Non-reference cooler onto reference card?

[matulley]

Hi there, this is my first post, but hopefully I explain everything enough!

 

So I was wondering if its possible to add a non-reference card's cooler onto a reference card. An example would be:

 

Bob has a reference GTX 760 pcb with a stock cooler, he would like to change this cooler for a non-reference-manufacturers-cooler (lets say gigiabyte windforce?) onto his reference card. Is this possible?

Basically I have a N770-2GD5/OC, its the crappy MSI reference pcb (bought it because it was super cheap at the time and didnt have a lot of monies), my friend has a broken gigabyte gtx 770 2gb windforce (fans work). Im looking at the pcb's and screws on both and eyeing it up it kinda looks like it'll fit but im just trying to find more pics online for the heatsink structure etc.

 

The reason im wondering is if i found a faulty gigabyte gtx 760 windforce online (with cooler working) just broken by some other means I guess? Is it doable?

 

Im not bothered about the merits/demerits of doing this, just wondered if the concept was doable!

 

Thanks!

[squirrl]

Unless you mount it a different way from the holes that are included, then it's just the same as installing a non reference waterblock onto a reference card. The core, memory and other chips are in different places so won't get the right contacts to the cooler as it;'s a different design.

[Guest Generallee]

The windforce uses a custom PCB i think, so in theory it woud be difficult if not impossible

[Rheinwasser]

Unless you mount it a different way from the holes that are included, then it's just the same as installing a non reference waterblock onto a reference card. The core, memory and other chips are in different places so won't get the right contacts to the cooler as it;'s a different design.

it depends. there are cooler that only cool the core and only use the four screws around the core. acx i believe.

[matulley]

I should have just used my actual scenario instead of some hypothetical one  .

 

Basically I have a N770-2GD5/OC, its the crappy MSI reference pcb (bought it because it was super cheap at the time and didnt have a lot of monies), my friend has a broken gigabyte gtx 770 2gb windforce (fans work). Im looking at the pcb's and screws on both and eyeing it up it kinda looks like it'll fit but im just trying to find more pics online for the heatsink structure etc.

[LukaP]

check the PCB of your card and the PCB of the other card. put them in photoshop on 2 layers and get them together, see where it differs

[matulley]

Took a while to figure out how to chop and to find some decent images online without bothering to dismantle our own .

 

But with my extremely limited chopping skills, its a no