How To Cool A Graphics Card Cheaply (Dial Up Warning?)

amjedm · Post by **amjedm** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 1:18 pm

Not sure if anyone's suggested this before -

Dead PCI card (well it's dead now). Hole's been cut with a Dremel.

White blobs are UHU White Tack (softer than Blu Tack IMO)

Side view

First thought of this when I had a fanless card - it was getting a bit too hot for my liking.

Now I use this cooling method for graphics cards with active cooling - I just remove/unplug the fan. I only have low end cards (currently have 6600 + 6610 so not sure how the cooling method will work with high power cards).

Another idea - not as good as the one above as I could feel vibrations on the PCI plate/green PCB.

Edit: Solution For High Power Cards - LOL (this is someone else's idea - can't remember where I saw it though)

Matija · Post by **Matija** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 1:28 pm

LOL, I still have a dead S3 Trio 64V+ card somewhere, with a 60mm fan at 5V, just like your card. But I can't remember what I was cooling with that... I *think* it was my old Radeon 9000 Pro with the fan unplugged, and then later I mounted a Zalman NB-47J to take care of it (gone are the days of such cheap passive cooling... though the card is still running wonderfully in my parents' PC, probably full of dust).

fresh · Post by **fresh** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 4:13 pm

And idea awward of the month goes too...

cloneman · Post by **cloneman** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 9:30 pm

perhaps I missed something... what holds this thing other than the screw? I.E. what prevents it from bending downward on one side?

~El~Jefe~ · Post by **~El~Jefe~** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 11:06 pm

pci card is hot

i like that!

amjedm · Post by **amjedm** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 6:44 am

cloneman wrote:perhaps I missed something... what holds this thing other than the screw? I.E. what prevents it from bending downward on one side?

Nothing else! The screw does the job. Have been using it for months without problems

(thank God)

~El~Jefe~ wrote:pci card is hot

i like that!

Thank you

amjedm · Post by **amjedm** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 6:44 am

fresh wrote:And idea awward of the month goes too...

Thank you

Arvo · Post by **Arvo** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 7:49 am

~El~Jefe~ wrote:pci card is hot

Yeah, and you get additional VGA connector as free bonus, good to connect your old dead monitor or something

sheninat0r · Post by **sheninat0r** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 9:38 am

Arvo wrote:
~El~Jefe~ wrote:pci card is hot
Yeah, and you get additional VGA connector as free bonus, good to connect your old dead monitor or something

An additional dead VGA connector, just for looks

Seriously though, I need to try that out. Excellent idea, especially the 2 x 120mm fan one

~El~Jefe~ · Post by **~El~Jefe~** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 7:58 pm

hm gives me so many ideas

not pretty ones but it really doesnt matter. the fun tac technique is a bit scary though!

kinda not solid.

I have a suggestion: use HIGH temp hot glue. there are two types. regular craft and high temp for a bit more and its not clear (ugly). Rubber doesnt vibrate, right?

amjedm · Post by **amjedm** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 4:20 am

~El~Jefe~ wrote:hm gives me so many ideas not pretty ones but it really doesnt matter. the fun tac technique is a bit scary though!

kinda not solid.

I have a suggestion: use HIGH temp hot glue. there are two types. regular craft and high temp for a bit more and its not clear (ugly). Rubber doesnt vibrate, right?

The White Tack is sticky enough, I've been using it for months.

I even use it to mount fans

. I put a block of the tack on each corner of the fan and press the fan against the case as much as I can. Then feed a cable tie through a couple of the fan holes and then use some more tack on the other end (I don't seal the cable tie with another one). See pic below

The above method I've been using for 1-2 years, without any problems (thank God)

CeeJay · Post by **CeeJay** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 1:00 pm

amjedm wrote:Not sure if anyone's suggested this before -

Dead PCI card (well it's dead now). Hole's been cut with a Dremel.

I would never have suggested it myself .. It's too much work and you destroy a PCI card.

I have a much simpler solution :

1) Find a PCI slot cover
2) Bend it
3) Attach fan
4) Mount in PC

Code: Select all


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       |                  | ,'  `.       \     `. |
       |                  |/      '.     :       \|
       |                  |         \    ;     ,` |
       |                  |          |  /   _,`   |
       |    ---->         |_....__   ;-.,-''      |
       |                  |       `'(   ).._      |
       |                  |     _.--'`-:    `----'|
       |                  |   ,'     /  :         |
       |                  |\,'      ;    \       /'
       |                  | `.      :     `.   .' |
       |                  '.__`-.___\_______\.'__.'

 PCI slot cover           Bent PCI slot cover + Fan

If you feel you need to hold it in place better , you can use a piece of plastic , like f.x. a old and discarded credit card, and insert it into the PCI slot beneath the fan and then secure the fan to that.
You probably need to cut a small tap out of the card to make it fit into the slot right and then you can bend the top part and glue (or whatever) the fan to the card.

How To Cool A Graphics Card Cheaply (Dial Up Warning?)

How To Cool A Graphics Card Cheaply (Dial Up Warning?)

Re: How To Cool A Graphics Card Cheaply (Dial Up Warning?)