fairly easy (solder) volt mod for 9800 GPU.

I have been doing quite a bit of research about v-modding my 9800 gpu and this thread at extreme systems seems to be the easiest out there. All you need is 2 small wires, volt meter, 10k variable resistor, a dab of silicone, & a soldering iron. I am tring to get enough guts to do it. It looks easy enough its just that I don't want to smoke my new card....what scared me was one of his last posts in thread he said, "I am on way to get a new card as we speak...I don't know what happend to this one?" I think the way he does it makes it real easy to solder...he glues the 10k resistor to the pcb first with some silicone and then the soldering is a cake walk after that.

What do you guys think? Any one have any trouble with thier 9700/9800 V-mods?

They are easy to me. I have probably done 50+ counting switching resistors.. Just make sure you use the multimeter to measure the resistance on the 2 legs of the v-r you use before you turn it on the first time. When it starts getting complicated is when you are trying to find the best settings between 4 different voltages on the card.

Doesn't the v-r come at a default setting? I mean aren't you supposed to turn it counter clockwise to increase resistance?

Which way you turn depends on which 2 legs you use.. I ussually use ground on middle leg and then the leg furthest from the dial. When you buy one it can be set on any resistance i think so you got to check yourself or wreck yourself

Hmmmmmm? They guy in the thread that I posted the link to uses the one clocest to the screw and the middle one. maybe thats why he has been having trouble and smoking his cards. Let me ask you this? I check the voltage on the measurement point on the back of the pcb with a Mulitmeter but....thats with everything running. Right? As I trun the screw I watch the multimeter readout? Correct?

Well, you can use the one closest to the dial and the middle one as wel. Yes, you check the voltage with the pc on.. i just go into the bios. Turning the dial while it is still on is a bit dangerous and can kill your card if you turn it to fast. I would power off first and turn the dial a bit then go back into bios. Figure out which 2 legs you are going to use on the v-r then set your multimeter to Ohms and put the black probe on the middle leg and the other on the other leg you will use.. This will tell you the starting resistance so you are sure not to kill your card, i guessing you will use a 10k v-r so you can just set it to 10k if you want.

Which bios? The mobo bios or the Vid card bios? You can't see the gpu volts in the mobo bios can you?

Nah, i mean i just turn on the pc and hit del to go into the bios and then measure the voltage while sitting in the bios.

AAhhhhhhhh, so the pc don't boot and maybe smoke my card before I get it set right!!!

sitting in the bios = operational pc (not exactly booted but the voltage levels are the same)
-> may smoke the card before it get's set right.