Nvidia’s latest series of graphics cards are already quite powerful, capable of running games in ever-higher definition and with more frames. Any of the 30 series cards would be a nice upgrade, with slight differences between the lineup. The benchmark tests for the RTX 3060 Ti, for example, rival that of the more expensive RTX 3070. The only problem is finding these cards in the first place. While supply is low, owning a new Nvidia card is already a win, but one hardware enthusiast wasn’t content with their RTX 3070, instead choosing to modify it to take its performance off the charts.
Most folks who have been on the hunt for Nvidia’s graphics cards are just looking for that one piece to make their system more powerful. With that said, the flashy cards have started to appear in new PCs on the market, like the Origin desktops with the RTX 3070 in them. These are the most convenient ways to get a high-end graphics card, but for some who love to tinker, modifying a card is the way to go.
A well-known Russian hardware enthusiast, who goes by the handle VIK-on, has modified an Nvidia RTX 3070, doubling its RAM capacity from 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM up to 16GB of processing power. VIK-on carefully removed each of the 1GB RAM modules from the card, replacing them with similar 2GB modules, thus doubling the power of the card. Then they dive into the tricky business of ensuring that the card would still function, carefully replacing other pieces of the card to “trick” the 3070 into working with the higher amount of RAM. While modification of graphics cards, like this fanless RTX 3080, seems pretty cool, the work involved and the potential instability make it a risky endeavor.
Especially with the cards in such high demand, seeing one being tinkered with is certain to upset folks who are just trying to get their hands on a normal 30 series card of some kind. The shortages in the graphics card market are expected to last until 2022 for Nvidia and competitor AMD.
There is also the issue of the cards being used for crypto mining, which, despite mixed messages from top-level executives at Nvidia, is having some effect on the market. With future Nvidia GPUs coming with mining limiters potentially, that might lead to a cooling of the market. If everyone were as tech-savvy as VIK-on and were able to modify graphics cards, folks could buy one and modify it forever. Sadly, this just isn’t an option for most people looking for one of these hot ticket items.
Source: Dark Side of Gaming
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