How-to: Pencil mod your HD 3870!

DanishDevil · May 19, 2008

Well that was temporarily benching to make sure I wasn't trading away the better E8500 :roll:

SuperPi attached. How I want to break 10s... :banghead:

Wile E · May 19, 2008

DanishDevil said:
Well that was temporarily benching to make sure I wasn't trading away the better E8500

SuperPi attached. How I want to break 10s...

Moar voltage!!!!!!!

DanishDevil · May 19, 2008

I know. I tried once with my old chip all the way up to 1.61V after vdroop and the chip did NOT like it even though temps never got over 54C. Hopefully this one likes the juice

Wile E · May 19, 2008

Mine doesn't, but I don't care, so I make it run. lol.

philbrown23 · May 29, 2008

ok so can both mods be used at the same time? like the blue pencil and the yellow pencil? would it yeild better results?

Random Murderer · May 29, 2008

philbrown23 said:
ok so can both mods be used at the same time? like the blue pencil and the yellow pencil? would it yeild better results?

yes, but if it can be avoided, don't use both.
since the second mod lowers resistance so easily, you can use that one if you want "extreme" voltage, but used in conjunction with the other one, the over current protection and over voltage protection will kick in.
there is a way around this, but it requires removing parts from the pcb.

theorw · May 29, 2008

Hi!I am new here...Anyway, i had a powercolor 3870 that i had voltmoded with 2nd mod and i had achieved 935-1251 for 24/7.Unfortunatelly, i gave it to a friend for some days and the card died...
The shop i bought it replaced it with sapphire 3870 toxic.I was wondering if someone has voltmoded the toxic version cos the blue pcb is different than the red one.(even from the atomic who also has the red)
So has anyone done that???

Random Murderer · May 29, 2008

theorw said:
Hi!I am new here...Anyway, i had a powercolor 3870 that i had voltmoded with 2nd mod and i had achieved 935-1251 for 24/7.Unfortunatelly, i gave it to a friend for some days and the card died...
The shop i bought it replaced it with sapphire 3870 toxic.I was wondering if someone has voltmoded the toxic version cos the blue pcb is different than the red one.(even from the atomic who also has the red)
So has anyone done that???

welcome!

to answer your question, no, not that i've heard. if you can get some clear pics of both sides of the card, i'll see what i can do. since sapphire is not known to use proprietary parts(like asus) i should be able to figure something out for you :toast:

theorw · May 29, 2008

Ok really thanks man.I am waiting to call me for recieving the card today or tommorow so with the help of my cybershot ill post u the pics.Cooler removed of course right?

Random Murderer · May 29, 2008

yes. most likely after the first few shots, i will ask for a zoomed in shot of a few specific parts of the card.

theorw · May 29, 2008

Ok dont worry my camera has GREAT micro capabilities!!I am disappointed though...Only 2 phase power while the reference pcb has 4!!!What were they thinking?That we would overclock???!!!
Anyway crapy pcb but i hope u find the voltmod!
as soon as i get the card i ll post the pics and anything u need.

DanishDevil · May 29, 2008

Just checking in with a quick question - 3870x2 is hard mod only, correct? I snagged a Sapphire with an EK Full Cover Block off [H] for a steal

Random Murderer · May 29, 2008

DanishDevil said:
Just checking in with a quick question - 3870x2 is hard mod only, correct? I snagged a Sapphire with an EK Full Cover Block off [H] for a steal

afaik it's hard mod only.

DavyGT · Jun 17, 2008

I'd like to ask a question. How much faster are the overclocked cards then the stock cards in real games? Say compare between stock 3870 and 1ghz OC. Would it make a big difference, or are we talking 2-5 more frames?
I'm not doubting the pencil mod, just questoning whether the gains are worth the trouble. Or is it exclusively for bragging rights?

Viilutaja · Jun 17, 2008

I would say, that in Crysis , U get @ least 8-10 fps more compared 1GHZ vs Stock.

