Modded GeForce RTX 3070 with 16GB memory gets major 1% lows FPS boost

[StDragon]

I wouldn't put it past Nvidia to incorporate an e-fuse on the GPU to blow them to a fixed VRAM limit to prevent such modding; say in some future 5k or 6k series and beyond.

[TOMPPIX]

https://www.guru3d.com/news-story/modders-upgrade-amd-radeon-rx-5600-xt-to-12gb-memory-for-enhanced-gaming-performance.html

 

We need to be able to upgrade our vram. Otherwise companies will just try to fuck us over.

 

 

[Mark Kaine]

So how much does this mod cost anyway? Like the only interesting part in this, i couldn't care less about "lower lows" i need tha RAMS

[igormp]

35 minutes ago, Mark Kaine said:

So how much does this mod cost anyway? Like the only interesting part in this, i couldn't care less about "lower lows" i need tha RAMS

~$30 per memory chip (which you need 8 of) + soldering equipment or pay someone to do this for you.

[Mark Kaine]

1 hour ago, igormp said:

~$30 per memory chip (which you need 8 of) + soldering equipment or pay someone to do this for you.

I see, so probably 300 bucks minimum (really wanted to know what it costs "as a service") doesn't seem to be worth it imo... better get a used 3090 or something then  

[StDragon]

I understand that DirectStorage is to aid in the GPU in accessing assets from NVMe, but has any GPU ever had a hybrid design of GDDR as the primary VRAM, with DDR VRAM acting as a "slower" direct cache on the GPU itself? Given how expensive GDDR is, adding another 32GB of DDR as cache would be cheaper and maybe improve those 1% lows.

[igormp]

22 minutes ago, StDragon said:

I understand that DirectStorage is to aid in the GPU in accessing assets from NVMe, but has any GPU ever had a hybrid design of GDDR as the primary VRAM, with DDR VRAM acting as a "slower" direct cache on the GPU itself? Given how expensive GDDR is, adding another 32GB of DDR as cache would be cheaper and maybe improve those 1% lows.

DDR has way lower latency, but also bandwidth when compared to GDDR, like an order of magnitude slower. While your regular dual channel DDR4~5 CPU can do 50~90GB/s, even something puny like a 3050 with its 128-bit bus can do way more than 200GB/s. A 3090/4090 can do like 1TB/s.

 

Other than that, adding such DDR chips would require extra memory controllers and channels, which take space and cost money, so you'd be better off just adding regular GDDR modules instead.

[Kisai]

On 4/30/2023 at 7:57 PM, StDragon said:

I wouldn't put it past Nvidia to incorporate an e-fuse on the GPU to blow them to a fixed VRAM limit to prevent such modding; say in some future 5k or 6k series and beyond.

Why bother. The amount of people who will do such a mod are probably in the low dozens. Especially since the cost between one GPU and a better one with more VRAM is about the same as performing the mod.

 

It's more likely that we'll probably see some "re-marked" GPU's where repaired units get dropped onto ebay as 3070 16GB cards when they're actually 3060's to try and scam people who don't know.

 

I've seen this first hand with various other counterfeit/remarked parts.  Usually the parts are marketed as what they are supposed to be, but as soon as you stick it into a Linux machine where the hacked drivers aren't used, the gig is up.

 

[StDragon]

36 minutes ago, Kisai said:

Why bother. The amount of people who will do such a mod are probably in the low dozens. Especially since the cost between one GPU and a better one with more VRAM is about the same as performing the mod.

 

It's more likely that we'll probably see some "re-marked" GPU's where repaired units get dropped onto ebay as 3070 16GB cards when they're actually 3060's to try and scam people who don't know.

 

Counterfeit has been an issue with a hacked VBIOS for some time now.

 

However, I could see a scenario play out where some vendor in Asia purchases a bunch of cheap OEM GPUs and VRAM to mod and dump them on Alibaba.