A tech enthusiast and blogger from Brazil has successfully modified an 11-year-old NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 graphics card, doubling its video memory from the original 4 GB to 8 GB. Following this upgrade, performance tests comparing the standard and modified cards revealed a significant improvement in the older GPU’s capabilities.
The GeForce GTX 970, initially released in 2014 with 4 GB of VRAM, underwent a hardware-level modification by Paulo Gomes. He replaced the original 512 MB memory chips with newer 1 GB modules. This process required careful adjustments to the card’s circuitry to ensure the increased memory capacity functioned correctly with the existing components.
To assess the impact of this memory upgrade, the modified GTX 970 was put through the Superposition Benchmark. The 8 GB version achieved a score of 1576 points, a substantial increase compared to the stock 4 GB version’s score of 866 points. Notably, the modified card even slightly outperformed a standard GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB), scoring 1576 against the GTX 1060’s 1575. This experiment underscores the crucial role of VRAM capacity, a factor that has been a topic of recent discussion and scrutiny regarding newer graphics card specifications.
Watch the Modification and Performance Test Video: [Search “GTX 970 8GB Mod” on YouTube]
Further Reading on the GeForce GTX 970 Memory Controversy:
- VideoCardz.com – GeForce GTX 970 gets new life: Brazilian modders upgrade memory to 8GB: https://videocardz.com/newz/geforce-gtx-970-gets-new-life-brazilian-modders-upgrade-memory-to-8gb
- TechPowerUp Forums – Brazilian Modders Give 8GB Memory to GeForce GTX 970: https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/brazilian-modders-give-8gb-memory-to-geforce-gtx-970.334585/