Strangest Video Card Mod ever

[s3ppel]

I want to build a pc in an aluminium box with a tft inside. For this I need to mod my videocard to have the VGA connector inside my case. Has anyone done so before and / or has any advice?
Thanks for your help.

Please check out my other post concerning this matter as well:
http://forums.overclockers.ws/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=61462

[HiProfile]

I have a suggestion:

The VGA connector has metal "legs" going into the PCB for each wire/pin. You could just cut them off near the base, splay them out, then use a wire to connect each leg to where it was on the PCB. You could leave the leg stubs in the PCB to wrap the wire around and solder to or you could remove them (reverse solder) and solder the wire tips into the holes. You could also try to find another VGA connector and wire the legs to the backside (to have 2 VGA connectors), but it seems like you want to relocate it.

Good luck. Remember, I'm not responsible for any mishaps...

[s3ppel]

thanks for your advice. sounds pretty good, however i am afraid that soldering could heat up the card too much and destroy something. On the other hand, I don't want to have to connect the tft externaly while it was pretty nice to have both options. have you already tried to solder on a video card?

[two_dope2000]

you could avoid soldering all together by doin this, Remember the old voodoo's that could only handle 3D graphics? they had a little cable that would plug into your video card and the other end would plug into your voodoo and you monitor would plug into your voodoo, you could use that cord since it has one female(to the video card) and one male(to the monitor cable) and then just plug it into your video card and run it back into the case through an empty slot above or below your video card and plug your monitor into it, and there ya go.

[s3ppel]

thanks a lot, i think i'll do either of this.

[HiProfile]

Don't worry about too much heat - use a 10-15watt iron ($5-$10) and 60%tin-40%lead solder. These things have little mass (quickly heat) so heat only needs to be applied for a second or two. If you really have doubts, stick it in the freezer (or just outdoors here in WI) before/after every solder point is made. Your biggest problem might be the vga connector - those pins use a plastic "case" to hold them, and the plastic might melt with too much heat. If this happens, just go to Radio Shack and get another one (these will be suited for soldering too).

[deez]

if your not comfortable soldering then you can always take your stuff to a local TV/electronics repair shop and get them to do it
It shouldn't be very expensive

Or just use dual vid cards 1- AGP and 1- PCI

[s3ppel]

Originally posted by deez
Or just use dual vid cards 1- AGP and 1- PCI

This would unfortunately not solve the problem of not having a vga connector inside. But thanks anyway. Maybe I'll use a second card fr not having to solder on my primary card. however it is a geforce 1 (heavily moded though, but still old) and might be willing to take the risk.

[sangram]

When the cards are manufactured, they're dipped in a solder bath, which is kept at a temperature of about 400 celsius for about 3 seconds. Which is roughly the time it takes for a solder joint to solidify.

I've never soldered on a video card, but I once had to solder an audio out connection from my TV tuner card, that would go into the soundcard. I used a normal soldering iron, 15 watt I think, and I used standard soldering procedure. No problems at all!

IOW, I don't think you need to worry about the heat, specially if you're soldering at the connector end. The worst enemy of electronics is a 'dry' solder joint, which is caused actually by insufficient heating of the two surfaces.

Oh yeah, I never put electronic stuff into a freezer. I think that's out of spec for most components, which are rated to run from 0/5C, not in sub-zero temps. It has major side effects you may not be able to recover from, such as condensation. I have used this normal soldering iron on SMD kits like palmtops...

Sang

[sangram]

Ok, thought of something...

The VGA connector is at a right angle to the board, right?

Cut off the inner legs, the ones that you cant see. Snip them so you have a bit of leg left sticking out the board and a little bit out the card. You'll have to bend the connector slightly to access them, leave the outer legs intact. the cut could ideally be at the bend, which will give you a bit of leg left for later.

Next, bend the whole connector upwards, to point vertically off the board. Resolder the connections which you initially severed. Use a bracket to support the weight.

OR...

In case you are custom-building the case, you could always leave a bit of leeway behind the socket, and not go through all this pain.