Random Murderer · Jun 17, 2008

DavyGT said:
I'd like to ask a question. How much faster are the overclocked cards then the stock cards in real games? Say compare between stock 3870 and 1ghz OC. Would it make a big difference, or are we talking 2-5 more frames?
I'm not doubting the pencil mod, just questoning whether the gains are worth the trouble. Or is it exclusively for bragging rights?

it actually helps dramatically with gaming. i don't have an exact figure, but i'd guess that it's about 10-15 fps gain, depending on your resolution.

DavyGT · Jun 19, 2008

I'm seeing alot of artifacts after the volt mod. I didn't file down the resistor as there was no need to. I removed it now and changed coolers. I'll try a BIOS flash if these artifacts keep occuring. Not looking good for the Radeon... (RMA)

DanishDevil · Jun 19, 2008

Don't RMA it so fast. Take the cooler and all the stickers off (take pictures of where the stickers go so you can put them back for RMA if needed) and get a bottle of 70% or higher concentration of isopropyl alcohol (if you don't have any, head to your local pharmacy) and some cotton balls. Give the entire card an alcohol rub-down, while being careful to watch components like resistors and capacitors (don't break them off). Just dabbing them with the alcohol-soaked cotton swab is enough. Then dab it dry with more swabs, and let it air-dry for about an hour (alcohol evaporates much faster than water). Then, put everything back on, and try to boot up. It saved my seemingly-dead HIS 3870 a few months back.

If not, RMA that sucker, and better luck next time!

DanishDevil · Jun 19, 2008

^^ 4850. Go RM Go!

Deleted member 24505 · Jun 19, 2008

Heres what i reckon,

Its very similar to a 3850

asb2106 · Jun 19, 2008

Viilutaja said:
I would say, that in Crysis , U get @ least 8-10 fps more compared 1GHZ vs Stock.

This is a fact, I wish I still had the screenies, they are somewhere on TPU,

I ran a bunch of tests on Crysis 64bit DX10 with a sapphire 3870 at stock speeds, and also at 875, 950, & 1Ghz.

I have 2 hard-mod 3870 sapphire toxics that have been great to me

A couple months back I was able to get one card to 1147mhz.

The difference in crysis was definitly noticable, all tests were run at 1920x1200, and as the speeds went up so did the frames. I cant remember exactly, but there was a difference of 8 frames from a 1ghz to stock. My best and most consistent results actually came from 950, I got 15 more FPS on average, and it was the STABLE as a rock. the memory on the card plays a huge role in frames at 1920x1200 also. The highest I could bump the memory was 1256, but it made a difference of 6 frames itself

Mods are cool, but since I stopped benching about 2 months ago I have not even touched the voltage regulators I have on the cards. I probably will never do it again

Random Murderer · Jun 19, 2008

DanishDevil said:
^^ 4850. Go RM Go!

i'll hop to it when i get a break from my job...

tomcug · Jun 20, 2008

What's the maximum safe voltage for Hynix 1.4ns GDDR3 memory chips?

DanishDevil · Jun 22, 2008

tigger69 said:
Heres what i reckon,

Its very similar to a 3850

I'll let someone else try it first :rolleyes:

Deleted member 24505 · Jun 22, 2008

If you check on XS,jimmyz has done the vmod for the 4850,the vmod points he's using are the same as the vmod points i marked.Dunno about the pencil mod point i marked tho'.

System Name	Big Devil
Processor	Intel Core i5-2500K
Motherboard	ECS P67H2-A2
Cooling	XSPC Rasa \| Black Ice GT Stealth 240 \| XSPC X2O 750 \| 2x ACF12PWM \| PrimoChill White 7/16"
Memory	2x4GB Corsair Vengeance LP Arctic White 1600MHz CL9
Video Card(s)	EVGA GTX 780 ACX SC
Storage	Intel 520 Series 180GB + WD 1TB Blue
Display(s)	HP ZR30W 30" 2650x1600 IPS
Case	Corsair 600T SE
Audio Device(s)	Xonar Essence STX \| Sennheisser PC350 "Hero" Modded \| Corsair SP2500
Power Supply	ABS SL 1050W (Enermax Revolution Rebadge)
Software	Windows 8.1 x64 Pro w/ Media Center
Benchmark Scores	Ducky Year of the Snake w/ Cherry MX Browns & Year of the Tiger PBT Keycaps \| Razer Deathadder Black

