Modding Radeon 7950

[Xeon1396]

So this is a far out idea but I am wondering if this is possible. On a gen2 reference card of the MSI Radeon 7950 it has two 6pin power. While on some other 7950s they had a 6 + 8 indicating it might be built on a 7970 PCB and then the 7950 could be flashed to full power of a 7970. The main question is, is it possible to remove one 6 pin and add the 8 pin connection as the PCB has solder points for the 8 pin, and then have more power going to the card. Then flash 7970 bios on it. This is an extremely weird question but I mean would it work. Is it possible at all, or will the card just kill itself?

[juretrn]

Short answer : no.

Power delivery is made for those cards with 6+8 differently than for those with 6+6.

7950 is also a cut down version of the 7970 chip. Cannot be flashed into one, it's physically different.

[AnUnQuietMind]

Its possible, but A, its terribly difficult to do without destroying your card. B, it voids your warranty. C, itn would have to be a card that has a duel bios switch to flash the bios with and i don't believe reference 7950's have that.

So i wouldn't do it...

[Xeon1396]

Ok good to know. Also warranty is out on this card and it does have a dual bios switch. Also why I was thinking it would work.

[-rascal-]

1. You cannot flash a HD 7950 to a HD 7970. The extra shaders are not simply disabled, like what happened on the HD 6970 / 6950, but instead they are completely severed off.

2. The two solder points for the extra two pins are present, but the PCB trace and the where it connects to on the rest of the card could have been removed.