• Competitor rules

    Please remember that any mention of competitors, hinting at competitors or offering to provide details of competitors will result in an account suspension. The full rules can be found under the 'Terms and Rules' link in the bottom right corner of your screen. Just don't mention competitors in any way, shape or form and you'll be OK.

PowerColor 6700XT Fighter Teardown

Caporegime
Joined
12 Jul 2007
Posts
40,544
Location
United Kingdom
Oi oi!!

Matt and his double entendre's. :p
:D
I am still seeing a very minute gap on 3 of the 4 standoffs (one each corner of the GPU area). I wonder if I can tighten it down a smidge more. Failing that, I may crack it open again and see how the paste has transferred and see if that sheds any light. But yeah, I did the X pattern but must admit I may have rushed the tightening. Could explain it. Cheers
Give it another go as it should improve things from what you see now.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
12 Sep 2003
Posts
10,056
Location
Newcastle, UK
Took it apart today and thankfully, contact looks spot on, the only thing I can see here is the potential spot where the paste is too thin. You can see on the copper base there is a thin area and then a few small dots where you can see the copper base coming through. Similarly on the GPU itself, it looks like the left hand edge is thin but the right hand edge is thicker.

Either way, I've cleaned it up again, and popped a bit more paste on this time to avoid any thin spots. Tightened it all back up carefully, cross method, and then nipped it up nice and tight using a larger screwdriver to give a bit more purchase. :D

I'll see how that goes.

IMG-20210906-114816.jpg

IMG-20210906-115307.jpg
 
Associate
Joined
19 Sep 2021
Posts
3
Location
Kidderminster
This is an incredibly helpful post... just finished my first all AMD build with this card, very interesting to see it laid bare for all to see! I can't complain about temps so far with mine, though I've only been using it a few days, but I am finding the fans distracting. They're not loud and rarely spool beyond 1300rpm but there's something about the pitch/frequency that distracts, it's quite high pitched? does anyone else get this? Or do I need to have a word with Powercolor??
 
Caporegime
Joined
12 Jul 2007
Posts
40,544
Location
United Kingdom
This is an incredibly helpful post... just finished my first all AMD build with this card, very interesting to see it laid bare for all to see! I can't complain about temps so far with mine, though I've only been using it a few days, but I am finding the fans distracting. They're not loud and rarely spool beyond 1300rpm but there's something about the pitch/frequency that distracts, it's quite high pitched? does anyone else get this? Or do I need to have a word with Powercolor??
Sounds like your card has a bit of coil whine.
 
Associate
Joined
19 Sep 2021
Posts
3
Location
Kidderminster
Hey LtMatt, isn't coil whine continuous though? This is only when the fans spool up. Looking at the OP got me to thinking that removing the shroud and fans didn't look too complicated and it was something I might be able to sort with a rebuild?
 
Soldato
Joined
10 Dec 2004
Posts
8,236
Location
Oxfordshire
This is an incredibly helpful post... just finished my first all AMD build with this card, very interesting to see it laid bare for all to see! I can't complain about temps so far with mine, though I've only been using it a few days, but I am finding the fans distracting. They're not loud and rarely spool beyond 1300rpm but there's something about the pitch/frequency that distracts, it's quite high pitched? does anyone else get this? Or do I need to have a word with Powercolor??

You can definitely tell when the fans spool up on the card simplify because it so quiet 99% of the time, i have noticed a very light almost ticking on occasions too at certain RPMS. Turns out the fans love to eat dust and I cleaned loads out after a fairly small amount of time.

As for coil whine I have heard it of the fighter but onl as said during cut scenes etc when FPS is up in 2-300s
 
Last edited:
Associate
Joined
19 Sep 2021
Posts
3
Location
Kidderminster
Hey yes, it is almost more of a fast tick, that's a good description. The card is second hand (only a few months old) and I was shocked at how clogged up the fans were. I did give it a quick clean but was eager to see what it could do (this build has been incomplete for a LONG time waiting to get a GPU), perhaps I need to get it back out and give it a proper deep clean!
 
Soldato
Joined
10 Dec 2004
Posts
8,236
Location
Oxfordshire
Hey yes, it is almost more of a fast tick, that's a good description. The card is second hand (only a few months old) and I was shocked at how clogged up the fans were. I did give it a quick clean but was eager to see what it could do (this build has been incomplete for a LONG time waiting to get a GPU), perhaps I need to get it back out and give it a proper deep clean!

Hmmm, may just be a thing that is amplified if the card gets bunged up maybe?. I mean the cooling solution seems pretty effective so that might just be the drawback on it as its sucks through a shed load of the good old grey stuff :D. Since cleaning mine out it has been lovely and quiet again and idle temps have dropped to around 35 from the usual 39 and the house has been the same temperature. Bargain!
 
Back
Top Bottom