9700 Pro modding

[Sk1ppr]

Now that it's getting a little old and I won't actually commit hari kari if something happens to it, I've decided to do a little modding to my 9700 Pro.

Specifically I want to upgrade it to 256 MB of memory. Ambitious I know but first I thought I'd ask if anyone here has done the same mod (which would save me some research) or if the r300 can even address 256mb? I know I will probably have to mod the BIOS too.. can the 9700 BIOS be reflashed? I know the 9500's can.

Wasn't sure if this should be here or in graphics but I figured it's more of an electronics mod than a simple visual or voltage tweak.

[Firelord]

I hope you can do pin grid array soldering cos otherwise you don't have a hope in hell. Hope you can get the exact same ns RAM and BGA type RAM.

In other words i don't think it can be done

[Sk1ppr]

I hope you can do pin grid array soldering cos otherwise you don't have a hope in hell. Hope you can get the exact same ns RAM and BGA type RAM.

In other words i don't think it can be done

Was planning on using sockets for the ram chips but hadn't worked out how to tie into the address lines yet either. Electronics modding was a lot easier before multi-layer PCBs

[SilentDeath]

I dont think you have a chancewithout proper BGA soldering tools. Sockets probably wouldnt be good enough either..?

However with the right tooks it can be done. I read on one of the forums, I forget which, someone modded a fairly old card (dunno which but it had bga ram) but I think that was to get better speed ram, not to increase size.

The R300 (9500/9700) core is exactly the same as the R350/R360 in almost every way, just a few tweaks make them differ, I think it would be a case of just changing the mem chips and possibly a jumper or two? (of the resistor kind, like that for hard modding cards)

[Sk1ppr]

Thanks for all the advice back then guys. By the time I finished the research, made up a parts list, and got is some practice with pin in hole soldering.. I decided I'd rather chew off my left pinky and sell it on EBay for the money to buy a new card than to even ATTEMPT to solder all those ram chips!

For someone with the patience of Job and more time and money than it would cost to buy a new 512MB card, it would be a great mod for pure bragging rights. But I'd seriously consider having anyone who pulled it off commited.

[TheAnimus]

problem is its not like the "good old days" when your BBC B or C64 could be easily upgraded by anyone who can solder a nice big DIL pitch. Now adays its all lead free this and multilayer this.

Odds are even if you soldered it all on perfectly there would be some ripple some capacitors you didn't realise you needed and it would fail to work... sorry to rain on the parade.