8800Ultra + BlackGate Recap

[NapalmV5]

*** please mod your own risk ***

big boost for all clocks (core/shader/mem)

recap stock to higher capacitance/lower esr


cap vacant c111/c112/c114/c116

[Dr_Swizz]

That is a nice clockspeed increase. I didn't knew that such a "simple" mod could make such a difference.

[NapalmV5]

its not just clock increase.. PQ aswell

the caps in the pic above are the 1000uf.. right now im on the 1500uf and PQ improved over the 1000uf

ive never seen this level of texture/detail before on the 8800

no core gain just some shader/memory mhz

next attempt: 2200uf caps

[munim]

Whoa! Could you explain in Layman's terms what you've done or how this works?

[Nosfer@tu]

Thx for sharing mate

[theclash]

Great mod! Are these standard Blackgates, or are they the K series?

[nfm]

Great effort, especially on the Auzentech cards before. You stated +20Mhz in the first post but no gain in the second. I don't see how caps can improve picture quality. I tried recapping before and soldering in parallel to each phases using Panasonic FM series with zero improvements, most likely placebo effect in your case. Too much capacitance just ruins the circuit, but with BlackGates caps you never know .

[7499richard]

where did you get the caps from?

do you think 3300 and 3900 would be too much? I've got 2 cards to do and two old mobos with 5 of each...

you also did the OCP, OVP mods as well? Can you say exactly what you did for those, the thread is pretty jumbled and includes lots of stuff on GTS, GT's as well (this thread http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...d.php?t=162124)

TIA

edit: nm these caps are only 6.3V and they need to be 16V, looks like I will be getting some...

also gonna do the chokes and caps and ovp mod... any advice?

[NapalmV5]

Whoa! Could you explain in Layman's terms what you've done or how this works?

ive removed the five little stock 180uf caps in the pic and replaced with high quality audio caps: blackgates

if you read up a bit on caps/blackgates.. these caps increase/expand frequency.. filter/remove noise.. etc

Thx for sharing mate

sure mate

Great mod! Are these standard Blackgates, or are they the K series?

the FK.. the 1000uf one is an amazing cap

Great effort, especially on the Auzentech cards before. You stated +20Mhz in the first post but no gain in the second. I don't see how caps can improve picture quality. I tried recapping before and soldering in parallel to each phases using Panasonic FM series with zero improvements, most likely placebo effect in your case. Too much capacitance just ruins the circuit, but with BlackGates caps you never know .

well even vcore modded 750 core wasnt stable.. so im not surprised there is no gain from the 1500uf theres only so much caps can do.. im suspecting some parts on the card are hindering anymore than 740 stable

idk how the panasonic fm do.. but these blackgates warranted 20 core and 50 shader/mem: 740/1800/2400DDR and i can game at these clocks nonstop - just wasnt able to do this before no way no how

as for picture quality idk what to say.. im not that knowledgeable to tell you guys why it has improved.. in my own words probably these caps push more of the graphics the gpu produces to the display what i can tell you guys for sure is that im just enjoying the results im getting..

where did you get the caps from?

do you think 3300 and 3900 would be too much? I've got 2 cards to do and two old mobos with 5 of each...

you also did the OCP, OVP mods as well? Can you say exactly what you did for those, the thread is pretty jumbled and includes lots of stuff on GTS, GT's as well (this thread http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...d.php?t=162124)

TIA

edit: nm these caps are only 6.3V and they need to be 16V, looks like I will be getting some...

also gonna do the chokes and caps and ovp mod... any advice?

from soniccraft.. @ canada you can getem from partsconnexion

idk what kind of effect the 2200/3300/or more would have on the card/gpu.. so far i only went 1500uf

the only vmod i did was the vcore mod but since then ive removed it.. too much heat for air cooling and i got an ac x8800 cooler on now

highest ive taken it to on the vcore mod + caps is 770/2100/2500DDR - light benching

i wouldve done the choke/caps mods in that thread but theres no more space to work with on air cooling.. if id go water/phase than yeh..

