Will the Titan's Cooler fit on my GTX 770's PCB?

Eggz · Sep 5, 2013

Dear Interwebz,

My buddy water cooled his Titan and offered me the silver reference cooler for my reference GTX 770. Will it fit? If I swap out the cooler, the sole reason will be so that my card says "Titan," but everything else will look the same. Even though there is no performance benefit at all, I think the free modification will be fun, and if I don't accept my friend's cooler in a week or so, he'll sell it. After looking around online, I can't find any clear information about whether the Titan's reference air cooler block would fit on my 770's PCB without special modification - something I'm not willing to do. The only difference I see in pictures of the two cards' PCBs is one screw hole on the top left of the cards (compare the below PCB pictures of the 770 with the Titan).

If anyone out there has any experience exchanging the 770 and Titan reference cooler, I would appreciate your input. The closest thing I could find online was someone swapping the Titan and 780 non-reference cooler, but the 780 is more similar to the Titan than my 770 (see EVGA Forum on swapping Titan's cooler with 780).

Thanks!

-Eggz

-- GTX 770's PCB --

http://img1.lesnumeriques.com/test/80/8021/nvidia_geforce_gtx_770_pcb.jpg

-- GTX Titan's PCB --

http://img1.lesnumeriques.com/test/79/7993/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_Titan_PCB-Front.jpg

Deemo13 · Sep 5, 2013

Worth a shot. It looks like your card is only missing one hole in the top left.

jabuscus · Jan 25, 2014

you don't need the screw on the top left. since that it fits also without it.

simmons33 · Jan 25, 2014

If you do it, Upload some Pics, Looks like it would fit to me

Eggz · Jan 26, 2014

I did it, and everything worked! I then sold the card for a little more than I bought it for because the buyer (a friend of mine) thought it was cool, and now I got a 780 for nearly the same overall cost.

Here's a totally unexpected twist to the story, though --

The guy I sold it to swapped the card out on exchange for an actual Titan. Apparently, he bought an actual Titan, switched the coolers, and then returned the 770 with the Titan's receipt. My sense of guilt would prevent me from pulling a scheme like this, but it's crazy that he was able to do it - to each his own.

From doing the PCB swap on my own, I believe he actually pulled it off. For a store clerk to tell whether the returned card was different, the clerk would have to know the memory chip arrangements of each card AND inspect carefully enough to catch the mismatch. He'd have to look REALLY closely or else actually test the card to see how the system recognized it. But where there are winners, there are losers.

The unfortunate thing is that someone out there will buy a Titan and only get a 770, and I told my friend (the buyer of my previous card) that he had done this to someone. He seems convinced that the person will just be able to exchange the card for the right one. I certainly hope so! I am the kind of person that wouldn't turn my friend in for something like this unless there were some kind of police investigation where I would face perjury charges for lying. So, it seems to me that he's gotten away with it - for now at least.

To be clear, I don't recommend anyone else try what he did. He had to put out $1,000+ for the Titan so that he could take it home to switch the PCB and cooler. Even if he didn't get caught, the store could have refused the return, and he would have been out $1,000+. If he got caught, however, he may have gone to jail over a stupid video card just to play games. Totally not worth the risks to me!

simmons33 · Jan 26, 2014

damn..

sL1pKn07 SpinFlo · Jul 3, 2014

Hi. one question. what thermal pads you use for a memmory and power chips? can you remember your thickness?

i've a EVGA GTX770SC2GB with ACX cooler and a Titan cooler (NO, is not to defraud XD), but the titan cooler is send to me without thermal pads. and canot use thermal pads from ACX because this cooler no need it

greetings

Eggz · Jul 4, 2014

I'm not sure where to get new pads - haven't looked into it. I just used the ones that were on the 770. I have seen people in videos using new ones they bought with a water block. Maybe you can get them from water block suppliers. Good luck!

sL1pKn07 SpinFlo · Jul 4, 2014

Hi

get those thermal pads have no problem, there are several online stores that sell them, the problem is to choose the thickness them to put the sink titan.

according to various internet photos, it seems they are quite fat. but that does not distinguish the thickness

because you have changed that thought sink would remember, more or less, of having thickness

greetings

sL1pKn07 SpinFlo · Jul 17, 2014

finaly:

the heatsink send to me with little paint scratch....

after scrape with acid and sand with scouring pad ths is the result:

the thermalpad have a 1mm of thick (used the original pads from ACX cooler from ACX fontplate)

The heatsink fit on pcb (in this case is a EVGA GTX770 SC 2Gb with ACX cooler) without any problem (fit like a glove in hand xd)

greetings

Eggz · Jul 17, 2014

Nice! That looks pretty cool. It kind of looks like a gun or something with the brushed metal. Good work!

sL1pKn07 SpinFlo · Jul 17, 2014

a friend say me is like a Battlestar Galactica XDDD

BTW. the mount is easy, but have a little problem with a srew with springs. that screws is short. can screwing with a much difficult. need a larger screws

what is a dimensions of this screws in the original Titan cooler?. the EVGA ACX screws have a 2.5x6mm. cannot find that information in all web :S

greetings

Eggz · Jul 17, 2014

I don't know. I just used the screws that came with the 770. Sorry.

GeForce1012 · Sep 14, 2014

What about the LED, does it work on the titan cooler?

sL1pKn07 SpinFlo · Sep 14, 2014

yes. works

greetings

GeForce1012 · Sep 14, 2014

Thanks!! Now to Ebay to find it...

GeForce1012 · Sep 15, 2014

Another quick question. My 770 is a 4gb version, what titan cooler version would I need?

sL1pKn07 SpinFlo · Sep 15, 2014

only fit in the 2Gb version with a reference PCB

GeForce1012 · Sep 15, 2014

So a 2gb titan cooler?

GeForce1012 · Sep 15, 2014

My card right now is a gainward phantom 4gb, so would the 2gb titan cooler fit?

Avocade · Sep 15, 2014

Only problem would bee the VRM modules.... Should be fine but make sure you use the strips.

sL1pKn07 SpinFlo · Sep 16, 2014

This is a Gainward GTX770 4Gb Phantom PCB (Same as Palit model)

and this is a Titan cooler

the probem is a VRM modules, capacitors, screw holes, missing LED connector,......

Eggz · Sep 16, 2014

From looking at it, the Titan cooler would totally fit the 4GB 770. You'd just leave out a couple screws and have no lights. The capacitors are no problem because you just have to move the thermal pads. They peel off easily for placement wherever you want. Just use a smooth plastic spudger to remove them without tearing.

Click image for eBay listings of spudgers

cst1992 · Sep 16, 2014

This is going to be one of my favourite threads just because of that plot twist..

Eggz · Sep 16, 2014

cst1992 :

Don't think it will work?

The critical screws line up. Seems doable, though not perfect, but doable.

Will the Titan's Cooler fit on my GTX 770's PCB?

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