Skinnee Labs - GTX480 Block Round-Up (working thread)

[skinnee]

interesting.. wonder why dd is the only company that insists on TIM instead of thermal pads for the memory chips, guess all will be revealed at the end!

Aqua-Computers also use TIM for memory.

Correct, Danger Den and Aqua Computer both specify TIM on the memory. Not sure why some chose TIM vs. Thermal Pads

well shave my balls and call me susie, that's a melon scratcher. surely thermal pads makes up any micro millimetre difference in machining of the block? whereas TIM i'd imagine you'd have to screw excessively tight to make proper contact, possibly causing pcb bending? then again, i've only ever used EK

No, if they're specifying TIM they've already accounted for the variance. And thermal pads compress quite well to... so there really isn't much difference, 1/10's of millimeters or less I would presume.

also skinnee are you weighing each block as you go along? the weight of the blocks are quite important to me. each video is getting better and better btw

I have not been, but thats not a bad idea... I'll have to haul these into work and use the scales we have there, scales I have at home do not go down to grams.

Nice ninja swap with the MX-2 tubes

Started with a black near-empty tube and ended with a fresh white tube

Near-empty, ha! I got 3 mem chips and that was all... I didn't think anyone was going to catch that either, good eye.


EK block installed, video captured and things progressing!

[Section8]

Nice thread. I can't wait to see the test results. I bought my 480's the first week they were out and there was really only one option for waterblocks so I went with the Koolance. So far I have been really pleased. They look great and seem to be doing a good job cooling these beastly cards down. Right now I only have them on a triple Rad and they are running in parallel. I am getting 33C idle temps and 50C after looping Vantage for an hour. Some of these new blocks look dead sexy though Quick pic of mine lit up.

[DarthBeavis]

Nice thread. I can't wait to see the test results. I bought my 480's the first week they were out and there was really only one option for waterblocks so I went with the Koolance. So far I have been really pleased. They look great and seem to be doing a good job cooling these beastly cards down. Right now I only have them on a triple Rad and they are running in parallel. I am getting 33C idle temps and 50C after looping Vantage for an hour. Some of these new blocks look dead sexy though Quick pic of mine lit up.

lets see that vap

[Coldon]

thanks for the videos, its extremely important to be able to see the ease of use of mounting the blocks, cant believe Koolance give sooo much thermal pads, hi5 to them... my only question which they dont make clear in their updated instructions is why there are two types of thermal pads included?

Also I vote that this thread be made sticky, once the results are announced it will pretty much be *THE* thread to check for 480 WBs.

[Church]

Coldon: GTX480 will not be TOP gpus even after year (well, in my opinion compared to 5870 or 5970 they are not top ones even now, but that's offtopic). Then what - for each new gen gpus of nvidia/ati new sticky thread? If it had not been done for other gpus, no need for these ones.

[Coldon]

yeh but in addition to the fact that the blocks are only for the 480, the installation videos themselves have a wealth of additional info for novice water coolers. How to apply thermal tape, how to apply TIM, whats important when mounting the block, whats important performance wise, etc...

As for the sticky thing, it is a bit of laziness on my part But its also valuable info for the moment, sticky it for a few months till the info isnt all the important than unsticky it. The GTX480 will be a popular WC card for at least another 6~12months.

I'm seriously impressed with the koolance block install, just curious about the performance. I cant believe I nearly pulled the trigger on a BP block. OMFG.

[JoeChuo]

Love your video skinnee ... Awesome!

[skinnee]

Took some time off yesterday, needed some relaxing on the long weekend. Aqua Computer block goes on later today, EK video should be rendering this afternoon.

[Aedubber]

We need more honest people like you ^^^^ Its good to see people actually put their OWN time into testing products and giving out reviews etc. GJ Skinnee

[skinnee]

EK Block Installation video is up. YT is still processing the video, 720p will be available soon.

[Camaroz06]

My bad if it has been mentioned before but I didnt notice it was or not, is the MCW-80 being tested as well?