ovp: i didnt get to need that mod

if youre gonna do any vmod no less than water cooling

yeh go ahead and do the chokes/caps and see what u get out of that

good luck

[NapalmV5]

well i went back to the 1000uf FK but paralleled

not pretty but works


without a doubt i can say that caps do have an affect on lighting/shading/texturing/coloring.. though not all textures are affected

ETQW looks better on the 1500uf NX: more lighting/depth

UT3 looks better on the 1000uf FK: more shading

looks like ill be installing caps suited to the game lol

up to you guys to try.. just sharing with you guys what i do

unfortunately still no 750 core.. that will be another project

[nfm]

Looks great , what do you use to remove smd caps, what tip and how many watts? You should try soldering one cap for each phase, there are 4 on your ultra. Next time try recapping a mobo especially memory/northbridge/cpu phases to see how these blackgates perform .

[andressergio]

Is this same to the 8800GTX ?

[7499richard]

Is this same to the 8800GTX ?

Yes it is

[NapalmV5]

Looks great , what do you use to remove smd caps, what tip and how many watts? You should try soldering one cap for each phase, there are 4 on your ultra. Next time try recapping a mobo especially memory/northbridge/cpu phases to see how these blackgates perform .

just my fingers to remove smd caps just like i removed the 74 smd caps on the xmeridian

yeh the 4 caps @ phase i would replace but since im using air cooling no space for even 12.5mm caps.. maybe 10mm caps would fit.. before ill sacrifice the card to the oc gods ill use 2200uf gb nx there

ive attempted recap on mars but somehow ive managed to splatter solder onto the back of the mobo was quick to remove and it removed traces with it.. so i didnt get to find out what the 1000uf fk can do on the mobo

[andressergio]

just my fingers to remove smd caps just like i removed the 74 smd caps on the xmeridian

yeh the 4 caps @ phase i would replace but since im using air cooling no space for even 12.5mm caps.. maybe 10mm caps would fit.. before ill sacrifice the card to the oc gods ill use 2200uf gb nx there

ive attempted recap on mars but somehow ive managed to splatter solder onto the back of the mobo was quick to remove and it removed traces with it.. so i didnt get to find out what the 1000uf fk can do on the mobo

Congrats pal, should changing the caps on my 8800GTX the normal one could make me go further ?

Cheers
Sergio

[bowman]

I really want to vmod and do this to my 8800GTX now.. Crazyness.

[andressergio]

I really want to vmod and do this to my 8800GTX now.. Crazyness.

you should you'll get damn good clocks...I get it to 702/1836/2106 i don't know how far i can get it whit this cap mod....

Cheers
Sergio

[bowman]

I'll look into it in December when I get back home. This thing is going to last me well into the DX11 generation. What a great card.

[RaZz!]

could you do some screenshots where we are able to actually see the pq improvements? i'm curious to see your results

[RejZoR]

Sorry, but i still have doubts about these miraculous image improvements just by changing caps. I do think it does change the sound a bit on soundcards, but no way for digital 3D graphics. It's all based on how GPU processes the elements, not some silly caps. And especially not with digital connectivity where DAC's aren't even used. You may get some more stability or OC potential if used on PWM part but nothing else.

[NapalmV5]

Congrats pal, should changing the caps on my 8800GTX the normal one could make me go further ?

Cheers
Sergio

why not? sure itll make it go further but itll depend on what kind/and the quality of the caps youre gonna use

read up a bit on on how/what caps/blackgates do and youll get a better understanding of caps and why your clocks will go increase

could you do some screenshots where we are able to actually see the pq improvements? i'm curious to see your results

i got ut3/etqw installed atm.. what map/screen shots would you like to compare?

ill post some pics later today when i got time..

