MCW50-T artifact probs

[Coot]

Having probs with my MCW50-T.
With the little foam square of Neopreme after first fitting the block etc, It was working fine. However later I began to get vertical lines (artifacts) randomly appearing on the screen. I thought it was a condensation problem so I bought a bigger square of neopreme and applied more dielectric grease to the backside of the GPU. However, these artifacts persisted and would appear every few seconds.

Do you think this could be a condensation problem?

[afireinside]

:mad: Sounds like a guy at the [H] who crushed the core on his 9500np putting the tubes on his maze4. BUT you said it worked at first. Hum. When you start getting them take the MCW50-T off ASAP and check for water.

[Coot]

Oh I forgot to mention it works fine with the stock fan after removing the TEC block, just it buggers up when I fit the block and add neopreme :(

How has everyone else condensation proofed their card?

Using a softmodded 9500np btw

[Teus]

strange, what's your water temperature?
you're sure your pelt is at 12volt and not at 5volt?

[Coot]

yeah the TEC is at 12v, get an ice block forming on the block coldside in a few mins when removed from the card.

Not sure of exact water temps, they are fine though, its on its own seperate loop being cooled by a BIX.

[Jabo]

Originally posted by Coot
Having probs with my MCW50-T.
With the little foam square of Neopreme after first fitting the block etc, It was working fine. However later I began to get vertical lines (artifacts) randomly appearing on the screen. I thought it was a condensation problem so I bought a bigger square of neopreme and applied more dielectric grease to the backside of the GPU. However, these artifacts persisted and would appear every few seconds.

Do you think this could be a condensation problem?

He he he

It' not funny since my trust R9500 256-bit np soft modded and cooled by MCW50-T looked like dead for past few days.
Exactly the same problems as you desribed:(...

My prime suspect was a faulty ramsink since all symptoms exibited pointed towards 'bad ram chip'.
Got card out and... surprise, surprise
Back side was almost rotten through!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All covered in copperdioxide (green stuff) and a little puddle of water slushing about....
Insulation was done exactly as Swiftech stipulated in their manuals.
The only change was a thermal diode (Lian-Li flat probe) stuck under GPU.
It might have caused delamination of self-adhesive neoprene but I personaly don't think so since it was held VERY flat against PCB...
Anyway, artifacting BIG time, corrupted even during POST..... thought I lost my baby....:explode: :wierd: :confused: :confused: :confused:

When I took the card out insulation was 'hanging in the mid air' (looking from the front, with case opened, for checking if all was right, nothing could be seen since neoprene patch was securely glued to my card).
Another cause of this catastrophic delamination of insulation could be my conformal coating of my card. Water additive (Purple Ice) might have dissolved it in some way and allowed water to penetrate.

This (http://www.hpphotos.com/servlet/LinkPhoto?GUID=21b213e0-7533-5558-1399-22d422d56eec&size=) pic showas what I mean.

This (http://www.hpphotos.com/servlet/LinkPhoto?GUID=40ac4cfc-8fa7-7a2b-f66c-7fb354c42e3a&size=lg) one show you how it should be done.
Neoprene patch should be as thick as possible and as big as possible. Just cut out accommodating for any obstructions (mountingh posts for screws, bid resistors and capacitors).
What I used there was a cutout form MCW5000P-T assy (cutout for CPU socket)
Then I covered every single possible air entry point in di-electric grease.

This (http://www.hpphotos.com/servlet/LinkPhoto?GUID=7283ed07-4243-630b-590c-cb9a75351871&size=lg) pic shows the whole of the card with re-done 'back-side' (no pun intended ;) ) of my card insulated in a PROPER way.

The best thing about it is that befor I've done it I had Idle temps on non-oced card @ 12 C. Now I have it @ 6C with ambienbt 22.9C!!! Massive drop. Full load (3DMark2003 + F&H in background) with GPU @ 420 (stock is 270) and mem @305 (stock 275) I am getting 14 C!!!!!! (compared to previous 21C).

This (http://www.hpphotos.com/servlet/LinkPhoto?GUID=26f63bb2-7b7e-284d-7da9-12f77037694c&size=lg) shows my Cooling Tower TM contraption.

