EK-FC280 GTX owners with high GPU temperatures

[Malik]

I received the new gtx280 from rma and tested it today. Still had bad temperature. I tried with or without the ram block and mount several time the waterblocks. Finally, I think I screwed with to much strength around the gpu and one more time broke my card
One complete day waste for nothing one more time
I believe I will put the waterblocks with the trash and I will used the next gtx280 with stock cooling.
I had 3 8800GTX before with the EK FC8800GTX block and did'nt broke one

You have bad luck with this card

[BlueAqua]

Malik, What the hell are you trying to do to my wallet!! It's just screaming to buy the same setup as you have. The Ek GTX280/260 blocks just look amazing, AND options for water cooling both sides.

Lately the nickel plating has really grown on me. I really like the look of your GTX Malik, very nice.

[Malik]

Malik, What the hell are you trying to do to my wallet!! It's just screaming to buy the same setup as you have. The Ek GTX280/260 blocks just look amazing, AND options for water cooling both sides.

Lately the nickel plating has really grown on me. I really like the look of your GTX Malik, very nice.

So wait when you see final version

[Mekrel]

You are right about this. DD had some of their early 8800GTX blocks leak when they first used delrin in the tops. They replace ALL the tops and contacted customers directly if they had their info to do so just as EK is doing. DD was hated here for it and elsewhere. I has taken me almost a year to get the DD name to just a neutral to mildly positive name here. Do not get me wrong . . .I would NEVER want EK to face the same crap as they do great work and do not deserve it either. I just want people to think twice before they post attacking a vendor. Hold a vendor liable but if they vendor is attempting to fix problems give them credit for doing so.

Vendors should be more wary then, too many products have been released, especially by EK that don't work fully as attended.

The X38 Asus north bridge block, Eddy took measurements of a dyslexic person for crying out loud and released the block that didn't actually fit without modification.

I've had to buy 2 extra parts for my EK reservoirs to stop the vortex effect when the first revision base on it's own was supposed to stop them. Of course he HAS to replace items which are defective. It's nice that he's open about the mistakes and users don't have to struggle to get a replacement, yet you must not forget - consumers have rights.

You can't be putting products out that are cooling expensive hardware without fully testing them.

[Repliquant67]

Yes, I have bad luck with this gtx280 and waterblock. I did'nt check the temperature with the stock cooling. Maybe I receive one more time a card that overheat, but I will not check one more time. I give up the watercooling with this card.

[jtace]

Yes, I have bad luck with this gtx280 and waterblock. I did'nt check the temperature with the stock cooling. Maybe I receive one more time a card that overheat, but I will not check one more time. I give up the watercooling with this card.

i have had exactly the same problems....broke 2 GTX280 cards and finally go to air, which works fine till now!

I tried with EK Block rev1, with EK block rev 2 (Eddy send me copper replace) and two GTX280 which worked fine with air. Finnaly broke the two of them (system didn't boot) and now i am working with the third one. The first was Evga, the second and the third was Asus GTX280. Keep in mind that it is my 4th watercooled vga (6800-7800-8800-GTX280) and i broke 2 of 3 GTX280!! Also note that my DD tieton block (yes i had also a DD block for this card) didn't work with asus! (large gap between core and block). Anybody else had trying watercoold an asus gtx280 ?

[Relic27777]

Yeah I'm awaiting a replacement copper section of the 280 block from Eddy. System works fine but Idle temp in a Q6600 and gtx 280 at stock speeds is 61C on the GPU, I'm not even gonna try to put any load on it. Eddy said he'd send me a replacement over 10 days ago and still nothing though still hoping its Monday.

[Repliquant67]

i have had exactly the same problems....broke 2 GTX280 cards and finally go to air, which works fine till now!

I tried with EK Block rev1, with EK block rev 2 (Eddy send me copper replace) and two GTX280 which worked fine with air. Finnaly broke the two of them (system didn't boot) and now i am working with the third one. The first was Evga, the second and the third was Asus GTX280. Keep in mind that it is my 4th watercooled vga (6800-7800-8800-GTX280) and i broke 2 of 3 GTX280!! Also note that my DD tieton block (yes i had also a DD block for this card) didn't work with asus! (large gap between core and block). Anybody else had trying watercoold an asus gtx280 ?

I had too 5 watercooled video cards before without problem (6800GT, 7800GTX and 3 8800GTX).
I don't know if the problem come from the video cards or the waterblocks but watercooled this gtx280 is the hell. The problem don't ocure with everybody because there is lot of people that run well with watercooling and gtx
Asus, like the other trades have the reference card of nvidia, I think.

