Aftermarket Cooler - when it doesn't fit... mod it

panyan · 19 Apr 2011 at 12:17

how about sanding off the two pins that dont line up and then strap the whole lot together with a cable-tie?

it is quick and dirty, but would ensure a flat and flush contact with the chip

trentlad · 19 Apr 2011 at 12:26

Tealc said:
I'm not sure if that cooler would be sufficient to cool a 470 though as they do run a bit hotter than a 4870.

I think you're right Teal'c. The 4870 never went above 80oC and I used to think that was way too hot but many seem to be reporting temps in the 90's for this card!

Tealc · 19 Apr 2011 at 12:34

Provided they stay below 100 degrees graphics cards are generally ok, however you do have to watch out for the VRMs on these cards as they go pretty hot too. The GTX470 may well need more ram and vrm heatsinks than the 4870 as well, Enzotech do some nice ones. The zerotherm seems to be quite a chunk of a cooler though. Is it meant for 2 x 92mm fans or 2 x 80mm?

You'll need to watch out when you remove the stock cooler on the 470 and make sure you heatsink all thermal padded sections and chips.

trentlad · 19 Apr 2011 at 12:34

Marvin said:
It's not about how hot it runs - that's affected by the cooler mounted and such, and the GTX470 stock cooler is more effective than the 4870's. It's about how much heat energy needs to be dissipated. This is where the card's TDP comes into play. The 4870 1GB has a 206W TDP while the GTX470 has a 232W TDP. So while the GTX470 'runs cooler', it actually requires more heat to be dissipated.

(Figures taken from TPU's GTX470 review)

Wow Marvin!!

That review is a true eye opener. I had no idea how wasteful my 4870 was in comparison to the 470. I figured that was the case initially but after reading comments it sounded like the 470 was just a flat out over heating power hog. Definitely not the case after reading that excellent power consumption comparison, loving how they range from idle to mid to max.

Maybe I'll be just fine with the stock cooler afterall.

Thank you!

Lethagized · 19 Apr 2011 at 13:19

Harry, Check your emails mate

EniGmA1981 · 19 Apr 2011 at 14:06

Tealc said:
That epoxy thing gave me an idea.

I recall while at work a colleague was using some form of metal based epoxy that set so hard it was almost as strong as proper metal. If one could procure this stuff and build extra length to the arms if both sides if the cooler retention bracket. You could drill this stuff and everything. Shouldn't be more than a few quid to buy.

Sounds like Chemical Metal

You need to get the mix spot on to have it super-strong, but I've made bolts for cars out of this stuff!! Held a door on for 6 months with those bolts too! if that don't sort you a retention bracket, nothing ever will!!