Is this safe?

MeMeMeMe · 12 Nov 2012 at 10:14

I have a giant CPU cooler in may case, which i suspect is knocking against my top 7970 and causing shorts, I'm seeing random crashes that i think is caused by this.

Would it be safe to slide a piece of cardboard between the two, to ensure no metal contacts touch? I'm sure I've seen someone use this technique before. Is it likely to get hot enough for the cardboard to ignite?

Is there a better material to use?

psychodil · 12 Nov 2012 at 10:42

I think you are better off trying to strap the heatsink to the top of your case so it maintains a gap.

MeMeMeMe · 12 Nov 2012 at 10:49

how would I do that?

psychodil · 12 Nov 2012 at 10:59

I take it you have a tower type case and the weight of the heatsink is sagging it down towards the GPU. If so you can just find somewhere suitable at the top of the case and cable tie the heatsink to it to support it so it doesn't sag. Does this make sense?

Vekiq · 12 Nov 2012 at 10:59

What ever technique you decide to go with be careful not too put too much pressure on the heat sink, you don't want your CPU socket to bend too much.

I personally would rather go with thin strip of non conductive material, but not cardboard, be careful with plastic as well, possibly danger of static?

Admiral Huddy · 12 Nov 2012 at 11:02

Buy some very fine thermal padding sheets which are self adhesive. Place these on the under side of the card where contact is possible.

edit - standard sheet/pads used for cooling the RAM and VRMs when installing GPU waterblocks

Uncle Petey · 12 Nov 2012 at 12:02

If his cooler is sagging under it's own weight, then it isn't mounted properly.
Pretty sure my K2 weighs more with it's rubber coated fans (not lightweight) and there's no sagging whatsoever.

It's probably down to the width of the fans on his Silver Arrow.

ltnmzh · 12 Nov 2012 at 12:04

try a piece of paper or a few layers of cling films, before forking out your cash.

MeMeMeMe · 12 Nov 2012 at 12:50

The cooler isn't sagging (not much anyway), it's just that the top slot is very close to the cpu area, and the cooler is ginormous.

Admiral Huddy said:
Buy some very fine thermal padding sheets which are self adhesive. Place these on the under side of the card where contact is possible.

edit - standard sheet/pads used for cooling the RAM and VRMs when installing GPU waterblocks

I like this idea. What are these items called (so i can search for them)? Do OCUK sell any?

Edit: I've found "Thermal Pads" by Alphacool and Phobya. Are these the things? They seem very affordable.

MeMeMeMe · 12 Nov 2012 at 12:52

Uncle Petey said:
It's probably down to the width of the fans on his Silver Arrow.

It's more the design of the motherboard. Most mboards I've seen have the top PCI slot be a PCIEx1, then the second slot being the graphic card slot. On the WS Revolution, the top one is the graphic card slot, and it is right up against the fins of the arrow.

Jakus · 12 Nov 2012 at 14:58

You do not want any connection between the two, thermal pad or anything else ! Why.....well it should be pretty obvious, vibration from the cpu cooler will damage the GPU slot and card.

As psychodil said make a support for the CPU cooler, really you should not have massive unsupported coolers hanging from a vertically mounted motheboard anyway.

If you need to protect the edge of cooler fins, just find some small rubber tube and slice through one side and press it on the fins

Uncle Petey · 12 Nov 2012 at 15:26

MeMeMeMe said:
It's more the design of the motherboard. Most mboards I've seen have the top PCI slot be a PCIEx1, then the second slot being the graphic card slot. On the WS Revolution, the top one is the graphic card slot, and it is right up against the fins of the arrow.

A lot like most X79 boards I guess...

JAKUS said:
You do not want any connection between the two, thermal pad or anything else ! Why.....well it should be pretty obvious, vibration from the cpu cooler will damage the GPU slot and card.

As psychodil said make a support for the CPU cooler, really you should not have massive unsupported coolers hanging from a vertically mounted motheboard anyway.

Utter nonsense.
The mounting mechanism is enough to easily support these 'massive' coolers if your motherboard isn't made of cheese.

The OP's problem is a simple clearance issue. Nothing more.

Jakus · 12 Nov 2012 at 16:29

Uncle Petey said:
Utter nonsense.
The mounting mechanism is enough to easily support these 'massive' coolers if your motherboard isn't made of cheese.

The OP's problem is a simple clearance issue. Nothing more.

