Sugestions for VooDoo based projects

[baskapteijn]

Hello everyone. I was just wondering if hanksematic is still modding his v5 6k? The last post in this topic was on 11/10/2004... With regards,

Bas Kapteijn

[Italia 1]

I'm thinking to do a sli with 2 Voodoo 5 5500 PCI, can one of you give me an hand ? I'm searching for datasheets and similar for know pin connectors in "P4" in v5 pci but I've found never with google.
I've see the V5 6000 have a "HINT" chip, do it separe instruction for 2 couples of VSA 100 ?

[r21vo]

do you have any knowledge + tools + gold hands to even try? I thought it's nearly impossible..

[Italia 1]

Why impossible ??

[ps47]

it requires hardware modifications+creating your own drivers.are you up to this?

[Italia 1]

no, but i think i'm not the first to think this mod. which hardware modifications will i need ?

[NitroX infinity]

You probably would need to build a completely new PCB (the green board on which all the stuff goes), seeing as there is no option on the current boards for adding a SLI connector.

Second, you'd need a bridge chip like the HINT to enable this.
And where would you put that?


If you do succeed, I wouldn't go for two V5 cards in SLI.
I'd go for a separate board with the HINT bridge chip (plus AGP 8x) and 4 seperate V4 PCI cards. Much more potential since the V4's are newer and have greater overclocking potential. Also, if you get the right V4's you can 'easily' change the RAM from 32MB to 64MB. Which would give you a 256MB setup. And V4's don't need to be hooked up to your power supply.

[Italia 1]

yes, but i've only 2 v5 pci and 2 agp... So you think i need a "hint" ? mmmhh...

[NitroX infinity]

Yes, and a PCB designed with SLI connectors and the bridge chip on one of those PCB's. Also, you'd probably have a hard time removing the VSA-100's from the old PCB's. So you would probably need to buy 'new' VSA-100 chips.

In short, you'd have to make your own card. With the current cards it's just not possible because they weren't designed that way.

[Italia 1]

But... a driver done for it can resolve ? The 6000 card have a "hint", but only one connector (AGP). 2 5500 have 2 pci connectors... i there is a driver what separe line of image for each card....
The problem is rebuild image in only 1 card.....

[NitroX infinity]

No, SLI is done by hardware, not software. Besides, how would you have both cards connected to the same monitor?

If it was possible to do this with software, don't you think someone from 3dfx, ATi or nVidia would have already done it?

[BFG3dfx]

ok, ive got one v4 with 5.5 ram, if i can find another how hard will it be to take ram of those cards and put on v5? ok. ok. on a scale of one to ten. i have a steady hand i just cant see.

[hanksemenec]

SDRAM replacement is not that hard for a skilled tech. I use a heat gun to remove the SDRAMs and then put them back on. Use enough flux and check your work closely (use a good SMT iron tip). I have done that on V5 6K with borrowed SDRAM from AAlchemy. When I did it, I made mistakes though, and had to take the card under microscope to find the solder bridge[:p]. I guess I am getting old and the eye site is going.

I do not know if that will buy you anything in speed improvement. Later on the -6 SDRAMs were marked down faster SDRAMs, since the memory vendor's wafers yielded faster then -6 on average. I have found the -6 memory will oveclock as easily as -55 and -54.

I would rate the job as 5, medium difficulty.

Hank

[BFG3dfx]

ty for the info hank, i checked some web sites out on repairs but ive never taken parts off before, im not a teckie for sure. as far as the memory goes i saw a few broken AAlchemy boards on ebay a month or so back but guy would not tell what ram it had, do they all have the sam ram? if so what speed. as for the -6 ram you must be right because ive had my 5500 agp w/ -6 ram at 200 with n/p for the 2001se test loop of 3 times but could not run over 204 w/o little lights, those little spec's is that the ram do you think? sorry for all the question's i love these 3dfx cards and use nothing else so its important for me to have as much speed as possible without killing my cards, BFG.....................P.S. i got a 3dfx case mod in the works, got 2 peltiers on the 5500, and a few other nice touches, ive been taking photo and am gonna do a web site of 3dfx mod's just in case anyone else like this stuff too, cheers

[BFG3dfx]

off topic i know sry................I guess I am getting old and the eye site is going..........lol.  im 43 and mine starting going at 40, really i need some glasses i guess