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T-Rad2 installation Guide and Initial Thoughts
- Thread starter rjk
- Start date
Dave, people have been having joy with using the baseplate of the stock cooler with the trad. Basically you can remove the shroud and the fan and just have the plate connected, which leave room to install the trad. Problem with the MOFSETS, if that the puney heatsinks are not up to job. Some guys in US have made some specfic heatsinks for the VRM and MEM, go by the name of iandh. Otherwise if you have a HR03 then you can use the TR MOFSET cooler heatpipe used for motherboards, people have had real good results with these. Otherwise cut down an old hsf, drill some holes and mount. My trad will be here today, so will be playing around with different setups.
Associate
Has anyone tried this on a ATI 4850 without a fan (passive cooling).
Just wondering how this would perform in a HTPC setup, looking to get my system as quiet as possible.
Just wondering how this would perform in a HTPC setup, looking to get my system as quiet as possible.
No go without a fan mate, the vrm's need air to pass over them to be cooled. At the moment I aim running my 4870 with a Trad2, 2 x92mm zalman fans running at 5v. Utter silencer. I decided to use the plate from the stock cooler (removed the shroud and fan), as this cool the mofsets and ram nicely (supplied sinks do not do a got enough job). With the fans at 5v im idling at 40oC and VRM's at 55oC
Associate
Did anyone get another HS for the VRM's in the end?? Mine seems to be happy getting to about 83c under stress in long gaming periods with no crashes!
Soldato
After reading the thread im not sure whats what with this cooler and a 4850.
I really want to silence this whinning 4850 as to be frank it annoys the heck out of me.
My concerns are that if i get the cooler it wont do the job compared to the stock cooler, as some people are getting high temps on the vrms? (not really clued up in this area, so not sure if its bad or good) Would just love to have someone come out and say Yes it would be fine, you need this and that, and job done.
I really want to silence this whinning 4850 as to be frank it annoys the heck out of me.
My concerns are that if i get the cooler it wont do the job compared to the stock cooler, as some people are getting high temps on the vrms? (not really clued up in this area, so not sure if its bad or good) Would just love to have someone come out and say Yes it would be fine, you need this and that, and job done.
Associate
I've fitted the Trad to my 4870 512mb, the core temp on idle and load was always about 80C, just seemed the fan would adjust accordingly to keep it at that temperature.
As soon as I had installed the trad I booted up into windows and had a look at the temps, 51c idle...or so i thought, turns out I had GPU folding on in the background! When that was disabled it dropped to 38C. Needless to say I was impressed.
However I did note that the VRM / VDDC temps were around 110C under load and 55-60 idle, i had the same problem that the ram sinks wont stick to the surface of the chips, upon closer inspection it looks like they have some kind of coating or protector on top (perhaps to stop them shorting?)
My solution as it stands is to use the artic silver epoxy and stick some old heatsinks on, when the warrenty runs out and i dont need the stock cooler, i'll probably cut that up and then it can be screwed down and attach some sinks to the bar that runs across the VRM's
As soon as I had installed the trad I booted up into windows and had a look at the temps, 51c idle...or so i thought, turns out I had GPU folding on in the background! When that was disabled it dropped to 38C. Needless to say I was impressed.
However I did note that the VRM / VDDC temps were around 110C under load and 55-60 idle, i had the same problem that the ram sinks wont stick to the surface of the chips, upon closer inspection it looks like they have some kind of coating or protector on top (perhaps to stop them shorting?)
My solution as it stands is to use the artic silver epoxy and stick some old heatsinks on, when the warrenty runs out and i dont need the stock cooler, i'll probably cut that up and then it can be screwed down and attach some sinks to the bar that runs across the VRM's
Associate
Has anyone found a solution to the VRM heat problem? I'm looking to get a cooler for my powercolour 4870 1gb and was almost going to order of these.
Soldato
just ordered the following for my HD4870
So hoping to be able to contribute my temps in a few days to this great thread
So hoping to be able to contribute my temps in a few days to this great thread
My temps have been fine since I last posted in this thread, but then I've never experienced any heat problems.
