Inno3d 980ti X4 strip for watercooling?

Cenedd · 15 Dec 2015 at 22:58

I've been fighting the upgrade itch for a while now. Finally given in an going to a 980Ti. I was looking at the Inno3d stuff for price, clock and warranty length. There's an X3 and an X4. The X4 has an extra fan and a heat pipe. Both seem to be compatible with EK full cover blocks but EK's configurator shows the top fan and heat pipe left on. If I'm going to convert to water cooling I'd want to remove the 50mm fan. Will it whinge if I do? Does the heatpipe have any benefit or do I need to strip it off anyway and hence might as well go for the slightly cheaper X3?

Thanks guys.

FloppyPoppy · 16 Dec 2015 at 00:59

Don't look at warranty length specifically, look at warranty rules. EVGA are the only company I know that have no problems honouring warranty if you have taken the stock heat sync off.

Wheb you watercooled cards though really one of the biggest factors of your overclocking goes down to the power delivery on the card so this can be a factor too but realistically you will be better off with a cheaper reference design as on water they usually still push much further than a more expensive air cooled card

Cenedd · 16 Dec 2015 at 08:12

That's largely what I was thinking. The Inno3d cards are cheap and EK blocks fit them. I think Gibbo said most will honour warranty as long as you make the effort to reassemble it.
Question is whether the X4's fancy heat pipe assembly and ram sink is a benefit, no difference (as has to be all removed) or actually a pain as it cannot be removed. Could just order the X3 but not sure if I'm missing out on a good thing then. Cheers.

Bubo · 16 Dec 2015 at 09:55

I would have thought the big heat spreader over the ram in your configurator link would defo have to come off, as a full cover Titan X waterblock would not fit otherwise. It definitely looks like it blocks some of the screw holes the block will need to fit, even if the block would still fit over that heat sink and still make contact with the gpu, which looks unlikely in itself. The fittings would also likely clash with the bit at right angles with the fan inside. Puzzled as to why EK use a pic with it still attached. I went for the X3 myself and a Titan X block. Will be putting it together over Christmas.

pastymuncher · 16 Dec 2015 at 10:17

It would have to come off as there is no way the block would fit else. Where that extra shroud is in the picture is where the connector header on the block has to go plus the heatsink over the memory has to come off or the block just won't fit anyway.

B N3GATIVE · 16 Dec 2015 at 17:40

harry5522 said:
Don't look at warranty length specifically, look at warranty rules. EVGA are the only company I know that have no problems honouring warranty if you have taken the stock heat sync off.

Wheb you watercooled cards though really one of the biggest factors of your overclocking goes down to the power delivery on the card so this can be a factor too but realistically you will be better off with a cheaper reference design as on water they usually still push much further than a more expensive air cooled card

Yup,reference all the way.

Cenedd · 16 Dec 2015 at 19:33

Thanks guys. Went for the Inno3d X3 (from OCUK, of course) as it sounds like the X4 would just be more of a pain for no benefit - clocks are the same. It's reference according to EKWB just with a non-reference cooler to remove.

Pastymuncher: Good call. Hadn't thought that the water terminals would occupy the same space!

Well, if anyone's feeling the Christmas blues over the holiday....you can just picture the swearing going on at my place trying to strip and re-block this and then fit everything into an existing case that's really tight on some of the loop!

Thanks all.