7800GTX Cooling Mod

[sluflyer06]

OK well this idea is orignally from EOCF

First of all this really helps with the GPU temps...For comparison i'm running my card at 530/1350
Stock: Idle 46C Load 76C
Mod: Idle 38-39C Load 60C
These temps are recorded with Rivatuner during a full 3dmark05 session and the highest values were taken.

The mod is as follows

1. Unscrew the plastic lid of off the stock cooler (the one with the logo and that jazz on it)
2. Find a 70MM or 80MM (what i'm using) case fan and install it with a couple screws into the stock heatsink.

note: Do not use fan screws they are too large and you'll have to really muck up the stock heatsink to get them in....i used a couple copper screws out of an old amplifier....just find screws that are smaller so they still tighten but you don't have to bend the crap out of the fins.

Sorry for bad picture it's not mine...I forgot to take a pic of mine with a big 80mm and I don't want to remove it again. The fan in the picture is the stock fan from a San Diego 3700

[forey]

16c lower in load is very good, nice mod

[sinsinking]

nice mod

[PowerSlide]

good n effective mod

[red_dragon]

nice. pretty impressive looking too.

[Special_K]

great mod

would work even better if the fan was held up a small distance from the fins with a spacer of some kind =]

[sluflyer06]

yea I here you on that ^^ this is only temporary though until i put the maze4 on it otherwise yea i'd space it out and such because there obviously a big dead spot in the middle with direct placement....not that it shows

[rick_fx]

Nice mod! 16C less under load is quite impressive

[Viper87227]

Perhaps a better way to do it would be to use a 120mm fan and a 120 -> 80 converter. Gets the fan directly off the HSF, and allows for a better fan. Would take up alot of room though.

[sluflyer06]

^^ good idea

but as you said it would take an enormous amount of room...it would probably have to be your only card.

[IvanAndreevich]

I have a different version of the mod. I zap-strapped an 80mm Thermaltake Smartfan 2 onto the card. It covers the HSF just PERFECTLY.

Running @ 2000 RPM, load maxes out @ 55C. Running at full blast, it maxes out @ 45C. Talk about a ~30C temperature drop

[~PI-IOENIX~]

i mounted my delta SHE the same way 2 weeks ago and can run 540/1430 stable. looks like I've got a good one.

[Viper87227]

^^ good idea

but as you said it would take an enormous amount of room...it would probably have to be your only card.

Yeah, it would probably kill all chances of SLI. Think it would fit in the Asus boards? They have the two slots available to them. As long as you can get a thin enough conveter, it should be possabe. I'd give it a go, but I already have a Zalman on mine, so there really is no need. Perhaps one day if i'm bored...

[alexio]

I've done the same mod on an NV silencer 5. You need a schroud for best performace though.

[Shapeshifter]

When you say "Into the heatsink" you mean actually forcing the screws inbetween the ridges?, while doing a screwing action? or are you going even deeper then that into the actual metal?

I suppose if it came down to it and you ever needed to get an rma, all you do is toss the normal top covering back on and none the wiser eh?


Think a 92mm fan would work? Ive got a panflo high speed 92mm from my old Sp-97 on my xp-m system that pushs some serious air at a good noise level.

[sluflyer06]

you could try an 92MM...i think it'll be far bigger than neccesary and you'd have to zip tie it somehow...and yes i applied 'light-moderate' pressure while doing a screwing motion..no you def don't want to try to screw into the cold plate, that wouldn't be a hot idea...

EDIT:

Do Not Try To Tell How To Fake An RMA.

-Kunaak-

[AzN_plyR]

Can I do a mod like this wiht my 6800ultra..... and I dont want anything to do with hot glue.. lol http://www.gpforums.co.nz/thread/279252/?s=

[sluflyer06]

well...the hub on a fan that size pretty much prevents any air from hitting the GPU core heatsink..since on alot of 6800s its s seperate physical HS it really needs the air...so be sure you take that into account when you choose a fan or if you ahve the room in your case you could create some sort of duct/shroud for it then you'd be rocking the in cool zone.

[Damien]

wonder if it'll help if i put an 80mm fan over my dinky ass zalman vga cooler. worst $30 i've ever spent :\

[W0nderb0y]

nice dude! that was my idea! too bad i broke my damn fan. and yes it works with 6800s too, i did it to my 6800gt.

[Shapeshifter]

Ok went ahead and gave it a shot.

(damn is that cover cheap material, it's just lousy low grade plastic, not even stiff stuff at that)

I could have used screws, but I only have semi large ones, so they would do actual damage to the heatsink beyond bending.

So I did like you first suggested and pulled out some black zip ties.

Threaded them via the fan's screw holes, then around the back of the card, to bad the pci-e slot gets in the way of the second one so I had to drag it quite a bit across, so the fan while quite snug, has a little pull if I move it.

With stock cooling I had a 41C idle temp.

Now I have a 35C idle temp
bad thing is I had to take one of my case fans off (of power) so I could use the panaflo on it, I need more fan power adaptors

[sluflyer06]

yes you do....load up rivatuner and run 3dmark05 and see how much it helped your load temp

[Special_K]

suprised that the manufacturers don't do away with those pusher fan things that they use now, and use this ducted fan concept - so many modders have proven that it is better this way

[Apocalipsis]

suprised that the manufacturers don't do away with those pusher fan things that they use now, and use this ducted fan concept - so many modders have proven that it is better this way

It's not a surprise, it's only a word named "single-slot cooling".

[Special_K]

well yeah, for single slot it wont be viable unless they use a low-profile fan, but there are twin slot options out there that would easily be outperformed this way