Will the EK-FC670 GTX fit on an Asus Strix GTX 970 with 4GB RAM?
Will the EK-FC670 GTX fit on an Asus Strix GTX 970 with 4GB RAM?
Today I swapped my two EVGA GTX 670 2GB cards in SLI with a single Asus Strix GTX 970 4GB OC. My earlier units were cooled using EK-FC670 blocks, whereas EK-FC670 is still available for the GTX 970 blocks. I’m curious if I can reuse my GTX 670 blocks since I don’t have the budget to buy a new one—used ones cost around 60-70 euros, and I’m worried about losing the warranty. The compatibility list on the EK website for EK-FC670 isn’t working properly, so I can’t verify it. However, the EK-FC970 GTX - Acetal+Nickel list matches my setup, showing four GTX 670 cards (both 2GB and 4GB), which are identical to what I have. Since the EK-FC970 supports the GTX 670 models I own, wouldn’t it make sense that they would work on the GTX 970 as well? I remember when installing the blocks, they had extra cooling for the 4GB cards. I’m not concerned about removing my GTX 970 and fitting the GTX 670, but I don’t want to risk losing the warranty if it’s compromised.
When searching for basic models, it seems the GTX 670 and GTX 970 are quite similar, especially the EVGA GTX 670 and Asus Strix GTX 970. You might only lose a few mounting holes near the power input since the card is longer, but it shouldn’t be a major problem. The block should still stay secure against VRAM with GPU screws. The main concern is the GTX 970’s additional power phases/VRM, whose names aren’t clear—so it’s uncertain if all will be cooled properly. The GTX 670 has two lines while the GTX 970 has three. I’ve shared both images for others to share their thoughts.
The top choice would be the GTX760 from the reference design. Non-reference designs won't work. You might use a sliding caliper to check each capacitor's position yourself, but the last time I checked, the power regulator placements vary between each AIB partner, let alone newer GPU generations.
When searching for basic models, it seems the GTX 670 and GTX 970 are quite similar, especially the EVGA GTX 670 and Asus Strix GTX 970. You might only need to reduce a few mounting holes near the power input since the card is longer, but it shouldn’t be a major problem. The block should still stay secure with VRAM screws, though. The main concern is the GTX 970’s additional power phases/VRM compared to the GTX 670, which has two lines versus three. I’ve shared both images so others can share their thoughts.
The best option would be the GTX760 according to the reference design. Non-reference designs won't work. You might try using a sliding caliper to check each capacitor position yourself, but based on my last check, the placement of power regulators varies between each AIB partner, let alone newer GPU generations.
Unfortunately, I can't remove anything for measurement without breaking the warranty, and it seems that taking off the backplate would require removing the shroud, which would also break the seal. Unless someone has the exact tools and is willing to share, measurements aren't possible.
DavidVioMC:
Searching both bare designs shows the GTX 670 and GTX 970 are quite similar, at least in terms of EVGA GTX 670 and Asus Strix GTX 970. It seems you'd lose only a few mounting holes near the power input since the card is longer, but I doubt that would be a problem. The block should still stay secure with VRAM screws; the main concern is that the GTX 970 has more power phases/VRMs—though I'm not sure what they are called, so it's unclear if all of them would be cooled properly. The GTX 670 has two lines while the GTX 970 has three. I've shared both images for others to comment on.
GTX 670 2GB (you can roughly see the soldering points for 4GB VRAM, just use your imagination)
GTX 970 4GB