System Name	The ClusterF**k
Processor	980X @ 4Ghz
Motherboard	Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5 BIOS F12
Cooling	MCR-320, DDC-1 pump w/Bitspower res top (1/2" fittings), Koolance CPU-360
Memory	3x2GB Mushkin Redlines 1600Mhz 6-8-6-24 1T
Video Card(s)	Evga GTX 580
Storage	Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB, 2xSeagate 320GB RAID0; 2xSeagate 3TB; 2xSamsung 2TB; Samsung 1.5TB
Display(s)	HP LP2475w 24" 1920x1200 IPS
Case	Technofront Bench Station
Audio Device(s)	Auzentech X-Fi Forte into Onkyo SR606 and Polk TSi200's + RM6750
Power Supply	ENERMAX Galaxy EVO EGX1250EWT 1250W
Software	Win7 Ultimate N x64, OSX 10.8.4

System Name	Big Devil
Processor	Intel Core i5-2500K
Motherboard	ECS P67H2-A2
Cooling	XSPC Rasa \| Black Ice GT Stealth 240 \| XSPC X2O 750 \| 2x ACF12PWM \| PrimoChill White 7/16"
Memory	2x4GB Corsair Vengeance LP Arctic White 1600MHz CL9
Video Card(s)	EVGA GTX 780 ACX SC
Storage	Intel 520 Series 180GB + WD 1TB Blue
Display(s)	HP ZR30W 30" 2650x1600 IPS
Case	Corsair 600T SE
Audio Device(s)	Xonar Essence STX \| Sennheisser PC350 "Hero" Modded \| Corsair SP2500
Power Supply	ABS SL 1050W (Enermax Revolution Rebadge)
Software	Windows 8.1 x64 Pro w/ Media Center
Benchmark Scores	Ducky Year of the Snake w/ Cherry MX Browns & Year of the Tiger PBT Keycaps \| Razer Deathadder Black

System Name	The ClusterF**k
Processor	980X @ 4Ghz
Motherboard	Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5 BIOS F12
Cooling	MCR-320, DDC-1 pump w/Bitspower res top (1/2" fittings), Koolance CPU-360
Memory	3x2GB Mushkin Redlines 1600Mhz 6-8-6-24 1T
Video Card(s)	Evga GTX 580
Storage	Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB, 2xSeagate 320GB RAID0; 2xSeagate 3TB; 2xSamsung 2TB; Samsung 1.5TB
Display(s)	HP LP2475w 24" 1920x1200 IPS
Case	Technofront Bench Station
Audio Device(s)	Auzentech X-Fi Forte into Onkyo SR606 and Polk TSi200's + RM6750
Power Supply	ENERMAX Galaxy EVO EGX1250EWT 1250W
Software	Win7 Ultimate N x64, OSX 10.8.4

System Name	Dominator
Processor	INTEL C2Q Q6600 FTW!!
Motherboard	ASUS P5Q-E!!!
Cooling	TEC cooled cpu, everything else is under water :D
Memory	4GB CELL SHOCK D9GMH 1066MHZ/4GB CRUCIAL REDS
Video Card(s)	4850 (VT)/ 4850 IN CROSSFIRE!
Storage	western digital= 1X 250GB, 1X 500GB, IDE 160GB (BOOT DRIVE ONLY). SEAGATE FREE AGENT 500GB EHDD
Display(s)	viewsonic 19" hd widescreen
Case	ROCKETFISH FOR NOW :(
Audio Device(s)	ONBOARD WORKS JUST FINE FOR ME :p
Power Supply	ULTRA X3 1KW MODULAR
Software	win vista ultimate 64 TWEAKED!!!
Benchmark Scores	http://valid.x86-secret.com/show_oc.php?id=434759 3dm06: http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dm0

