Watercooling GPU

zoomee

zoomee

zoomee

Soldato
Joined
15 Dec 2004
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Hudds, UK
I know theres loads of specific VGA blocks available for cards, but they can often be the most upgraded components in a system. currently I have two 5850's - I think one is a non-reference design so a full block wouldn't fit it anyhow.

I've been eyeing up the 'generic' VGA blocks, of which most state that passive cooling of RAM and MOSFETS are required.

I'm not in to overclocking graphics cards (maybe the core a little seeing at it'll be under water ;) ) - Would I just need some RAM heatsinks to accompany the generic gpu blocks? Also how is one to go about fixing these to the RAM chips as the cards are 'upside down' if you know what I mean lol

thanks in advance.
 
A couple of good universal blocks are the XSPC Rasa VGA (fits just about all cards including 480/580's) and the EK Supreme VGA HF. I would'nt even consider any of the others as compatibility is nowhere near as good as these two.

For the ram you would need something like a pack of Zalman ramsinks which can be picked up for less than £4. They attach to the ram using thermal tape. Loads of people say that there's fall of but i have never had a ramsink fall off any of my cards. When i change cards and remove the ramsinks i change the tape to Akasa's excellent thermaltape. You should'nt use the tape more than once.

You really do need to do something with the VRM's on a 5850 as they get extremely hot. I made up a heatsink out of a old cut down Pentium heatsink and even that could'nt cope. I was seeing VRM temps going over 100 degrees even with a fan pointed at it. I ended up getting a Thermalright VRM4 which fits reference 5850/5870 cards and temps dropped to mid 50's with a 80mm fan. These only fit 5870/5850 cards though so are no better than having a full cover block when it comes to change the card. Another option would be to invest in a pack of Enzotech Mosfet Heatsink - MOS-C1 for around £8.20. They are solid copper and have 4x 12mm pins on each heatsink. You get 10 in a pack and they can be re-used. I would say that unless you have a case with a large side fan that they would need a fan pointed at them.
 
thanks for the heads up pasty :)

Think I'll just stick with full blocks for now if I can pick them up cheap enough on MM - They're waaay too expensive brand new.
 
There is an easier way with a 5850 to cool the vrm. Leave the main ati mounting for the fan attached. Just remove the shroud and the heatsink and then fit the waterblock. This will probably only work on a stock 5850 though. This is how I set mine up. Antique danger den maze 4 but cools superbly.

Picture004.jpg
 
Think i'm going to end up with universal blocks, I've got an existing MCW60 which is actually still very competitive and way less restrictive than most of the new blocks. I've yet to actually do it and check the fitting but I believe the 5870 vrm mosfet cooler, those thermalright ones) will fit the 6970 I have now with a bit of cutting.

If AMD maintain the same type of mosfets it could work on a few generations, it also might not. However a one off £40-50 for a gpu block, and £20 a card every generation for a vrm cooler isn't that bad, its better than £70-90 a card each generation. Full cover blocks do give great vrm temps, but generally lower gpu core temps.

Most irritating thing seems to be full cover blocks tend to get launched pretty quickly, while custom heatsinks for things like mosfets do tend to take a heck of a lot longer.

Also worth keeping in mind though, 6970 mosfets are WAY cooler than 5870 ones, like, massively less. Getting basically the same temps with a huge thermalright cooler on the 5870 with tiny heatsinks on the 6970, just stick on ramsink jobbies, fans aswell but they are at silent speed levels.


The 5870 you could have left the stock plate on with a gpu block like that pic, having seen the shroud on the 6970, they've intergrated the sink into the shroud/base plate so I don't think it would be possible, at least, not without cutting some of it out. Though you could just cut half the baseplate off near the fan, so the fan/vrm contact is one piece, and the rest you move, that way you could reinstall the stock cooler for selling on, though theres no way the warranty would stay intact.
 
57bc40f700b65e5b2474613466672c35.jpg


From another thread, someone who put them on a 6970 before me, those circled sinks, 3 of them across the VRM's are doing fine, they are TINY, like maybe 6-7mm high and a bit wider. I can imagine a 5870 blowing almost instantly with those installed. AMD have moved to DrMos/volterra VRM's which are rated to like 80amps each or something just nuts, more efficient and far lower temps.

Keep in mind we were using tiny height things because the prolimatech heatsink is kind of slated so clearance over the vrm's is pretty low + whats available third party/cheap.

Looks like VRM cooling is getting easier, though nothing to say AMD won't go back to cheaper/hotter VRM's.

http://www.thermalright.com/products/index.php?act=data&cat_id=29&id=103

I've got that VRM cooler, was awesome on the 5850, if you can see the bit between the two heatpipes, they are higher on the 6970 so it won't fit, but I'm fairly sure chopping off those bits will be fine.
 
awesome information guys! can't thank you all enough.

I'm contemplating going water again purely for silence reasons - my main PC sits in the front room now and two 5850's cause quite a ruckus. A bug in my mainboard (I think) sometimes cause both 5850's to fire up FULL speed until the system starts booting - sounds like an airplane is going to lift off!

I always thought the 58xx's were better performers than the 68xx's and not much behind the 69xx's - Now I see why some people are upgrading ;) hmmm
 
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