RTX 4090 laptop gets 19% higher performance after a shunt mod
While GeForce RTX 50 laptop pricing has reached a high point and RTX 5090 specs remain out of reach for most buyers, there is an alternative that requires some courage and ideally a system that is already out of warranty. This refers to shunt modding, but applied in a slightly different context.
RTX 5090 laptops now sell starting at around $3500, which is a steep price for a gaming laptop. A more reasonable approach is to buy a lower-spec model or an older system, such as RTX 4090 laptops that now sell for about $1600, as the Redditor notes. This does mean losing access to Multi-Frame Generation, but keep in mind Intel is working on a cross-vendor equivalent. Once that is released, this feature will no longer be limited to NVIDIA.
Source: thatavidreadertrue
Redditor “thatavidreadertrue” says the mod only required adding a 1 mΩ resistor on top of the existing 5 mΩ resistor. Shunt modding is a physical modification that causes the GPU to report lower power consumption. As a result, any BIOS-defined power limit will not be reached, allowing the GPU to run at its full clocks.
| ASUS ROG M16 Zephyrus RTX 4090 Shunt Mod Results by thatavidreadertrue | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark | Next best m16 | Improvement through shunt mod | Average 5090 laptop | Difference vs 5090 laptop average |
| Speedway | 5673 | 21.8% | 6307 | 9.6% |
| Steel nomad | 5079 | 20.8% | 6159 | -0.4% |
| Steel nomad light | 22466 | 22.4% | 26137 | 5.2% |
| Port royal | 13564 | 20.3% | 16321 | 0.0% |
| Time spy graphics | 23402 | 8.7% | 24949 | 2.0% |
| Time spy overall | 22031 | 4.9% | 23076 | 0.1% |
| Solar bay extreme | 18166 | 35.5% | 22877 | 7.6% |
| AVERAGE | ➡️19.2% | ➡️3.5% |
There are some practical concerns. Higher GPU power will raise temperatures, and thin designs like the Zephyrus series cannot improve their cooling just by changing resistors. Users may need to repaste the system, apply better thermal pads, or otherwise improve cooling. These steps are easily achievable if one has time and basic experience.
Source: Reddit