System Name	TOO MUCH RADIATOR! \| The TV Box a.k.a. The Shoebox
Processor	Core i7 4930K @ 4.5GHz \| Core i5 6600K @ 4.5GHz
Motherboard	Asus X79 Rampage IV Extreme \| Asus Z170i Pro Gaming
Cooling	Custom water on CPU and GPU, dual 360mm radiators \| Corsair H80i
Memory	4x 8GB G.Skill TridentX DDR3-1600 \| 2x 4GB G.Skill RipJaws 4 DDR4-3000
Video Card(s)	Sapphire AMD R9 295x2 \| PowerColor AMD HD7970
Storage	Samsung SSD 830 256GB, various others \| 2x 1TB Seagate Barracudas in RAID1
Display(s)	Dell U2713HM 2560x1440 IPS \| Panasonic TC-L32E5 1080p IPS TV
Case	Thermaltake Suppressor F51 (stripped down to hold two radiators) \| Cooler Master Elite 130
Audio Device(s)	RM-DAC -> Xiang Sheng 708b -> Sennheiser HD650 \| HDMI sound device on 7970
Power Supply	LEPA G1600-MA 1600W \| Corsair CX750M 750W
Software	Win 10 64
Benchmark Scores	over 9000 BungholioMarks, "Bitchin' Fast"

Processor	C2D 8400@ 4,05GHz(currently)1,36v
Motherboard	DFI LP x48 DK T2RS
Cooling	XIGMATEK 1283 w/ bolt-thru kit/SCYTHE Mushashi x2
Memory	Crucial BALLISTIX 6400 @900MHz 2,00v
Video Card(s)	HD 5770 1040/1400 unlocked/musashi
Storage	SG 120GB+WD 160GB
Display(s)	24" FLATRON W2442PA Full HD
Case	COOLERMASTER HAF 932
Power Supply	Thermaltake PUREPOWER RX 600
Software	Vista ultimate SP1
Benchmark Scores	VANTAGE:11700 3DMARKO06:18600 FURMARK:9K

System Name	Home
Processor	Ryzen 5 5600X@4.8Ghz
Motherboard	Gigabyte Aorus Pro AXi 550B
Cooling	Custom water cooling CPU+GPU (dual 240mm radiators)
Memory	32GB DDR4 3600Mhz CL16
Video Card(s)	Gigabyte RTX2080 Super Waterforce
Storage	Adata M.2 SX8200Pro 1TB + 2TB Crucial MX500 2.5" SSD + 6TB WD hdd
Display(s)	Acer Nitro XF252Q FullHD 240hz + 1440p 144hz AOC
Case	CoolerMaster NR200 white
Audio Device(s)	SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless headset
Power Supply	Corsair SF600 Platinum
Mouse	Logitech G Pro Wireless Superlight
Keyboard	Logitech G915 TKL
Software	Windows 10

System Name	File Server
Processor	2600k
Motherboard	idk
Cooling	H110
Memory	20gb of something
Video Card(s)	onboard!
Storage	2x120 SSD, (5x8tb)+(3x4tb) = 35 TB Z1 pool
Display(s)	couple 4k 32s
Case	cooler master something i think
Audio Device(s)	does anyone bother with anything but onboard?
Power Supply	Whatever OCZ PC Powercooling became. 1200 modular setup
Mouse	MX Master 2x
Keyboard	G710
Software	FreeNAS

Processor	Intel Core i7-975 @ 4.4 GHz
Motherboard	ASUS Rampage III GENE
Cooling	Noctua NH-D14
Memory	3x4 GB GeIL Enhance Plus 1750 MHz CL 9
Video Card(s)	ASUS Radeon HD 7970 3 GB
Storage	Samsung F2 500 GB
Display(s)	Samsung SyncMaster 2243LNX
Case	Antec Twelve Hundred V3
Audio Device(s)	VIA VT2020
Power Supply	Enermax Platimax 1000 W Special OC Edition
Software	Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate SP1

How-to: Pencil mod your HD 3870!

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