EK-FC280 GTX owners with high GPU temperatures

[shellac]

With what I've read in this thread, I have two of the 'thinner' blocks as they measure 5mm at the screw holes. They're both still in the box, unmounted - I supposed I should wait to hear back from Eddy before going further? I have the aluminum back plates and also ordered the WC back plates to go with my 2 280's in a Striker II Extreme board... I have some time to get this all resolved but I want to make sure and get it right the first time.

You have a PM and email Eddy. It's greatly appreciated how forthright you've been regarding this issue.

[crossover8]

@stangracin

i know his cooling problem 3 x GTX280 on one 360 radiator

What do you expect? A 480 rad? a 360 high performance rad should already do the trick, my overclocked QX9770 to 4.2Ghz idles at 31c-34c on just a TFC-x 240 rad and to think it includes some overvoltaged chipsets within the loop.

A 360 Rad is what the experts recommended before I built this powerful rig, so maybe that's just your own opinion w/o any basis.

[zoz]

crossover, how come your 280 backplate is different from mine??
to those people using a backplate like my one..do we need to
put a thermal pad at the middle of the plate(behind the gpu chip)?

[Vertigo1]

That backplate is interesting! I suggested the same mod to Eddy way back in this thread last year.

Where can I get the replacement plate from?

[Matic]

Also got the problem with to much space between the gpu and the waterblock. what happens when i put a large thermal pad directly on the gpu to close the gap, will the temperatures be o.k?

[Eddy_EK]

Hi!

If you have noticed.
The 260 and 280 cards dont have a alu reinforcer arount the GPU.
The holes around the GPU are prepared for tnis, but I dont know the reason why they did not add it.
Now the newer 295, 285, and 55nm 260 has it and this will terminate this issue.
Overtightening is the cause for all this problems.

Matic: Adding thermal pad on the gpu will not help.

[Vertigo1]

But is the backplate shown above a new design? It has the back of the GPU covered so adding a pad here would help push the GPU mount up from behind and prevent the board bending, surely, in the same way as with the braces for the back of motherboard CPU sockets?

[alekz2604]

Hello first

I have a big fear abot my gtx280 vrm temps.
Testing with furmark, vrm temps reaches 80 degrees, with ek fc280 gtx sli mounted.Is it ok?
I must say that i used thermal pad that came with the block.

Please, if u have the same card and it's water cooled , make a test for me.
Please run furmark and post the temperatures.

I use for measuring Rivatuner.

Please specify , what block you are using and what card/brand

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...1&d=1234050626

[theseeker]

crossover, how come your 280 backplate is different from mine??
to those people using a backplate like my one..do we need to
put a thermal pad at the middle of the plate(behind the gpu chip)?

I have the same backplates you have. One of mine had a plastic tape like material in the middle and the other one did not have it. I too am confused?
Eddy........please help

[EL RICHARDO]

Yes i have the same question! My backplate has a sticker on the back... Eddy help...

[davep]

I now have three dead 280gtx now, got green leds, use two different psu, two different known working mobo, different ram


No display at all, this must be one of the worse block ek has made, loads of people have had problems with this block


I have the old backplate btw

gonna look weird rma all three to evga lol

[Jokester_wild]

I just installed mine, without a backplate. Contact seems great. Guess ill see how the temps are once I get everything installed.

[Blackwhite]

I have problem with my GPU block.There is bad contact with v regulators - my temps are over 100 C.I'm using 0.5 mm thermal pads and backpalte as well.
GPu temps seems to be ok, 63 C in full load, PCB temp 42 C - which is not bad.
Any ideas?

[cx-ray]

I now have three dead 280gtx now, got green leds, use two different psu, two different known working mobo, different ram


No display at all, this must be one of the worse block ek has made, loads of people have had problems with this block


I have the old backplate btw

gonna look weird rma all three to evga lol

In the R2E thread that I subscribe to you mentioned that you plugged in the wrong 8 pin wires into your card(s). Are you sure that didn't fry something?