Not a very bright thing to say !, clearly something is bending and flexing to allow the cooler to intermittently knock against the GFX card ! assuming also the thing starts off with 6-10mm static clearance

Gregster · 12 Nov 2012 at 16:40

I would go with the thermal pads or a make shift support for the CPU cooler.

Uncle Petey · 12 Nov 2012 at 17:04

JAKUS said:
Not a very bright thing to say !, clearly something is bending and flexing to allow the cooler to intermittently knock against the GFX card ! assuming also the thing starts off with 6-10mm static clearance

Not too bright huh?... Do you have any evidence to support this claim?: really you should not have massive unsupported coolers hanging from a vertically mounted motherboard anyway

Clearly, you're posting urban myth and presenting it as fact.
Unless the pc is bouncing around in a car boot, you're talking rubbish.

Why do you think most cases come with a cutout allowing you to more easily install cpu cooler backplates? What does the backplate do? Define 'unsupported' and 'hanging'.
Do you own a large cooler?

Making assumptions about the amount of clearance available and then making more assumptions about the cooler somehow moving up and down in the region of a few mm isn't too bright in my opinion tbh.
If that was the case, it'd be down to being poorly mounted and his cpu contact would be terrible + bad temps would be clear to see.

Maybe you're of the 'big coolers bend/break motherboards' school of hilarity.

My own 'massive' cooler is about 1-2mm into the first PCIEx1 slot, rendering it almost unusable, although I've never tried to use it.
This is a common issue when using large/wide coolers with boards that don't have a PCIEx1 slot above the first x16 slot (see many X79's for example).

I'd ask the OP if the fan clips are in contact (or very, very close) with the gpu before assuming the cooler's moving up and down at those kind of distances.
If so, then yes, fan vibration could be enough to cause issues if contact alone isn't enough.
If it is sagging, then the bolts need to be checked as that shouldn't happen.

beavis · 12 Nov 2012 at 17:19

ltnmzh said:
try a piece of paper or a few layers of cling films, before forking out your cash.

Is that a good idea? Cling film is pretty staticy stuff, I'd avoid putting it anywhere near your PC, yet alone inside.

MeMeMeMe · 12 Nov 2012 at 17:23

I seem to have started a bit of a debate...
A was just said, myproblem is very tight clearance. the cooler does not sag, but it's close enough that vibration causes intermittent contact.
So , some people have said using thermal pads is a bad idea. Is this right?
If I get the thinnest pads, the contact probably won't be constant- it will still be intermittent.
Someone else suggested rubber on the coolers fins. Wouldn't that be inferior to the thermal pad approach?

Uncle Petey · 12 Nov 2012 at 17:25

What exactly is in contact with the gpu? The fins or the fan clips?

Is electrical insulation tape not an option?

psychodil · 12 Nov 2012 at 17:25

you have problems with tightness, sagging, vibration, and dont how thick pads to use. Think you are on the wrong forum

Jakus · 12 Nov 2012 at 17:40

Uncle Petey said:
Not too bright huh?... Do you have any evidence to support this claim?: really you should not have massive unsupported coolers hanging from a vertically mounted motherboard anyway

Clearly, you're posting urban myth and presenting it as fact.
Unless the pc is bouncing around in a car boot, you're talking rubbish.

Why do you think most cases come with a cutout allowing you to more easily install cpu cooler backplates? What does the backplate do? Define 'unsupported' and 'hanging'.
Do you own a large cooler?

Making assumptions about the amount of clearance available and then making more assumptions about the cooler somehow moving up and down in the region of a few mm isn't too bright in my opinion tbh.
If that was the case, it'd be down to being poorly mounted and his cpu contact would be terrible + bad temps would be clear to see.

Maybe you're of the 'big coolers bend/break motherboards' school of hilarity.

My own 'massive' cooler is about 1-2mm into the first PCIEx1 slot, rendering it almost unusable, although I've never tried to use it.
This is a common issue when using large/wide coolers with boards that don't have a PCIEx1 slot above the first x16 slot (see many X79's for example).

I'd ask the OP if the fan clips are in contact (or very, very close) with the gpu before assuming the cooler's moving up and down at those kind of distances.
If so, then yes, fan vibration could be enough to cause issues if contact alone isn't enough.
If it is sagging, then the bolts need to be checked as that shouldn't happen.

I don't do urban myth as I have more than enough personal experience to draw from, clearly you don't as you keep referring to the mounting bracket ! I have found it's the motherboard that bends not the bracket.

But lets drop it there as I don't post on here to intentionally start arguments and it certainly does not help the OP, us having a ding dong.

I will allow you the last dig if you feel it necessary and not reply :cool: