently present in the GPU but they are not enabled. Successful modification can also unleash 64 texture mapping units from the 56 that came as a default.
This guide follows the steps posted by user der8auer at Overclocking Guide.
First, download the BIOS package and unzip it accordingly.
The next step is absolutely important: backup the original BIOS file. You can do this if you want to revert back to the original GPU state or if something goes wrong in your update process.
Finally, run the flash unlocked bios.bat file. The process will only take about 15 seconds and you can say hello to a much improved Radeon RX 460. der8auer has conducted several benchmark tests for his GPU post update using 3DMark Fire Strike and The Witcher 3 and the device clocked in extra 5 to 10 percent uptick in performance.
If you have difficulty following the steps, you can check the following video.
What Could Go Wrong?
Again, the flashing process does not guarantee success. This could be due to mistakes in the procedure. Also, this can be attributed to the nature of your GPU itself.
Manufacturers lock key components and features from the GPU for a reason. There is, for example the fact that the company is selling to a market segment for a lower price. It could lock the GPU cores just so it hits specific market positions. Secondly, manufacturers lock the chip because it has been repaired and the manufacturer is selling it as a new one. In the first condition, flashing will most likely be successful. The second case is a bit spottier. Here, the update could successfully unlock the GPU but there is the huge possibility that it will fail to render.
Finally, it is best not to expect too much from the modification. The RX 460 itself has several limitations especially in terms of its render outputs. It only has 16 ROPS, half of the Nvidia GTX 1050 output.
