LOSTCIRCUITS

After cranking up the speed on the FIC RADEON 8500LE which was possible by adding RAM sinks, there was still room for improvement since the card was only stable up to 282 MHz core / memory clock frequencies. Increasing the memory and core voltage from 1.61V to 1.71V (core) and from 3.08V to 3.32V (memory) as well as adding a custom cooler to the GPU allows to run the card up to 295 MHz (both core and memory) stable. The modifications give the card an overall healthy performance boost which allowed us to get a score of 12239 in 3DMark2001 (using an overclocked Northwood) and 11810 (on the AthlonXP). The procedures are described below.

Bottom line is that for anyone counting pennies only, self-made modifications are not worth the time, effort or investment spent. However, anyone with an inquisitive mind and a tendency to want something you cannot buy off the shelf, probably got a kick out of going to HomeDepot, spending an extra $20 on the vise that was on the wish-list for the last 4 years and finally got something that is unique at least to the point that no two of the eight RAM coolers looked the same.

A 1 1/2" copper pipe endcap is the basis for the new GPU cooler. To get started, take a marker, hold it a a steady level and rotate the cap on the table top to trace the circumference for the first cut.

As always, the successful accomplishing of one task produces an enormous amount of offspring and I am not exempting myself from such gluttony. Ever since the RAM sinks were completed, they fell into the boring category, big deal, after all, I can make a complete set in less than 10 minutes now. Alas, the score on the 3DMark2001 Online Result Browser, achieved with nothing but $6.40 and some fantasy, that was first on the top page has sagged down into mediocrity and was even surpassed by some GeForce Ti's, in other words, time to pull out the old thinking cap and come up with another brilliant idea of how to increase the performance of this OEM card.

Limitations of the performance are mostly caused by limitations in operating frequency. The original FIC OEM RADEON 8500 is specked at 250 MHz core and memory and even the RAM sinks were not able to push it beyond 282 MHz. Luckily, in the days of the internet, there is all kind of useful and useless information available including the extension of the kitchen almanac of how to turn the OEM RADEON into a retail version.

We still have the vise from the last time and the hacksaw, too. Armed with both, it is a matter of 2 min to cut the endcap down to the desired height. The result is the bottom and a ring that we won't need anymore.

By far, the most conclusive article is the one on eXclamation even though some of the theory is lacking. Briefly, the difference between the OEM and the Retail versions of the RADEON 8500 is the margin of longevity bought by running at under-voltages. That is, the retail version is running the GPU at 1.75V and the memory at 3.6V whereas the OEM versions are using more modest settings, that is 1.61 and 3.1 V, respectively, which, in turn limit the operating frequencies.

next page:    => Voltage mods and other tidbits =>