9800xt gpu vmod idea

[Aphex_Tom_9]

okay, so after i sent my 9800 pro 256 in for rma, i got an XT back, it's not a very good clocker, but at least it has temp monitoring and it's worth more...
anyway, so i want to do the vgpu and vmem mods for this xt now, and after doing a little searching, i see that you have to do the gpu mod directly to a resistor. i was hoping to use clips on the leg of a chip, but it looks like i cant. i dont want to do any soldering, im too scared, and my iron blows. i also dont want to do a pencil mod, it's too uncertian and ghetto. so i thought about it and thought-

what if i just put a dab of hot glue onto each size of the resistor and stick a wire into each side so it makes contact with the solder on each side of the resitor? then i could have a removable vgpu mod without the dangers of soldering. of course id check that it made proper contact, but does anyone see reasons why this wouldnt work?

[L337 M33P]

It'd be removable to the point where it removes itself. Non-solder contact = wiggly and will fall off. There's nothing stopping you soldering to the chip other than the TINY leads that the thing has - one false step and you bridge about 5 together.

[Aphex_Tom_9]

wait, i thought the xt's gpu voltage was controlled by a surface-mounted resistor only and not a chip on the card...
in this pic- the circled green resistor is the only way to do the gpu mod i believe
http://www.vr-zone.com/Shamino/9800xtvmod/pics/2.JPG

[pwnt by pat]

vgpu:
http://www.rojakpot.com/article/ATI/9800XT_VMod/resistor.jpg

vddr:
http://www.rojakpot.com/article/ATI/9800XT_VMod/mem_resistor.jpg

If you want, there are certain people who will be willing to mod the card for you, for a price of course.

[pwnt by pat]

Leet meens that if you slip on the resistor then chances are you are going to hit that ic and connect a lot of legs.

[Aphex_Tom_9]

yes i know where the mod goes and i have the VR, but i want to do it without soldering just to be safe and make it un-doable. so i figured if i hot-glued some small wires to either side of the resistor and attach the VR to the wires, then it could work right?

[Aphex_Tom_9]

Leet meens that if you slip on the resistor then chances are you are going to hit that ic and connect a lot of legs.
wait...what?

[pwnt by pat]

It'd be removable to the point where it removes itself. Non-solder contact = There's nothing stopping you soldering to the chip other than the TINY leads that the thing has - one false step and you bridge about 5 together.

wait, i thought the xt's gpu voltage was controlled by a surface-mounted resistor only and not a chip on the card...

If you aren't going to do the mod right, please don't do it and risk shorting something and frying your card. You'd be better off giving the card away.

[Aphex_Tom_9]

well im sorry if you think im stupid, but im not, just inexperienced. i have an idea, i want to know what those of you who know about this kinda thing think about it. i want to do this right, but differently, so it's safer and easier to undo.

[pwnt by pat]

I'm not calling you stupid in any way. I am merely saying that even though it's not perminant, it's still risky and should the glue come undone, well... This (http://www.thelab.gr/reviews/ic7mods_en13.php) might be right up your alley, now that I think about it. It would also raise the value of the card over a standard volt-modded card should you decide to sell it. You can do those with any form of square/rectangle pot. All you need is some superglue and a jumper.

[Aphex_Tom_9]

hey, thats pretty cool, thanks. sorry if i sounded mad there...
but even with that method, wouldnt i still have to solder the wires onto the SMD? that's what im trying to avoid. i know glue would be in danger of breaking, but i wouldnt be touching it at all, so couldnt it theoretically stay on? what if i used something stronger than hot glue? im not sure what though

[Aphex_Tom_9]

anyone else have opinions/ideas on the subject of solder-less vgpu mods for the xt?

[Aphex_Tom_9]

*looks both ways*



*bump!*

[Aphex_Tom_9]

...nudge?

[Quailane]

Oh man, desoldering those tiny capacitors are a piece of cake. Just take a small flat head screwdriver and keep a constant force on the side. Then with a soldering iron go from one side to the other side relatively quickly and keep this up for a minute untill the capacitor pops off. I have done it 4 times in the last 48 hours.

There is a gif halfway down this page that shows what I am talking about:
http://richfiles.solarbotics.net/Turbo83.html

[Aphex_Tom_9]

thanks! but im aiming at a completely solder-less mod, so there's no danger of messing anthing up and i can eaily remove the mod if i want to sell the card...

i had planned on using SMD test grabbers on the voltage controller chip of my 9800 pro, but got the XT back after an RMA, so i cant use them because the legs are too small on the XT chip, so now i need to use the direct resistor mod, but dont want to solder...