Aftermarket cooling for 4870x2

[Kelainefes]

If you install the X-Fi in the first PCI slot and the HD4870X2 in the 2nd PCI Express slot, you should be fine.

[MustRotate]

If by second PCIE slot you mean the middle black one i tried that already and CCC reports it at just 8x.
I am currently waiting for my RMA decision(refund or replace) due to the fact that the Sapphire had coil noise. So i'm pondering if i should go again with 4870x2 or pick a GTX280(easier cooling).

[Kelainefes]

Originally Posted by MustRotate

If by second PCIE slot you mean the middle black one i tried that already and CCC reports it at just 8x.

Forgot that the P45's second slot is 8x electrcal.. :P My bad.
You could install the audio card in the lower PCI slot, but then the HR03 (if the fins are on the back) would get in the way of the CPU cooler and of the NB cooler aswell.
BTW i think i'd buy me a watercooling system instead of two expensive air coolers. Would cost more but take less slot space and be way more efficient.

[MustRotate]

Well i was thinking something like 2xHR11+HR03RevA+T-Rad. Overkill?

[Kelainefes]

As i said, you could get a liquid cooling system for that kind of money.

[Space2001]

I think once I have my Asus 4870X2 TOP (once they are finally stocked here in the UK) and yes I know factory oc'ed cards are a waste of money but in this case they actually have used better caps etc so I think it warrants a few extra pounds, I will mod the stock cooler. The plan is to replace the plastic shroud with one that I will fashion of acrylic or lexan and add a little more fanage. I am considering an OCZ XTC RAM cooler with the first fan starting just at the end of the GPU Block closest to the stock fan whilst the second XTC RAM cooler fan will sit right above the second GPU Block. This way both GPU's should be slightly cooler but more importantly the secondary GPU will receive "fresh air" and be almost level with the first GPU. Best of all most heat will be vented outside the case!

[Kelainefes]

I think that if you can make a shroud out of acrylic, you are better off choosing separate fans, as the OCZ XTC uses two 60 mm fans wich are absolutely not enough for a HD4870X2.

[MustRotate]

Space2001 do you intend to sell them-plastic shroud? Pls?
I looked at the MSI OC version and under the description there is something about heatpipe cooling. I was wtf i opened one and there is definetly no heatpipe in there(as far as i know they are all the same)

Originally Posted by MSI

MSI 3-in-1 High Efficiency Fan
MSI high efficiency fan radiator comes with a heat-pipe, heat-sink and fans. The high-tuned and integrated 2-slot design implementation, not only decreases the GPU temperature rapidly, but also delivers whisper-quiet cooling and ensures quiet operation.(Optional Feature)

First paragraph under the Features
Link

[Kelainefes]

I agree, no heatpipe there, the pics show a reference cooling solution.

[Space2001]

true; however the stock fan will also remain and the shroud will have the same shape and dimensions of the original shroud. the idea is to add direct airflow with the ocz fans to the second gpu cooling block. the momentom of the airflow towards the rear of the card is still provided by the stock cooler.

additionally the design of the ocz ram cooler wil allow for the momentum to draw a little more air into the shroud and the momentum the ocz will provide should ensure that none of the airflow provided by the stock fan will escape.

my aim is to stabilize both gpu temps to a similar temp.

i reckon if at load they are around 75 i will be successfull.

the only thing stopping me is that i still have not been able to find my choice of card in stock anywhere; namely the asus 4870x2 top.

the only real way to bring the temps down further is watercooling and with that card and a qx9650 at 3.6ghz and fsb at 1800, dram at 1200 4 4 4 13 all o\on stock voltages would imply a quad rad at least. the 4870x2 will need a double rad minimum. so right now all is air cooled and my cores max out at 38-39c (coretemp latest ver. 9.3 or soemthing) nb is around 45-48c, dram around 34-35c, all under prime 95 after an hour. so i am very content with this as is, and to add a waterloop would be costly, a lot of work, and to be honest i think a custome shroud will cost me 2-3 nights to desgin to model it and a further 1-2 to install it and apply the good looks touches.

i had gone as far as ordering heatpipes raw copper blocks etc etc and they are all lying around here but with my job and gf in another town i just don't have the time for half the things i would like to do.

i have also emailed scythe, thermalright, arctic cooling and the responses on my question for 4870x2 future support were not in the slightest promissing.

perhaps i will get some time around x'mas to carry on with machining the blocks and soldering on some heatpipes and then fashioning some heatfins, but to be honest i reckon my fan idea will involve less time and it will be close enough.

i had seen a similar idea where a 120mm fan was added onto a 3870x2 via a fan adapter and massive hole in the original shroud and some hot glue (didn't look nice either) and the user reported load temps around 55-60c. (not quite sure i believe it though).

the other thing; i reckon if too much realestate is added in terms of hs like the hr03 on either side, the card and mobo will suffer on the long run. also if two hr03 are added one will have to use the second pcie slot which is further away from the nb which is not so great as someone found out on tomshardware forum. though the variance that was reported here of some 10fps difference between the two slots was probably a different issue; there is a greater latency using a slot which is further away from the nb. so this i will avoid as a final solution if my fanshroud idea is fubar.

the final idea i have pondering in my grey cells is to remove some of the heatfins from the stock gpu cooling blocks. solder the heatpipes into the created gaps with silver (silver for good heatransfer) and extend these to a large body of metal attached to the chassis. (preferably outside the case) though again once i start planning i reckon that i will see the amoutn of time this will take. again here i would continue to use the stock cooler only giving it less work as a large portion of the heat created will be moved by the heatpipes to another body.

we shall see what i decide to do but in the long run if i get two years out of this card (same as i got out of my evga acso3 8800gtx which still runs on ultra speeds and the stock cooler only with as5) then i will be very happy.

ok enough balah balah from me tonight