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Cooling backside of GPU (with pics)

Forum Overclocking : Cooler and Heatsinks - Cooling backside of GPU (with pics)

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tkgclimb   08-29-2009 at 03:25:31 AM

Okay a few weeks ago i asked about cooling the backside of the GPU (the side with the silicon, sodder points and no cooler)

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/ [...] g-backside

though there was a good discussion no body had any Backside Gpu cooling coolers. So I purchased this,

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835186016

And applied it, with the use of pre applied thermal paste, super glue, and zip ties, to a clean (no metal to short) side of my GPU which is a XFX 9800gtx+ in a cosmos 1000, with an amd x2 5000+ @ 3.2 and 2gb ddr2 800 @ 980.

9800gtx+ before backside heatsink (goes in that blank black area next to the tag)

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/coolshortkid116/IMG_2609.jpg

here are pictures of the heatsink and it in after installation.

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/coolshortkid116/IMG_2610.jpg
had to remove the plastic and metal bracket to get it to fit.

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/coolshortkid116/IMG_2611.jpg


one thing I wish I would of done, is put the little memory heatksinks on in the small blank spots, before I installed the big heatsink, I didn't realize how hard it is to reach under there

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/coolshortkid116/IMG_2612.jpg

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/coolshortkid116/IMG_2613.jpg

Will post temps to tonight.

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rubix_1011   08-29-2009 at 03:53:43 AM
- 0 +

Ummm...you realize that those little metal contacts on the back of the GPU are going to be shorted out? WTF are you thinking?

Reply to rubix_1011
tkgclimb   08-29-2009 at 06:25:37 AM
- 0 +

NO, the heatsinks are only on metal free parts of the chip, where there is only silicon. It's obviously working because I've run a couple stress tests, and am running it right now. :)

Reply to tkgclimb
tkgclimb   08-29-2009 at 06:55:20 AM
- 0 +

Okay some temps looks promising.

 

GPU test 91%fan
idle 48/49
load 69
idle with cooler 46
load w/c 58

 


9800gtx+ is at stock frequencies.


Message edited by tkgclimb on 08-29-2009 at 10:53:33 PM
Reply to tkgclimb
thently   08-29-2009 at 05:33:25 PM
- 0 +

what exactly do you think yourcooling the processor is behind the square... You are just cooling thePCboard lot of expense for nothing really. Your call i guess. A fan zipptyed to the back would prob give you better numbers and not cause any fireworks if bumbed. This mod is just not needed.. Were your temp getting out of hand?

T

Reply to thently
Bronze Overclocking badge Conumdrum   08-29-2009 at 06:07:36 PM
- 0 +

You put a big expensive cooler on the BACK of the card but left the loud GPU fan on the other side? Why? Whatever floats your boat.

Reply to Conumdrum
uncfan_2563   08-29-2009 at 08:37:15 PM
- 0 +

lol there is nothing to cool on the back....god...

Reply to uncfan_2563
rambo117   08-29-2009 at 08:56:37 PM
- 0 +

kinda a waste of a nice heatsink but looks cool i guess.. i would do what Conumdrum said, screw the stock hsf and put the nice one to use.

------------------------------ http://valid.canardpc.com/cache/banner/642034.png
 Reply to rambo117
tkgclimb   08-29-2009 at 10:57:44 PM
- 0 +

Obviously non of you read close enough.

 

The heatsink cost 25$ (there are less expensive ones but I chose this one, because I can use it to cool my actual GPU on my 9800gtx+) so not that expensive at all.

 

If you read the thread that I posted, that has the discussion on this topic, you would find out that this project is just to see what the temps are like and if you can do it.

 

If you have ever felt the back of a Highpowered working GPU it gets very hot.
so in theory cooling it might have a benifit.

 

and if you read the temps you would have seen (i know they were confusing, i changed them) that it actually cools the GPU around 11 degrees, which is fairly good.

 

To Thently, I know I'm not cooling the back of the actual proccesor, which would be better but it isn't doable, and I have temps with just pointing a fan at it, you can find these temps on the the other thread.

 

People please read, don't just look at the pictures.

