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!gOtVolTage!
Gawd
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2007
- Messages
- 609
Ok after several weeks of my temps on core two slowly going up on a stock 3870x2 i found that the heat sink was seperating..
I know for fact the 4870x2 uses two simalar copper sinks like the 3870x2 . The studs that are factory pressed into the Sink slowly pulled out of the COPPER on my 3870x2..
Before this happened My max temps were around 80c on a hot day with stock clocks and many bench runs for both cores crossfire enabled.
The cause of all this,,
The spring pressure and retaining bracket puts much preshure on the Copper Sink and combined with normal temps the copper would expand a litlle and walla the studs eventually came loose...This in return makes the heatsink pull away from the GPU causing the Higher temps! The Aluminum sink was not affected ,, its the rear CopperHeatsink ONLY @the DVI connector end of VideoCard.
I did not tear down the whole card , it seems the Aluminun sink did its job propperly.. This is the SECOND card ive had do this and on the first one its aluminum heatsink was NOT affected. Seems to be ONLY THE COPPER SINK ,in which it may be too heavy for the Card since it is always suspended under it when mounted .. Cards that face up may not ever see this problem. Check your HEATSINKS for any signs of uneven mounting with the Main PCI 1.1 heatsink(Red Colored sink).. They should be even all the way around the inside edge of it (both aluminum and copper sinks)...
The card still works but @ 112c on one Core(stock)and 65c max on the second under 3Dmark06 caused me to look into this..
Something i never would of expected ... Hmmm this really has me thinking,,4870x2's will be using TWO copper sinks instead of just one:yepp:
This was way too high for a single Core 118c max temp on core with 22c ambiant room condition! even 843mhz ,,To test this i set the faulty Core to @18mhz more than stock..Screen shot was right after the Bench run.
Here is what to look for with out total disasembly (DVI end of card):up:
Notice the Hole in the heatsink on the right side, the Stud has dropped down where it no longer sticks above the hole. 2 out of the four studs slipped down and they are only pressed in (not threaded into the sinks)from what a tech had told me when i called
Also the Back spring and tension bracket may lift on the coners where studs have come out of sink....
NOTE:
POWER PLAY TEMP protection started tripping the card eventually ..Then i decided to bench it to see what i could find.
Id check this out if any of you have abnormal temps . I was using RivaTuner to set the Fan to 100% all the time and i figured i must have a bad driver tripping powerplay....I Knew it wasnt the driver when i threw in my back up 3870/ddr4 and it ran Flawless Oced @810core/ 70c max..
I have tested many cards ATI/Nvidia and even sat through the overheating issues with Nvidia 8800GT/GTS..Finding flaws is not new to me.
This can happen with any 3870x2 . Now that ive sent a few of these back(same problem) from differnt Vendors i though id give my 2cents.. The 4870x2 uses the same Heatsink technology...Im hoping the 4870x2 is not affected becuse it uses two heavy @$$ copper sinks"knock on wood"
EDIT...........UPDATED............
The 3870x2 and 4870x2 are way too simalar to ignor this little issue..
(Circled in Red) are the same mounting points that Failed on the 3870x2 COPPER HEATSINK only...Remeber i said the aluminum one is unaffected ATM. They can fall out since there only pressed in . Thus when the copper expands from heat,bingo thats it! I know for fact the 4870x2 will run Hot thats why thier is a heat tube connecting both GPU/Sinks but they still mount the same ....There is also no PLX heatsink molded onto the mainbody like the 3870x2 had..That is a + for less heat anyway and more airflow.
I will be buying a 4870x2 but will be using a waterblock..For people who arnt keep an eye on it...
The eye opener is that 3870x2 and 4870x2 both look the same except for a heatube and lighter COPPERHEATSINKS are used ..With minor external changes to the main aluminun base the COPPER HEATSINKS still mount through with pressed in studs along with the springscrews and backing plate..
