Looking for feedback on sale of volt-modded 8800GT/GTS gfx cards

[jason4207]

I currently have 2 volt-modded gfx cards: 8800GT & 8800GTS-512

I don't need both of them, so I'm trying to sell one of them. Before I put them in the classifieds, or list them on eBay I'd like to hear from some guys here to see if there is any interest, and see what I should charge.


Currently the cards are as follows:

Model: eVGA 8800GT SC
Cooling: stock GTS cooler [no sticker] & MX-2
The stock thermal pads have been replaced w/ custom copper shims & MX-2. I may change this out for T411 Thermal Tape, or other suitable TIM if desired.
I've added a small HS to the 'hot-chip' on the back of the card.
BIOS mods: I did the 1.1v BIOS mod, but that really doesn't matter much w/ the hard-mod. I also tightened up the memory timings.
Voltage Mods: The OCP mod has been done to allow for greater than 1.3v idle if desired w/o the worry of OCP shut-down. The vmem buck mod has been done, and the voltage is tweaked to 1.80v for optimal memory performance. The vGPU mod has been done, and is currently set at 1.313v idle, but of course, this can easily be changed w/ this mod in place.
Stable clocks: 833/2052/1044 w/ 1.4ns timings at the above noted voltages. [I'm sure it'll bench higher, but I usually only shoot for what's stable. More voltage will allow higher clocks, but isn't safe w/o better cooling.]

Model: eVGA 8800GTS-512 vanilla
Cooling: HR03GT cooler + 92mm Panaflo, aftermarket RAM sinks all over & MX-2
I've added a small HS to the 'hot-chip' on the back of the card.
BIOS mods: I tightened up the memory timings.
Voltage Mods: The vmem buck mod has been done, and the voltage is tweaked to 1.96v for optimal memory performance. The vGPU mod has been done, and is currently set at 1.35v idle, but of course, this can easily be changed w/ this mod in place. No need for OCP on the GTS.
Stable clocks: 837/2106/1107 w/ 1.4ns timings at the above noted voltages. [I'm sure it'll bench higher, but I usually only shoot for what's stable. More voltage will allow higher clocks, but isn't safe w/o better cooling.]

The GT hasn't gotten much heavy use yet. I've just pretty much tweaked it, ran some benchmarks, and played a few hours of Crysis. The GTS has had a little more use, but not much.

I can sell the cards naked, or w/ original HS if someone is planning to water cool them, or has other plans.

I also will provide tech support, and warranty the mods. If a wire comes loose I'll fix it, and if something happens to the card I'll do my best to fix it. A fried GPU will be outside my range of expertise, though.

I can also provide services if anyone would like their card volt-modded, but are scared to put a soldering iron near their boards. I'm confident in my soldering skills, and if I were to damage your card, I'd buy you a new one.

Please post some fair prices for each of the following assuming OCP, vmem buck, and vGPU mods on the GT, and vmem buck and vGPU on the GTS:

Card + Services
Naked GT: $320
GT w/ stock cooler: $330
GT w/ GTS cooler: $340
GT w/ HR03GT + 92mm Panaflo: $415
Naked GTS: $335
GTS w/ stock cooler: $355
GTS w/ HR03GT + 92mm Panaflo: $430

Services Only
OCP mod: $25
vmem buck mod: $25 (+ $15 to tune)
vGPU mod: $25

[$20/labor + $5/materials]


Feel free to leave comments.



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EDIT:

I added some pics of the GT above. I came up w/ some preliminary prices. They seem fair to me, but I still feel like I'm giving it away b/c of the time I take w/ everything (good thing I enjoy this stuff!). The GTS ends up being relativity inexpensive compared to the GT b/c there is no need to do the OCP mod. The 'tune' service on the vmem buck mod is something any seasoned OCer w/ a small screwdriver and some patience can do, but it is time-consuming, and so I put a charge for it. There is a definite 'sweetspot' on the memory voltage, and you have to make finer and finer changes to the VR to get it perfect. The last few changes I made had no effect on my DMM, but they did allow me to get that last notch on the slider. I also tighten up the timings for even more performance.

