Modder Expands RTX 3070 VRAM to 16GB Using RX 6900 XT Memory Chips

A hardware modder has expanded the VRAM on an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 from 8GB to 16GB. The mod uses memory chips salvaged from a dead AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT. A physical switch was added to toggle between the original 8GB mode and the new 16GB mode.

Mod details and performance trade-offs

In 16GB mode, the memory frequency must be locked, which results in a 10-15% performance loss. The card also draws 70W at idle in this mode. To support the modification, the power limit was increased from 220W to 370W.

The modder, known as AssassinWarlord, documented the process. The modification allows users to choose between higher capacity or full performance. The switch provides flexibility for different workloads.

NVIDIA has not commented on the modification. The RTX 3070 was originally released with 8GB of GDDR6 memory. The mod demonstrates the potential for hardware experimentation with consumer graphics cards.