Japanese shop offers VRAM upgrades for AI workloads

A specialized repair shop in Saitama, Japan, has launched a service to upgrade the Video RAM (VRAM) of older graphics cards to meet the growing demands of AI model processing. The service specifically targets the NVIDIA RTX 2080 Ti, upgrading its capacity from 11 GB to 22 GB GDDR6.

The technical process involves desoldering the original 1 GB GDDR6 chips and replacing them with 2 GB Samsung GDDR6 modules. Because these chips use BGA (Ball Grid Array) mounting, the procedure requires specialized heating equipment and precise temperature control to avoid damaging the circuit board or the GPU. Technicians must also adjust resistor configurations on the board so the hardware correctly recognizes the new capacity.

The upgrade package is priced at 45,000 yen (approximately 282 USD), which equates to roughly 25.7 USD per additional gigabyte of VRAM. This service provides a more affordable alternative for users needing higher memory capacity for AI tasks compared to purchasing new, high-end GPUs.