[Vertigo1]

How exactly are you managing to break these cards? Physically breaking something or just overheating to the point of burn-out?

[Malik]

My GTX 260 OC with vantage - 6 loops

[LogAn'sRun]

Do you have any support for that card? That set up must weigh 1kg or more. . .?

And how is that so many people say they break there cards, and there must be a ton of others who never have a problem?

[Eddy_EK]

Hi Guys, sorry for not beeing here recently.
The bad temperatures really frustrated me.
We changed the block thickness to make it impossible to bend, but I just found out the most possible explanations for high temperatures.

Check attached image and let me know what you think, as we are not the only manufacturer with the problem...

[coolmiester]

Its most certainly a plausible explanation Eddy.

For the three dead GTX260s i looked at in this thread the card needed to be bent like a banana for the Voltage Regulators to make contact which i knew wasn't right.

[leo_bsb]

So, what do you need Eddy? A backplate or less pressure on the screws?

[Malik]

Do you have any support for that card? That set up must weigh 1kg or more. . .?

And how is that so many people say they break there cards, and there must be a ton of others who never have a problem?

There is no problem with weight. GTX works great with this block, i dont have any problem.

[Repliquant67]

It is a possible explanation. There is too the gap between the mofset and the waterblock ...
Something like a back-plate and maybe springs with the screw, like on a cpu waterblock, could be a nice (and safer) thing.
I notice too that we can bind easely the pcb if we tight to much the 3 screws near the gpu on the side of the pci-e because the waterblock have no contact on this side with the card.
T

[thomas hobbes]

Rather than open a new thread just thought I'd ask here. I'm about to install a 280 RAM backplate but I'm unsure as to whether I need to put a layer of TIM over the areas that will be in contact with the gpu RAM. Any sugestions?

[Repliquant67]

TIM (non conductive like arctic ceramic, mx1-2...) on the v-ram chips.

[cka3o4nuk]

Its most certainly a plausible explanation Eddy.

For the three dead GTX260s i looked at in this thread the card needed to be bent like a banana for the Voltage Regulators to make contact which i knew wasn't right.

So if we can think we can make a decision that to get low temps it is better to use thermal pads from stock cooler and twist screws gentle

[T_Flight]

Guys I'm getting close enough here that I'm starting to get a little paranoid about a GTX280 breaking. I know there is risk involved in this, and that if I modify something it's on me if I break it, but I really really wanna try not to do that.

What do you guys say about this? Should we be looking for backplates for these things for support, or should we fabricate one if there is no such thing available? I really don't want to break a 400-500 dollar card. I'll do whatever has to be done to make sure that doesn't happen. I'll even go to a machinist freind of mine if I have to.

I don't mind making things at all, or buying the right stuff. I just wanna mnake sure I do the right thing when I get my 280. I may get this block, or I may get another one, but either way I don't wanna break a card like that.

[Eddy_EK]

Its most certainly a plausible explanation Eddy.

For the three dead GTX260s i looked at in this thread the card needed to be bent like a banana for the Voltage Regulators to make contact which i knew wasn't right.

Hi!
I cant say, perhaps there was too thin thermal pad, or the copper bend after the machinning because if internal forces in the copper.

We can fix that and send you new thicker thermal padas if needed.
I hope everyone checks all contacts before powering the PC.

Eddy

[Repliquant67]

I had a gap of 1mm between the mofset and the waterblock (with thermal pads) with the two bases. Just need to tight a little bit

[Vertigo1]

Eddy, you already do the simple backplate for the memory on the GTX280, why not simply adapt this to serve as a "bracing" plate for the GPU screws? Surely it would just be a case of making it a single solid plate rather than the "U" shape, putting a pad in the middle and providing screw holes for the GPU mounts. The screws which surround the GPU could then pass through this backplate, offering support for the centre section where the GPU is whilst also cooling the RAM a bit like the current one does. This wouldn't be too difficult or expensive, would it?

[Eddy_EK]

Eddy, you already do the simple backplate for the memory on the GTX280, why not simply adapt this to serve as a "bracing" plate for the GPU screws? Surely it would just be a case of making it a single solid plate rather than the "U" shape, putting a pad in the middle and providing screw holes for the GPU mounts. The screws which surround the GPU could then pass through this backplate, offering support for the centre section where the GPU is whilst also cooling the RAM a bit like the current one does. This wouldn't be too difficult or expensive, would it?

Hi!

His is an idea.
But we'll have to check if aluminium backplate would not bend.

[Vertigo1]

Please keep us posted - still using my GTX280 with stock aircooling as I'm terrified of fitting the block I have