The last one, Overclockers' pOrN (http://www.hpphotos.com/servlet/LinkPhoto?GUID=4b7926c8-7235-54d8-45b6-25352803139b&size=)

[Coot]

Originally posted by Jabo
He he he

It' not funny since my trust R9500 256-bit np soft modded and cooled by MCW50-T looked like dead for past few days.
Exactly the same problems as you desribed:(...

My prime suspect was a faulty ramsink since all symptoms exibited pointed towards 'bad ram chip'.
Got card out and... surprise, surprise
Back side was almost rotten through!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All covered in copperdioxide (green stuff) and a little puddle of water slushing about....
Insulation was done exactly as Swiftech stipulated in their manuals.
The only change was a thermal diode (Lian-Li flat probe) stuck under GPU.
It might have caused delamination of self-adhesive neoprene but I personaly don't think so since it was held VERY flat against PCB...
Anyway, artifacting BIG time, corrupted even during POST..... thought I lost my baby....:explode: :wierd: :confused: :confused: :confused:

When I took the card out insulation was 'hanging in the mid air' (looking from the front, with case opened, for checking if all was right, nothing could be seen since neoprene patch was securely glued to my card).
Another cause of this catastrophic delamination of insulation could be my conformal coating of my card. Water additive (Purple Ice) might have dissolved it in some way and allowed water to penetrate.

This (http://www.hpphotos.com/servlet/LinkPhoto?GUID=21b213e0-7533-5558-1399-22d422d56eec&size=) pic showas what I mean.

This (http://www.hpphotos.com/servlet/LinkPhoto?GUID=40ac4cfc-8fa7-7a2b-f66c-7fb354c42e3a&size=lg) one show you how it should be done.
Neoprene patch should be as thick as possible and as big as possible. Just cut out accommodating for any obstructions (mountingh posts for screws, bid resistors and capacitors).
What I used there was a cutout form MCW5000P-T assy (cutout for CPU socket)
Then I covered every single possible air entry point in di-electric grease.

This (http://www.hpphotos.com/servlet/LinkPhoto?GUID=7283ed07-4243-630b-590c-cb9a75351871&size=lg) pic shows the whole of the card with re-done 'back-side' (no pun intended ;) ) of my card insulated in a PROPER way.

The best thing about it is that befor I've done it I had Idle temps on non-oced card @ 12 C. Now I have it @ 6C with ambienbt 22.9C!!! Massive drop. Full load (3DMark2003 + F&H in background) with GPU @ 420 (stock is 270) and mem @305 (stock 275) I am getting 14 C!!!!!! (compared to previous 21C).

This (http://www.hpphotos.com/servlet/LinkPhoto?GUID=26f63bb2-7b7e-284d-7da9-12f77037694c&size=lg) shows my Cooling Tower TM contraption.

The last one, Overclockers' pOrN (http://www.hpphotos.com/servlet/LinkPhoto?GUID=4b7926c8-7235-54d8-45b6-25352803139b&size=)

Thanks for that, your pictures were helpful :)

I was just wondering how you got the neoprene to stick firmly to the back of the card? I tried using double-sided sticky tape on the neopreme so it would stick to teh back of the card, however the dielectric grease smeared on the back of the card prevented the neopreme from sticking properly. The neoprene I have is quite thick, I think it may be better to get thicker stuff.

I was thinking about getting a steel plate the size of the neopreme which would have holes drilled in it to allow for the block mounting bolts, and it would go on these bolts after the springs, and then nuts would go on top and then tightened - this would act as a clamp to hold the neoprene to the back of the card. Good idea or bad?

[Jabo]

If you vover back of your card with grease there's nothing you can stick neoprene to it afterwards. I cleaned my card with Methylated Spirit first to REMOVE all the grease (using that tootbrush :) ) and only then I applied neoprene. When I made it stick properly I put as much greae around it and where nylon nuts stick out as was possible, paying attention to avoid card's bus contacts.
You'd have to customise screws to have them longer, fix block first and then using the same screws but separate nuts fix you plate with neoprene independently (fixing it all using only one pair of nuts would crush neoprene and make it useless).

ALWAYS mechnical fixing is the best solution if possible :)

[Tedinde]

This shows my Cooling Tower TM contraption. \


hehe i like the TM after the cooling tower, Trademark.


I recognize the green oxidation all to well. I've had no problems with my swifty GPU block for 8 months now. A lot of people have though.