F5F Stay Refreshed Power Users Overclocking Use a filler material such as sand or a small amount of clay to bridge the space between the waterblock and the chips.

Use a filler material such as sand or a small amount of clay to bridge the space between the waterblock and the chips.

Use a filler material such as sand or a small amount of clay to bridge the space between the waterblock and the chips.

A
AsherDanTDM
Member
63
10-19-2016, 04:28 PM
#1
Hi,
I have ordered a "universal" waterblock for the graphics card. It supposed to cover the GPU and RAM (separate block for VRM).
There is a "huge" gap of ~3mm between the block and the RAM chips.
So possible solutions are:
1. Use 3mm thermal pad
2. Use a combination of thermal pad/grease with 2-2.5mm copper shims
So the question is " will that make any REAL difference in cooling performance" ?
A
AsherDanTDM
10-19-2016, 04:28 PM #1

Hi,
I have ordered a "universal" waterblock for the graphics card. It supposed to cover the GPU and RAM (separate block for VRM).
There is a "huge" gap of ~3mm between the block and the RAM chips.
So possible solutions are:
1. Use 3mm thermal pad
2. Use a combination of thermal pad/grease with 2-2.5mm copper shims
So the question is " will that make any REAL difference in cooling performance" ?

P
Pauxyneu
Member
138
11-06-2016, 12:42 PM
#2
The thermal pad is likely a better choice if your thermal paste is conductive. Most full coverage GPU units rely on thermal pads.
P
Pauxyneu
11-06-2016, 12:42 PM #2

The thermal pad is likely a better choice if your thermal paste is conductive. Most full coverage GPU units rely on thermal pads.

M
Menno1600
Member
142
11-08-2016, 01:34 AM
#3
The thermal pad seems like a better choice if your thermal paste is conductive. Most full cover GPU blocks rely on them for small gaps. It might be I worded it incorrectly, but the focus is on copper shims combined with thin pads versus thick ones. Thermal pads typically have a conductivity of 5-6 W/mK, whereas copper offers around 400 W/mK.
M
Menno1600
11-08-2016, 01:34 AM #3

The thermal pad seems like a better choice if your thermal paste is conductive. Most full cover GPU blocks rely on them for small gaps. It might be I worded it incorrectly, but the focus is on copper shims combined with thin pads versus thick ones. Thermal pads typically have a conductivity of 5-6 W/mK, whereas copper offers around 400 W/mK.

X
xLikax
Member
173
11-08-2016, 09:07 PM
#4
I doubt you'd benefit much from the copper shims, though you could possibly get a slight cooling boost if you were planning to overclock the GPU memory.
X
xLikax
11-08-2016, 09:07 PM #4

I doubt you'd benefit much from the copper shims, though you could possibly get a slight cooling boost if you were planning to overclock the GPU memory.

B
Baby_Pigflame
Junior Member
12
11-09-2016, 07:16 PM
#5
Hi,
I placed an order for a "universal" waterblock designed for the graphics card. It should cover both the GPU and RAM (with a separate block for VRM). I would appreciate knowing the exact model you purchased and the specific card it was intended for, so I can give you more accurate advice. Could you share some links to the product?
B
Baby_Pigflame
11-09-2016, 07:16 PM #5

Hi,
I placed an order for a "universal" waterblock designed for the graphics card. It should cover both the GPU and RAM (with a separate block for VRM). I would appreciate knowing the exact model you purchased and the specific card it was intended for, so I can give you more accurate advice. Could you share some links to the product?

D
DriveIn
Senior Member
739
11-17-2016, 06:40 PM
#6
Here are some details about the purchased graphics card and its current condition. I would appreciate it if you could share specific links or information about the model, as this would help me give you more accurate advice. The card in question is an older reference GTX570, which is expected to be upgraded soon due to its limited performance (around 40 FPS at 1920x1200 resolution with medium settings). Currently, it operates at 850/2000MHz for the core/memory, with a stock clock of 732/1950. The GPU is water-cooled, while the rest relies on the original cooler. I removed the vapor chamber and added holes for the tubing. In colder conditions, I can run it at 950/2100MHz.

The block layout shows that GPU and RAM areas are positioned together. On the card, the GPU is slightly higher than the RAM. Based on my experience, swapping out the original TIM (located between the CPU die and IHS) on an i7-4770K reduced core temperatures by nearly 20°C under load, thanks to a very thin TIM layer—about 3mm. This suggests that thermal pads might not perform well in transferring heat from RAM to the block.
D
DriveIn
11-17-2016, 06:40 PM #6

Here are some details about the purchased graphics card and its current condition. I would appreciate it if you could share specific links or information about the model, as this would help me give you more accurate advice. The card in question is an older reference GTX570, which is expected to be upgraded soon due to its limited performance (around 40 FPS at 1920x1200 resolution with medium settings). Currently, it operates at 850/2000MHz for the core/memory, with a stock clock of 732/1950. The GPU is water-cooled, while the rest relies on the original cooler. I removed the vapor chamber and added holes for the tubing. In colder conditions, I can run it at 950/2100MHz.

The block layout shows that GPU and RAM areas are positioned together. On the card, the GPU is slightly higher than the RAM. Based on my experience, swapping out the original TIM (located between the CPU die and IHS) on an i7-4770K reduced core temperatures by nearly 20°C under load, thanks to a very thin TIM layer—about 3mm. This suggests that thermal pads might not perform well in transferring heat from RAM to the block.

X
xenoNuBIE
Junior Member
14
11-17-2016, 07:58 PM
#7
The connection led to items like clothing and footwear.
X
xenoNuBIE
11-17-2016, 07:58 PM #7

The connection led to items like clothing and footwear.

F
foz93
Member
136
11-17-2016, 09:51 PM
#8
4Ryan6 :
That link points to clothes and shoes, etc., which is odd. It works fine for me when I click it in post. I searched for Bykski N-GX-M and also found Bykski N-GX-X, which varies due to the microchannel width around the GPU area (0.5mm on M vs 0.2mm on X).
F
foz93
11-17-2016, 09:51 PM #8

4Ryan6 :
That link points to clothes and shoes, etc., which is odd. It works fine for me when I click it in post. I searched for Bykski N-GX-M and also found Bykski N-GX-X, which varies due to the microchannel width around the GPU area (0.5mm on M vs 0.2mm on X).