Sorry, but i still have doubts about these miraculous image improvements just by changing caps. I do think it does change the sound a bit on soundcards, but no way for digital 3D graphics. It's all based on how GPU processes the elements, not some silly caps. And especially not with digital connectivity where DAC's aren't even used. You may get some more stability or OC potential if used on PWM part but nothing else.

well believe it or not the change these caps do on soundcards is miraculous! have you used blackgates on soundcards? or some half arsed cheap caps that do worse than the stock ones.. and just because you didnt get better results than no else is?

im not talking miraculous image improvement.. just more of what the gpu produces to the display.. when i got an 8800gt for a friend i noticed better pq than on my ultra.. it could well just be that the stock caps were not performing the way they shouldve been..

-

look guys im not here to prove anything to anyone.. just sharing what i do/results i get.. dont like it/have doubts stay away! dont attempt!

only those that will attempt will reap the benefits.. even if your not gonna notice any image improvement youll surely get higher clocks

and i surely didnt post this mod to get any glory

[andressergio]

why not? sure itll make it go further but itll depend on what kind/and the quality of the caps youre gonna use

read up a bit on on how/what caps/blackgates do and youll get a better understanding of caps and why your clocks will go increase




i got ut3/etqw installed atm.. what map/screen shots would you like to compare?

ill post some pics later today when i got time..

well believe it or not the change these caps do on soundcards is miraculous! have you used blackgates on soundcards? or some half arsed cheap caps that do worse than the stock ones.. and just because you didnt get better results than no else is?

im not talking miraculous image improvement.. just more of what the gpu produces to the display.. when i got an 8800gt for a friend i noticed better pq than on my ultra.. it could well just be that the stock caps were not performing the way they shouldve been..

-

look guys im not here to prove anything to anyone.. just sharing what i do/results i get.. dont like it/have doubts stay away! dont attempt!

only those that will attempt will reap the benefits.. even if your not gonna notice any image improvement youll surely get higher clocks

and i surely didnt post this mod to get any glory

Thank you pal

[RejZoR]

I said it can change sound on soundcards but not image on graphic cards. It's just not logical and makes no sense. Maybe on CRT and even there i doubt it, but with LCD through DVI, no way.
Must be placebo thing going on there. I'm not saying that you have to prove me anything but those results just don't make any sense without some kind of proof.

[NapalmV5]

Thank you pal

youre welcome mate

I said it can change sound on soundcards but not image on graphic cards. It's just not logical and makes no sense. Maybe on CRT and even there i doubt it, but with LCD through DVI, no way.
Must be placebo thing going on there. I'm not saying that you have to prove me anything but those results just don't make any sense without some kind of proof.

yeh right you said it can change.. youve dissed my soundcard mods cause it hasnt work for you the same way.. thats your problem.. you said youve recapped and yet you sound like you have no idea what a cap does and how it works.. seems nothing is logical/makes sense to you.. again your problem

sorry im not your beeach, you want proof do/try it yourself

there are many cap knowledgeable people that have used blackgates @ video.. go screw their brains if you want more proof

if you think youre smartarser than anyone else.. show me what youve got.. show me a freaking mod that makes sense and for crying outloud make it freaking logical!

[nfm]

idk how the panasonic fm do.. but these blackgates warranted 20 core and 50 shader/mem: 740/1800/2400DDR and i can game at these clocks nonstop - just wasnt able to do this before no way no how

I think Panasonic FM are overhyped, specs are really good so is the price, but nowhere near the BlackGates so probably that's why I didn't see anything improved, they helped on my Prelude X-Fi but not on 8800GT maybe because of 2-phase PWM that is really weak and cheap to start with. I still have to try BlackGates on a graphics card, I only have 2 caps ATM on my Prelude X-Fi, these things are expensive to mess around .

just my fingers to remove smd caps just like i removed the 74 smd caps on the xmeridian

Now that's clever when done right , I had 50/50 success ripping them off so I still need to practice. When soldering in parallel to existing cap, do you think that it would be best to take of the original cap so it doesn't interfere, or it doesn't matter? Thanks.