8800GTX and VF900

[MagicMANX]

Hello Guys, just wanted to tell all the frustrated people out there, that its possible to put the VF900 from Zalman on a 8800GTX, the thing goes like this, i had some several problems with the stock cooler of this card, for some strange reason it started to give me some artifacts and stuff, so i decided as a last resort, to change the cooling, lucky me it fixed all my problems and now i can enjoy my video card.

The process is very simple, i just had to remove the stock HSF, clean the card, mount the HS on the ram and other chips on the card, like the strange core on the front and the power thing's.

Here I present some pictures, but before that let me tell ya, the temps are lowered.

Stock HSF Idle: 60º C
Stock HSF Load: 80-87º C

Zalman HSF Idle: 50º
Zalman HSF Load: 70º

Pictures:






Regards, and hope to see comments.

[Nazu]

Strange that it gives that good temps. VF900 could barely handle my X1900XT...

[LuckyNV]

I was going to say you'd have one toasted GTX but obviously i'm wrong...

Anyone else tried this? I have to agree along the lines with Nazu, VF900 was pants with my X1900XTX, HR-03 could only tame this beast in both sound and temps.

[chris57]

The Zalman reduced my 7900GT temps by 20c.

I was thinking of selling it along with the card as i've got a 8800GTS with stock cooler and didnt know if it would do any better as it looked such a beast. May consider swopping over now, looks aint everything I suppose.

[DataNusse]

I’m not surprised. 8800GTS (stock MHz) are not hotter than X19xxXT/XTX. So a VF-900 wouldn’t really have a problem to handle an 8800GTS. But if to overclock or put it on 8800GTX/ULTRA then it you would have some temp problems a think.


EDIT:
Oh ssh..I thought that it was a GTS not a GTX. Well then it makes everything more interesting.

[VIctorj]

what about that lonely chip on 8 series cards...the wathever is called core on the front of the card...how much heat that thing produces?

[PhilDoc]

Is it possible that you had bad contact with the stock cooler or that it was malfunctioning? You did say you had artifacts with it.

[aiya]

looks you didn't get all the mosfets, you might want to put a longer heatsink on them like the swiftech ones. other than that looks good

you didn't have to mod the VF900, did you? straight bolt-on?

[DataNusse]

It seems that he took away the plate around the core and the used the holes that where holding the plate for VF-900.

http://www.pcstats.com/articleimages...8SMCD2_G80.jpg

[justin_c]

what CPU hsf are you using? looks odd.

[Nazu]

what CPU hsf are you using? looks odd.

Gigabyte 3D Rocket Pro.

[bcmac46]

Noob to VGA cooling here. Any tips on removing stock cooler? I've removed all spring loaded and bracket screws (EVGA 8800GTS). Twist stock cooler to break surface tension? Pry away. I'm wary. Don't want to trash $300 card.

[Spawne32]

I would not call those temps good, i would call them just the same as they were with the stock cooler, the only reason you are seeing lower temps (by a small degree if that) is because the heatsink is no longer cooling the vram and gpu at the same time.

[PhilDoc]

I would not call those temps good, i would call them just the same as they were with the stock cooler, the only reason you are seeing lower temps (by a small degree if that) is because the heatsink is no longer cooling the vram and gpu at the same time.

I agree, and you may be right about the gpu and vram, but I also think that he was having trouble with the stock cooler to begin with. Either bad contact or the fan not functioning properly. That's why he was having artifacts with the stock cooler. If he mounted a good stock cooler, I suspect, he'd get the same temps or better than the Zalman.

[Spawne32]

I agree, and you may be right about the gpu and vram, but I also think that he was having trouble with the stock cooler to begin with. Either bad contact or the fan not functioning properly. That's why he was having artifacts with the stock cooler. If he mounted a good stock cooler, I suspect, he'd get the same temps or better than the Zalman.

Yeh i agree, alot of times i see these retail coolers come with missing thermal pads contacting certain areas of the card, few months back, guy i used to play GRAW with removed his retail cooler from his EVGA 8800 GTX to install an HR-03, to find that 4 of the thermal pads for the ram were missing completely, making no contact whatsoever.

[justin_c]

Noob to VGA cooling here. Any tips on removing stock cooler? I've removed all spring loaded and bracket screws (EVGA 8800GTS). Twist stock cooler to break surface tension? Pry away. I'm wary. Don't want to trash $300 card.

keep on wiggling it left and right (wiggle it by millimetres) for a few minutes. then put your fingers underneath the top edge and pry. suggest that you do this on a soft cloth as not to ruin the solder on the back.

[cozwin]

it wont be pumping hot air out of back of case anymore tho tbh i like the stock cooler and mine never goes over 60 so im fine

[PhilDoc]

Yeh i agree, alot of times i see these retail coolers come with missing thermal pads contacting certain areas of the card, few months back, guy i used to play GRAW with removed his retail cooler from his EVGA 8800 GTX to install an HR-03, to find that 4 of the thermal pads for the ram were missing completely, making no contact whatsoever.

I don't doubt it, some of these companies just don't care. One of the first things I do when I get a new card is to remount the stock cooler and make sure the fan works. If nothing else just to get rid of the mountain of goop they use.

[pie_uk]

i should get a new cooler for my x1950xtx. and remember to use a small amount of goop. i always go mad on the gpu. is the whole of the chip the "chip" if you see what i mean. its not like a cpu where its actually a small die under the IHS

[MagicMANX]

well guys, my card did not came with missing pads, i re-checked the cooling of all the components, re-applied thermal paste and did a overhaul-like job on the card, no positive results, it worked fine for about 1 month and then artifacts came to the scene...

as of now, those other "chips" they actually look like mosfets, to the touch of the finger, no problems, not "that" HOT, i will consider a larger HS for those lower chips.

As far as we go, no problems at all with the temperature of the card.

If i have any trouble don't worry, i´ll let you guys know.

PS: i just removed the "shim" of the GPU, the mounting holes fit correctly.