OCZ DDR booster 'droop' mod

[persivore]

Hi guy's, been on holiday for more than 2 weeks..

Nice job persivore... I'd say this tread is worth to be a sticky 1

I still didn't try the mod on the booster, but I'm using separate mosfet's because I also need to regulate the vbt/vtt as my board's supllie is smoked.. Maybe we can make a 3rd version of the mod where u use the other half of the lm358n and a mosfet (irf640) to make a vbt/vtt supllie, because with only the booster, the vbt/vtt doesn't follow vdimm... I think the only extra components are a mosfet and 2 identical resistors and maybe a small cap..

When using a decent mosfet like a irf640 orso I don't think it's necessary to heatsink it as vbt/vtt doesn't draw big currents...

I'll say it again: Nice job persivore!!!

Rub

Thanks Rub
Vtt is specified to need a maximum of 3amps iirc, so almost any small power MOSFET should be ok for a Vtt regulator and it souldn't need a heatsink. I don't know if the motherboards Vtt supply will like having an extra voltage put across it, as with the Vdimm supply and the booster, but I don't see why it wouldn't work. Putting the Vtt supply on the booster would mean that you would have to mod your board tho, which people might not want to do. I'll look into that
I was thinking about using the unused 1/2 of the LM358 for OVP, but I didn't think that it would be necessary.

@ b|lly
Thats a good idea. Is there enough space around the Dimm slots for an active cooler?

[b|lly]

It all depends on the mobo design.

I have 2 GFX coolers here, 1 is from ti4200 and other from R9100. The on from R9100 is a round one and have 4.8cm in diameter. It can be fittet without any problem on most of the mobos I believe. But it only covers 3 mosfets, 4th is about half way left out. Bus since the fan blows outside the sink a lot I believe that wont be a problem.

The other cooler from ti4200 is 5.2cm × 5.2cm. If there is no capacitors right next to vdimm it's ok (look how abit as8 looks near vdimm, it cannot be fitted there).

This is a review of the round cooler I have here: http://www.datafuse.net/iceberq.php so you all know what i'm talking about

Otherwise...if anybody know about some cooler that have about 4.8cm width it can be fitted on booster without problems...

[Rub87]

I know u need to mod the board, but there is no other waynto let the vbt/vtt track vdimm properly on most boards... It's only 1 wire, on NF7-s you can easily use a smd grabber on the original vbt/vtt mosfet right onder dimm 3..

[b|lly]

U totaly rock man!

Just did the simple mod and it works perfectly. Now I just have to put it in more compact look and try to use an active cooling on the mosfets.

[gbglassen]

I think this guide deserves a sticky

[persivore]

I know u need to mod the board, but there is no other waynto let the vbt/vtt track vdimm properly on most boards... It's only 1 wire, on NF7-s you can easily use a smd grabber on the original vbt/vtt mosfet right onder dimm 3..

I forgot that you need to mod the board to follow Vtt, and just using an SMD grabber on the right pin would be much easier. I'll look into the idea some more

U totaly rock man!

Just did the simple mod and it works perfectly. Now I just have to put it in more compact look and try to use an active cooling on the mosfets.

Thanks
I'm trying to put a list together with boards that the modded booster has been tested with. Are you using it on an AS8 as you said earlier?

[Rub87]

If you put an NF7-s in front of you with socket side up,

The vbt/vtt mosfet is located right under dimm3..

The 2 upper left pins are vbt/vtt and the 2 upper right are Vdimm, so put a grabber one of the upper left pins..

If my board would have the mosfet on, I'd take picture, but the original supllie is removed so..

I think on most boards it will be able to use a grabber as mosfets can't be that small.. On most other boards the vbt/vtt mosfet is even bigger so if you know the correct spot, get a grabber and go

[b|lly]

I am finished you can see how it looks below.

Yes, I am using Abit AS8, but it's somehow "locked" to 3.5V highest...vdimm doesn't go higher, only VTT...strange though...

PS, sorry for bad quality, I dont have digitac camera, only my phone camera...

[Rub87]

Didn't knew Ati also makes ddr boosters

Nice!!!

[TEDY]

billy did you overclocked your ddr booster

[persivore]

I am finished you can see how it looks below.

Yes, I am using Abit AS8, but it's somehow "locked" to 3.5V highest...vdimm doesn't go higher, only VTT...strange though...

PS, sorry for bad quality, I dont have digitac camera, only my phone camera...

