Will this northbridge cooler fry my videocard?

gagne.andre · Post by **gagne.andre** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 7:50 pm

Hello everyone,

I've got a gigabyte GA-M55SLI-Rev. 2 and an XFX 7900GS housed in an Antec 182B.

The problem that I've got is that the videocard currently extends over the current northbridge heatsink, and the heatsink has a 35mm fan that is rather noisy.

I've done some measurements and if I get a second card I've got almost exactly 15mm from the capacitors on the videocard to the middle of the northbridge itself.

The only northbridge cooler I can find that might work is the Noctua NC-U6 as the fins are only 23.5 mm in width (depth?), I'm open to other suggestions.

I'm just wondering a few things:
1) if this cooler is mounted horizontally (to the ground) will it's cooling capabilities be stifled by the long videocard?

2) if the cooler is mounted horizontally will it end up toasting the videocard's capacitors/memory?

the only thing I can think of is that I have the Noctua NF-S12-800 mounted in the front fan-mount of the case.

so, what does everyone think? is this a good idea or should I just stick with the stock cooler?

I should mention that my northbridge is currently running around 28C with the current cooler.

Thanks!

seraphyn · Post by **seraphyn** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 8:17 pm

If you have some airflow going a passively cooled NB should be easily doable. You can buy a new sink for it and bend / snip off a portion of it (obviously not too much) should your graphics card come into direct contact with it.

I haven't done this myself mind you, but i have seen people on other forums do so with success.

gagne.andre · Post by **gagne.andre** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:04 pm

hrm...

So, to sum up what you're saying: if it's not touching it shouldn't be too much of an issue?

If I do go with the Noctua then I could see myself having problems with mounting a passive cooling solution for the videocard itself (i.e. the Arctic cooling Accelero S1).

I'm beginning to wonder/realize if my selection of motherboard was not the best for optimal passive cooling. Meh, guess I'll figure something out. too bad the Thermalright HR-05 didn't work out (card was too long).

Thanks for the advice.

Post by **NeilBlanchard** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 4:49 am

Hello,

The amount of heat that anything puts out is the same, no matter what heatsink you use. A better NB cooler may help it run cooler, but it still puts out the same amount of heat that it did with the old cooler.

There is a distinction between temperature and quantity of heat.

seraphyn · Post by **seraphyn** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 5:40 am

gagne.andre wrote:So, to sum up what you're saying: if it's not touching it shouldn't be too much of an issue?

As long as there is some airflow over it, it should be fine.

~El~Jefe~ · Post by **~El~Jefe~** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 8:35 am

every machine I make gets a zalman dark blue northbridge heatsink.

so, the idea in general is great. longer the tines the better they work. i had tried older versions of shorter ones that werent as effective

once I had to bend some of the pins like a millimeter or two out of the way.

Combine that with good thermal grease like Ceramique or AS5 (or zalman's liquid seems nice, ZM-STG1) you will have much lower temperatures and need minimal case flow

gagne.andre · Post by **gagne.andre** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 11:41 pm

Has anyone tried out the enzotech SLF-1?

EDIT:

someone has, I'm now just waiting to hear back from them:

topic:
viewtopic.php?t=43487&highlight=enzotech+slf1

Krazy Kommando · Post by **Krazy Kommando** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 12:29 am

you could always check out the thermalright HR05 SLI

gagne.andre · Post by **gagne.andre** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 11:01 am

Krazy Kommando wrote:you could always check out the thermalright HR05 SLI

I already did, I couldn't get it to work with my videocard (it was too long/the Northbridge is in a semi-odd place).

gagne.andre · Post by **gagne.andre** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 3:50 pm

So I've finally went with the HR-05-SLI. I decided that I could take the hit of not being able to run SLI. The case is a bit quieter but I'm finding that my base temps on the heatsink are actually higher (by 1C) than the stock cooler.

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas? Could it be my installation?

johnniecache7 · Post by **johnniecache7** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 7:20 pm

I am not sure about your install you could add 70mm yate loon fan to the thermalright HR05 SLI. I am sure your going create some noise unfornatly with fan.

YATE LOON D70SH-12B 70x70x15mm: http://www.jab-tech.com/YATE-LOON-70x70 ... -3827.html

PopCorn · Post by **PopCorn** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 7:50 pm

i didn't read the whole thread but u should try the HR-05 SLI, sorry if some one mentioned it

gagne.andre · Post by **gagne.andre** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 9:04 pm

johnniecache7 wrote:I am not sure about your install you could add 70mm yate loon fan to the thermalright HR05 SLI. I am sure your going create some noise unfornatly with fan.

YATE LOON D70SH-12B 70x70x15mm: http://www.jab-tech.com/YATE-LOON-70x70 ... -3827.html

thanks for the tip.

I was just wondering if, given that every single review out there has noticed their NB temps dropping with the addition of this cooler, I may have messed something up in the thermalpasting step of the instillation? Have other people who had fans on their NB seen their temps increase with the installation of a fanless cooler?