Possible to solder more VRAM on GPU?

[JovanD]

I got a 2GB version GTX 760 and i wanna make it 4GB, there are empty slots for the ram on the PCB, im wondering would it work if i just bought the chips(or salvaged them from identical donor card) and just soldered them on?
I mean would there need to be any further modification, like changing the BIOS? Has it been done before?

[burnttoastnice]

Highly doubt its been done before, it might be possible, but you'll need expensive equipment to carry it out. In addition you'd definitely need to flash the BIOS so the card knows it can address and report that additional memory.

[Jurrunio]

You can try. You will need to apply solder carefully onto each contact point and use a heat gun to melt the solder though.

[TrigrH]

Impossible.

[Hiya!]

I've read a thread about this on reddit that u cant just add more vram to your gpu because the manufacturer already set the Vram limit to the gpu chip itselves.

Flashing the BIOS wont help.

 

Unlike the OLD days.

Some gpu allow you to add more vram like this Matrox Mystique G-200

 

[suchamoneypit]

Through immense effort maybe (BIOS flash would definitely be needed) but its just not worth it cost wise. It would be a unwise move even if you owned the equipment. You'd pay more to have someone professionally try this (which is the only safe way) than it would to buy an entire new GPU and even then simply adding VRAM to a chip doesn't give it much of a performance increase.

[Godlygamer23]

Considering 4GB models of the 760 exist, I would say that with a BIOS flash and the chips being soldered on...it could actually work.

 

Here's an example of a 4GB model:

https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-GTX760-Dual-Link-04G-P4-3768-KR/dp/B00E0N49C8

[Dabombinable]

Possible yes, depending on the PCB. Practical however, no. Things are a bit different from the way they used to be, when RAM was socketed on VGA and graphics cards.

[Princess Luna]

While it is technically possible it is not worth any one's time, sell it and buy a new video card that attends your needs.

[JovanD]

3 minutes ago, suchamoneypit said:

Through immense effort maybe (BIOS flash would definitely be needed) but its just not worth it cost wise. It would be a unwise move even if you owned the equipment. You'd pay more to have someone professionally try this (which is the only safe way) than it would to buy an entire new GPU and even then simply adding VRAM to a chip doesn't give it much of a performance increase.

I would be doing it because of cost, i have people that i could borrow equipment from so i don't have to worry about that, i could prolly get a broken donor card for ~10€ or just wait 1month for chips to arrive from China. On my local used market 4GB versions are around 150€ and 2GB versions are around 100€ so it would cost me possibly +50€ to resell my old card and get better one which is a little steep for me.

[Dabombinable]

24 minutes ago, JovanD said:

I would be doing it because of cost, i have people that i could borrow equipment from so i don't have to worry about that, i could prolly get a broken donor card for ~10€ or just wait 1month for chips to arrive from China. On my local used market 4GB versions are around 150€ and 2GB versions are around 100€ so it would cost me possibly +50€ to resell my old card and get better one which is a little steep for me.

You'll need specialised tools to do any soldering of the RAM chips, since they are BGA. And 50 euro is far less than it would cost you to solder the chips on yourself.

[Dabombinable]

53 minutes ago, Hiya! said:

I've read a thread about this on reddit that u cant just add more vram to your gpu because the manufacturer already set the Vram limit to the gpu chip itselves.

Flashing the BIOS wont help.

 

Unlike the OLD days.

Some gpu allow you to add more vram like this Matrox Mystique G-200

 

Or this (its the same for my Diamond 3D 2000 Pro, except it has all sockets filled):

[Hiya!]

1 minute ago, Dabombinable said:

Or this (its the same for my Diamond 3D 2000 Pro, except it has all sockets filled):

And i thought this is going to be the future.

No i am not that OLD i just happen to know about it through LGR videos.

 

[Dabombinable]

Just now, Hiya! said:

And i thought this is going to be the future.

No i am not that OLD i just happen to know about it through LGR videos.

 

Lets just say that its a PITA, since the memory ties directly into the VESA bus and in theory at least isn't usable without it.

[Bcat00]

I'm really wondering how you can have the connection to get specialized equipment but not make enough to just go out and buy a better gpu instead of going through this hassle.

 

It's one thing if you were living in a third world country, but you obviously live in Europe. Not exactly a region of the world that's extremely hard to get a part time job. 

[JovanD]

2 minutes ago, Bcat00 said:

I'm really wondering how you can have the connection to get specialized equipment but not make enough to just go out and buy a better gpu instead of going through this hassle.

 

It's one thing if you were living in a third world country, but you obviously live in Europe. Not exactly a region of the world that's extremely hard to get a part time job. 

Dude... EAST Europe...  Average wage here is 350€ a month and 30% of people under 30 years old are unemployed... It's worse than half of Africa really.
As for "specialized equipment" you really need a heat gun and a bga stencil, stencil part is optional IMO since ram chips don't have that many connections(compared to gpu for example) it wouldn't be too impractical to use soldering iron and some patience instead.

