GPU processor block - what about rest of PCB

[Tristerin]

Working on my Code Named "Frankenstein" - reviving a end of lifecycle platform with lots of electricity so lots of heat to dissipate - loop setup I am putting together and have a question about liquid cooling these old HD 7850's.  I have two copper blocks incoming with brackets to affix to the PCB and cool the GPU processor - however I know the rest of the PCB needs some cooling as well just not sure how to identify what specifically and where to direct airflow.  Are copper stick on heat sinks worth it?  Right now I am going to have a 200mm side intake fan blowing air on the PCB's but I don't want heat inside the case to build up.  Would it be better to zip ties fans to the rest of the PCB?  Zip tie a fan pushing air in the same direction as front intake between the cards?

 

No I did not buy a full covering water block and would not spend that kind of money on this project, but Im just curious how to ensure the rest of the cards stay cool.  Is the 200mm side intake enough?

 

Current drawings have front intake as 240mm push pull rad, top exhaust 240mm rad push config, rear exhaust 120mm rad push pull

Air only intakes of 200mm side intake and 1 top 80mm intake

 

Mentioning the airflow only because PCB cooling will be affected by the amount of air in the box obviously. 

 

 

 

[UrbanFreestyle]

good to see revival of old kit, I am currently looking at options of extra cooling on the VRMs on my R9 290x. I have seen good results from the thermal adhesive heatsinks and aditional fans being attached.

[Tristerin]

3 minutes ago, UrbanFreestyle said:

good to see revival of old kit, I am currently looking at options of extra cooling on the VRMs on my R9 290x. I have seen good results from the thermal adhesive heatsinks and aditional fans being attached.

They are very affordable (especially sourced from China where most of my loop is coming from (I can wait, machine works great as is) so shipping time is a bear (likely a 60-120 day project in total, but 1 day on the workbench if all things go correctly...if being this is my first custom loop but being a shadetree mechanic it all makes sense to me) so I will likely get a few in transit just in case.

 

I have a line on a very affordable R9 Fury I may pull the plug and just get it...will change loop plans a bit...and will need a FEW of these heat sinks I think hahaha...its the 3 fan variant so will have a large PCB to cool.

[UrbanFreestyle]

yeah, have you thought of running something like furmark with GPU-z open to check temps on the cards and work out what parts need cooling? normally there are only about 10 or so chips plus the main compute chip

 

[Tristerin]

Just now, UrbanFreestyle said:

yeah, have you thought of running something like furmark with GPU-z open to check temps on the cards and work out what parts need cooling? normally there are only about 10 or so chips plus the main compute chip

 

Negative haven't tore anything down.  Great suggestion, planned on benching the crap out of them to figure it out (was also going to use the .... turn it on and put my finger on the chips while its hot lol) once tore down with a block on them so I can let them run to heat up

[Bananasplit_00]

depends on what the cards are, if they draw a lot of power id probably get some stick on heatsinks for the MOSFETs but the fan blowing on the cards is probably enough

[Tristerin]

4 minutes ago, Bananasplit_00 said:

depends on what the cards are, if they draw a lot of power id probably get some stick on heatsinks for the MOSFETs but the fan blowing on the cards is probably enough

2x Gigabyte HD 7850's - they run quite cool in my system as it is, and the fewer fans the better (as I am adding a ton of SP fans, 8 total across the radiators - all already on order) and I was thinking the 200mm side intake will do the trick.  Ill grab a bulk back of stick ons just in case.

 

(or I can do 240mm radiator side intake, and leave front as 200mm intake, but I didn't want to be directing warm air on the GPUs first thing lol)