IC7/G AGP Voltage mod

[Amperage]

A few pictures below show the locations for the mod.. this also changes the northbridge voltage along with agp so be careful how much voltage you apply.

once again our little winbond friend is responsible for takin care of the voltages we need to change



this first picture shows the pin which reads the agp voltage and adjusts the driving voltage accordingly.

I also circled the place I soldered the trim pot. this is also the point you need to connect to ground through a set resistance.. I used 33kohm



This picture shows the trace that needs cut.. there is no resistor between the winbond chip and the agp supply voltage so you will need to cut this trace. I found it convenient to cut mine here but feel free to do it anywhere you like along the path.



This final picture shows the power mosfet that handles the current for the agp slot.. the arrow points to the leg you will need to solder the other leg of the trim pot to. I used a 10kohm 15 turn trimmer from radioshack.. you can use whatever you are comfortable with just so long as it provides up to the ohm value you need for the voltage you want. To increase my agp voltage .15v above what was set in the bios i had to adjust my trim pot to 4k exactly. the higher the value the more voltage you get.

[Xenogias]

Amperage. I am looking to perform this very mod because I would love agp voltage over 1.65. I think this abit mobo is held back most by a lack of agp voltage options. Could you share some of your latest results with us? I would love to see what more NB voltage is doing for fsb overclocks.

[LikwidKool]

Thanks amperage, this is good info. I just did the vmem today, and it is working quite nicely. I just don't like cutting traces. I guess we'll see what the vmem get's me.

[Amperage]

hey guys

as for what it gave me... more stability at tighter mem timings. still can't do better than 300fsb stable :/ .. I'm almost positive it's a IC7 bios issue at this point. I noticed that using 1.55v agp setting I couldn't ru better than 290fsb stable. increasing to 1.65v gave me 300fsb stable but unfortunately I've run up to 1.85v agp with no gains fsb wise.. only increased memory stability.

[Xenogias]

maybe some sub-ambient cooling on the nb is in order....I know this board is capable of high fsbs...There are several doing better than 325mhz on that japanese High FSB ranking list.

[LardArse]

Hi Amperage. I'm a little confused on this mod so I hope you can shed some light. Is the following correct?

First, I solder a 33kohm resistor at circled spot and ground this resistor. Next, I cut the trace right beside the words R122, the trace at the extreme right excluding the traces that make a much tighter turn. Next, I solder a 10kohm VR to the longer end of the trace and then solder the other end of VR to mosfet leg. I turn this VR to adjust.
Is this correct?

[CATCH22ATPLAY]

Strange that raising agp volts would raise northie volts as well. You do know that agp volts go into the northie chip. But that it's not actually northy supply voltage. you would need to use a 500k ohm or 250k ohm variable resistor from pin 5 to pin 8 on the lm358 chip located left of northie to increase northie volts. Also instead of doing all that stuff you did why not just mod the lm358 chip next to that mosfet in your pic. The one right below and to the right of agp slot. Possibly pin 6 to pin 4 with a 50k ohm Vr would work. Seems to me it would work perfectly. If i didn't fry my ic7 from condensation i'd test the last one. But i'm fairly sure it'll do the trick.

[LardArse]

Catch, I did both mods you suggested, VR to pin 5 and also VR to pin 6 but no changes were noticed from AGP voltage or any other voltages monitored in bios.

[CATCH22ATPLAY]

Strange but i'm fairly sure i used the lm358 to do it. Wish i didn't fry the mobo or i wish i took better notes. Hmm perhaps removing R134 and doing it just like you do the VDD mod would also work. Although i didn't do it that way i just ohmed it out on this fried mobo and that looks like the correct resistor imo. If i'm wrong don't worry. It's a 0 ohm resitor anyways. So just make a solder joint across both sides to repair it. I'm usually not wrong though. But i am known for frying other peoples stuff. hehe

[LardArse]

Catch, do you mean like the Vdimm mod? As in connecting the 2 traces with a 1kohm VR?
The Northie voltage mod, is it monitored throught the bios AGP VDDQ monitor or do I need to manually maesure it? For the 2 mods you suggested, I measured the VAGP manually through mosfet leg but it remains at 1.66v throughout. I need to know the measuring method else I wouldn't know if the mods work or not.

