Anybody seen a 4870 x2 block in stock?

S

schoenda

Gawd
Joined
Apr 8, 2003
Messages
860
So, I think nobody anywhere has a FC 4870 x2 block in stock....I like the EK nickel and the Koolance, though DD has a good rep.

Has anybody seen one in stock? My whole darn re-build is on hold for this!

Gerr, arg.

On the bright side maybe the next gen will be out by the time I can buy. But then the blocks for them will be out of stock...it's like an endless cycle of despair. sob
 
Here are my results using a Danger Den waterblock on my 4870x2. I just ran the Furmark stability test for 10 minutes at 1920x1200, 4xAA, 16xAF. This was also done with the core GPU speed set to 800MHz on both cores which is my 24/7 overclock.

See for yourself...

Furmark4870x2Temps.jpg
 
Impressive. VRM does seem to get pretty hot but those cores are nice and cool all around
 
My Koolance block gets here today so i will see how it performs and post. In stock btw @ Performance-pc's.
 
performance should always be the first place you look.

frozencpu has a bunch as well.
 
So I got my ek block...not bad, I have similar temp results as Blkout...one thing though, many of you may have heard ek has had some problems with leaks and also non functional 4870x2's due to an issue with a few of the screws making electrical contact with the board...well, I had no leaks but sure enough my system hung at power up without posting as soon as I got the card in....

Sure enough as soon as I removed one screw it works fine....which screw?

Well, the geniuses at ek do have an addendum on the install instructions on the web site warning to use pvc washers with the 'short' screws because of this problem...of course they do not send you any pvc washers...(They will but only if you request it.)...so I had to go to 2 hardware stores to find washers that were thin enough, (I guess I could have bought longer screws?), and even then 2 of the screws were too short to use with the washers...so I just went ahead and put them in without washers...needless to say it was one of these that was causing the problem and as soon as I took one, (I got lucky on the 50/50), out the system works like a charm.

Well, all is well that ends well...overall no other complaints with the block.
 
I am not at home so forgive the vague description:

When looking into your open case facing the card with the rear of the case to your right..the screw is the one that is closest to the L front corner of the 4870 x2, (nearer the power connector).

BUT....from the ek description the issue can occur with any of the short screws...the ones that touch the card as opposed to the longer ones that go thru the ram plates on the back of the card. Several of these are not easy to install with washers, as ek reccomends, because of either the location making a washer not fit or the length of the screw being too short if a washer is used.

I would install as many as possible with washers and then avoid that left front screw and hope for the best...if you can get screws just 1 mm longer they would likely work in this spot but I woud think, theoretically, that the screws need to be a very specific length so that the block is not mounted too tight/loose, (But the whole idea of using washers negates this doesnt it?)...I might try grinding the washer to half width...
 
schoenda said:
So I got my ek block...not bad, I have similar temp results as Blkout...one thing though, many of you may have heard ek has had some problems with leaks and also non functional 4870x2's due to an issue with a few of the screws making electrical contact with the board...well, I had no leaks but sure enough my system hung at power up without posting as soon as I got the card in....
Click to expand...

Any links to the problem?

Seem like the QC has gone to sh1t at EK as of late....... Killing 4870X2's and 280's is not a good thing.
 
Well dang... now I'm more confused.

So...

EK water blocks are prone to leaks (first I heard of this, but I only began looking recently)?

Koolance blocks have steel plugs and prone to corrosion.

DD blocks have machine marks all over the bottom (doesn't look very good or flat).

Not sure what I want to buy.
 
R1ckCa1n said:
Any links to the problem?

Seem like the QC has gone to sh1t at EK as of late....... Killing 4870X2's and 280's is not a good thing.
Click to expand...

I sure hope not. I have a second EK 4000 series block on the way for my crossfire setup. Hopefully will have it by end of week. Does anyone know if the grounding issue with the screws is just limited to the 4870x2s, or all the 4xxx series?
 
Koolance blocks have steel plugs and prone to corrosion.
Click to expand...


Hello. The VID-487 plugs are made with brass, not steel. It's true that some of our older blocks have steel plugs, but you shouldn't have any corrosion issues if you use Koolance liquid coolant.

Thank you,

Evan Rademacher
Koolance Inc.
Sales Dept.
(ph) +01 253-893-7551
(fx) +01 253-893-7573
[email protected]
www.koolance.com



xxx wrote:
> Name: xxx
> Company: xxx
> Email: xxx
> Phone: xxx
> Remarks: Hello Koolance, I just purchased one of your Fullcover 4870 waterblocks, the VID 487, and am worried about some pictures I\'ve seen circulating on the internet... It appears that certain G1/4 threaded plugs have been made from steel, which is a definite corrosion issue... Can you confirm the material type of the plugs included in the first run of the VID487\'s?
Click to expand...

A reply I got from a Koolance CS agent. Take with salt, as needed.

I would assume, since the X2 blocks are newer than the 4870 blocks... They would have no steel in them.
 
Arcygenical said:
[Snip] ...but you shouldn't have any corrosion issues if you use Koolance liquid coolant.[/Snip]
Click to expand...