Im pretty shure it will be just fine on the 4870x2 .You know what to look for if its not.
gOtVolTage
I know for fact the 4870x2 uses two simalar copper sinks like the 3870x2 . The studs that are factory pressed into the Sink slowly pulled out of the COPPER on my 3870x2..
Before this happened My max temps were around 80c on a hot day with stock clocks and many bench runs for both cores crossfire enabled.The cause of all this,,
The spring pressure and retaining bracket puts much preshure on the Copper Sink and combined with normal temps the copper would expand a litlle and walla the studs eventually came loose...This in return makes the heatsink pull away from the GPU causing the Higher temps! The Aluminum sink was not affected ,, its the rear CopperHeatsink ONLY @the DVI connector end of VideoCard.
I did not tear down the whole card , it seems the Aluminun sink did its job propperly.. This is the SECOND card ive had do this and on the first one its aluminum heatsink was NOT affected. Seems to be ONLY THE COPPER SINK ,in which it may be too heavy for the Card since it is always suspended under it when mounted .. Cards that face up may not ever see this problem. Check your HEATSINKS for any signs of uneven mounting with the Main PCI 1.1 heatsink(Red Colored sink).. They should be even all the way around the inside edge of it (both aluminum and copper sinks)...
The card still works but @ 112c on one Core(stock)and 65c max on the second under 3Dmark06 caused me to look into this..
Something i never would of expected ... Hmmm this really has me thinking,,4870x2's will be using TWO copper sinks instead of just one:yepp:
This was way too high for a single Core 118c max temp on core with 22c ambiant room condition!
even 843mhz ,,To test this i set the faulty Core to @18mhz more than stock..Screen shot was right after the Bench run.
Here is what to look for with out total disasembly (DVI end of card):up:
Notice the Hole in the heatsink on the right side, the Stud has dropped down where it no longer sticks above the hole. 2 out of the four studs slipped down and they are only pressed in (not threaded into the sinks)from what a tech had told me when i called
Also the Back spring and tension bracket may lift on the coners where studs have come out of sink....
NOTE:
POWER PLAY TEMP protection started tripping the card eventually ..Then i decided to bench it to see what i could find.
Id check this out if any of you have abnormal temps . I was using RivaTuner to set the Fan to 100% all the time and i figured i must have a bad driver tripping powerplay....I Knew it wasnt the driver when i threw in my back up 3870/ddr4 and it ran Flawless Oced @810core/ 70c max..
I have tested many cards ATI/Nvidia and even sat through the overheating issues with Nvidia 8800GT/GTS..Finding flaws is not new to me.
This can happen with any 3870x2 . Now that ive sent a few of these back(same problem) from differnt Vendors i though id give my 2cents.. The 4870x2 uses the same Heatsink technology...Im hoping the 4870x2 is not affected becuse it uses two heavy @$$ copper sinks"knock on wood"
EDIT...........UPDATED............
The 3870x2 and 4870x2 are way too simalar to ignor this little issue..
(Circled in Red) are the same mounting points that Failed on the 3870x2 COPPER HEATSINK only...Remeber i said the aluminum one is unaffected ATM. They can fall out since there only pressed in . Thus when the copper expands from heat,bingo thats it! I know for fact the 4870x2 will run Hot thats why thier is a heat tube connecting both GPU/Sinks but they still mount the same ....There is also no PLX heatsink molded onto the mainbody like the 3870x2 had..That is a + for less heat anyway and more airflow.
I will be buying a 4870x2 but will be using a waterblock..For people who arnt keep an eye on it...
The eye opener is that 3870x2 and 4870x2 both look the same except for a heatube and lighter COPPERHEATSINKS are used ..With minor external changes to the main aluminun base the COPPER HEATSINKS still mount through with pressed in studs along with the springscrews and backing plate..
Im pretty shure it will be just fine on the 4870x2 .You know what to look for if its not.
gOtVolTage
