Post Pics of your X8?0 Vmods

[Urlyin]

The Stilt ... cool ... I assume secret is the vdroop mod ... smokin oc

 

[Stilt]

The Stilt ... cool ... I assume secret is the vdroop mod ... smokin oc

Actually it isn´t
The power regulation of the card has completely been changed.
The card doesn´t any longer draw power from the motherboard, all power is supplied by the PCI-E power connector.

Also the gpu overvoltage protection (OVP) has been properly disabled, core transform voltages are fully adjustable, there is only a minor fluctuation in VGPU and VDDR voltages, etc...

Basically the trick is to enhance the cooling of power regulation cirquits and add few components to right places

These mods gained over 100MHz for the gpu and 40MHz for the memory.

 

[Urlyin]

Actually it isn´t
The power regulation of the card has completely been changed.
The card doesn´t any longer draw power from the motherboard, all power is supplied by the PCI-E power connector.

Also the gpu overvoltage protection (OVP) has been properly disabled, core transform voltages are fully adjustable, there is only a minor fluctuation in VGPU and VDDR voltages, etc...

Basically the trick is to enhance the cooling of power regulation cirquits and add few components to right places

These mods gained over 100MHz for the gpu and 40MHz for the memory.

Very nice Stilt .. slick place for the VRs right in a perfect spot ... where the heat sinks come from you used ?

 

[infrared]

What are the components you put the sinks on? I've been looking with curiosity at them on my card. Mosfets or something?

I'm conisidering volt modding my card soon, but first i need to find a decent cooler for it. I'm gonna do a simple pencil mod first though, so i can see if it's really worth putting a VR mod in place. Oh, and whats the best way of getting the graphite off if i get too much on the resistors?

Great work everyone in here!

 

[Stilt]

Very nice Stilt .. slick place for the VRs right in a perfect spot ... where the heat sinks come from you used ?

The heatsinks are the same that DFI uses in their NF4 Lanparty boards as mosfet coolers.
I got mine from the local electronic shop. They appear to be identical to the ones that DFI uses.

 

[Stilt]

What are the components you put the sinks on? I've been looking with curiosity at them on my card. Mosfets or something?

I'm conisidering volt modding my card soon, but first i need to find a decent cooler for it. I'm gonna do a simple pencil mod first though, so i can see if it's really worth putting a VR mod in place. Oh, and whats the best way of getting the graphite off if i get too much on the resistors?

Great work everyone in here!

The big heatsinks are for the power choke coils.
After the mods I measured 115c degree surface temperature with my Fluke IR thermometer, during 3DMark05 run. If I would have disabled the card capability to idle, they would probably have melted off without the heatsinks.

With the heatsinks and 40mm Sunon Maglev fan flowing on them, the coils stay at 50c (max) under the load. Thats a bit less than stock card with default cooling.

 

[infrared]

oh cool, not bad

how did you stick them on? Double-sided tape or thermal grease + a small dab of superglue in the corners?

 

[funkflix]

Actually it isn´t
The power regulation of the card has completely been changed.
The card doesn´t any longer draw power from the motherboard, all power is supplied by the PCI-E power connector.

Also the gpu overvoltage protection (OVP) has been properly disabled, core transform voltages are fully adjustable, there is only a minor fluctuation in VGPU and VDDR voltages, etc...

Basically the trick is to enhance the cooling of power regulation cirquits and add few components to right places

These mods gained over 100MHz for the gpu and 40MHz for the memory.

I wish u could tell me, what i have to mod, to do the same with my crappy card.. but don't think u wan't to tell me this, or?

If i know what parts i need and a little explanation, i will make it with my card!

Great work stilt!

 

[Urlyin]

Infrared ... use alcohol and a q-tip to remove the graphite .. check out the article here

 

[infrared]

thanks

 

[Stilt]

oh cool, not bad

how did you stick them on? Double-sided tape or thermal grease + a small dab of superglue in the corners?

I used Artic Silver thermal adhesive.
I haven´t used that old TIM + superglue trick since... err.. for a long time
Thermal adhesive allows the heatsink to get a better contact unlike when using superglue and TIM.
Syanoacrylate isn´t that good heatconductor

 

[Stilt]

I wish u could tell me, what i have to mod, to do the same with my crappy card.. but don't think u wan't to tell me this, or?

If i know what parts i need and a little explanation, i will make it with my card!

Great work stilt!

I would really like to share the information, but I don´t want to jeopardise my relationships with ATI. Sorry

 

[funkflix]

Ok, no problem.

 

[ViperJohn]

I used Artic Silver thermal adhesive.

Never use a Silver or metal bearing thermal adhesive or compound on memory chips. They are capacitive (not conductive) and if any squeeze out gets under a chip you can end up in the land of hurt real fast. Use only AS Alumina Thermal Epoxy or Alumina/Ceramique compounds.

