GTX 260/280 stock cooling removal and UNISink installation guide

This is another thing that was once here and was removed for childish reasons.

Credit goes to Xilikon. I have Rehosted all images as to avoid any attempt at removing this guide.

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I have seen many questions about methods to easily remove the stock cooler of the GTX 260/280 cards (and any other card which use the same cooling package, probably the 9800GTX). This beg for a definitive illustrated guide to explain how to remove the stock cooler without damaging the card and the cooler surface. It will also be used to show how to install the D-Tek UNISink and Fuzion v2 since it'S what I did for my GTX 260 core 216 card.

I did remove and remount the stock cooler twice so I'm very confident those steps is the best to do. The following guide is done with a EVGA GTX 260 core 216 but the steps should be the same for any GTX 2xx card using the same cooler design.

Here's the whole parts before :

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/7887/dscf0071ax3.jpg

Removal of the stock cooler

DISCLAIMER : Make sure to put the card on a anti-static and not do like me by putting it on a towel. You risk frying the card by accident so do what I say, not what I did (I have some balls :rotf:).

The first thing to do is to place the card so the backside is in front of you as illustrated in the picture below. You will see ten (10) screws so unscrew all of them using a jeweler's screwdriver.
http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/9713/dscf0072ug2.jpg

After this, look at the rear bracket to find two (2) more screws to remove.
http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/3706/dscf0073pq5.jpg

When you are done removing the screws, the next step is to remove the rubber SLI cover and the SPDIF cover (it's a small square beside the two power connectors. Don't bother with the two round plugs, there are no screws behind even if there are screw holes inside. They will fall off itself when you separate the sections).
http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/3402/dscf0074ar1.jpg

Put the card upright so the PCI-E connector is in your eyes. You will see a separation line between the two parts of the stock cooling. There are three tabs holding them together so use a small jeweler flat blade screw to press the first tap which is close to the rear bracket and it will pop itself. There is two others further toward the left side of the card (in this pic) and you will notice a faint identation along the line so that's where the other tabs will be. Press as well on those identations then pry away the rear side .
http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/927/dscf0076fy5.jpg

If you did it right, you will have the rear backplate like that (notice the three tabs at the bottom of the backplate in this picture to serve as reference for locations) :
http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/2885/dscf0077zt4.jpg

Before you try to pry the front part, remove the two silver screws which is in the left part in this pic (mid-way between the rear bracket and the core).
http://img116.imageshack.us/img116/5272/dscf0078aa6.jpg

Wiggle the front part to break the suction that the thermal paste is putting until it pop-off. Do it gently bit by bit and don't force it (If you wiggle too much, you risk displacing the thermal pads and destroying them when you want to keep it for the future). When you pop it off, don't yank it too fast since the fan connector is still connected.
http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/613/dscf0079dz5.jpg

Just unplug it carefully then put the front part aside then you are done with the disassembly (Use a small flat screwdriver to pry it off or wiggle it bit by bit until it come off, it's locked pretty tight) :
http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/1033/dscf0080fc7.jpg

D-Tek UNISink installation

The first thing to do after removing the stock cooler is to clean the core, memory chips and the voltage regulators with isoprophyl alcohol. Don't bother with the memory chips in the backside since you will reuse the same thermal pads, just the front ones.
http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/7378/dscf0081oq5.jpg

Put the UNISink with the rear part containing thermal pads in front of you on something to elevate it a bit (this is so you can put the card flat without having the rear bracket hitting the surface before). I used a box of cotton swabs in this picture . Put the card in the direction so the contact points align.
http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/9862/dscf0083mi0.jpg

After you put the card on the UNISink, put the two silver screws in the same place as when you removed it. Put the stock backplate on the card then put back all the 10 screws by tightening them in a criss-cross pattern starting with the core corners. Don't tighten too much to avoid damaging the screws or the card.
http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/3354/dscf0084rr1.jpg

After it's fully screwed, turn the card so the core is in front of you.
http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/5060/dscf0085oe4.jpg

Put a dab of thermal paste on the core as indicated below. Since the core is pretty large, don't skimp on the amount (ie, no rice-sized blob).
http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/4197/dscf0086cb9.jpg

Put the D-Tek Fuzion v2 block on the core then use the included spring screws which come with the Fuzion package. Tighten them in a criss-cross pattern and don't tighten too hard to avoid breaking them. When you are done, it should look like this :
http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/6029/dscf0087lm3.jpg

That's all folks :)

If you have a comment or a suggestion to improve the guide, feel free to post and I'll amend this since I wanted this to become a official reference for everyone.

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Thanks Sniipe,
I looked and looked for that. I've had a ton of threads here where I was looking for that exact thread and could never find it. Damn I wish those people would come here now and see this. I didn't know it was gone and sent them ona wild goose chase looking for it...dangit man. I bet they were PO'd after somebody tells them to go searching for it, and they never found it. :shakes:

For the ones I sent looking for this, if you read this, sorry man. This is the post I was referring to. I didn't know it was gone.

Aw, BTW, I'll send a pic of the new style GTX280 Unisink when I get mine installed. It might be a week or two. I'm waiting on a few parts that are on Backorder. The new style has a Pin Array now instad of the channels shown on the v1 280 Unisink.

Damn, wish you would've posted this ony monday :p:

I even got out my hair dryer to see if I could break the suction. It took me like 15 mins before I found those 3 clips. They're so elusive.

I just did this yesterday and the day before. Unfortunately having the correct screwdriver did not help in removing the two screws on the metal bracket. I tried using so much force the actual flat head version of my driver got chipped. I then tried to epoxy the driver to the screw to no avail. I then tried for a few hours to use some pliers ect to turn it and then rested on the fact that those screws were coming out one way or another. (Also at this point they were totally striped) So I opted to cut the screws in half by using a hacksaw that I had lying around. A few hours later that dam heatsink was finally off :up:

Also here is a tip for the fan connector, I tried using a screw driver and that did not help I and a few others tried pulling it off. I then used a pair of pliers and it worked great! Just grip on the short sides not the long way and it will come out really easy.

Trick for stripped screws...

Note: Don't completely destroy the screws becasue you won't be able to stepup or send the card in for warranty if it's not put back stock with the stock cooler heatpads and everything. EVGA warranties their cards even if you use an aftermarket HSF or WC option.

Here's the trick...
Take a small hacksaw blade or dremel cutoff wheel, and cut a sllot in the head of the screw. Remove screw with flat blade screwdriver. Barring that, and small pair of vicegrips and grab the head. It's possible they may have used loctite or a threadlocker on those screws. i hope to God they didn;t start doing that. If they used red loctite or a strong thread locker, it's gonna be murder to get those screws out. About the only way i know to remove screws/bolts that have agressive thread locker on them is to heat the screwhead up with a soldering iron.

The trick is not necessarily a jewlers screwdriver, but one that fits the screw and "bites" really well. If it rocks back and forth inside the phillips part of the screwhead it's too small and will probably strip. I've got a bunch of screwdrivers in my shop, and specialized screwdriver sets for small stuff like this. I don't attempt to turn a head ona screw until I find one that fits really good. Some of these small scres can be a real PITA. I wish they use Allen head screws. I have every size hardened driver known to man for those and they don't strip.

this is the 260 216 core? been looking at it and I need a unisink

its the 65nm GTX 260 the 192 and 216 are the same layout and all

the 55nm GTX 260 is different