ASUS DCU II HD7970 LN2 guide

[Xtreme Addict]

Hey

This time I want to share my experience from the great card - ASUS HD7970 DirectCU II and how to prepare it on LN2. Remember, it voids warranty

1. We have to resolder choke and capacitor from the front of PCB and solder it to the back of PCB (of course we have to put capacitor with correct side, in other case it will blow up). For resoldering it's the best to have HOT AIR station.







2. I used 3D bios with unlocked (2 GHz). It has disabled software voltage control for GPUTweakIT and with forced 3D state. Download link .

3. Vmods:

Connect PR188 soldering pads to enable VMEM and VPLL control

VGPU:



VMEM:





VPLL




4. Remove metal frame around GPU



(Picture taken from OCLab.ru, I had never removed metal frame), for sure it's the best way, but also the most risky)


or use copper metal plate (0.5mm), cut it with scissors or buy EK-VGA Supreme HF HD7970 Cu Adapter



(Picture taken from EK website)

I personally always use copper metal plate cut by myself, both on my old Golden Lightning 1760/2020 and on this DCU2. Of course remember of giving thermal paste on both sides of copper plate. Use Gelid GC Extreme.

5. Software for overclocking - GPUTweakIT or ABX (only set clocks). Of course remember to give a bit of vaseline into PCIE slot and use DELTA FAN on PWM!!!

6. Results:

OVP on GPU attacks: 1.84v
OCP on GPU - haven't noticed


VGPU: 1.65v
VMEM: 1.82v
VPLL: 1.15v
Temp: -80*C to -95*C

No CBB, CB -130*C, but more than -95*C is unstable

3DMark 11



Heaven DX11



3DMark 03




It's the easiest card on LN2, much easier to play than Lightnings (no GPU reactors, hairdryers), also more stable. Simply cool down the card, set voltage & clocks and bench And as you see it can compete with Lightnings

[dRweEz]

thanks bud and killer card will retry my one again

[jjjc]

Thanks for sharing, and crazy card!

[K404]

Thanks for the guide! There was me thinking...."DCU II HD7970 LN2 guide...... Step 1: Buy a Lightning"



Great scores!

[zzolio]

nice card 1700Mhz at -95

[stummerwinter]

nice...thanx for sharing!

Great scores!

[T0lsty]

Originally Posted by Xtreme Addict

It's the easiest card on LN2, much easier to play than Lightnings (no GPU reactors, hairdryers), also more stable. Simply cool down the card, set voltage & clocks and bench :up: And as you see it can compete with Lightnings

I don`t think so)
I have no problem with lightning, just put the pot and bench .. no issues just 1.72V and 1750 Mhz)) ...
but with DC2 you need to resolder cap and choke .. need to do hardmod . card behavior is similar, but dc2 frosen more quickly .. and lightning doesn`t ..
just my experience..

[SoF]

thanks for sharing, awesome guide!

[Xtreme Addict]

I updated guide a bit.

Originally Posted by T0lsty

I don`t think so)
I have no problem with lightning, just put the pot and bench .. no issues just 1.72V and 1750 Mhz)) ...
but with DC2 you need to resolder cap and choke .. need to do hardmod . card behavior is similar, but dc2 frosen more quickly .. and lightning doesn`t ..
just my experience..

My golden card liked to have hairdryer on GPU reactor, also on MEM and it was getting tired much faster than DCU2.

I mean that my DCU2 is the easiest card for ln2 which I had (of course after mods), to control, bench. It doesn't have any strange behaviour and I still have screen up to 1710 MHz GPU

Of course Lightnings are the most easy - overall, no modifications, only ABX and so on, and there are few golden Lightnings. If you have golden Lightning, you are lucky guy But I had one Golden, sold it (hadn't good CPU to bench) and after it I checked few more Lightnings and now I have 4x new 7970 Lightning which do 1500-1600 GPU (best one)... so I needed alternative