 


Message edited by tkgclimb on 08-29-2009 at 11:00:59 PM
Reply to tkgclimb
tkgclimb   08-29-2009 at 11:03:07 PM
- 0 +

OH, by the way, I don't really want to take off the reference cooler so I don't void my warranty.


Message edited by tkgclimb on 08-29-2009 at 11:06:36 PM
Reply to tkgclimb
freezed1   08-29-2009 at 11:16:10 PM
- 0 +

Hi, dude removing reference cooler will not void your warranty. Many manufactures actually tell you how to remove them if you want to water cool your card. Secondly your card is running hot even without the back plate cooler. my gtx 285 does not break 72C in games and overclocked. Also my ambient room temp is high (around 25C). There is a mod that costs 5$ and will keep your card very very cool. get some double sided tape (good quality one so it comes off easily) get a 80mm fan that has ~ 30 cfm, combine the two properly and your temps will drop magically. :), the power of air flow and budget magic be with you. :hello:


Message edited by freezed1 on 08-29-2009 at 11:16:22 PM
------------------------------ http://valid.canardpc.com/cache/banner/657168.png

http://valid.canardpc.com/cache/banner/130129.png

Reply to freezed1
Bronze Overclocking badge Conumdrum   08-29-2009 at 11:19:59 PM
- 0 +

Ohh, so you don't void the warrenty. Okay. I never heard of that reasoning.

The back of my GPU with the HS on the proper side was a lot, lot cooler when I was using air cooling. But I took a chance (LOL chance, it's not like death or something) and put my HS on top of the chip.

Reply to Conumdrum
freezed1   08-29-2009 at 11:24:32 PM
- 0 +

I like cheap mods......go fans go...:)

Reply to freezed1
tkgclimb   08-29-2009 at 11:41:41 PM
- 0 +

Well thats great to know, that it doesn't void your warranty, I'm sure I heard somewhere that it did, but thanks a million for informing me otherwise.

To freezed, i know the card, is somewhat hot, but it's still in reasonable specs (with the fan on auto it goes up to 96 and the load temp drops to mid to low 60s')

I did to the 80mm fan rig with a fan running at 40cfm and it cooled 6 degrees, (see other thread) but was louder than I wanted it this is still pretty cheap, cools better, was an interesting EXPERIMENT, and I could still put a fan on it if i wanted to cool it a lot better.

To Conondrum- I don't have a lot of luck when it comes to computer parts just working (especially graphics cards and monitors)

And if i understand you correctly you are going to try to do what I just did?
Kinda funny since you just said, "You put a big expensive cooler on the BACK of the card but left the loud GPU fan on the other side? Why? Whatever floats your boat."


Message edited by tkgclimb on 08-29-2009 at 11:48:44 PM
Reply to tkgclimb
freezed1   08-29-2009 at 11:48:31 PM
- 0 +

hmmmm, i think i should try experimenting with my gtx 285 and see what happens. Its been a while i heaven t done anything interesting with air cooling.

Reply to freezed1
tkgclimb   08-29-2009 at 11:50:49 PM
- 0 +

HAHA, everybody was giving me crap, and now people are thinking about it, just hilarious.

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by tkgclimb on 08-29-2009 at 11:51:22 PM
Reply to tkgclimb
sportsfanboy   08-30-2009 at 12:04:39 AM
- -1 +

I'm about to give you crap and deff. not thinking about it

Message quoted 1 times
Reply to sportsfanboy
tkgclimb   08-30-2009 at 12:09:24 AM
- 0 +

sportsfanboy wrote :

I'm about to give you crap and deff. not thinking about it



OKay, but please actually read both threads before you do.

Reply to tkgclimb
sportsfanboy   08-30-2009 at 12:41:48 AM
- 0 +

just messin with ya man

Reply to sportsfanboy
brendano257   08-30-2009 at 12:44:14 AM
- 0 +

........You don't want to mess with your warrantee, so you SUPER GLUE a heatsink to the back of a GPU?

The better sink should be on the front, hence:the direct contact with the GPU. You'd probably drop temps even more with AS-5 or the likes by reseating the origional sink, which is probably slightly unseated anyway. Not to mention the crappy thermal paste/tape from OEM's.

