A PC hardware modder has pulled off the kind of repair-job flex that makes every used-GPU hunter pause for a second: turning two broken graphics cards into one very functional 16GB RTX 3070.
According to Tom's Hardware, ComputerBase forum reader AssassinWarlord combined an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 with faulty memory and an AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT with a damaged GPU. The end result? A working RTX 3070 that keeps the Nvidia GPU but doubles the VRAM from 8GB to 16GB.
For Malaysian PC gamers, this is interesting because the RTX 3070 is still a pretty kuat 1440p card, but its 8GB VRAM limit is becoming more annoying in newer AAA titles. Games with high-res textures, ray tracing, and heavy open-world assets can easily bully older 8GB cards, especially if you are trying to push 4K or maxed-out settings.
Not your average weekend DIY mod
This was not a simple plug-and-play upgrade. AssassinWarlord removed eight BGA memory chips from both donor cards, reballed the chips, and fitted 16Gb Samsung GDDR6 memory ICs so the RTX 3070 could be configured with 16GB total VRAM.
There was also some extra hardware work involved, including resistor changes so the card could properly detect the larger memory setup. Later, the modder added a physical switch that lets the GPU run in either 8GB or 16GB mode. That is a very cool touch, because it makes the card more flexible for testing and troubleshooting.
The card also works with normal GeForce drivers, which is a big deal. No sketchy modded driver situation, no weird software stack just to get Windows and games running.
The catch: memory timing drama
Of course, this is still a Frankenstein GPU, so it is not completely drama-free.
The modded RTX 3070 could black screen after closing GPU-heavy tools. AssassinWarlord traced the issue to memory timings in the BIOS when running the 16GB configuration. A registry tweak using DisableDynamicPstate was created to stop the GPU from downclocking in a way that triggered crashes.
The downside is higher idle power. With that workaround, the card reportedly sits at around 70W while idle. That is not catastrophic for a gaming rig, but it is not exactly efficient either, especially for users in Malaysia where a PC running hot in an already panas room is never fun.
Real-world gains show why VRAM matters
Synthetic benchmarks are nice, but the more exciting result came from Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Tested at 4K Very High, the RTX 3070 in 8GB mode hovered around the 20 fps range. With 16GB enabled, performance jumped to above 40 fps.
That is a massive improvement, and it shows the real issue: the RTX 3070 GPU itself still has muscle, but 8GB VRAM can hold it back badly in modern games. Once the memory bottleneck is removed, the card can breathe again.
For SEA gamers, this does not mean you should start buying dead GPUs from Carousell and Shopee hoping to become a soldering god overnight. Reballing memory chips is advanced-level work, and one wrong move can kill the card completely. There is also no RM pricing here because this is a one-off salvage mod, not a retail product.
But as a proof of concept, it is genuinely exciting. It highlights how much longer some GPUs could stay relevant if they had more VRAM, and why Malaysian buyers should think carefully before grabbing an 8GB card for future AAA gaming.
Nvidia probably will not officially give us a 16GB RTX 3070, but this mod proves the idea is not nonsense. Sometimes the GPU is not the problem, bro — the memory ceiling is.
Source: Tom's Hardware