The wire trick ... for the last time

[StarTraveller]

I wrote this thread to make ABSOLUTELY SURE that I got everything about the WIRE TRICK right and so it can be used as a how-to for future reference .

It's a bit heavy (approx. 50KB) because of the pictures, but I think it's worth the wait .

I used the Intel Pentium® III Processor for the PGA370 Socket at 500 MHz to 1.13 GHz Datasheet for determining the configuration (p. 21) and placement (p. 68) of the Voltage Identification Definition pins.

Since I have a Pentium !!! 700MHz SL45Y cB0 chip (Philippines) with a default voltage of 1.65V, the only option will be to go directly to 2.05V. This is a bit much, but I need more than 1.95V if I wanna take this chip above 1GHz anyway.

Those with cC0 (default voltage of 1.70V) or cD0 (default voltage of 1.75V) chips have more options. cC0 chips can be wire tricked in increments of 0.05V all the way from 1.70V to 2.05V and cD0 chips can be wire tricked in increments of 0.10V between 1.75V to 2.05V.

You can see the Voltage Identification Definition in the table below:

'1' means that the pin is open (not connected to VSS) and '0' means that it's closed (connected to VSS). Since it's almost impossible to open a closed pin then the above-mentioned voltages are the only ones possible because we can achieve those by closing pins (connecting them to VSS).

Unfortunately, my only option with my cB0 chip is to close VID3 by connecting it to VSS. This will give a voltage of 2.05V rather than the current 1.65V.

To close VID3 I first need to locate it on my chip and for this purpose we'll take a look at the Intel Pentium !!! Processor Pinout below.



I've encircled the interesting area so it's easier to find . Luckily, VID3 is placed adjacent to VSS so it should be no problem closing it.

If you need to close VID1 (which is farther away from VSS) then you may find it easier to "cheat" and connect it to another closed pin (VID0 or VID2) - this will also work. Just remember that the other pin must closed either internally or by connecting to VSS.

Alright, so I've figured out which pins to connect and where they're located (use the missing corner pins to align you CPU correctly - we don't wanna mess up with this one!). All that's left now is to connect the pins - but how?

AFAIK, there are several ways of doing this, but the two most common ones are discussed below.

One way of doing it is by wrapping a VERY THIN copper wire around the pins we want to connect. I've heard stories of people messing up their chips using this method, though, so I mostly included it as a warning!

Another (and probably better) way is by connecting the pin holes (make sure you got the right holes - check, recheck, check again and again to make sure!). Simply bend a VERY THIN copper wire into U-shape and "drop" it into the holes of the pins to be connected. When the CPU is installed the pins will keep the wire in place. It will be very tight and you may have to use a little more force than usual when installing the CPU.

To prevent the CPU from tilting on the wire we can cut a small groove in the socket where the wire will be placed. This will also prevent the wire from moving while installing the CPU and this is of course a big advantage because we don't want the wire to connect the wrong pins!

If I did everything right then my CPU would POST at 2.05V next time I turn on my machine . But before that happens I'd like a little feedback from the experts in this area. After all, why would I use my CPU as a guinea pig . After we're done editing this post maybe it would qualify as an article or FAQ on the new front page .

Of course this how-to would not have been possible without the help of several AsusBoards.com regulars, so thanks for helping me in the past .

PS: I've included a poll on the wire trick to help us assess the risk of doing it...

[StarTraveller]

I noticed that one of the voters had been successful with the wire trick using an approach different from the ones I described.

PLEASE share your info ... Maybe your way is better!

Even if it isn't better then it would be nice to include it for completeness .

[StarTraveller]

patentman was so kind as to go through my post and come up with a lot of suggestions for improvement (thanks buddy! ). Therefore, I'm currently working on rewrite that will show a more step-by-step approach to doing the wire trick.

When the rewrite is completed I'll replace the current post with that.

Anyway, it's getting late in Denmark so I'm not sure that it's gonna be finished tonight .

[memphist0]

let us know what the new trick is when you get a chance.

BTW what are you using for cooling?

[StarTraveller]

I've got an entire thread dedicated to describing my system and what's happening with it . You can find it in the Cases, Cooling & Mods forum ... or here.