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EDIT2: Added more pics of GTS-512

Check out the custom cool dark blue inserts I just got for my Crucial Ballistix Tracers. I had them custom cut from a sample from an acrylic distributor online. [30.9mm x 5.2mm x 2.0mm] I have a blue LED and UV reactive blue theme going right now in my case. The Tracers are cool b/c they have blue LEDs on their base which goes well w/ everything else, but they also have these bright red & green flashing LEDs that just over power the rest of the case. I had the idea to put some dark clear blue acrylic in the opening in the RAM HS to dim the lights and turn them into light and dark blue lights. Well, the lights didn't change color, but they have been dimmed enough to make them fit in much better. They no longer over power the rest of my system lighting, and I'm really liking the results!

 

[Jas]

I think you could at least get what you paid for the cards.

As for your services. I'd say figure out how long it takes you to do a single Mod. I would say $30-$50 would be a decent charge for the volt modding, depending on how much time it takes.

 

[Brolloks]

Jason, I would definately be interested in your services to volt mod my GTS...LMK by PM when you got a price for full volt mod landed.

How long would it take you to do the mod + testing (hrs) and how much for the parts?

 

[Remove]

Your image link loads some type of malware.

 

[jason4207]

Your image link loads some type of malware.

Huh? It's all imageshack. Anyone else have that issue?

Edit: I changed the way it links, so there is nothing to click on now. I hope this fixes whatever issue you were having before.


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I updated the 1st post w/ more info & pics! (hopefully no malware!)

 

[jason4207]

Jason, I would definately be interested in your services to volt mod my GTS...LMK by PM when you got a price for full volt mod landed.

How long would it take you to do the mod + testing (hrs) and how much for the parts?

The GTS has just 2 mods, b/c the OCP mod isn't needed unless you plan to go sub-zero w/ crazy high voltage. That makes it a lot easier. Including prep and clean up it'll take me a few hours, but I'm sure I'll get faster w/ time.

Testing could take a few minutes, or a week depending on what you want. Just confirming the mods work will only take a few minutes. If you need the memory tweaked that'll take a several hours. Tightening timings to 1.4ns spec usually goes quick unless the timings aren't stable. If you want a max OC on the core/shaders at a particular voltage that'll take some time as well. And if you want me to run benches night & day...we'll you see where I'm going.

Bare bones is for me to just do the mods, and confirm they work. Then let you dial in the memory, and see what she'll do on the core/shaders w/ added voltage. You'll need a small screwdriver, and a DMM.

Parts are cheap, and I've thrown a flat rate of $5 per mod. That should cover consumables, and VR's, etc. I have quite a bit invested in all my tools & materials, but hey, it's my hobby!

 

[Brolloks]

The GTS has just 2 mods, b/c the OCP mod isn't needed unless you plan to go sub-zero w/ crazy high voltage. That makes it a lot easier. Including prep and clean up it'll take me a few hours, but I'm sure I'll get faster w/ time.

Testing could take a few minutes, or a week depending on what you want. Just confirming the mods work will only take a few minutes. If you need the memory tweaked that'll take a several hours. Tightening timings to 1.4ns spec usually goes quick unless the timings aren't stable. If you want a max OC on the core/shaders at a particular voltage that'll take some time as well. And if you want me to run benches night & day...we'll you see where I'm going.

Bare bones is for me to just do the mods, and confirm they work. Then let you dial in the memory, and see what she'll do on the core/shaders w/ added voltage. You'll need a small screwdriver, and a DMM.

Parts are cheap, and I've thrown a flat rate of $5 per mod. That should cover consumables, and VR's, etc. I have quite a bit invested in all my tools & materials, but hey, it's my hobby!

Thanks Jason,
As far as cooling would you recommend a good aftermarket cooler (I have a HR-03 rev 1, Zalman VF1000 and Zerotherm 8800) which all fit on the GTS, or would you say watercooling would be prefered to maximise OC potential

 

[jason4207]

Water cooling will definitely get you the higher clocks. You'll be benching at 900MHz for sure!

So far my temps haven't ever gotten crazy w/ the HR03GT. I'm currently at 1.35v idle which equates to somewhere around 1.4v load (depends on application). I think Crysis might give me low-mid-60's, and iirc ATI Tool is in the mid-50's. I'll have to check when I get home...I wrote a few things down.

