cooling Heatsink Sizes for GDDR5 Memory & VRAM on Titan X Maxwell

Timotheus865 · February 10, 2023

I recently picked up a NVIDIA Titan X (Maxwell) for $50 on eBay, which did not come with the stock cooling shroud or fan. As a learning exercise, I figured I'd try to put together my own cooling solution, and I am heavily considering a Kraken G12 with a 120mm AIO (though the Raijintek Morpheus II is another interesting option). My question is what size of heatsinks should I use to help cool the VRAM & Memory chips? Since I'm not worried about going back to stock, I'd also like to hear about suggestions for thermal adhesives/ cement.

jaslion · February 10, 2023

20 minutes ago, Timotheus865 said:

I figured I'd try to put together my own cooling solution, and I am heavily considering a Kraken G12 with a 120mm AIO

No don't do it. It's a pain and the price you pay for that is about as much as an older alphacool eiswolf combo for the gpu or older waterblocks.

The price difference between a 240mm aio + g12 + heatsinks + cement is honestly not that far from a cheap waterloop whilst the waterloop is a lot better.

Since the titan x maxwell is compatible with 980ti blocks fully which are quite common I recommend the second solution.

However in the end all these solution will cost more than a better used card so not sure if this is a for looks build or performance?

Timotheus865 · February 10, 2023

27 minutes ago, jaslion said:

The price difference between a 240mm aio + g12 + heatsinks + cement is honestly not that far from a cheap waterloop whilst the waterloop is a lot better.

I'm seeing the G12 for as little as $30 on Amazon and 120mm AIOs for as much as $60-$80. I've not seen any examples of compatible inexpensive waterloops in/ around this price range, but would love to see them if I've missed something in my research.

29 minutes ago, jaslion said:

However in the end all these solution will cost more than a better used card so not sure if this is a for looks build or performance?

All it needs to really do is run my 1080p 60hz monitor for (mostly older) games & some creative work reliably. I picked up the card as an inexpensive entry-point to learn a new skill, so its's mostly about getting what could have been e-waste into working condition. Also, looks aren't my main concern, as my machine sits under my desk with the window facing a wall.