This is my 4870 512mb at idle, the stock trad2 adhesive temp has been replaced with some after-market stuff:
Soldato
well heres my little build log for my cooler fitted to my 4870 512mb.
1. The kit from top left, Bag of heatsinks screws & washers etc for the T-rad : Chill Thermal paste : sticker : 2x xilence 92mm redwings : bottle of TIM cleaner : thermal tape : T-rad cooler : instructions
2. My old 4870 (2 weeks old lol) with the old style stock cooler which is terrible.
3. Stock cooler removed
4. TIM cleaner and a bit of elbow grease = shiny GPU core
5. Heatsinks for ram and then cooler fitted
6. The fans fitted and installed into case
And heres my results for the table on page one Rjkoniell note my 4870 ran very very hot
Card - HD4870 512 mb
Stock idle - 58
Stock Load - 76
Trad Idle - 32
Trad Load - 40
Only been using it a few hours but temps havent passed 40 yet, well impressed
1. The kit from top left, Bag of heatsinks screws & washers etc for the T-rad : Chill Thermal paste : sticker : 2x xilence 92mm redwings : bottle of TIM cleaner : thermal tape : T-rad cooler : instructions
2. My old 4870 (2 weeks old lol) with the old style stock cooler which is terrible.
3. Stock cooler removed
4. TIM cleaner and a bit of elbow grease = shiny GPU core
5. Heatsinks for ram and then cooler fitted
6. The fans fitted and installed into case
And heres my results for the table on page one Rjkoniell
note my 4870 ran very very hotCard - HD4870 512 mb
Stock idle - 58
Stock Load - 76
Trad Idle - 32
Trad Load - 40
Only been using it a few hours but temps havent passed 40 yet, well impressed
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Only been using it a few hours but temps havent passed 40 yet, well impressed
Good job. Can you post your VRM temps please?
I see you have put one of them larger type sinks on the 'raised chips', when I did that the sink would hit the roof of the GRFX heatsink meaning it was a bit short of being fully fixed in place. Have you not had that problem, it looks very close/touching in your pic?
I found the best method in the end was to use all the supplied heatsinks but put the flat sinks on the raised chips.
Soldato
i put the flat ones on th eraised chips and also the lower chips beside them, i also put one of the real flat sinks on the reverse of the card on the back of the cpu die
Just took this after a few hours left 4 dead
Just took this after a few hours left 4 dead
Last edited:
Associate
^ Looks good.
My stuff has arrived but not had a chance to fit it yet. Maybe get a chance tomorrow.
My stuff has arrived but not had a chance to fit it yet. Maybe get a chance tomorrow.
Soldato
im using the molex connectors so im assuming the fans are constantly on 100%?
If so then its great cuz i cant hear it at all.
Are those temps above for the memory ok then? a bit higher than others but well within the safe zone id imagine?
If so whats you recommendation for a decent overclock given those temps
If so then its great cuz i cant hear it at all.
Are those temps above for the memory ok then? a bit higher than others but well within the safe zone id imagine?
If so whats you recommendation for a decent overclock given those temps
im using the molex connectors so im assuming the fans are constantly on 100%?
If so then its great cuz i cant hear it at all.
Are those temps above for the memory ok then? a bit higher than others but well within the safe zone id imagine?
If so whats you recommendation for a decent overclock given those temps
Sorry for delay.
Yep, them temps are fine. If you have your fans connected via molex then they will be on full power. I have mine hooked up to a fan controller but run them on full anyway.
Associate
Just got mine installed. Hardest bit was getting out the power connection from the original cooler!! There's probably a simple way of doing this that I was totally missed. 
The temps seem good at idle.
Just ran ATITool to see what happened. This is after 2-3 minutes of the artifact scanner.
Are thoses VDDC temps kinda on the high side?
The temps seem good at idle.
Just ran ATITool to see what happened. This is after 2-3 minutes of the artifact scanner.
Are thoses VDDC temps kinda on the high side?