[LardArse]

Catch, silly me. Did the wrong LM358 chip. There's another at the lower end of board. Did pin 5 on the one above AGP slot and measured mosfet leg above AGP slot. Didn't have 500kohm pot, used a 50k and NB (I assume?) voltage drops from 1.47v to 1.40v. I'll try 100k to see if it ups it or lower it.

[LardArse]

500k ohms give me 1.47 which is the default on my board. I think I need a 1000k ohm VR to tweak with.

Edit: Did the pin 5 and 8 instead of pin 5 to ground. 300k ohms give around 1.7v from default of 1.47v. Think 500k ohms is a good start.

[CATCH22ATPLAY]

Originally posted by LardArse
500k ohms give me 1.47 which is the default on my board. I think I need a 1000k ohm VR to tweak with.

Edit: Did the pin 5 and 8 instead of pin 5 to ground. 300k ohms give around 1.7v from default of 1.47v. Think 500k ohms is a good start.

LOL were my instructions that hard to understand?? OK glad you got the Northy mod to work. Now try the AGP mod again with any of the 3 mods i suggested. Let us know which works the best. Oh and 1.70 volts for my northy was way too much. I found 1.625 perfect and 1.650 absolute max. But it's like a cpu in that yours may like higher voltages and or if your cooling is better than mine i'd think above 1.625 would be fine. My northy cooling is a very decent heatsink/fan i've been using for a year or so now. "Caution" be careful with pin 8 on that lm358. It's 12v if i remember correctly. Pin 8 is VCC and pin5 is IN2+ and pin6 is IN2-. Usually lowering resistance of IN2- to ground increases volts. If that doesn't work then lowering resistance from pin8 (vcc) to pin5 usually does the trick. PIn2 IN1- and pin3 IN1+ can be used as well. pin4 is ground. Don't ever mess with pin1 or pin 7. Mosfet gate drivers i'll assume.

[LardArse]

Originally posted by CATCH22ATPLAY
LOL were my instructions that hard to understand?? OK glad you got the Northy mod to work. Now try the AGP mod again with any of the 3 mods i suggested. Let us know which works the best. Oh and 1.70 volts for my northy was way too much. I found 1.625 perfect and 1.650 absolute max. But it's like a cpu in that yours may like higher voltages and or if your cooling is better than mine i'd think above 1.625 would be fine. My northy cooling is a very decent heatsink/fan i've been using for a year or so now. "Caution" be careful with pin 8 on that lm358. It's 12v if i remember correctly. Pin 8 is VCC and pin5 is IN2+ and pin6 is IN2-. Usually lowering resistance of IN2- to ground increases volts. If that doesn't work then lowering resistance from pin8 (vcc) to pin5 usually does the trick. PIn2 IN1- and pin3 IN1+ can be used as well. pin4 is ground. Don't ever mess with pin1 or pin 7. Mosfet gate drivers i'll assume.

Hmm I'll hold off the AGP pin 6 mod for the moment, doesn't seem that useful and it didn't boot up once when I tried it. Regarding the DDR VTT, do you think there's any help modding this since I've already vdimm modded?

[CATCH22ATPLAY]

It's possible modding VTT may help stabilty. But since it tracks to 1/2 of VDD even after you did the Vdimm mod i just don't see a need for it. The 2 resistors that set VTT are located above where you did the Vmem aka VDD mod. Just left and slightly above where you modded for VDD is a blue/purple capacitor between dim2 and 3. Just above that capacitor the first 2 resistors is the resistor divider network to set VTT. Bottom of resistor on the right is ground. Bottom of left resistor is VDD. Tops of both resistors is VTT. I don't know how everyone else sets VTT. But that is where it should be done. That's where abit sets it and that's where i'd set it. I checked my IC7 before i fried it. When i set VDD to 3.2 then VTT was 1.60 exactly. Uncommonly perfect imo. I've tried raising VTT above more than 1/2 of VDD and didn't notice a performance or stability increase. But some mobos i've had required me to do an independant VTT increase. My opinion is check and see if your VTT is 1/2 of VDD. If it is maybe just leave it alone. However i'd like user opinions on wether running VTT above 1/2 of VDD has benifitted anyone. OK back to Pirates Of The Caribbean

