Biggrich76
Limp Gawd
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2005
- Messages
- 411
I promised some folks in another thread that I would post a short tutorial on how to fix the cooling issues that some people are experiencing with this card. I cannot take credit for the discovery of this mod, but in my experience it works wonders.
First, some background for people unfamiliar with this card. The cooler is a large heat pipe/TEC contraption that is rather large and heavy. I would appear that GeCube did not take the proper steps to ensure the functionality of this cooler because they forgot one important piece - proper contact of the cooler with the GPU. The sheer weight of the cooler hung upside down on the GPU coupled with improper force from the backplate cause the cooler to peel slowly away from the GPU.
Prior to this mod, my card would not function at all. During games like DoD:Source, Oblivion, STALKER and FEAR the card would reach temperatures in excess of 85 C degrees and lock up my whole system. I spoke with GeCube tech support several times and they were unable to resolve the issue. They even suggested remounting the cooler with some AS5 but that alone did not solve the problem either. After stumbling across a review on Newegg, the obvious solution become clear. There was not enough pressure on the backplate holding the cooler tight to the GPU. So, I took the reviewers advise (the usual disclaimers apply - YMMV, attempting this moid may cause damage to your card or void your warranty. I will not take any responsibility for damage to your card. Attempt at your own risk.)
Step 1:
Remove the copper colored backplate from the card.
Step 2:
Remove the gray tape affixed to the 'bump' on the reverse side of the copper backplate.
Step 3:
Take some folded up electrical tape (about 1/8 inch) and place it where the gray tape was previously - this will create an extra layer of padding to ensure more pressure on the GPU.
Step 4:
Place the gray tape over the electrical tape and ensure that the gray tape is the only portion making contact with the rear of the GPU.
Step 5:
Replace the backplate and tighten screws to ensure proper torque - you may need to use more or less electrical tape to get the right amount of torque on the backplate. This may take some experimentation.
The picture is a little blurry, but you can somewhat see the extra 'padding' serving it's purpose between the back of the GPU and the copper backplate.
Completing this mod, my temperatures went from 50+ C idle and 85+ C at load to 40 C idle and 62 C degrees at full load playing the same games. Note: I also have AS5 on the GPU, and I have ATI Tray Tools set to run my fans at 100% all the time. Again, YMMV - but this mod saved me from having to RMA the card and dealing with any prolonged headaches in the event that I received another 'defective' card.
In summary, the engineers at GeCube overlooked this very significant piece on an otherwise amazing video card. If you have the technical knowledge and patience to perform this mod, you will be glad that you did. If you are attempting this mod, please post your results before and after so the rest of the community can learn form your experiences.
First, some background for people unfamiliar with this card. The cooler is a large heat pipe/TEC contraption that is rather large and heavy. I would appear that GeCube did not take the proper steps to ensure the functionality of this cooler because they forgot one important piece - proper contact of the cooler with the GPU. The sheer weight of the cooler hung upside down on the GPU coupled with improper force from the backplate cause the cooler to peel slowly away from the GPU.
Prior to this mod, my card would not function at all. During games like DoD:Source, Oblivion, STALKER and FEAR the card would reach temperatures in excess of 85 C degrees and lock up my whole system. I spoke with GeCube tech support several times and they were unable to resolve the issue. They even suggested remounting the cooler with some AS5 but that alone did not solve the problem either. After stumbling across a review on Newegg, the obvious solution become clear. There was not enough pressure on the backplate holding the cooler tight to the GPU. So, I took the reviewers advise (the usual disclaimers apply - YMMV, attempting this moid may cause damage to your card or void your warranty. I will not take any responsibility for damage to your card. Attempt at your own risk.)
Step 1:
Remove the copper colored backplate from the card.
Step 2:
Remove the gray tape affixed to the 'bump' on the reverse side of the copper backplate.
Step 3:
Take some folded up electrical tape (about 1/8 inch) and place it where the gray tape was previously - this will create an extra layer of padding to ensure more pressure on the GPU.
Step 4:
Place the gray tape over the electrical tape and ensure that the gray tape is the only portion making contact with the rear of the GPU.
Step 5:
Replace the backplate and tighten screws to ensure proper torque - you may need to use more or less electrical tape to get the right amount of torque on the backplate. This may take some experimentation.
The picture is a little blurry, but you can somewhat see the extra 'padding' serving it's purpose between the back of the GPU and the copper backplate.
Completing this mod, my temperatures went from 50+ C idle and 85+ C at load to 40 C idle and 62 C degrees at full load playing the same games. Note: I also have AS5 on the GPU, and I have ATI Tray Tools set to run my fans at 100% all the time. Again, YMMV - but this mod saved me from having to RMA the card and dealing with any prolonged headaches in the event that I received another 'defective' card.
In summary, the engineers at GeCube overlooked this very significant piece on an otherwise amazing video card. If you have the technical knowledge and patience to perform this mod, you will be glad that you did. If you are attempting this mod, please post your results before and after so the rest of the community can learn form your experiences.