How to remove cooler from ATI Radeon 9500 Pro?

[youngho]

Howdy,

How do you I remove the GPU cooler from my ATI Radeon 9500 Pro? It's the loudest thing in my computer now, and I want to replace it with the Zalman ZM80A-HP heatsink, but I can't figure out how to get the darned thing off.

Thanks for your help,

Young-Ho

[aaronspink]

Howdy,

How do you I remove the GPU cooler from my ATI Radeon 9500 Pro? It's the loudest thing in my computer now, and I want to replace it with the Zalman ZM80A-HP heatsink, but I can't figure out how to get the darned thing off.

Thanks for your help,

Young-Ho

There are 2 clip pins in the heatsink holding to the board. The clip pins have inner locking pins that keep the prongs on the bottom engaged. First order is to remove the locking pins. Take needle nose pliers and full them out. The should come out pretty easy, they are just simple smooth plastic pins. Now you should just have the clip pins in the heatsink. Turn the board over and carefully squeeze together the prongs on the pins while pushing slightly. The pins should eventually pop into the board. Turn the board over and remove the clip pins carefully.

Now the only thing holding the the heatsink on with be the thermal interface material. Gently pull the heatsink, with increasing pressure until it comes off. Get some rubbing alcohol (80+%) and clean off the gpu.

That's it. Its now ready for installation of the new heatsink. Make sure you have the version of the 80A with a raised center section to enable contact with the actual GPU.

[quokked]

umm also if you have problems and that stock heatsink doesn't come off properly u might actually have the heatsink held down with thermal epoxy, then u'll need the old freezer trick to get it off the board , stick the whole board in something like a antistatic bag and then seal it up and stick in freezer for a few hours, this will lead to the thermal epoxy to become brittle, now all you have to do is wedge the heatsink off your board with something like a screwdriver, stick a piece of cardboard where the screwdriver touches the PCB for safety as well, and do this CAREFULLY, I've destroyed video cards doing this again and again but as a once off and you're careful u should be okay PS. take the pushpins off 1st