Which ati 9500 cards can be modded to 9700?

[Naruto]

This would be interesting upgrade now seeing that the geforce fx is kaput. Too bad i spent $180 on the albatron ti4200p turbo before the 9500 came out and was discovered to be mod-able to 9700, but it would be a worth while investment when the 9500 gets down to about $100. Thanks.

 

[AnAndAustin]

You need a Rad9500 (nonPRO) with 128MB using the 9700PCB. This will be using 256bit DDR but it's pretty useless unless you can enable all 8 pipes like the 9500PRO, 9700 & 9700PRO use. The chances of finding a 9500 128MB on 9700PCB are ever dimishing (they use their own PCB now) and even if you do there is a 25-50% chance at best that you'll enable extra pipes. With only 4 pipes even if you o/c to beyond 9700PRO speeds (400/310 vs 9700's stock 325/310) you'll still be a good 40% slower. Considering how much cheaper 4200 are AND how little more a 9500PRO costs to a 9500 it makes sense not to gamble.

At stock speeds...

9500 is slower than a 4200 and you need to enable FULL AA & AF to slightly get ahead of a stock 4200, the GF4TI were never designed to use FULL AA & AF (medium AA & AF is best).
9500PRO is significantly faster than a 9500 and you're at GF4TI4400 speeds, but enabling full AA & AF you'll be a lot faster than a GF4TI4600/4800. Expect this to o/c to 9700 (non-PRO) perf.
9700 & 9700PRO is the only sure way to 256bit RAM and you're firmly ahead of the other cards, both should o/c well.

 

[hovenas]

I modded an Connect3d and it worked flawlessly...
If you dont mind the risk (AnAndAustin does well to educate you on that matter) go ahead and search for the opportunity. I for one can testify to the immense feeling of buying a real cheap card and cramming elite speed out of it. Nothing beats that.

 

[blcjr]

AnAndAustin, you wrote:

With only 4 pipes even if you o/c to beyond 9700PRO speeds (400/310 vs 9700's stock 325/310) you'll still be a good 40% slower.

How did you come by this figure, because it doesn't comport with my experience, at least using 3dmark2001se scores as I guide. Before I modded my 9500 with Soft9700, my score was ~8900. After moding, it was ~11600. 8900 is 77 percent of 11600, making the unmodded 9500 only 23 percent slower.

 

[AnAndAustin]

They best source is ATI News Germany. They use a Rad9500 nonPRO with 128MB on the 9700PCB using 256bit DDR clocked at 400/310 on a P4 @ 2.5ghz & 550FSB. Having a slower CPU will no doubt make the cards much closer, like at 1ghz there is virtually no perf diff between a GF3, GF4TI, Rad9000PRO, Rad8500 etc. Here's the notes I made frm the link:

3Dmark 1024=10% slower, 1280=20% slower, 1600=30% slower. Aquamark 1024=30% slower, 1280=45% slower, 1600=45% slower.
Commanche4 virtually nothing in it (very CPU dep). Villagemark ALL res=45% slower. Q3 1600=45% slower.
UT2003-fly 1024=6%, 1280=30%, 1600=45%. RTCW+16tapAF res?=15%, Q3+16tapAF 35% slower (and similar in only 2tapAF).
SerSam-4xAA=1.5%, Q3-4xAA=15%.