Modifying Heatsink Fan

P

PotGuy

Joined
Sep 17, 2005
Messages
1,934
Reaction score
0
I decided a few months back to overclock my 9600 as I was bored. I wasn't going for any performance records, just a little bit of extra bite to get my frame rates above the 20fps abyss.

And I broke it.

I didnt realise that my modem PCI card was blocking ALL airflow, so when my computer packed up and I opened the case I found that the little fan was red hot and had a large brown patch where it had scorched.

So, as I knew my system wouldnt take a card that required any additional power other than that from the motherboard,I decided to play it safe and I spent £25 on a 9600 pro. Then I spent £10 on an arctic cooling hs/f.

Feeling pleased with myself, I went to put it on, and bugger me it didn't fit. There are capacitors in the way as unbenown to me it wasn't actually a reference card.

So, how would I go about 'adjusting' the heatsink to fit? Can it just be a hacksaw/sandpaper job or will it require anything special?

ps. and no, I don't know why such a simple question turned into a large life story... :p
 
I can't do that now - I'll have to have a dig around tomorrow for my old webcam. Im too poor to have a digital camera or phone :p.

I can't sell it now, so I may as well try and use and bugger it, rather than have it sitting next to me, laughing at me for wasting a tenner.
 
I actually have ordered two Arctic Cooler heatsinks for vid cards - none of them fitted, that's about £35.00 I done wasted.

Only video card Arctic cooler that ever fitted was for 9800 Pro - I bought two of them, two different manufacturers - whcih leads me to conclude - don't buy Arctic Cooler coolers unless you sure they gonna fit.

So tell me - how you sure they gonna fit?

Total frikin' rip-off.

(yes, one could conclude I'm a trifle bitter over this thing, that's just the way it goes :D )
 
Find out what a reference card looks like, see if yours looks like one, then if it does it'll fit.
 
I presumed mine was a reference card. It was the very cheapest, and it was from a manufacturer I have never heard of, so I presumed there wouldn't be anything custom. And yes floppy, I am bitter about it too, which is why I want to try and get some use out of it :p
 
Right well today I got a hacksaw and annihalated much of the heatsink that was in the way. It was very easy.

Unfortunately, there is a capacitor right underneath the main bit of the heatsink. It is only a small one (possibaly 1/8 inch tall/wide) but it means I will have to pull the drill out tomorrow and route out a bit of it.

Its quite easy really. Im going to cut more stuff up I think.
 
Well that was highly successful. It took bloody ages and it was niggly nad annoying but eventually it is up and running. woo.
 
nah sorry that is the next thing I will have to save up for. My phone has no camera, my webcam never worked and I have no digital camera.

It's not really very impressive. It is scratched to hell, but then again it in inside an hp case, so clearly image is of no importance to me.
 
Well at least you got it working. What are the temps like though? Is it removing enough heat?
 
put it this way.

My 9600 pro has gone from 400mhz to 580mhz without trouble. Memory has 25% improvement.

nuff said? :)

at 580mhz temp is barely 45 degrees.


any of you that have bought an arctic cooler that didn't fit, just hack off the bits that dont. its seriously good.
 
Certainky sounds like I need to do some testing PotGuy.
Thanks for pointing out your findings. If I manage to do any mods of this kind myself, then i'll let you knwo.
 
yeah it might running that high... but is it artefact free?

i.e. run 3DMark and are all the images perfect
 
the simple answer is no

I had to lower it to 560.

This was my first attempt to overclock anything, so it was a bit hit and miss. I got a bit excited when it reached 580 and was slightly premature on my celebrations...:p

that is still a 160mhz overclock, with no real troube at all.
 
Back
Top