[Szymek]

Originally posted by CATCH22ATPLAY
LOL were my instructions that hard to understand?? OK glad you got the Northy mod to work. Now try the AGP mod again with any of the 3 mods i suggested. Let us know which works the best. Oh and 1.70 volts for my northy was way too much. I found 1.625 perfect and 1.650 absolute max. But it's like a cpu in that yours may like higher voltages and or if your cooling is better than mine i'd think above 1.625 would be fine. My northy cooling is a very decent heatsink/fan i've been using for a year or so now. "Caution" be careful with pin 8 on that lm358. It's 12v if i remember correctly. Pin 8 is VCC and pin5 is IN2+ and pin6 is IN2-. Usually lowering resistance of IN2- to ground increases volts. If that doesn't work then lowering resistance from pin8 (vcc) to pin5 usually does the trick. PIn2 IN1- and pin3 IN1+ can be used as well. pin4 is ground. Don't ever mess with pin1 or pin 7. Mosfet gate drivers i'll assume.

So will

L358 pin 5 -> VR -> ground

increase Vnorth ?

[CATCH22ATPLAY]

No it won't. Have can use the lift pin 6 method or cheat like i do and use a 250k or 500k ohm resistor from pin 8 which is 12v or from any 5v line or from any 3.3v line to pin 5. Raising the volts on pin 5 will raise Vnorth. Semi dangerous mod but it does work great.

[Szymek]

Originally posted by CATCH22ATPLAY
No it won't. Have can use the lift pin 6 method or cheat like i do and use a 250k or 500k ohm resistor from pin 8 which is 12v or from any 5v line or from any 3.3v line to pin 5. Raising the volts on pin 5 will raise Vnorth. Semi dangerous mod but it does work great.

So:

On the LM left to the NB:


pin5 -> vr(500k) -> pin8 or pin5 ->vr(500k)->ie 5V


will do the trick ?

Starting VR from the max value down...


Can I use it on both LM's (AGP one & NB one) ?

Cheers catch

PS,
Stop me if I'm wrong before tommorow coz I'm going to mod my IC7 at will

[Szymek]

Hello all readers



I've just modded my NB voltage the Catch22' way

Did the same on the AGP LM regulator but it has NO INFLUENCE on voltage AT ALL


Catch22 - you read this ? Where are you ?

The LM that controls AGP supply won't let to be fooled by your method... WHY ??


YOU vMODDERS are great

[CATCH22ATPLAY]

I mod so many mobos and my notes are so terrible i haven't a clue. I'll have to test it again. I recently tried modding my ic7 and it didn't work for me. But there's always a way. I'll figure it out or find it in my notes somewhere.

[shortcircuit]

Originally posted by CATCH22ATPLAY
No it won't. Have can use the lift pin 6 method or cheat like i do and use a 250k or 500k ohm resistor from pin 8 which is 12v or from any 5v line or from any 3.3v line to pin 5. Raising the volts on pin 5 will raise Vnorth. Semi dangerous mod but it does work great.

Hehe, I tried that mod but screwed up and used a 50K VR instead of 500K. It was late at night. The board started snapping and popping like popcorn.

[CATCH22ATPLAY]

wooops!! Well i guess you can be like me and buy 3 or 4 of em.

[Szymek]

hey catch.

would it be safe to ground pin 6 trough a vr like you said ? i don't want to try that and said 'it fried my mobo don't try this at home...'

how did you perform your agp vmod ?

[Shadrag]

Where are you guys measuring the NB voltage? I have an IS7 and I tried this mod on the LM that is to the left on the NB. I connected pin 5 and 8 (which is the first and last pin on the side opposite the bold white line on the mobo around the chip?) with a 1M ohm pot. I have turned the pot down pretty low, but with no noticable results. Once I know where I can measure the voltage then I can see if my mod is working. Thanks.

[Shadrag]

There is a mosfet between the LM chip and the agp slot, measuring a leg and ground gives me 1.45-ish v, which seems to be the correct amount...