Thanks,
Eddie

[luke997]

EK Block Installation video is up. YT is still processing the video, 720p will be available soon.

Skinee, good job, nice vid.
It looks like you did not put the thicker 1.5mm pad on those tiny 6 chips at the end of the card.

If I'm correct only first few blocks were missing thicker pads and had old instructions.

Mine had wrong instructions but the pads were included separately in the parcel and I got e-mail with correct instructions.

[skinnee]

you mean the ones right after the VRM's? If so, the pad I had in the retail package covers them about 75%.

I was not aware of any changes to that area, only change I know of is the washer around the GPU core for the bracket.

[luke997]

you mean the ones right after the VRM's? If so, the pad I had in the retail package covers them about 75%.

I was not aware of any changes to that area, only change I know of is the washer around the GPU core for the bracket.

Yes, the six small after the VRM's.

The pads in the package now are (numbers are for the marked areas on the instructions
(1) thin, 3x precut strips for RAM
(2) thin, 2 strips to be cut for the 6 large chips + 4 small above the capacitors + 18 small to the right of the 6 large chips
(3) thick pad to be cut into 6 small pieces for those small chips which are lower than others

If you plan do to the backplate too, there is also few small chips on the back of the pcb, if you put the pads there it can make the backplate somewhat useful

I have no idea though how hot those small chips get on either sides without any cooling but they were meant to be cooled in stock (there were thick pads on them when I've opened my cards) and in the waterblock - as it extends to them.


Once again - grand job with all the testing!

[punx223]

you mean the ones right after the VRM's? If so, the pad I had in the retail package covers them about 75%.

I was not aware of any changes to that area, only change I know of is the washer around the GPU core for the bracket.

yes there should be a 1" by 1" square 1.5mm thick thermal pad taht you need to cut into very small squares to cover the 6 very small VRM chips.

take a look at the stock cooler and you will see a thick "grayish" thermal compound on 6 points beside the white thermal pad that touches the VRM chips...

[skinnee]

Thanks for the info luke!

At this point, the only thing I can do is note the further revision in the review of the EK block. I have a few emoticons I could use for what I want to say right now about the several revisions after release by EK, but no point in going down that road. I will say from testing the block with the thermal pads I installed, stability was not an issue.

[punx223]

I will say from testing the block with the thermal pads I installed, stability was not an issue.

cant wait to see the results

sounds like a good matchup

[JoeBar]

Great videos Skinnee m8...


Seriously i think that block manufacturers should buy these installation videos...

[Major]

Poll: Should Skinnee introduce a hot looking "assistant" to help during the videos? lol

Good work m8, not sure I'm going the 480 route yet but I'd love to see the results!

[JoeBar]

Poll: Should Skinnee introduce a hot looking "assistant" to help during the videos? lol

A nurse dressed in vinyl should be nice...

[phenomenon67]

Great work skinnee and much appreciated. I just ordered a 480 with the EK acetal + nickel block.

Few questions though, after watching the video those stand offs you have to insert yourself with thermal compound on, how the hell do they hold the block on? Are they rubber? Do the screws press them tight to the outer walls of those holes and that's how it's held in place? (Like a wall plug)

Seems an over complicated and risky way of holding the block in place.

[Lancelot]

Here is a cutout of the instructions updated April 16, 2010. It says to use the 1.5mm pads on the circled mosfets.

[facboy]

Great work skinnee and much appreciated. I just ordered a 480 with the EK acetal + nickel block.

Few questions though, after watching the video those stand offs you have to insert yourself with thermal compound on, how the hell do they hold the block on? Are they rubber? Do the screws press them tight to the outer walls of those holes and that's how it's held in place? (Like a wall plug)

Seems an over complicated and risky way of holding the block in place.

the screw goes through the middle of the standoff.

[mechman]

Great videos Skinnee m8...


Seriously i think that block manufacturers should buy these installation videos...

Danger Den did a videos for both the 480 and 470 versions...saw them on youtube.

[DarthBeavis]

A nurse dressed in vinyl should be nice...

I have an assistant for him