# NVIDIA GPU hardware modifications

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/nvidia-gpu-hardware-modifications
> Updated: 2026-09-11T13:55:59.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 3.

Hardware enthusiasts and overclocking teams have demonstrated advanced modifications to NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards to alter power delivery and memory capacity.

In one instance, the Brazilian team TecLab modified a Galaxy GeForce RTX 5090 D HOF OC LAB XOC by soldering power cables directly to the PCB. This modification aims to bypass standard 16-pin connectors to eliminate contact resistance for extreme overclocking loads that may exceed 1,200W. During testing, the card drew approximately 600W using an industrial chiller and liquid cooling.

Building on their work with the RTX 5090, TecLab demonstrated that the card could operate using traditional 8-pin power connectors by utilizing custom-made copper plates to interface with the GPU. In tests using three 8-pin connectors, the card approached power levels typically provided by a single 600W 16-pin cable. The team also found the GPU could function with as few as two 8-pin connectors while managing power consumption exceeding 770W, which is significantly higher than the NVIDIA Founders Edition’s Total Graphics Power (TGP) of 575W.

While the modders noted that pushing such high wattage through fewer cables exceeds recommended specifications and could be dangerous, they observed that cable temperatures remained relatively low, staying below 25°C in certain configurations. In some tests, the card even exceeded clock speeds of 3,200 MHz using a single 8-pin cable.

Separately, a modder known as Fmklab recreated an unreleased 16GB variant of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti. By using an Asus TUF RTX 3070 PCB and an unlocked GA104 processor, the enthusiast replaced the original 8GB of memory with eight 2GB GDDR6 modules.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-11: TecLab modders run GeForce RTX 5090 using 8-pin connectors

Brazilian modders TecLab demonstrated that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 can function using traditional 8-pin power connectors through custom hardware, bypassing the standard 16-pin requirement.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/teclab-modders-run-geforce-rtx-5090-using-8-pin-connectors

### 2026-09-09: Hardware modder recreates unreleased 16GB NVIDIA RTX 3070 Ti

A hardware modder has successfully created a custom 16GB GDDR6 version of the unreleased NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti by modifying an Asus TUF RTX 3070 PCB.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/hardware-modder-recreates-unreleased-16gb-nvidia-rtx-3070-ti

### 2026-08-30: TecLab modifies GeForce RTX 5090 with direct-soldered power cables

Overclocking team TecLab modified a Galaxy GeForce RTX 5090 D by soldering power cables directly to the PCB, bypassing 16-pin connectors to support extreme power loads exceeding 1,200W.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/teclab-modifies-geforce-rtx-5090-with-direct-soldered-power-cables

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Cite as: NVIDIA GPU hardware modifications. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/nvidia-gpu-hardware-modifications