GPU Passive Heatsinks

diellur

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Apr 7, 2011
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I'm going to be putting my GPU under water, and as it's not a reference card I'll be using a universal GPU block. This requires heatsinks on the VRAM and mosfets...no problem. However, I don't have an electronics background, and I want to double check I'm not going to short-circuit the board. The picture below is my GPU without the heatsink, and I've circled components on the PCB...the heatsinks I have will span multiple mosfets (see second pic), and are in contact with the circled parts. My question is...does anyone know what these are? I doubt they're conductive, and I've seen pics online of others who seem to have done something similar, but I'd like to check before getting the thermal adhesive. I'd like to avoid causing a short-circuit, clearly.

photo1.jpg


photo2.jpg
 

bluebob951

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Dec 12, 2011
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if you are using a non conductive epoxy then its not a problem, just apply it liberally and you'll be just fine. I personally use arctic ceramic based expoy for my 7970 and had no trouble with getting it everywhere. Also can you fit more heatsink on there? where the VRM are? they get pretty hot. What card is that?
 

diellur

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I'm using the thermal glue that came with the heatsinks, which are Arctic, so I guess that's probably similar...the tube itself isn't labelled (I'll check). That being said, it's not quite ruling it out...if I bridge a conductive part to the mosfets (circled) with a bit of aluminium, the glue isn't going to matter - there's more than one of those circled parts under each heatsink.

I've identified all the parts needed to be cooled from here (post #143), and my card is the MSI 560Ti (not the 448 core one).
 

bluebob951

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Yeah but if you use enough glue but not too much glue there should be enough insulation from the glue that it should short it out. I used the stuff on a whole line open VRMs and the glue isolated the the parts just fine. Just be 100% positive the epoxy is non conductive or else you are screwed.
 

Lord Tumnas

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i recognise those heatsinks...
my money says youre installing the arctic accelero hybrid?

i have installed those heatsinks on my card, and i experienced no shorting, your cooler should have come with a small sheet of clear plastic, which is actually adhesive on one side, this is designed to prevent contact and shorting in components, basically, if you think it may short, put some tape on it