I've hit a block already!!!

[CK61938]

So after liquid cooling my 4870X2 earlier this week...I was busy doing some gaming on it last night and whilst play COD4, after about a good 30min solid play, the screen went blank...I rebooted the machine and played a bit of Street Fighter IV...was playing that for a good 30min too and it was fine...

I then tested out COD4 again...this time I kept an eye on the GPU...even felt it and it was getting extremely hot...I carried on playing COD4...then it stopped and screen went blank and as that happened the middle LED on the card (R819) lit up...so yeah overheating it was.

So I rebooted the machine and gave Crysis Warhead a try...loaded up the level where Psyko has had the train tunnel blown open...so he is underground...moved about 5 feet forward then it crashed again. Sure enough LED lit up and again it was really hot to touch.But what I noticed was that it was more hot to touch where the chipset was situated.

Which is not surprising cos when I took the card apart, I noticed the GPUs and chipsets had not even made good contact with the copper water block. so I applied more paste and made sure I had screwed the card onto the block as tight as I could. I had a good look in between the card and the block and there was still a slight gap where the chipset was situated.

But I tried again anyway and still it was crashing during heavy graphics and high FPS in both COD4 and Crysis Warhead.

I have since emailed XSPC and they have said they will send out a thermal pad for the chipset. So we'll see if that helps.

Can anyone else state their findings about the XSPC 4870X2 block? Looking at the block itself the bits for the GPUs and chipset are not high enough to make good contact like the RAM chips and other chips on the GPU. Was wondering what you guys may have done to make the card work properly.

Thanks

 

[CK61938]

bump

 

[The Asgard]

Like you say it sounds like the block is not making good contact with the GPU's. Have you looked to see where the contact points are? You should be able to tell with the goop.

Could be the board is bowed and you might have to flex it while you tighten things up. You could have a component in the way. Are there many revisions to the block?

Until you get some more info DONT load the GPU for more than a few seconds. A exposed core can be killed pretty quickly.

Hope this helps a bit.

 

[CK61938]

Like you say it sounds like the block is not making good contact with the GPU's. Have you looked to see where the contact points are? You should be able to tell with the goop.

Could be the board is bowed and you might have to flex it while you tighten things up. You could have a component in the way. Are there many revisions to the block?

Until you get some more info DONT load the GPU for more than a few seconds. A exposed core can be killed pretty quickly.

Hope this helps a bit.

I have taken the block off and can see where the paste has not even been roughed up...its mainly on the chipset and a few of the RAM chips too. I have checked to see if anything could be in the way but nothing obvious...I have emailed XSPC again to ask if they can send me thermal pads for the RAM chips so we'll see what they say but they have said they will send one for the chipset. I have looked in the block when its on the card and there is a little gap where the chipset is...so that tells me contact isnt good...I have since taken the card out of my PC and just left it out til the pads arrive.

 

[The Asgard]

I have taken the block off and can see where the paste has not even been roughed up...its mainly on the chipset and a few of the RAM chips too. I have checked to see if anything could be in the way but nothing obvious...I have emailed XSPC again to ask if they can send me thermal pads for the RAM chips so we'll see what they say but they have said they will send one for the chipset. I have looked in the block when its on the card and there is a little gap where the chipset is...so that tells me contact isnt good...I have since taken the card out of my PC and just left it out til the pads arrive.

Ram chips won't be an issue. Not sure about the PLX chip but I can't imagine that getting too hot. Other than the exposed GPU cores the only issue with heat would be the VRM's which can get very hot. If you have a thin peice of metal strip (shim) you could coat that with goop and use it on the PLX.

To me this points to the GPU cores or VRM's.

In my experience idle temps on the CPU & GPU's should be about the same if the temp sensors are working. If the GPU temps are much higher >5'c then that indicates a seating problem. Both GPU cores should also be the same. CPU-GPU temps being on the same loop. I think you have two loops? In which case just check the both cores are around the same.

What are you idle and load temps on the GPU's?

 

[CK61938]

idle temps on the GPU were at mid 30s to 40C...but yes I meant the VRMs not RAM lol...

I have a dual loop...so the CPU is ok as it is on its own...

Load temps were probably hitting 50-60C perhaps...

I have taken the card out now anyway and will wait for the thermal pads to arrive from XSPC. But the GPU cores are fine cos they are making sufficient contact with the block...its definitely the PLX and some of the VRMs...I will take a pic and show u...

 

[CK61938]

Right here are some pics:

This one shows the block. notice how I have applied paste on the block to try and help the contact easier. but it hasnt worked cos the chipset and some VRMs are still not making contact:

This one shows the card and again notice that chipset and some of the VRMs still barely touched by the block:

And here are both of them together:

So there you have it.

 

[toxicredcat]

Your supposed to use thermal pads on the PLX and RAM chips just like the stock heatsink does.

 

[CK61938]

Your supposed to use thermal pads on the PLX and RAM chips just like the stock heatsink does.

Except the XSPC block didnt come with pads for the PLX and RAM chips. Plus I have read the manual 10 times over and it says use thermal paste for the PLX, GPUs and RAM chips. I also got this reply about 30min ago from XSPC themselves:

Hi,
Sorry we cannot send you pads for the memory. If you put pads on the memory it will reduce the contact on the GPU cores.

Regards, Paul
XSPC (UK) Limited

which in actual fact is probably true cos if you look at the RAM blocks, they are raised higher than the GPUs and PLX ones. And if you look at the stock heatsink for the card the copper block (below), you will see that the GPUs are raised higher than that the of the ones on the water block.

 

[CK61938]

Right I bought some thermal pads yesterday which arrived today...I put one on the PLX...and then put some thermal paste on the VRAM chips and applied more on the GPUs...started her back up and all is now ok. Idle temps of 36C not even getting past 60C when gaming...and thats on Crysis/Crysis Warhead. So I am very pleased with it. Of course as time goes on no doubt temps will get lower come the winter time so good times ahead.

 

[[timko]]

Hopefully that was the last bump in the long road of watercooling that rig

 

[Sparx]

Haha, I'd **** myself up a little if that were me.. But glad you got it sorted.

 

[CK61938]

Hopefully that was the last bump in the long road of watercooling that rig

lol you and me both mate

Haha, I'd **** myself up a little if that were me.. But glad you got it sorted.

I won't even tell you how many times I actually had to remove the tubing after testing the card for no overheating lol...

but yeah I am glad it is sorted indeed...

 

[Marine Iguana]

Well that's good to hear, me i got rid of my X2 just couldn't put up with it anymore replaced it with a GTX260 for now.