Nvidia card image quality mod

[Arkaine23]

Slim lim posted this link to an article about modding nvidia (geforce and above) graphics cards to improve image quality. I read the article a few minutes ago and am looking forward to testing it out when I get home from work this morning.

You just pop off a few caps in order to remove some high frequency filters and the image clears right up. There's a small risk of causing radiowave interference to other components, but apparently it's a very small risk.

I'd like to try it out, but I have to reinstall my OS this morning, and I have to sleep sometime too. But I'll see if I can get it done, and bench with 3dmark to see if the score changes in either direction. I don't think it will.

Any1 interested should check out the article:

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.html?i=1577&p=5

Although I think using a soldering iron over needlenose pliers would be preferable, since you could put the caps back on if you needed to, and you wouldn't have to worry about breaking them.

This mod even applies to top-of-the-line Geforce 3's. So maybe if it works we can gloat about it to all those ppl who dis nvidia in favor of ati's superior image quality.

[Arkaine23]

Here's what rogue1979 had to say about this mod over in slim lim's thread under video & soundcards... (guess I could have just put a link up)


Good God Almighty!!! I can't believe the difference! I modded both the Gainward
Geforce Pro 450 and the Gainward Geforce 2 Ti 500. This is gosh darn amazing!
The Pro 450 followed the reference board closely, but only two groups of 3
filters to remove. The Ti 500 was a best guess, there was only 3 filters in the
general area that were the same color as the six on the Geforce Pro. I was
prepared to resolder if necessary. Both mods worked, instantly on boot up it ws
plain to see. The Gainwards have good image quality anyway (or so I thought)
and now they are looking better than anything I have ever seen, even my
Voodoo 5. Crisper, clearer, more contrast, more detail.
2D text is sharper and colors are better. 3D is even a bigger improvement, one
of my favorites is the Demo in 3DMark 2000 and 2001. Wow, that is all I can
say, what a difference. If every one with a Geforce 2 did this mod, people
would be trashing their Radeons for inferior image quality!


__________________
AYJHA-R 1000@1512MHz 2.02v
Epox 8K7A 168 x 9
Golden Gate/38cfm
Quadro2 Ti 500 295/523
256MB OCZ PC2400
Monster Sound M80 (DSP)
Cambridge Soundworks Digital
Antec PP403X 400-watt
Trinitron 20"
Acer 10 x 4 x 32
Zip 100


Sounds encouraging. I'm still working, but only for a few more minutes. Then when I get home and finish some quick formatting/reinstalling to fix some hard drive corruption and I can get to modding my GF2 Ti.

[iggybaseball]

looking into this.........

[BigRed]

how would removing the filtering resistors improve the image quality?
sounds phony

[VashTheStampede]

Originally posted by BigRed
how would removing the filtering resistors improve the image quality?
sounds phony

That's what I'm thinking too, but it is Anandtech and they usually don't post articles they haven't researched. I can understand how it may improve some image quality but some of these claims make it seem like they found a GeForce 4 hidden behind those caps.

~Vash~

[rivercom9]

If this is true, I cant wait to do it.

[Warlord2]

omg believe me it is true

I just did that mod like 10 mins ago and it made the textures like 10 times brighter and sharper

all benchmarks are the same as before though=/

this mod had to be the easyest mod Ive ever done. for my card I had to use these surgical needlenose pliers I had laying around for some of the filters sence things where a little cramped but other thin that it was a sinch

[bose70]

Hi
I just took out my Geforce pro DDR (creative labs) and I can`t see any caps in the right confuration I:(
I know it said geforce2 and 3 but are there filters on the geforce1?

Bose

[Prolitheus]

I just tried this, can't say if I notice a big difference, if there is one at all. I'm on a VisionTek Xtasy 6964.

[slim_lim]

Prolitheus, same card, same result. Little or no improvement.

[Prolitheus]

I guess nVidia/VisionTek uses OK low-pass filters... What cards are people using to get drastic improvements when doing the mod?