Even the GT w/ the stock GTS cooler does OK at 1.313v idle. The 29% fan speed let's my idle temps get pretty high (~55iirc), but once I increase the fan speed a bit it is fine. At 100% fan I think it stays in the mid-70's while playing Crysis.

I think the GTS could go higher on the voltage w/ air cooling, but some of the things I've read keep me from trying. Also, I did kill that one GT w/ 1.363v idle, but I had mounted the cooler incorrectly, and chipped the core under the intense heat of FUR (BTW I'm also scared to run FUR now on any volt-modded card) accompanied by the lateral pressure from my incorrect mount (the PCB was visibly bent).

Largon, on XS, had his card up to 1.68v before it died (he was also running FUR, but he says it was incorrect OCP mod that caused the failure). That was a GT, and the GTS should handle voltage a little better b/c of it's more robust circuitry.

 

[Brolloks]

Water cooling will definitely get you the higher clocks. You'll be benching at 900MHz for sure!

So far my temps haven't ever gotten crazy w/ the HR03GT. I'm currently at 1.35v idle which equates to somewhere around 1.4v load (depends on application). I think Crysis might give me low-mid-60's, and iirc ATI Tool is in the mid-50's. I'll have to check when I get home...I wrote a few things down.

Even the GT w/ the stock GTS cooler does OK at 1.313v idle. The 29% fan speed let's my idle temps get pretty high (~55iirc), but once I increase the fan speed a bit it is fine. At 100% fan I think it stays in the mid-70's while playing Crysis.

I think the GTS could go higher on the voltage w/ air cooling, but some of the things I've read keep me from trying. Also, I did kill that one GT w/ 1.363v idle, but I had mounted the cooler incorrectly, and chipped the core under the intense heat of FUR (BTW I'm also scared to run FUR now on any volt-modded card) accompanied by the lateral pressure from my incorrect mount (the PCB was visibly bent).

Largon, on XS, had his card up to 1.68v before it died (he was also running FUR, but he says it was incorrect OCP mod that caused the failure). That was a GT, and the GTS should handle voltage a little better b/c of it's more robust circuitry.

I somewhat swear by using FUR for testing ultimate GPU core stability, it puts one hell of a load on the GPU, you say it can be dangerous stressing the core too much?

 

[jason4207]

I somewhat swear by using FUR for testing ultimate GPU core stability, it puts one hell of a load on the GPU, you say it can be dangerous stressing the core too much?

Well, so far a few guys have killed their volt-modded GT's (no GTS's yet) over at XS. They just happened to have FUR running. In my case my bad mount seemed to be the culprit. In Largon's case he thinks it was the removal of the OCP resistors that caused uneven voltage spikes across his MOSFETs and one blew out. In zbomb's case it may have been the fact he used very low value resistors to accomplish the OCP mod. This can also cause uneven voltage spikes.

The good news is that none of these things have happened on the GTS yet. It has 3 phase power instead of 2, and doesn't require the OCP mod which can cause issues if done incorrectly.

I'm still scared to run FUR. I like the program, but it really isn't needed. ATI Tool on the core/shaders, and the appropriate 3Dmark loops for the memory is fine for me. Then a few hours of Crysis for good measure. I haven't had any issues yet.

Right now I'm of the mindset that FUR is like TAT in that it puts an un-natural load on the core. I may use FUR again down the road, but for now I'm just being cautious.

 

[jason4207]

More pics added of GTS in 1st post.

 

[Brolloks]

The problem I see with the HR-03 GT or any HR-03 for that matter is that you have 2 RAM chips directly under the heat pipes in the top middle that are not cooled at all, I know they supply you with those 2 flat sinks but they are kinda useless. That leaves you with a weak point in your memory OC potential IMO

 

[jason4207]

My thoughts exactly. That is my only gripe w/ the cooler.

But that is why you can buy the card naked, and do your own thing, or send me yours, and I'll send it back w/ all the trimmings!

Despite the theoretical handicap of the HR03GT design the memory still does very well compared to other results I've seen.