Message quoted 1 times
Reply to brendano257
sportsfanboy   08-30-2009 at 01:02:55 AM
- 0 +

i think all this heat worrying is out of control... I really think these components are pretty stout and can handle some heat

Reply to sportsfanboy
tkgclimb   08-30-2009 at 01:38:43 AM
- 0 +

brendano257 wrote :

........You don't want to mess with your warrantee, so you SUPER GLUE a heatsink to the back of a GPU?

The better sink should be on the front, hence:the direct contact with the GPU. You'd probably drop temps even more with AS-5 or the likes by reseating the origional sink, which is probably slightly unseated anyway. Not to mention the crappy thermal paste/tape from OEM's.



Well I super glued it to the screws sticking up, (using some wood supports to help) so it's not really glued to the actual silicon (i don't think they will refuse a return because of a little gunk on a back of a screw, which I will tell them has always been there)

As for the better heat sink being on the front, I know this, if the main purpose of this was to cool the GPU I would have bought a better heat sink and done just that. But the main purpose of this is to see if backside cooling is at all effective, since replacing the stock cooler of a GPU has been done thousands of times and we all know does help the cooling.

But say you want to madly OVerclock your GPU but temps are a problem, you are already water cooling it. So what more can you do, I was just seeing if this backside cooling was a feasible solution to help lower temps, and I wanted to share my project and results with you guys, you can all draw your own conclusion.

Reply to tkgclimb
freezed1   08-30-2009 at 03:34:51 AM
- 0 +

tkgclimb wrote :

HAHA, everybody was giving me crap, and now people are thinking about it, just hilarious.




lol we will still give you crap for fun.....i had my days when i was playing with some delta fans with 250+cfm blowing on my gpu. lol hehe i used to do silly experiments like these before but i got tired and bought water-cooling. /gl

Reply to freezed1
tkgclimb   08-30-2009 at 03:48:48 AM
- 0 +

^ Yeah i want to either do that, or get non stock coolers for my GPU's (and water cool my CPU for that matter).

But I want to wait to get a new CPU and new GPU(s) before I spend that money (which I don't want to spend), on a cool cooling setup (I didn't want to use the pun).

What do you think of the temps?

Reply to tkgclimb
uncfan_2563   08-30-2009 at 03:58:33 AM
- 0 +

well those temps werent bad for a gpu in the first place but considering u have the fan on 91% they werent good. can u try leaving ur fan speed on auto and taking temperatures? because at this point i think sound plays a big factor in the success of this cooling technique

Reply to uncfan_2563
tkgclimb   08-30-2009 at 06:05:35 AM
- 0 +

Good idea here they are, (the idle without cooler was somewhat drawn from memory)

Idle without cooler - 59 (45%fan)
Load without cooler - 69 (90%fan)
Idle with cooler- 52 (52%fan ?)
Load with cooler - 69 (72%fan)

Stock settings again, and fan speed set to Auto.
The case has 4 fans (3 outake 1 intake) all supposedly at 19dba and 44cfm
(Stock fans in a cosmos 1000)

PS I think I found the max temp at which the graphics card deems acceptable, 69 degrees.

Reply to tkgclimb
uncfan_2563   08-30-2009 at 06:20:09 AM
- 0 +

umm graphics cards are supposed to handle temps around 90-100 c

now, acceptable is another thing, i usually dont mind the card running a tad bit hot, just as long as its not noisy and its under 75c

Reply to uncfan_2563
tkgclimb   08-30-2009 at 06:33:09 AM
- 0 +

It's not my acceptable, it's the temp which auto fan speed deems acceptable, and it seems to be quite alright for me ( a little naughty maybe)

 

But I've done some research and it seems like my card is running hotter than other 9800gtx+'s thoughts?


Message edited by tkgclimb on 08-30-2009 at 06:33:31 AM
Reply to tkgclimb
rubix_1011   08-31-2009 at 03:19:01 PM
- 0 +

I had 2 of those exact same cards in SLI...they don't really get that hot, even with the stock coolers. I ran them for about a day before I got my 2nd waterblock and ramsinks in to install.

Reply to rubix_1011
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