Radeon RX 5600 XT Gets Modified With 12GB of VRAM

AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT 6GB to 12GB mod
(Image credit: AMD)

YouTuber and graphics card modder Paulo Gomes has upgraded yet another graphics card with more video memory, this time using an AMD Power Color Radeon RX 5600 XT Red Dragon. The card was modified from 6GB of memory to 12GB of capacity with faster 2GB 16Gbps memory chips.

The memory mod for this card was more simple compared to the RTX 3060 8GB to 12GB mod we covered recently from the same modder. The mod itself involved swapping the original six memory modules for six new modules with double the capacity, as well as editing the BIOS of the AMD card to support the new modules.

To replace the memory modules, Gomes used a heat gun to warm up the connection points between the memory ICs and the PCB, so the memory modules could be safely removed without damaging the components. Afterward, he prepped the PCB for the new 2GB modules with a special glue that will keep the modules in place and then installed the new modules on the card.

(Image credit: AMD)

Since the RX 5600 XT does not ship with a 12GB configuration, a BIOS mod is required for support. The modder used a hex editor to manipulate the proper values that will allow the BIOS to recognize the faster 2GB ICs, then flashed the BIOS to the card. BIOS modding is still possible with some AMD GPUs, though it's not something you can do on modern Nvidia GPUs.

The 5600 XT with the new modules exhibited a massive increase in performance, at least in specific tests. For example, the Unigine Superposition test Gomes used included a benchmark run at 10K resolution to fully saturate the 12GB memory config. The original 8GB config scored 191 points with this benchmarking configuration, while the modified card scored 412 points in the same config. Of course, most games won't see this same performance increase, but the extra VRAM could still be helpful in games that use more than 6GB of video memory — assuming the GPU itself isn't the bottleneck, which is becoming increasingly unlikely.

The implications of this mod are much more applicable to AMD GPUs since the BIOS can be modified in the way Gomes demonstrated. In theory, this allows all AMD Radeon graphics cards to be upgraded with more video memory since there are no editing restrictions on AMD BIOS's as far as we're aware. This is a far cry from modern Nvidia GPUs, which do not allow BIOS modding of any sort.

Of course, the tools and skill required to carry out this sort of mod are a different matter. Most of use can look on in appreciation, but if you want a card with 12GB or 24GB, it's going to be far easier to simply put your money into one of the best graphics cards rather than trying to upgrade a three years old RX 5600 XT.

Aaron Klotz
Contributing Writer

Aaron Klotz is a contributing writer for Tom’s Hardware, covering news related to computer hardware such as CPUs, and graphics cards.

  • Vanderlindemedia
    Is replacing with larger ram really usefull? It would be more usefull if you where able to upgrade existing cards with "gimped" memory bandwidth and thus unlocking it's extra performance.

    12GB vs 8GB is'nt going to cut it. The GPU itself likely not powerfull enough to fully use it.
    Reply
  • Alvar "Miles" Udell
    I remember back when VGA cards had slots you could add additional RAM chips into (remember the S3 Virge DX?). If nVidia is going to be greedy as heck, why not make cards with a memory expansion slot and sell an 8GB upgrade kit...
    Reply
  • hotaru.hino
    Alvar Miles Udell said:
    I remember back when VGA cards had slots you could add additional RAM chips into (remember the S3 Virge DX?). If nVidia is going to be greedy as heck, why not make cards with a memory expansion slot and sell an 8GB upgrade kit...
    The current design of GPU memory controllers means that if you want to add memory to the video card (those cards you speak only add memory to the card, they don't replace what it came with), you would have to design the GPU with memory controllers that aren't doing anything. And then you'd have to design an interface to go with it. It'd simply be cheaper just to add the chip than it is to create an interface around it if the goal is to save money or something (i.e., ship with less VRAM and let the user add more)

    The alternative is to do segmented memory (a la the GTX 970 or GTX 660) and nobody wants to do that given how much bad PR this generates now.
    Reply
  • tamalero
    Alvar Miles Udell said:
    I remember back when VGA cards had slots you could add additional RAM chips into (remember the S3 Virge DX?). If nVidia is going to be greedy as heck, why not make cards with a memory expansion slot and sell an 8GB upgrade kit...
    Ironically, I said this same comment bis per bi, in a news youtube video that mentioned the first Nvidia mod.

    Even capitalization. Which makes this weird.
    Reply
  • Tonet666
    " he prepped the PCB for the new 2GB modules with a special glue that will keep the modules in place "
    :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO: AMTECH flux now is a "special glue" ? Is this for real or a joke?
    Reply