4870 vrm cooling

[roofsniper]

i just installed a trad2 on my visontek 4870 recently. the gpu and ram temps are fine but the vrm temps are high during idle and go 100+ during load. i am currently using the vrm sinks that came with the trad but i don't believe they are fitting on the vrms. any suggestions of finding a way to cool the vrms? i was thinking about sticking a fan around somewhere to blow air across the card but i know the stock cooler had thermal pads going right across that area. i don't want to take them off the stock cooler but if i could make some of my own and just put a metal brace ontop of it so i can bolt it down then it should work fine.

Edit: i see that the thermal pads for the ram on my old 3870 cooler come off pretty easy and i might take one of those off and fold it in half and bolt it on. think it would work?

[xMrBunglex]

thermal pads suck. the only reason they're used on the stock cooler is so the cooler can be flat and still make contact with the VRM's. what you'll want is a bigger heatsink on your VRM's (optional) and constant airflow blowing over them (mandatory).

[SNiiPE_DoGG]

125C is spec temp for the VRMs FYI

[Overvolt_25]

I already posted elsewhere on these forums so sorry if this is the wrong place (new here). i can not find my VRM temps with any program for my 4870. does GPU-Z 0.2.8 not display them? I also downloaded Everest Ult to check and it also does not give me anything.

[Rattle]

those 2 proggies show all my temps perfectly for 4870

[roofsniper]

thermal pads suck. the only reason they're used on the stock cooler is so the cooler can be flat and still make contact with the VRM's. what you'll want is a bigger heatsink on your VRM's (optional) and constant airflow blowing over them (mandatory).

have you seent he trad? there is no room besides if you read the post you will see that the sinks are not fitting the vrms because there are chips on each side of them. so the sinks would need to be exactly as wide as the chips. and thermal pads are small and can be fit to any size.

125C is spec temp for the VRMs FYI

yea i know they are rated for 125 but i was getting 115 in about 1 minute in lost planet and i bet after playing for long periods of time it would get even higher. and still i ahev seen people kill their cards by running the vrms between 100 and 125 on load. if i can find some way to make it so the vrms don't exceed 100 in max load after a long period of time then i will be satisfied.

[Overvolt_25]

anyone have any idea then why my 4870 is not showing any VRM temps in the 2 programs everyone here is using? its an Asus EAH4870.

[xMrBunglex]

the only way to fly with a tRAD2 is to use two 92mm fans. don't use a single 120mm fan on it. dualie fans will cool the whole card effectively.

anyone have any idea then why my 4870 is not showing any VRM temps in the 2 programs everyone here is using? its an Asus EAH4870.

you might be crazy. if you're running the latest GPU-Z on the Sensors tab, SCROLL DOWN, you will see your VRM temps. if you don't see it, i'm at a loss.

[Overvolt_25]

crazy? maybe but not for this. You must be crazy for thinking all 4870's read VRM temps Anyone else care to have any input on what might be happening?

[roofsniper]

the only way to fly with a tRAD2 is to use two 92mm fans. don't use a single 120mm fan on it. dualie fans will cool the whole card effectively.

i am using 2 92mm 2000 rpm kama flex fans.

[Levish]

kinda undersize but maybe
http://www.shoppts.com/cuhdcokitbyi.html

[roofsniper]

kinda undersize but maybe
http://www.shoppts.com/cuhdcokitbyi.html

actually i did want some of those. but i didn't want to spend $40 on them especially because all i really needed was the vrm cooler.

[roofsniper]

so has anyone tried just using the stock plate from the stock cooler?

[Rattle]

I use the stock plate on both my cards with mcw 60's I let the fan spin at 40% and they are VERY MUCH QUIETER WITHOUT THE SHROUD ON for some reason, anyway my vrms, seldom hit 60c with 850 core.

[roofsniper]

have you tried it with the fan off before? because i can't fit the stock fan under my trad2.

[largon]

125C is spec temp for the VRMs FYI

And RV770 GPU is rated 126ºC. Many Core 2s are 105ºC.


Btw, "VRM" is a terribly vague term. It doesn't mean any specific component exactly. What you appear to refer to is the Vitec/Pulse inductor-pack that has a maximum operating temperature of 125ºC. They wont break immediately above 125ºC - their performance simply goes down the drain. The actual voltage converters the temperature readings in GPU-Z come from are the little dark grey rectangular chips and their max operating temp is NDA protected data so one would be well advised to keep them way below 100ºC...

[Rattle]

have you tried it with the fan off before? because i can't fit the stock fan under my trad2.

high 70's with fan off

[roofsniper]

high 70's with fan off

wow, what are you using for load?

[Rattle]

that was load

[roofsniper]

that was load

i mean to test load.

[Makubex_GB]

crazy? maybe but not for this. You must be crazy for thinking all 4870's read VRM temps Anyone else care to have any input on what might be happening?

Try this, download and install Rivatuner 2.11. Go to Rivatuner's temp/voltage monitor and then open GPUZ and check if all sensors show up.

[Overvolt_25]

checked using rivatuner and the same holds true there as well. All i get is GPU core, display IO, Memory IO, and shader temp but not the VRM temp. I am hoping someone else with a EAH4870 can chime in to see if I am the only one with this issue/difference.

[Rattle]

i mean to test load.

when i had my first card under water with mcw60 using stock plate i didnt have the fan plugged in, gpu was hitting 37c in cod4 and vrm was low 70's

with asus top bios and 815/925-850/1000clocks I leave the fans at about 30-45% depending on room temps I have never seen more than low 60's on vrms and usually in mid 50's, the fans are way quieter without the shrouds on the cards for whatever reason.

[Guacamole]

Everest shows the VRM Temp use Everest.....



See VRM temp probably the new everest has all the goodies I haven't used it lately...

Hey Rattle I just picked up this 4870 and I was wondering if you could provide a link on how to OC the card and change the bios I am not feeling very research oriented I have always had a goose hunt for ATI info on how to flash OC etc. their cards...

Thanks for any help....

[Rattle]

there's a couple guides around here in the ati section



I dont recommend to anyone to flash in windows, i never flash anything in windows and i flash everything
use a usb flash drive and run the hp USb utility
http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads...ting_Tool.html

use atiflash, put the exe on the usb drive also
http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads...lash_3.60.html
atiflash -f -p 0 newbios.bin (can also be .rom)
is the command


use this bios database
http://www.mvktech.net/


make sure your card will do these clocks first though, amd gpu tool let you go over 790 so you can test.