I ended up buying an SK-6, but it's all the thread. I'll post some pictures of my case and other gear too very soon now .

[memphist0]

Very impressive and indepth mod. I'll be lookin for future posts to see how it turns out

[memphist0]

One thing I noticed after looking at the diagram you made with the fan setup is that the hot air is being sucked out at below the intakes for the case since the hot air from the exhaust will rise to be brought back into the case. Depending on how far along you are wouldn't it be more efficient to work with science and let the hot air rise to the top for exhaust and intake from the bottom with cooler air?

[memphist0]

For the wire trick are you talking about a thin wire like a few strands from speaker wire for example or are you talking about a specific gauge of wire?

If any else has done it would the copper strand from speaker wire be able to carry enough power? It definately seems like it would be thin enough

[StarTraveller]

That was my old setup .

I've changed A LOT of things while modding away . My case is not built for maximum CFM, but I'm trying to get there anyway using some extremely quiet fans from PAPST. I've been working with resistors to silence the non-PAPST fans.

My aim is not to have a fans that emit over 20dB(A) and I'm close to reaching that goal.

But this discussion really belongs in the other thread and not this one .

Nice to see that you found your way back on topic yourself . I guess I must be typing more slowly than usual .

The thickness of the wire is one the things that I'll provide a bit more detail about. I wrote some of the rewrite yesterday and if my projections hold then the rewrite will be 2-4 times larger than the current edition .

[sideshow]

hey guys
just like to mention i have tried the wire trick on my cel600@900 on my cusl2c board and never had any probs
i got some automotive wire
cut a small length of it
removed just one strand and then proceded to wrap it round the pins

first use a needle to make a tiny loop and one end of the strand then push it over one pin then use the needle to wrap it around the other pins
its easy just take yr time
i rn the chip at 1.9v
but i bought a cel 900 now so dont need 600 at moment but i still kept it wired up incase i use it in another machine
now i have to see how much the 900 will go

[memphist0]

sideshow,
you should vote in the poll so we can keep track of how many people have done what.

The thing is for me is I'm already running my p3 700 @ 1050 @ 1.85 I can goto 1.95 in bios but when I do I still can't get the clock speed much over 1064. I'm not sure what's holding me up. My case is within 2C of ambient and cpu temps don't go much over 40C-42C. Without extreme cooling, like TEC, I think I reached the max of the core.

[patentman]

I`ve done it both ways and it worked.
I prefer pinhole connection because it`s far more easier but be carefull to place a very thin wire (like a hair`s thickness) as if you place a thicker then you may damage the pin of cpu and/or the socket so then when you`ll install a cpu without a wire in those pinholes,it may not function right.

[StarTraveller]

patentman,
How long is the piece of wire that you used?

BTW, thanks again for all your help. I'm hoping to complete both the wire trick and my rewrite during the weekend .

[patentman]

I can`t remember right,but is needed to be inserted 4mm in each pinhole,so I guess 10-12mm length is enough.
I`ve used a strand out of some walkman headphones but the same guage have the strands of audio cable for connecting a CDROM to a soundcard.

[StarTraveller]

This is an article that I plan on submitting on the new front page. Hopefully it will serve as a future reference for members discussing the wire trick and make it easier for newbies to understand why and how to do this potentially dangerous modification.

It is not entirely complete because I still have a couple pictures to make, but the wording should be as I want it to be (before having subjected it to intensive scrutiny, anyway).

The article exceeds the post limit of 10,000 characters! so I had to cut it in half .

Why do we need The Wire Trick
A lot of people with a CUSL2 series motherboard suffers from what is generally known as "The Cold Boot Problem". The Cold Boot Problem comes into play when you have a CPU that needs more than its default voltage to POST (initial Power On Self Test) at a certain speed.

Although you can select voltages up to 0.3V higher than the default in BIOS, the CUSL2 series does not apply the selected voltage until after the computer has POSTed. This means that your computer will hang during POST because your CPU does not receive the required voltage.