[pogue1000]

I have a Powercolor Geforce2 MX400.
I might pull it out and take a look see at it.

Would like to hear more positive remarks first.. then i would test :)

anyone??/

[Warlord2]

I have did the mod on my VisionTek gf2 ultra

[PCTroll]

Dear friends, everybody who you are saying that image quality has made new born with this mod, please show me pictures. I would like to see it. Post them, before and after modding!

[Oni]

Originally posted by PCTroll
Dear friends, everybody who you are saying that image quality has made new born with this mod, please show me pictures. I would like to see it. Post them, before and after modding!

Its hard to take pics of image quality. It depends on a lot of factors, ie how good your card is, your monitor is etc.

[MechCD]

Originally posted by PCTroll
Dear friends, everybody who you are saying that image quality has made new born with this mod, please show me pictures. I would like to see it. Post them, before and after modding!

You wouldn't notice anything!!!

The screenshot would be clearer only on the system it was taken on. When you display an image, it gets passed through YOUR video card and monitor. The only way to tell the difference would be if your video card and monitor offered clarity that was alot better than current video cards and monitors allow.

[rivercom9]

Of those of you who have tried it, does it look better from before the mod?

[Prolitheus]

As I said above... I didn't notice one, if any. My display was very good to start with, though. I'm on a VisionTek Xtasy 6964, so I'm guessing either this card already had good low-pass filters or people are just overhyping this mod. I'm willing to bet GF2's are benefiting most, as GF3's already had one row of the filters removed. Perhaps those cheapo GF3's from eVGA and PNY will really benefit.

[Arkaine23]

Well, I did the mod friday morning, and while it's not spectacular or anything, there is a noticeable improvement- sharper image, brighter colors. Perhaps I should adjust the contrast and other monitor settings a bit...

Still, I'm very glad that I did it, as any image quality improvement is always a welcome thing. I think it's more noticeable at high resolutions.

Don't expect a miracle, and it seems some brands already have pretty good low pass filter capacitors. Now to volt-mod this Leadtek GF2 Ti! Any1 got a link to a guide for that?

[Arkaine23]

Some1 asked how/why this mod works... Well, the anadtech article says that the low pass filter screens out high frequecies on the output to the monitor. Some manufacturer's don't use components up to nvidia's specs, and these low-quality capacitors filter out more than they are supposed to, thus causing slightly poorer image quality.

I think the effect of this mod is mostly seen in 2d stuff, and in high resolutions. It just gets rid of some of the fuzziness caused by the signal being converted from digital to anaolg to digital.

[Arkaine23]

Bose: This is supposed to work on all nvidia cards since the original geforce. Check the anadtech article... their reference card is a GF2 GTS, so the caps are probably in a different configuration on your card. Look for a link from that anadtech article... there's another site that has guides for several different cards. It's an old guide and hasn't been updated in a while, but maybe it will help you out.

[AMD900*]

i already broke all 9 capacitors is this all ?

[Arkaine23]

AMD: That's all there is to it... as long as you got the right ones, you're set. I didn't notice that much of a difference, but I think Leadtek uses high quality (nvidia spec) components. Still, try setting your monitor to high resolution and look at the text. It should be very crisp. If not, try adjusting your contrast and other monitor settings a bit.

edit: Now running at 1280x 1024 and super clear. Love this mod!

[CivicGSR]

I did this mod on my MSI GF2-GTS, and there's really no noticable difference.
It may be b/c I don't use the max resolution ie 1600x1200..... I think for those who use high res and true color would benefit the most.

Is this true?

[Prolitheus]

After doing the mod, I didn't notice much difference, but I run my desktop at 1152x864x32. After people mentioned that high resolutions benefit most from the mod, I tried 1600x1200x32, and there is indeed a difference; it is much clearer at that resolution now (though I still don't use it as I hate the lower refresh rate).