[burnttoastnice]

1 hour ago, Dabombinable said:

-spoilersnip-

Spoiler

Or this (its the same for my Diamond 3D 2000 Pro, except it has all sockets filled):

 

 

Is that a PCI bus at the front and another bus at the back? Wow...

[suchamoneypit]

2 hours ago, JovanD said:

I would be doing it because of cost, i have people that i could borrow equipment from so i don't have to worry about that, i could prolly get a broken donor card for ~10€ or just wait 1month for chips to arrive from China. On my local used market 4GB versions are around 150€ and 2GB versions are around 100€ so it would cost me possibly +50€ to resell my old card and get better one which is a little steep for me.

But there is a high potential for a mistake and then you're out 150 Euro

[mariushm]

It depends on the video card dude and how it's already set up.

 

The empty memory locations may not be usable with your video card. The video card manufacturer may have used a reference design for the circuit board where the board has place for more memory chips than what the processor installed on the circuit board can handle. For example, a GTX 1060 has a 192 bit wide memory interface which means the card can use a maximum of 6 memory chips, while the GTX 1070 has a 256bit wide memory interface requiring 8 memory chips... the manufacturer can recycle a GTX 1070 layout and just not populate the 2 memory chip locations and won't have to worry about testing extensively the layout to pass emission tests and other crap.

 

So like I said, your memory chips are each 32bit wide. If your video card is 128 bit, it should have 4 memory chips on it.  Adding 4 memory chips would convert the card to 256 bit memory interface .. so you'd have to double check if the gpu chip actually supports that.

Alternatively, you could probably search for some memory chips that are double the capacity of your existing ones and in the same footprint (ideally same manufacturer and same series) and try your luck by replacing existing chips with bigger capacity ones.

 

Unless you have some good tools like infrared warm up plate (to heat the board to around 80c from the bottom so you won't shock chips with hot air gun) and a good hot air gun to heat the memory chips from above in order to desolder them  , or lots of liquid flux and possibly bga balls or solder paste to apply over the pads of existing empty memory chip locations .. if you don't have the tools i'd suggest not attempting such changes.

 

After you solder the memory you'd also have to flash the video card with a modded bios, ideally you'd get the bios from same card and same model, but which comes with 4 GB of memory

 

[xAcid9]

Possible but not practical at all and you need a BIOS that support that particular ram configs/timings.

 

IIRC someone soldered either original Titan VRAM into 780 or Titan Maxwell into 980 Ti and he succeed. Can't find the thread though.

[Dabombinable]

3 hours ago, burnttoastnice said:

 

Is that a PCI bus at the front and another bus at the back? Wow...

Its VESA, it pre-dates PCI and was effectively a high speed extension of ISA. VESA BTW was extremely sensitive to overclocking, so back then you'd be lucky to run the FSB at more than 40MHz (a 7MHz OC).

[Guest]

6 hours ago, Hiya! said:

I've read a thread about this on reddit that u cant just add more vram to your gpu because the manufacturer already set the Vram limit to the gpu chip itselves.

Flashing the BIOS wont help.

 

Unlike the OLD days.

Some gpu allow you to add more vram like this Matrox Mystique G-200

 

Cards with other memory configurations would support the change. (They are the same chips) however I would imagine other components would be different, such as the memory controller. It’s usually just not worth the effort, especially as. 760 is easy to come by

[Ehrm.Whatever]

As im into reballing gpu's and stuff like that with some gtx 7xx models, my next project will be about that fucking particular question. Because all i see is "no" "yes" "maybe" and so on.

 

as i know about the "type" of work the manufacturer do it would not be that hard to get that running !  

im pretty sure with some nice equip like some tools named here it would be possible.

i've seen a video from some russian repair dudes who managed a frankenstein gtx 480 pcb with a gtx 580 chip.

they only flashed the bios ...

and i dont think that nvidia is deactivating tiny things in their chips just to limit ram support ... 

my opinion:

u need some more parts than only ram's solder and equip; the whole pcb will be set different.

for example the 2gb gtx 760 has some clear spots mentioned for capacitors and resistors and so on .. i have a gtx 760 4gb running in my system and will use it for comparism ...  

i will let you guys know if it works :-* 

ps: the picture shows 1 gtx 780 from msi: there is a mos fet ic down its on the way from china

 

and the other one got an issue with the power supply for the bios. And some dead solder spots under the gpu ... its a gainward phantom gtx 780.

 

[Max_Settings]

I hate questions like this, is it possible? Yes. Could you actually do it? No. You don't have the skills nor the equipment to do. By the time you bought the stuff to do it, it would be far cheaper to just buy a new GPU.

[ZERLIN]

this is worth it if you mine crypto , get 1060 3gb and add 3gb more :) now your 1060 has life again