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How-To: Gainward 7600GS PCI-e Voltage Mod |
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Written by phatic
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Friday, 01 September 2006 |
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Page 1 of 7 If you own a Gainward 7600GS, and would like to squeeze some extra performance out of this mid-range card, then look no further. This article will show you everything needed to achieve some very impressive clock speeds, for quite a small cost.
Basically, this involves soldering two potentiometers (variable resistors) onto the card, which allows the GPU and memory voltages to be adjusted. This will allow much higher clock speeds to be attained. But, since more volts = more heat, a cooling upgrade is required to get the most out of this mod, as heat will quickly become a limitation. This article will therefore also include a DIY cooling mod, that costs about 1/4 of the price of a new VGA cooler.
Disclaimer: All of the following is done at your own risk, and will void your manufacturer's warranty. Please read through the whole article before starting.
Firstly, here's a list of all the necessary materials.
Voltage mod
- A 25-30w Soldering Iron
- Some 60/40 Solder
- A Multimeter
- 2 x 25k ohm potentiometers
- Some fairly thin wire
- 2 x SMD grabbers (optional)
If you really have an aversion to soldering near tiny components, the SMD grabbers can be used. These will save you from the most difficult soldering. Otherwise, if you've got some old computer parts lying around, just practice on these, and you will be fine.
Cooling mod
- A drill
- Some cable ties, or strong wire
- Pair of pliers
- 92mm fan
- A 15-20k ohm potentiometer (optional)
The best choice for a fan would be the Vantec Thermoflow, because it comes with an in-built thermistor, which can be replaced with a potentiometer for a simple fan speed controller. If you don't want the fan controller, any 92mm fan will be ok.
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