Monday, March 8th 2021

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Memory-Modded with 16GB

PC enthusiast and overclocker VIK-on pulled off a daring memory chip mod on his Palit GeForce RTX 3070 GamingPro OC graphics card, swapping its 8 GB of 14 Gbps GDDR6 memory with 16 GB of it, using eight replacement 16 Gbit chips. The modded card is able to recognize the 16 GB of memory, is able to utilize it like other 16 GB graphics cards (such as the Radeon RX 6800), and is fairly stable with benchmarks and stress tests, although not initially stable. It did spring up some black-screens. VIK-on later discovered that locking the clock-speeds using EVGA Precision-X stabilizes the card, so it performs as expected.

The mod involves a physical replacement of the card's stock 8 Gbit memory chips with 16 Gbit ones; and shorting certain straps on the PCB that let it recognize the desired memory chip brand and density. After the mod, the GeForce driver and GPU-Z are able to read 16 GB of video memory, and the card is able to handle stress tests such as FurMark. The card was initially underperforming in 3DMark, putting out a TimeSpy score of just 8356 points; but following the clock-speed lock fix, is able to score around 13000 points. The video presentation can be watched from the source link below. Kudos to VIK-on!
Sources: VideoCardz, VIK-on (YouTube)
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41 Comments on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Memory-Modded with 16GB

#1
Dristun
Probably more memory than the actual Ti/Super model will get :laugh:
Posted on Reply
#2
Ruru
S.T.A.R.S.
I always like when I see modifications like this. Weird how back in the day 780 Ti wasn't modified to a 6GB model, unless it was somehow blocked.
Posted on Reply
#3
qubit
Overclocked quantum bit
That's hardcore enthusiast. :cool: Someone's not afraid to take risks of destroying his card. I wonder how he figured out what straps to modify.
Posted on Reply
#4
silentbogo
Subbed to that dude awhile ago, ever since our local CORE lab stopped posting content.
Though, you've got it a bit backwards.
The card is 100% stable under load even without Precision X1 locking. The issue is that at the end of the test, instead of going into a low-power mode it tries to boost even further. Same crap as on Turing.
Posted on Reply
#5
FreedomEclipse
~Technological Technocrat~
Chloe PriceI always like when I see modifications like this. Weird how back in the day 780 Ti wasn't modified to a 6GB model, unless it was somehow blocked.
780 Ti did have a 6GB model. No modification needed

As for the 3070 modification. This may have come about as 14 and 16GB cards were originally planned by Nvidia before they changed their mind and killed them off. Thus the code still exists for those variants in the bios
Posted on Reply
#6
Ruru
S.T.A.R.S.
FreedomEclipse780 Ti did have a 6GB model. No modification needed

As for the 3070 modification. This may have come about as 14 and 16GB cards were originally planned by Nvidia before they changed their mind and killed them off. Thus the code still exists for those variants in the bios
Read further there, "The GeForce GTX 780 Ti 6 GB was a graphics card by NVIDIA, that was never released."
Posted on Reply
#7
Durvelle27
Now this is my type of techy. Man that is really interesting and scary at the same time.

It makes you think of what could have been possible
Posted on Reply
#8
Ruru
S.T.A.R.S.
Durvelle27Now this is my type of techy. Man that is really interesting and scary at the same time.

It makes you think of what could have been possible
Wasn't there a thing not that long ago that someone swapped faster memory chips to a RTX card?
Posted on Reply
#10
billEST
i use to go to my computer shop : give me 1 pound of DDR6 memory plz
Posted on Reply
#11
mechtech
wow, pretty ballsy stuff right there

well done
Posted on Reply
#12
Aht0s
That's pretty neat.
I wonder what NVidia thinks of the achievement.
Posted on Reply
#13
Unregistered
My dream right here. My 2055 MHz 3070 handles everything I throw at it but man do I hate the amount of VRAM on it.
#14
FreedomEclipse
~Technological Technocrat~
Chloe PriceRead further there, "The GeForce GTX 780 Ti 6 GB was a graphics card by NVIDIA, that was never released."

Well Zotac sure released one
.

Maybe other partner's did too
Posted on Reply
#15
Ruru
S.T.A.R.S.
FreedomEclipseWell Zotac sure released one.

Maybe other partner's did too
Even googling "zotac 780 ti 6gb" doesn't result to any reviews or anything. Might as well be a typo on that product page as it simply wasn't a released card. Maybe a prototype/ES exists, dunno. A non-Ti 6GB variant though does exists, wonder could it be modified using a Ti chip..
Posted on Reply
#16
r9
So this is what e-Penis enlargement surgery looks like.
Posted on Reply
#17
delshay
qubitThat's hardcore enthusiast. :cool: Someone's not afraid to take risks of destroying his card. I wonder how he figured out what straps to modify.
Documentation leak probably from a board partner.
Posted on Reply
#18
TheUnbrained
well, to the 780ti 6gb topic... tbh the titan black isnt rly more than a 780ti with 6gig

change my mind lul xD
Posted on Reply
#19
Toothless
Tech, Games, and TPU!
TheUnbrainedwell, to the 780ti 6gb topic... tbh the titan black isnt rly more than a 780ti with 6gig

change my mind lul xD
You mean, Titan. Black wasn't til later.
Posted on Reply
#20
Ruru
S.T.A.R.S.
TheUnbrainedwell, to the 780ti 6gb topic... tbh the titan black isnt rly more than a 780ti with 6gig

change my mind lul xD
Yep, but that is still a Titan where the full memory amount has always been a thing.

Some crazy dude also put faster chips on a 2080 Ti in 2019: www.techpowerup.com/261565/memory-chip-swap-mod-supercharges-an-rtx-2080-ti

Love to see that things like this are still done today.
Posted on Reply
#21
TheUnbrained
ToothlessYou mean, Titan. Black wasn't til later.
meant titan black but yeah it was after the 780ti
Chloe PriceYep, but that is still a Titan where the full memory amount has always been a thing.

Some crazy dude also put faster chips on a 2080 Ti in 2019: www.techpowerup.com/261565/memory-chip-swap-mod-supercharges-an-rtx-2080-ti

Love to see that things like this are still done today.
true dat

the rtx2070 mod isnt uninteresting too (wasnt it vik-on too?)
Posted on Reply
#22
Toothless
Tech, Games, and TPU!
TheUnbrainedmeant titan black but yeah it was after the 780ti

true dat

the rtx2070 mod isnt uninteresting too (wasnt it vik-on too?)
Literally post 10 has the direct link for who does that.
Posted on Reply
#23
TheUnbrained
ToothlessLiterally post 10 has the direct link for who does that.
yeah my name fits right...
Posted on Reply
#25
cst1992
I hope a board partner honors this guy like EVGA did for Kingpin and released the Kingpin Edition.
Posted on Reply
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