Old RTX 3080 Cards Modded and Resold as 20GB AI Accelerators

Dec 12, 2023 ·

NVIDIA's RTX 3080 graphics card is one of the latest and most powerful GPUs available on the market. Recently, some enterprising individuals have found a way to gain an even bigger performance boost from these cards by taking advantage of their large memory capacity. Modders are taking older RTX 3080 cards, increasing their memory capacity from 10GB to 20GB, and then reselling them as AI accelerators – allowing people to get more value out of their existing hardware.

The modding process involves swapping out the GDDR6X memory modules for higher-grade GDDR6X modules. This makes it possible to double the GDDR6X memory onboard the card, and enables them to take on larger and more complex AI workloads. This upgrade does come with a few caveats, however; since the RTX 3080 uses a different PCB than other Nvidia cards, it isn't compatible with other graphics cards. This means that the only option for increasing the memory capacity is to use the upgraded modules.

Furthermore, there are still a few challenges associated with using these modded cards. Firstly, because the new modules are much denser, they generate more heat, which can lead to problems when running intensive applications. Secondly, the increased memory may require additional power, meaning users will need to upgrade their power supply in order to get the most out of the modded card.

Despite these drawbacks, the modded cards can still provide a significant boost in performance. The increased memory capacity allows for more data to be processed at once, and the additional power provided by the upgraded modules ensures that the card can handle more complex tasks. These modded cards can also be used as AI accelerators, allowing for faster training of neural networks and providing an overall better experience.

In conclusion, modding an RTX 3080 graphics card can provide a major performance boost, but it comes with a few risks and requires additional power. Despite this, many users can benefit from the increased memory, processing power, and AI acceleration capabilities offered by modded cards.