Example

• My Pentium III 700MHz needs 1.95V to POST at 980MHz. Since my CUSL2 motherboard only applies the default voltage of 1.65V during a cold boot POST, my computer hangs every time I turn it on... I definitely suffer from The Cold Boot Problem.

The only fix for this is to POST at a lower speed and then reset the computer once it starts loading the operating system. When the computer restarts you enter the BIOS and change the speed to the desired setting. This is a bothersome way to start your computer, though, so some smart people have dug into Intel's datasheets and come up with a simple modification that solves the problem. This modification is known as "The Wire Trick".

What is The Wire Trick
So what is The Wire Trick exactly? It is basically a very simple procedure that will trick your CPU into thinking that it has a different default voltage. The name comes from the fact that the only thing needed is a VERY THIN piece of copper wire.

How to do The Wire Trick
Before we start doing The Wire Trick we need to a few things:

• An FC-PGA Pentium III and motherboard.
• A very thin piece of copper, silver or gold wire. It should be no thicker than a strand of hair!
• This article for reference.
• Guts to try it . Note that this modification is not without risk. Although a successfully performed wire trick is easy to undo, you could fry your processor if you do not take care and do it correctly. Also, please note that I cannot be blamed for any damage that YOU inflict on your hardware, yourself or others.

As you can see this mod is a very cheap one and if you suffer from The Cold Boot Problem then it will definitely make your life easier .

The technical information that we need to perform The Wire Trick can be found within the Intel® Pentium® III Processor for the PGA370 Socket at 500 MHz to 1.13 GHz Datasheet. The information we are looking for is found on pages 21 (Voltage Identification Definition) and 68 (Intel Pentium III Processor Pinout). I have included copies of the tables and diagram in this article.

I will now describe the procedure using my own Pentium III 700MHz (SL45Y, cB0 stepping, Batch # 7029A625) as an example.

WARNING: Before you start doing The Wire Trick please set your CPU voltage to the lowest possible in the BIOS. This is important because failing to do so may damage your processor!

Step One
First we must determince the default voltage of the CPU. This is easy because it is printed on the CPU along with a lot of useful information.

[IMG]<<picture of my CPU>>[/IMG]

As you can see in the above picture my CPU is an SL45Y with a default voltage of 1.65V. This information can be used together with the Intel® Pentium® III Processor s-Spec Information to find the CPU stepping as well. We do not need to know the stepping in order to do The Wire Trick, but you may have noticed that it is an often used term and it will be useful for you to now it.



Looking in the table we can see that my processor is a cB0 stepping processor. Note that voltage is not displayed directly in the table. Rather, it is represented by note in the right most column...

Step two
Intel Pentium III processors have their default voltage determined by a specific combination of open and closed circuits. This might sound impossible to alter, but actually it is quite easy.

Four pins (VID0, VID1, VID2 and VID3) on the bottom of the processor can either be connected to (closed) or disconnected from (open) a fifth pin called VSS. Depending on which pins are connected the voltage can be determined.

Let us have a look at the Voltage Identification Definition table.



The table describes the different combinations possible (1=open and 0=closed) and we can use it to determine how my current pin configuration is. Unfortunately, the table show that three pins (VID0, VID1 and VID2) are closed internally (inside the processor ) and therefore are impossible to change.

This leaves me with only one option: I can connect VID3 to VSS and thereby change my voltage to 2.05V. This is a huge step up and I would not recommend it unless you have very good cooling.

Since my calibrated full load temperature is 35°C I have decided that it is safe for me to use 2.05V. You should read the "Important considerations" at the end of the article for some input on what is safe for you.

[EDIT=SECTION ADDED]
Examples of VID pin configurations

• You have a cB0 processor with a default voltage of 1.65V and want 2.05V.
  You need to connect VID3 to VSS.
  
  You have a cC0 processor with a default voltage of 1.70V and want 1.90V.
  You need to connect VID2 and VID3 to VSS.
  
  You have a cD0 processor with a default voltage of 1.75V and want 1.85V.
  You need to connect VID1 to VSS. If you find it hard to connect VID1 directly to VSS then you can choose to connect it to VID0. Because VID0 is also connected to VSS this will give the same result.

[/EDIT]