Radeon 8500LE Modding [56K Beware]

_Korruption_

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Aug 22, 2002
Messages
4,572
Cliff's Notes (at least view the images :p):
1) Scored free 8500LE; fan was physically missing
2) Had to remove the epoxied HSF from the GPU and cleaned it
3) Using super glue and Ceramique, mounted a northbridge heatsink
4) Enjoy

So, I went to a buddy's house to re-do his computer. That involved cleaning out his computer (dust+++), installing some new drives (160GB Seagate to compliment his dual Raptors), putting in a new CPU cooler (Vantec Aeroflow2), and reformat his computer (just bogged down). Instead of paying me cash, he gave me his old Radeon 8500LE (128-bit, 128MB Samsung 5ns TSOP). The fan broke off the heatsink. It was enough of an incentive to upgrade to a 9800 Pro AIW. The 8500LE sat there unused for a long while.

Change the cooler, right? No big deal. The only problem is that the 8500LE has no mounting holes around the GPU, and the cooling solution is epoxied onto the GPU itself. Let's just say it took a lot of fanless gaming in order to melt that epoxy. :D Used the flathead screwdriver and card to pry up the heatsink. Cleaned off the core (with dad's industrial strength mold cleaner), got myself a Zalman NB32J northbridge heatsink, Ceramique, and some Loctite super glue. Spread a nice layer of Ceramique (the heatspreader is convex) Put four small dabs of super glue on the four corners of the GPU, and laid down the heatsink. Put a couple of dictionarys ontop to give the heatsink some pressure while it bonds.

It blocks the adjacent PCI slot. It should also cool better than the old stock HSF (even fanless), seeing how epoxy was only covering parts of the GPU heatspreader.

Anyhow, here are the pics.

before1.jpg

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before4.jpg

before5.jpg

before6.jpg


cleaned1.jpg

cleaned2.jpg

cleaned3.jpg

cleaned4.jpg

cleaned5.jpg


post1.jpg

post2.jpg

post3.jpg

post4.jpg

post5.jpg

post6.jpg

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(this is not my system, it is another friend's; I was hoping it would be a temporary upgrade from his GF2 MX)
system1.jpg
 
That is cool. Good thinking on your part. Now you just need your friend to perma-upgrade from that Asus K7M. I think I still have one of those laying around in its original box with a 700 or 800MHz slot 1 on it. LOL. :D
 
Nice mod, remembers me when i modded an old Radeon 7500 replacing the stock cooler with a Coolermaster one ;)
 
Cool, what brand is yours? Mine is an ATI and does in fact have mounting holes. A while back I attempted to put an aircolled 40W peltier on it, but after the heatsink scorched me, I figured I didn't want to have to put up with any screaming fans when I have a watercooled CPU. I have a copper 1U heatsink on there now that I trimmed to fit the GPU.
 
ryuji said:
the zalman doesnt get hot?
It gets reasonably warm (though within my personal limits), but I've got a side panel 80mm intake pointing right at it, so it gets the necessary airflow. I've even overclocked it to the full Radeon 8500 speeds (LE speeds are 250/200, 8500 runs at 250/250), without a single artifact.

It is a Sapphire card.
 
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