Nice work
The onlt thing that I can think of (other than the board limiting the Vdimm) are the vales for the limiting resistors. Have you checked that the resistors are the correct values?
Also, are you reading the Vdimm using a multimeter or the display on the booster?

[b|lly]

I've asked about the vdimm on the other mod section of this forum and I was toled that 3.5V is only limited on my mobo "software" called uGuru. It really raises up voltage, but it's just not showned. That's why my VTT goes up ... Both, bios and booster reading are "stucked" at 3.5V so I just check my VTT and multiply it by 2, to get my vdimm.... i'm still looking for a way to measure vdimm directly from mobo.

[Rub87]

Lol, do you have multimeter? Just measure vdimm on the booster itself, its the right pin of each mosfet from top view, you can easy measure at the back of the booster, It's the pin where no lead is going to...

Be carefull to not toucht the other pins, otherwise you make a shortcut between 5v and vdimm:p

[Rub87]

Voila!

[b|lly]

Oh...didn't know that. Thanks for the "tip"

I guess I'll have to weld another wire just for the measure purpose

[persivore]

I'm wondering anyone wants me to add a guide to add a Vtt regulator to the booster (it would require 2 equal value resistors and a small MOSFET), so that Vtt follows Vdimm. It would just require clipping something like an SMD grabber to the Vtt MOSFET leg beween the DDR bosoter and the motherboard, so you shouldn't need to solder directly to the board.
I wouldn't be able to test the mod myself, because my test board is too modded to get any reliable resuls, but I think that it should work.

[Rub87]

It works for me.. but there is one thing you can't do for some reason I don't yet know and that is: don't use vtt/vbt=vref mod on nf7-s while using the booster, this resulted in a burnt vtt mosfret on the board..

[HaMMuS]

I'm wondering anyone wants me to add a guide to add a Vtt regulator to the booster (it would require 2 equal value resistors and a small MOSFET), so that Vtt follows Vdimm. It would just require clipping something like an SMD grabber to the Vtt MOSFET leg beween the DDR bosoter and the motherboard, so you shouldn't need to solder directly to the board.
I wouldn't be able to test the mod myself, because my test board is too modded to get any reliable resuls, but I think that it should work.

Hey persivore, i would very much like you to add this mod to the booster, i dnt really want to be cutting traces on my NF7-S.

Many Thanks
Mikey

[Rub87]

Hey persivore, i would very much like you to add this mod to the booster, i dnt really want to be cutting traces on my NF7-S.

Many Thanks
Mikey

Lol, it's ot necessary to cut traces...

[HaMMuS]

Lol, it's ot necessary to cut traces...

It is if you're wanting to VTT mod, coz u sed earlier that the VTT=VREF kills your board, so surely the cut trace mod is the only other.....

Mikey

[gsan]

gbglassen,

could u post some clear of ur modd. ddr booster? i'm going to mod it soon. and tell me what tool i should prepare before modding it. thanks.

btw, the more complicated mod uses a regulated voltage which is taken from the 12v rail. if my psu 12v reading is 11.98v during ide and drop to 11.86-11.92v during full load, this mod will help much?

[Rub87]

It is if you're wanting to VTT mod, coz u sed earlier that the VTT=VREF kills your board, so surely the cut trace mod is the only other.....

Mikey

No,

I meant making use of the secondary OPAMP in the package and then you make with a small mosfet a VTT/VBT supllie wich will always track your vdimm perfectly..

I didn't meant the VREF=VTTVBT mod..

[persivore]

I've decided not to post how to make Vtt track using the second half of the booster, becasue I think that it might cause damage to some boards. If you really want to know how to do the mod, drop me a PM

gbglassen,

could u post some clear of ur modd. ddr booster? i'm going to mod it soon. and tell me what tool i should prepare before modding it. thanks.

btw, the more complicated mod uses a regulated voltage which is taken from the 12v rail. if my psu 12v reading is 11.98v during ide and drop to 11.86-11.92v during full load, this mod will help much?

As long as your 12v rail doesn't drop below 9v, and your 5v rail doesn't go below about 4.5v, the DDR supply shouldn't be effected by any of your voltage rails fluctuating. The regulated voltage in the complicated mod will only be effected if the 12v rail drops below 5.1v

[HaMMuS]

I didn't meant the VREF=VTTVBT mod..

Thanks for making it clear guys, i didnt mean any disrespect

@Persivore: You use all 3 pins of the 10K pot in the mod, am i right?

Thanks
Mikey

[persivore]

@Persivore: You use all 3 pins of the 10K pot in the mod, am i right?
Mikey

Yea, I used all 3 pins