[Blackwhite]

Ok problem solved.
I removed thermal pads from memory sticks - there was no contact with GPU and VDDC at all.
I used 1 mm pads for v regulators and now is fine.
But.... my card looks like banana now :P

So my advice - don't use thermal pads for memory sticks

[Ch3ck5um]

Hmm is this still a problem ? I have just fitted 2 of these blocks to my 280's I didnet over tighten as I was concerned about pressure applied to the components.

I am not using the backplate, instead I am using scythe ram sinks as the memory hardly gets warm.

I only use MX-2 on the GPU and Vrm and memory which is non conductive.

[Garrett]

You should use thermal pads on the vrm's because with thermal paste they MAY not have proper contact and then burn... resulting in a dead card...

[Ch3ck5um]

As per instructions the smaller 7 vrms are covered with cut outs from the supplied grey thermal pad.

The rest are covered using a very small amount of MX-2.

Sorry.. i was not clear enough

[Malik]

Back to the theme...

I have problem with my GTX 280 SLI and high temps. I have mount two blocks from Eddy:



And, on one card i have very high temps in stress ( 92 degree ), but on second all is ok. So i check blocks ( thermal pads, thermal paste ) - all fine. So i decide to change blocks on cards, after that the same situation - diffrent block the same high temps.

Both cards all ok, i check it with stock cooling - no problems.

Where can be a problem ?

[cx-ray]

Could be a tolerance problem with one of the cards. Maybe some of the components are placed a little higher, thereby preventing good GPU contact. When you take the block off hows the thermal paste imprint on the GPU (I recommend placing a blob of TIM not manual spreading)? Depending on how bad it is maybe you can tighten the screws around the GPU a little more.

[Malik]

Could be a tolerance problem with one of the cards. Maybe some of the components are placed a little higher, thereby preventing good GPU contact. When you take the block off hows the thermal paste imprint on the GPU (I recommend placing a blob of TIM not manual spreading)? Depending on how bad it is maybe you can tighten the screws around the GPU a little more.

Thermal paste imprint ok with gpu, mems and Nivo chipset. Power section is also ok with thermal pads. On idle temp is ok 40-43 rock stable, but when i push something 3D - temps go creazy high. I try two block on this card and the same result. On second card this two blocks works fine.

About screw i try low,med,high force and no result. I will try to put thermal padnfor nivo maybe there is something wrong.

The most strange thing is this that on stock ac Cooling this card work fine, no problems. Max temp on stock Cooling is 85

[cx-ray]

When there's good contact with all components cooling must be okay. I only can think of two things.

1) Contact at some point is good, but after you install the card contact is lost in some places. Try setting your motherboard horizontally (if it isn't) to see if temps change.

2) There might be something wrong with the water flow. Have your checked the temp of the problem card when running on it's own without the other card connected in the loop?

[Malik]

When there's good contact with all components cooling must be okay. I only can think of two things.

1) Contact at some point is good, but after you install the card contact is lost in some places. Try setting your motherboard horizontally (if it isn't) to see if temps change.

2) There might be something wrong with the water flow. Have your checked the temp of the problem card when running on it's own without the other card connected in the loop?

when card was work along with this block, everything was ok. When i will back from holiday's i will put this card on bottom pcie slot ( she always work in top pcie slot ). Maybe that will be a solution. I give you know after 27th

[Malik]

Ok Guys after today 5h battle with this problem - result is ... one of gtx280 is not good, because:

- i change pcie slot - failed
- i put thermalpad on nivo - failed
- i mount by one card and this which has problem with temp test - failed

When i put second card ( this one which work with no problem with temps ) - everything was ok.

[cx-ray]

It's a little bit difficult to tell from the SLI image by you a few posts back, but it looks like you're using the two center screws above and below the GPU. Due to risk of warping EK told people not to use those screws in the older blocks. In later block revisions EK also completely left out the top and bottom center screws holes around the GPU

...maybe worth a try if you haven't already.