Liquid cooling gigabyte windforce 970 graphics card

uruz33

Commendable
Dec 29, 2016
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I have a GTX 970 graphics card from gigabyte that has three fans on it.

I just wanted to know if it would be worthwhile to liquid cool it or if I should just get an aio for my processor. The graphics card never gets too hot the processor just does because I still have the stock cooler on it (Don't judge me I only use it to play league of legends).

I don't know what the processor is exactly just that it's a 5th generation i5 quad core running at 3.2ghz (not overclocked as it isn't unlocked). If that even matters.

Maybe if anyone has liquid cooled this card before could tell me if they noticed much of a difference (not overclocked)

Thanks.
 
Solution
What would be your objective for water cooling of either the cpu or gpu?
The main reason usually would be to get a higher overclock.

Graphics card vendors bin their chips and use the better ones in factory overclocked versions
that they can sell for more. You may be able to OC more, but then again, perhaps not.
They try to differentiate by adding cosmetics and fancy coolers which also sell for more.
I do think you get fair value from a modest factory overclocked card.
If you need more performance, they buy a higher tier card in the first place.

You might get a bit more graphics performance if you try overclocking.

I doubt you will find it worthwhile.

On the cpu side, the only value of aftermarket cooling is quieter operation...
What would be your objective for water cooling of either the cpu or gpu?
The main reason usually would be to get a higher overclock.

Graphics card vendors bin their chips and use the better ones in factory overclocked versions
that they can sell for more. You may be able to OC more, but then again, perhaps not.
They try to differentiate by adding cosmetics and fancy coolers which also sell for more.
I do think you get fair value from a modest factory overclocked card.
If you need more performance, they buy a higher tier card in the first place.

You might get a bit more graphics performance if you try overclocking.

I doubt you will find it worthwhile.

On the cpu side, the only value of aftermarket cooling is quieter operation under load.
For that, I suggest a simple $35 tower type air cooler with a 120mm fan.
Scythe kotetsu, cryorig H7, cm hyper212 for example.

My canned rant on liquid cooling:
------------------------start of rant-------------------
You buy a liquid cooler to be able to extract an extra multiplier or two out of your OC.
How much do you really need?
I do not much like all in one liquid coolers when a good air cooler like a Noctua or phanteks can do the job just as well.
A liquid cooler will be expensive, noisy, less reliable, and will not cool any better
in a well ventilated case.
Liquid cooling is really air cooling, it just puts the heat exchange in a different place.
The orientation of the radiator will cause a problem.
If you orient it to take in cool air from the outside, you will cool the cpu better, but the hot air then circulates inside the case heating up the graphics card and motherboard.
If you orient it to exhaust(which I think is better) , then your cpu cooling will be less effective because it uses pre heated case air.
And... I have read too many tales of woe when a liquid cooler leaks.
google "H100 leak"
I would support an AIO cooler only in a space restricted case.
-----------------------end of rant--------------------------

Your pc will be quieter, more reliable, and will be cooled equally well with a decent air cooler.
 
Solution