Viper

 

[Stilt]

Never use a Silver or metal bearing thermal adhesive or compound on memory chips. They are capacitive (not conductive) and if any squeeze out gets under a chip you can end up in the land of hurt real fast. Use only AS Alumina Thermal Epoxy or Alumina/Ceramique compounds.

Viper

Viper:

I don´t use any heatsinks on the memory chips.
I know that even Arctic Silver claims that their "Silver" series products aren´t conductive, they actually are (a bit). These products can instantly kill the card if the stuff makes it way to those bga solderballs or legs of ic.

I only have heatsinks on the choke coils and gpu power cirquit components.
I also use a slice of tape to protect the legs of IC from getting shorted by the glue.
When the glue has settled, I can rip the tape off.

Thanks for the warning thou

- Roger

 

[ViperJohn]

Viper:

I don´t use any heatsinks on the memory chips.
I know that even Arctic Silver claims that their "Silver" series products aren´t conductive, they actually are (a bit). These products can instantly kill the card if the stuff makes it way to those bga solderballs or legs of ic.

I only have heatsinks on the choke coils and gpu power cirquit components.
I also use a slice of tape to protect the legs of IC from getting shorted by the glue.
When the glue has settled, I can rip the tape off.

Thanks for the warning thou

- Roger

Oh they are ever so slightly conductor but at the voltages we are talking about it is on the order of harmless stray leakage currents. They are capacitive though are that is what will screw the memory and cause the display to go corrupt if any get under the chips. The compounds are no problem as an Acetone spray cleaning will get wash the stuff out. If it is hardened epoxy you are hosed and are now the proud owner of an expensive paper weight.

A lot of prople over look those PS series inductors and they are usually the hottest running parts on the cards lol. While heatsinking the inductor itself doesn't do anything for it, it does keep a lot of the heat they produce from conducting through the PCB glass and heating everything else around them...like the closest memory chips.

Viper

 

[Stilt]

Just finished the mods of GTO² T.S.A Edition (prototype).
This card is supposed to be used by customers, so I made the mods little different this time.
I didn´t use a resistor for GPU mods, but I used VIDs instead. The voltage can be adjusted via jumpers so the customers do not necessarily need a multimeter. They just have to install the jumpers correctly and they will know exactly how much voltage is fed to gpu. The gpu voltage can be adjusted between 0.00V - 2.00V, but the warranty is voided if 1.65V exceeded

Since VDD & VDDQ voltage cannot be changed by VIDs I used variable resistors with safety features. The voltage can be adjusted up to 2.35V. There is another variable resistor added in cirquit (one for VDD & VDDQ) to make sure that the resistance doesn´t drop below certain point (that corresponds 2.35V).

I used some Microcool and Coolermaster heatsink for the power regulation components.
As usual, I attached them with Arctic Silver Adhesive.

For the gpu I added custom made 600g pure copper heatsink.
It can keep the gpu temperature under 50c in full load and 700MHz clocks.

I had to run some 3DMark05 with the last version of the "prototype" card.
The card is pretty much an average overclocker, but it is still doing pretty nice with quite weak fan. I selected 1.60V for the gpu, and 2.2V for the memory (VDD & VDDQ).
The memory will be doing much higher, once I install the heatsinks.

Sapphire X800GTO² T.S.A Edition: GPU 705MHz (1.60V), Memory 651MHz (2.2V).
Intel Pentium 4 670: 4505MHz (18x250) 1.38V
Asus P5WD2 Premium
Corsair 5400UL 1GB Kit: 375MHz 3-2-2-4-2 / 2.2V

http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dm05=1594260

 

[funkflix]

Damn... Nice work! I want such GPU-Clocks too..

 

[Stilt]

This is with 15c watercooling:

Compare


I still need those ramsinks
1.65V GPU, 2.25V VDD & VDDQ.

 

[funkflix]

1.65V ?! Don't understand this ..

 

[Stilt]

1.65V ?! Don't understand this ..

Which part you don´t understand?
TSMC 0.13µm low-k plants seem to have pretty good yields

 

[funkflix]

I do not understand, why my card clocks like crap..

Just ur results look a bit to low, don't know why.

Compared to ur 705/651MHz.

 

[infrared]

Luck... Remember, Stilt goes through litterally hundreds of cards looking for those 'gems,' which he then refines even further by volt-modding and putting some kick-ass cooling on it!

Basically, if you only pick up one card to buy, it could be a good one or a bad one, some cards barely overclock at all, and some will get up to some awsome clocks. Some handle the voltage well, where as some others (of the same batch) might not.

===========================
Stilt: Do you ship your cards to the UK? and how much!!!! please, i'm dying to know!
===========================

 

[funkflix]

Ok, now i got it.. it is a pretested card for reselling, cherry picked. Thougt it is just a general card, missed the text on first screenshot.

 

[infrared]

You got it! I think i need to get a computer shop and do the same thing!