GTX285 various mods.. which may work for GTX260/280/295 also

[10acjed]

Nope not for me. Only thing to bring those temps is furmark, I just got done with 3 hours of warhead at 4x AA 1920x1200 with SLI.

not me either, i run 16850x1050 with 4xAA and never see temps higher than 70-72. OCCT fullscreen will get me to 85c in 5 min, but if no game will do that, why bother...

[MisterMagoo]

I have a question. Is running 1.26v on stock clocks bad? I need to break in my new cards for SLI but already did the mod. I run my fans at 100% all the time, will the voltage hurt anything? I am guessing not since people are running 1.3 on 280s with the voltage tuner.

[10acjed]

So is anyone seeing any gains from this?

So far I am running at 1.28 vGpu, up from my normal 1.18. But I have only gained 25MHz on my core, I went from 725 to 756, the next step higher and it crashes..

shader clock is the same as before, any higher and games crash as well..

I havent started testing memory clock yet.....

[SAE]

^^ Needs better cooling, else it won't improve clocks.

[10acjed]

^^ Needs better cooling, else it won't improve clocks.

I am seeing 73c when games crash... Thats about 3-5c higher than I was with 1.18v at stable OC...

would that little of an increase cause instability? I would think these cards could handle temps in the 70's, I had it up to 85c in OCCT GPU test with no crashes or errors at current stable clocks...

[MisterMagoo]

Cooling is def. not the issue. Some cards just dont like high clocks. One of my cards hits 775/1740/1525 and one barely gets over evga FTW speeds. I have only had the second for a day so I hope it clocks better after a bit of a break in.

[NapalmV5]

However I pencil the resistor with 2B, I can't reduce the resistance more than 600 ohm (stock was ~750ohm acc.to my DMM), I'm still on 1.22v, but this is better then 1.15v.

I'm quite certain Napalm used pencil as an experiment to identify the target resistor. Pencil mods are uncontrollable and not advisable. There is a hard mod you can do as shown, the solder point is as easy as it gets. Then you have total control.

If you absolutely must use a pencil instead, try one with a higher graphite content.

yeh dont use #2 HB for ex. no good

i used just a #2 and went over the resistor good.. no mercy

i got it as low as 320ohm

400-500ohm noticeable vcore increase


updated step #3

[NapalmV5]

Well those two patterns do match the patterns from the VR11 8bit table referring to the two voltages you mentioned. However I'm not sure what 'reference' voltage you refer to is.

In theory just altering the vdiff signal at pin 17 should be sufficient to raise/lower vgpu as necessary.

If you are thinking there is a maximum limit of 1.39375v imposed on the vgpu byt the diode arrangement, the only real way to test that semi-safely is put the card on water using a full cover block (covering mosfets as well) or even DICE if you have a pot and insulation and ramping the vgpu up.

Yeah I was thinking you meant the max voltage set by those VID pins. Its definitely worth a try. I wish I had 2 cards, one for experimentation and one to use full time.

so i moved diode @ d19 to d18 on the amp 285.. now vcore remains the same 1.24v at bootup/2D/3D.. load i didnt get to try cause as soon as it os boots after couple of seconds screen goes blank.. im gonna try higher resistance @ vdiff and see if that stabilizes



D19/D18 both trace to Q44
D15/D14 both trace to Q42

the rest are vacant

[CryptiK]

They really cut back on these cards, the 280's are built so much better. Also the 280's have such a superior voltage controller, this cheap intersil and only 4 vid choices is laughable.

I'm a little concerned about what the PWM can take, there only 2 mosfets per phase, it reminds me of the 8800GT with only 2 phases with 3 fets per phase. There is a space for another fet in each phase but seems like they didnt use it for cost cutting reasons.

I wonder how much current they can take before they blow?

[MisterMagoo]

I sure hope they can take what I am putting through them! Maybe this is another reason for no voltage tuner, not just the vreg themselves.

[dengyong]

^ lol its finally out of intensive trauma unit and doing well now

^ unfortunately isl6327 + rt: no go


well after numerous recaps heres the final recap on the ssc:

4 x kemet 470uf 6.3V tantalum @ gpu/2 x kemet 330uf 10V tantalum @ mem


1 x kemet 330uf 10V tantalum @ mem/4 x kemet 470uf 6.3V tantalum @ gpu


clocks back @ ~800/1750/1500 @ ETQW

no loss @ clocks/performance

as for gain.. instead of the bulky caps on the back.. these kemet caps perform just as good and keep temps down

the cornell fim caps are bulky themselves and the leads would be even longer so i didnt even bother.. the small film caps would go better

NapalmV5, would you recommend this mod for my card ?

[NapalmV5]

They really cut back on these cards, the 280's are built so much better. Also the 280's have such a superior voltage controller, this cheap intersil and only 4 vid choices is laughable.

I'm a little concerned about what the PWM can take, there only 2 mosfets per phase, it reminds me of the 8800GT with only 2 phases with 3 fets per phase. There is a space for another fet in each phase but seems like they didnt use it for cost cutting reasons.

I wonder how much current they can take before they blow?