LOL! I had to laugh at that. In other words, as long as you use their coolant, you shouldn't have corrosion issues. All bets are off if you use distilled water :D
 
Well got my x2 in yesterday and it was a cinch to install the Koolance block, lots of cutting the pads but overall easy. Impressed with condition of block and fired right up with absolutely no issues, i'd say 20 min to remove factory hairdryer and install this block. :)
 
Ravynmagi said:
Well dang... now I'm more confused.

So...

EK water blocks are prone to leaks (first I heard of this, but I only began looking recently)?

Koolance blocks have steel plugs and prone to corrosion.

DD blocks have machine marks all over the bottom (doesn't look very good or flat).

Not sure what I want to buy.
Click to expand...

Do you honestly believe the Danger Den block isn't flat? :rolleyes: You may not like the way it looks, but you can't see the mill marks once it's installed and I assure you, it's completely flat.

My temps prove the DD block is worth it's weight in gold.

Core1DangerDen.gif


4870x2IdleTemps.jpg
 
Washers are cheap. Just get some 1mm thick, 8mm diameter PVC or paper washers and you'll be okay.
 
I'm going to second the Danger Den unit. I am sooo happy with mine. Both GPU's never go over 50C, ever. It had the "marks", but was very smooth. This is one seriously tough peice of copper. It wont let you down.
 
I'm going unisink and blocks (non-FC)

MCW60's on modded stock x2 cooler




MCW60 with swifty heatsink/pipe for 4870 due to release in a few weeks with a 4870x2 version due after that.



Proto-type Dtek?
 
Casca said:
I'm going unisink and blocks (non-FC)

MCW60's on modded stock x2 cooler

Click to expand...


Good luck returning your card to stock condition if you ever want to sell it. Using MCW60's requires you to cut the stock heatsink to fit. So much for warranty or resale value. FC FTW.
 
Blkout said:
Good luck returning your card to stock condition if you ever want to sell it. Using MCW60's requires you to cut the stock heatsink to fit. So much for warranty or resale value. FC FTW.
Click to expand...

I run any part for quite a long time in stock condition before I do anything to it. I do not resell my old gear. I am not worried about returning it to stock conditions after I do go through modding it. However, you DO NOT have to use the stock heatsink of the 4870x2, nor did I ever plan to. Just showed the picture so people can see 2x MCW60 fits on the 4870x2 fine. Swiftech is releasing a heatsink just like this one for the 4870 and then the 4870x2....eventually


mcw604870x725ki1.jpg


That is what I will be doing ( or the Dtek), but till then you can use ram sinks or other universal heatsink blocks along with the MCW60 or Dtek fusion GFX. I have not read or heard of any current test comparing a full cover GPU block to a non-fullcover solution, but when I got my 8800GTX and went with an EK fullcover block purely because it looked so nice, the consensus then was full cover blocks were a step down in performance compared to non-full cover. As far as I can tell, the design of full covers is still the same except for fit. I am going back to an MCW60/GFX solution because I am liking the look of the full cover heatsinks with the GPU core waterblocks better then I like full cover waterblocks, the high probability that they will outperform a full cover block and that I can reuse the blocks over and over paying just for a full cover heatsink (@$30) instead of @$150 for a full cover waterblock.
 
Casca said:
I run any part for quite a long time in stock condition before I do anything to it. I do not resell my old gear. I am not worried about returning it to stock conditions after I do go through modding it. However, you DO NOT have to use the stock heatsink of the 4870x2, nor did I ever plan to. Just showed the picture so people can see 2x MCW60 fits on the 4870x2 fine. Swiftech is releasing a heatsink just like this one for the 4870 and then the 4870x2....eventually

That is what I will be doing ( or the Dtek), but till then you can use ram sinks or other universal heatsink blocks along with the MCW60 or Dtek fusion GFX. I have not read or heard of any current test comparing a full cover GPU block to a non-fullcover solution, but when I got my 8800GTX and went with an EK fullcover block purely because it looked so nice, the consensus then was full cover blocks were a step down in performance compared to non-full cover. As far as I can tell, the design of full covers is still the same except for fit. I am going back to an MCW60/GFX solution because I am liking the look of the full cover heatsinks with the GPU core waterblocks better then I like full cover waterblocks, the high probability that they will outperform a full cover block and that I can reuse the blocks over and over paying just for a full cover heatsink (@$30) instead of @$150 for a full cover waterblock.
Click to expand...

No GPU only block is going to perform better than a FC block on these cards. GPU temps aren't the only issue, you have to keep the memory and VRM's cool, which is something you don't get with a GPU-only block. THe best part of an FC block is it cools EVERY major component which leads to better overclockability, stability, and reliability.

If you want to go a cheaper route, that's one thing, but the best performance is going to be FC. You're comparing an FC to GPU-only based on an 8800GTX, which is outdated. You've obviously been out of the loop for many months. The newer generation of cards gets MUCH hotter than previous generations. The 4800 series really needs ALL major components cooled.
 
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