Graphics card with CPU heatsink?

Vicotnik · Post by **Vicotnik** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 1:03 am

I agree with bryan_d. The SI-97 is to large for AS Adhesive on a 9700pro. But a socket A stock HSF would work I think.
But if you have a SI-97 laying around check out the guide bryan_d links to. Seems like the way to go for you.

Drill and tap is usually the best way to go in most cases. AS Adhesive is perhaps easier but it has its downsides.

ckang008 · Post by **ckang008** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 11:20 pm

seems like this SI-97 mod is a better idea for a more powerful card.

Will X1950 Pro AGP be able to use this mod?
May get that card to stretch my agp Barton 3200+ system lifespan a bit longer.

qstoffe · Post by **qstoffe** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 2:23 pm

I must begin with saying that I think this is a really KICKASS cool thread!!! Why can't more people mod thier gfx cards with CPU-coolers and post pictures of it ?

I'm thinking of buying a 8880GTX card for my new ULTRA SUPER silent and ULTRA fast system (hehe

). If possible I'm also thinking of doing some minor overclocking BUT NOT AT THE COST OF MORE NOISE!!. Only problem is that there is now way in hell that this would be possible using the standard cooler.

So... I'm thinking along the lines of modding the 8800GTX card with an "Thermalright Ultra-120" cooler and a rubber-suspended Nexus fan. Lets assume I "somehow" manage to mount the cooler on the card tightly. My question is: will it fit on the motherboard or will it be too close to the PCI slots so that I will have to cut the fins on one side ?

Also the 8800GTX standard cooler absorbs the heat from the video RAM chips. Does anyone know how hot video RAM gets ? Would it be enough to just cool the video RAM with a low spinning fan ? Or do I need to add extra heatsinks for them ?

8800GTX with stock cooler.

Stock cooler removed

THERMALRIGHTULTRA-120 Heatsink

perplex · Post by **perplex** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 3:20 pm

Sweet Goodness, now that is a project. Keep us updated, Ultra 120 on a graphics card...

Bobfantastic · Post by **Bobfantastic** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 3:25 pm

First of all- sanity

Next, will it fit on the motherboard- Yes, one way or another. Either it will fit (and you'll have to use a tall case with a short motherboard), or it won't fit but you can make it work anyway,
You're pretty much resigned to losing every other PCI slot by going for this, but there is an alternative- if you use a PCI-E extenderor two, then you can put the graphics card pretty much anywhere in the case (although the closest to the mobo the better), while still being able to use the other slots. e.g. depending on the layout, you might be able to mod your case to accept the gpu parallel to the cpu, in which case the Ultra-120 would probably poke out the side (for "natural convection"

).
(By the by; if you were happy to leave a heatsink poking out the side, or if you were building your own, you might just want to go straight for a Ninja to maximise performance, and still no noise. Trying to support either HS could prove 'interesting').

Finally, RAM- Not enough; Yes; Not unless you're scared. Extensive tests by somewhere that I can't remember showed that ram coolers like those little blue hedgehogs from Zalman really don't make a difference.

One thing that you may want to look into though is the secondary chip on the 8800GTX (I think it deals with HDCP and stuff). This may well require cooling as well as the main processor to keep the card stable, however there do not appear to be any mounting holes around it, so you'll need to get creative.

Hope this helps.

perplex · Post by **perplex** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 6:43 pm

Bare in mind that we're talking about Prescott overclocked power consumption from those 8-series cards. I think?

qstoffe · Post by **qstoffe** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:26 am

First of all thanks for the advice

A PCI-E riser and a Ninja ? Wouldn't that be the dream

Actually I am building my own case but I have already started building it so it's too late to change the case width. I know it's a little wider than a normal case but... I'll just have to see if I can mod that somehow

Sadly enough I don't think I will be ready with my case before christmas so the actual 8800GTX mod will have to wait. But damn it would be nice to just slam a ninja on the 8800GTX

PCI-E riser card

I wonder how effective this would be on a 8800GTX ?

ckang008 · Post by **ckang008** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:46 am

Vicotnik wrote:I agree with bryan_d. The SI-97 is to large for AS Adhesive on a 9700pro. But a socket A stock HSF would work I think.
But if you have a SI-97 laying around check out the guide bryan_d links to. Seems like the way to go for you.

Drill and tap is usually the best way to go in most cases. AS Adhesive is perhaps easier but it has its downsides.

Well, I have a VF-700 AlCu on my 9700 pro right now. So will the SI-97 make the card cool even more?

perplex · Post by **perplex** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 9:22 am

Damn... if someone puts something like a Ninja on their card please keep us updated. I saw that crazy heatsink on card on XS.

Vicotnik · Post by **Vicotnik** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 10:05 am

ckang008 wrote:Well, I have a VF-700 AlCu on my 9700 pro right now. So will the SI-97 make the card cool even more?

Yes, with the same airflow the SI-97 will be cooler. But I don't think a passive SI-97 would be cooler than a active VF700.

ceraf · Post by **ceraf** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 8:02 pm

well, i guess all those socket A heatsinks i've collected over the years can finally be put to use again. =)

i'm quite tempted to try this on my loud 9700 pro, but i only have arctic alumina on me. I'm worried about needing to remove it just in case something goes wrong.

any ideas? or should i just go buy a heatsink?

bryan_d · Post by **bryan_d** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 6:47 pm

ceraf wrote: i'm quite tempted to try this on my loud 9700 pro, but i only have arctic alumina on me. I'm worried about needing to remove it just in case something goes wrong.

Well what is wrong with Alumina?

And Please DO NOT use thermal adhesive on your video card's GPU die. You really owe it to your stress level and the fuctionality of your card to use proper methods of mounting a CPU heatsink to your video card.

DRILL & TAP

Good luck,

Bryan d

ceraf · Post by **ceraf** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 7:29 am

^ it's the adhesive alumina =)

kay, i'm probably going to do some heatsink drilling..=P