I sure hope they can take what I am putting through them! Maybe this is another reason for no voltage tuner, not just the vreg themselves.

exactly .. hence the 1.26vcore limit

[NapalmV5]

NapalmV5, would you recommend this mod for my card ?

just @ vacant C561-4 (1st post)

4 x 4V-10V 1500uF electrolytic caps

or

4 x 4V-10V 330uf/470uf/680uf/1000uf tantalum caps


i guarantee higher core clock

[dengyong]

just @ vacant C561-4 (1st post)

4 x 4V-10V 1500uF electrolytic caps

or

4 x 4V-10V 330uf/470uf/680uf/1000uf tantalum caps


i guarantee clock increase

Thank you, could you recommend an online store for parts.

[NapalmV5]

i mainly use digikey.. sometimes newark.. theres arrownac many others

[NapalmV5]

@ digikey

enter capacitor @ search

click tantalum caps

apply 4mOhm esr filter - lowest esr tantalum they got

and you get the kemet 680uf 4v cap

http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...=399-4817-1-ND

13.25$ a pop


they also got low esr electrolytic caps @ lower $

1200uf http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...me=493-3065-ND

you can even go with this 2.5v 1500uf http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...me=493-3061-ND

you can go with surface mount caps but you gotta find the right size no more than 6mm which is too small for proper cap

[NapalmV5]

as for the 8 x 100uf 16v 24mohm esr chemicon stock caps..

im going for this 9mohm esr 470uf 16v nichicon
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...me=493-3019-ND

and 10mohm esr 470uf 16v chemicon
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...me=565-3234-ND

ill try both

+ http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...me=493-3061-ND @ C561-4

[dengyong]

@ digikey

enter capacitor @ search

click tantalum caps

apply 4mOhm esr filter - lowest esr tantalum they got

and you get the kemet 680uf 4v cap

http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...=399-4817-1-ND

13.25$ a pop

Ordered, thanks

[NapalmV5]

already?

i got the same 680uf kemet on the amp 285

was able to play grid ~5min @ 800/1800/1485 on the stock cooler

if your gonna water your gonna do better than that

you can reuse the caps on smtg else after youre done with 285.. worthy investment

[NapalmV5]

update

1/2/3/4/11/12 bridged

1.30vcore @ load

anyone want to confirm ?

[CryptiK]

I have 1.24v load with 1/2/3/4/11/12, I have been running that config since yesterday. I get the exact same vgpu with 1/2/3/4/11 bridged, adding vid 12 made no difference.

[NapalmV5]

thanks Cryptik

yes still am.. i cleaned off the vdiff resistor

though i recapped the back C561-4 to 680uf 4v kemet and front to 8x1000uf 25v bg nx

why am i @ 1.30vcore load.. hmm

[Blkout]

Sounds like you have high ambients or a bad HSF mount. I replaced the stock thermal paste with MX-2 and with the fan on auto I get 85*C load in Crysis with the fan at ~72% and that's with 1.23/1.24v load. With the fan at 80 - 85% it holds temps in Crysis to ~78*C.

No and no. 37c ambient in an enclosed case is just fine, at least that's according to Everest, it stays 21c in my house most of the time so everything is just fine. My stock paste has also been replaced with MX-2 and it helped idle temps by 2-3c but didn't do anything for load temps using Crysis.


UPDATE: I believe I see how you guys are keeping your temps down. I've been using the auto fan setting which gradually raises fan speed as needed, but in doing so, it will allow the GPU to reach 85c before the fan ramps up to 100%. Usually Crysis will drive my temps to 85c within a few minutes at the auto fan setting and then it just maintains 83-85c with the fan running near 100%. I just played Crysis for about 10 minutes with the fan set manually to 85% and temps never went above 72c. I guess once temps really start to climb up around 80-85c, it's hard for the fan to bring them back down below 80c, so if you turn the fan up manually, the temps just never reach those levels.

[NapalmV5]

change has definitely occurred.. vdiff resistor back @ 770ohm

and im getting 1.30vcore @ load just by the bridges alone

still trying to figure out where how why im getting .04v higher

btw this is on the ssc 285

[Blkout]

No and no. 37c ambient in an enclosed case is just fine, at least that's according to Everest, it stays 21c in my house most of the time so everything is just fine. My stock paste has also been replaced with MX-2 and it helped idle temps by 2-3c but didn't do anything for load temps using Crysis.


UPDATE: I believe I see how you guys are keeping your temps down. I've been using the auto fan setting which gradually raises fan speed as needed, but in doing so, it will allow the GPU to reach 85c before the fan ramps up to 100%. Usually Crysis will drive my temps to 85c within a few minutes at the auto fan setting and then it just maintains 83-85c with the fan running near 100%. I just played Crysis for about 10 minutes with the fan set manually to 85% and temps never went above 72c. I guess once temps really start to climb up around 80-85c, it's hard for the fan to bring them back down below 80c, so if you turn the fan up manually, the temps just never reach those levels.

One more update:

Since changing my fan speed manually to 100%, my vanilla eVGA 285 reached new stable clock speeds.

Best clock speeds with fan set to auto is 729c/1620s/1458m.

Best clock speeds with fan set to 100% is 756c/1656s/1512m.


My silver conductive pen should be here Tuesday and I think I might go ahead and order a FC block today seeing that reduced temps seem to have more affect than I would have thought on my clock speeds. I certainly can't live with the stock fan set to anything above 65% for everyday use.