HELP! gtx 670 sli FAIL

implosiveturnip · 6 Jul 2013 at 14:46

I'm in a bit of a pickle here.

Just got a second GTX 670 to run in sli. They are both reference Palit models. Now, the second card I got was running a little on the loud side, so I took the cooler apart and stuck some thin little strips of gaffer tape where the fan meets the shroud, as I guessed it was rattling. Problem solved, and thanks to reapplying TIM (MX-4), I got a little drop in load temps. Bonus.

So I decided to reapply TIM on my other card, we all want cooler, faster cards, right? And this is where "The Fail" begins...

So I'm unscrewing the shroud from the card, and while I'm at, I unscrew the heatsink too. I get to the last screw and I strip the bloody thing. Can't get it out for love nor money. Wouldn't be a problem usually but for some herptarded reason I have already unscrewed the derpsink, so I can't really just pop the screws back in and use it as it is, as the cooling will suck.

Any tips/tricks/advice on getting stripped screws out of gpus without smashing the pcb? I'm at a loss! And I expect some stick for this so feel free to mock. You can't possibly call me any worse names than I've muttered to myself here...

Thanks in advance!

pgi947 · 6 Jul 2013 at 15:01

Pics and we'll see if it can be repaired, or at worst, bodged back on

implosiveturnip · 6 Jul 2013 at 15:08

how do I upload pic? Or do i link from elsewhere?

opethdisciple · 6 Jul 2013 at 15:09

implosiveturnip said:
how do I upload pic? Or do i link from elsewhere?

Upload to image upload site then link.

implosiveturnip · 6 Jul 2013 at 15:18

https://www.dropbox.com/s/k6vg2va0ajlu0yi/2013-07-06 15.13.53.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/c6x3rswvm6gt1wl/2013-07-06 15.14.02.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/o8oziq7h2xz4chd/2013-07-06 15.14.15.jpg

implosiveturnip · 6 Jul 2013 at 15:40

I'm pretty screwed lol

kaku · 6 Jul 2013 at 15:42

With a dremel and a steady hand you could drill it out.
I don't really see any other way of getting it out though unfortunately.

If the screw was soft enough to strip you could try easing a flathead in there and very carefully widening the screwdriver slot. Slow and steady and you might be able to get enough grip to unscrew it.

implosiveturnip · 6 Jul 2013 at 15:46

its totally bald now. and i cant get any grip at all. though ive managed to turn the pcb outward, so im going to try a re applying the paste, and putting it back together!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tfgw2sg898588v4/2013-07-06 15.45.39.jpg

pgi947 · 6 Jul 2013 at 15:57

Ah you mean the screw head is stripped not the actual holding thread in the cooler.

Try a pair of pliers/Vice-Grips around the edge of the head and twist see if it will budge.

I would urge you NOT to use a dremel/drill on it, any stray burrs of metal get somewhere they aren't supposed to the card will fry.

implosiveturnip · 6 Jul 2013 at 16:05

I tried that with pliers, and couldnt get enough grip to turn it. I also think ive scratched a couple of the tracks on the back of the pcb that lead to memory.

I guess ill find out when i pop it back in in a minute... I managed to get the pcb turned back in without breaking it, and cleaned up and applied mx4. Hardest bit was getting the power for the fan back on its header.

moment of truth...

wesimmo · 6 Jul 2013 at 16:50

Drop a dab of superglue in the rounded off head and glue an old or cheap screwdriver to it? You never know it might be enough to shift it.

kaku · 6 Jul 2013 at 16:54

wesimmo said:
Drop a dab of superglue in the rounded off head and glue an old or cheap screwdriver to it? You never know it might be enough to shift it.

This seems like a really good trick. Not heard this one before!

implosiveturnip · 6 Jul 2013 at 16:54

Well it appears to have worked. I'm just having some trouble getting windows to boot. I think it's something to do with the Intel igp drivers and the Nvidia drivers. Sigh.

implosiveturnip · 6 Jul 2013 at 16:57

Just to clarify I never actually got the screw out. I tried the superglue trick and all I got was a screwdriver with a gummy end. I think it would work on bigger and perhaps less bald screws.

Tonester0011 · 6 Jul 2013 at 17:18

Could try the old rubber band trick?
I just want to know how in gods name you've managed to mangle that screw...what the **** were you using

implosiveturnip · 6 Jul 2013 at 17:20

I think it must have been a duff screw. I was uses the same screwdriver for all the screws on both cards! Maybe I just went neanderthal for a second and accidentally smashed it with club or something...

tommybhoy · 6 Jul 2013 at 20:02

pgi947 said:
I would urge you NOT to use a dremel/drill on it, any stray burrs of metal get somewhere they aren't supposed to the card will fry.

There is a way to do it with no stray burrs breaking anything.

You need 2 paks of akasa thermal tape, blu tak and an antistatic bag, and a can of compressed air(not a pound shop job, proper stuff)

Cut a hole no larger than the screw head out the middle of the akasa pad, get a blob of blue tak on top of the screw hole, push down and then pop it in the antistatic bag and make sure it's all sealed onto the akasa pad as such and repeat on reverse minus the blu tak.

Then dremmel out the screw, SLOWLY!

BUT, if it's working now, you won't run tge risk of shorting out the gpu if you leave it be.

(broke my holiday silence here... again

)

Posted from Overclockers.co.uk App for Android

whyscotty · 6 Jul 2013 at 20:16

tommybhoy said:
(broke my holiday silence here... again)
Posted from Overclockers.co.uk App for Android

Enjoying the Vino

alex_123_fra · 6 Jul 2013 at 20:31

Completely off topic...but there's an overclockers app for android?! Cool.

Hyburnate · 6 Jul 2013 at 20:52

alex_123_fra said:
Completely off topic...but there's an overclockers app for android?! Cool.

Yeah apparently it's **** however.