Gpu rattle

[Tweakforce_LG]

This is where i got the idea about plugging the 3pin fan into the gpu header. In the first half of the video, the rest is rubbish

https://youtu.be/6uCFtGh_XOk

[Tweakforce_LG]

Yeah no problem

So did ya give it a go

[QueenDemetria]

So did ya give it a go

Proofreading as I type will post shortly.

[QueenDemetria]

Alright Tweakforce, my mod isn't pretty, but its sure quiet and cool . For this mod I decided to use a single fan just to see what it would do, and it surprisingly worked well for a thin 60mm fan(made by Evercool). At idle my temps were around 50c with my ambient temp being “hot”, then it cooled down to 45c when I finally opened some windows. My load temps were averaging 55c with a peak of 60c(using GTA V as my load). The amazing thing is that the fan stayed at its lowest setting of 28% even during load, so its more than capable of handling the heat, and best of all its silent . For this mod you will need the following things:

• Standard screwdriver(one that you would use for everything else in a PC)
  
• Small screwdriver(borderline tiny)
  
• Thermal paste of choice(MX-4 is what I used)
  
• 60mm fan, although you could go larger if you wanted
  
• 2 rubber bands(I used hair ties). Alternatively you could use screws, just you need to find the right size.
  
• Knife, I used one that you typically would find in a garage.
  
• Toothpick(optional, used for aligning the plastic spacers with re-assembly)
  

 

But first, disclaimer: I (Queen “B” Demetria) shall and will not be held responsible for damage to hardware, damage to property, injury to person(s), or void of any warranty. Perform any mods at your own risk and anything 'you' do is your own responsibility. This guide is being provided as something you “can do”, not “need to do”, so whether 'you' decide to follow this guide or not is your choice, not mine. Fell free to share this mod but don't claim it as your own(please and thank you). If you need assistance while modding, you can contact me or a professional on the subject, although I am not liable for advise not given by me(or as previously stated, not liable at all). Good luck, have fun, and happy modding

 

So, hopefully your GPU looks like this:

As you can see, I highlighted the fan connector to show the polarity of the connector. Positive(red) is closer to the black “box” component, and negative(black) is on the side with empty space.

 

At this point you can flip the GPU over and undo the four screws on the back of the card to release the heatsink. Just be careful, there are four little plastic “spacers” that go in between the heatsink and circuit board. You don't want to loose these.

 

After you remove the heatsink, you need to remove the plastic shroud and fan assembly, this can be done by removing the 3 small screws I highlighted:

 

And after that, you should end up with something like this:

 

Next you want to add rubber bands(or hair ties) in the places I put them:

#justgirlythings lol, the hair ties are what I had on hand

 

Lift up the rubber bands and slide the fan in like so:

 

Then flip the heatsink over so that the fan is on the table, add thermal paste to the GPU, place the spacers over their respective holes, and sit the card on top of the GPU and align it as best as you can. Once you screw the heatsink back in, you can flip it over and hopefully end up with something like this:

 

Next you will want to modify the fan connector(you can remove the fan and re-add it if needed):

You see those little tabs on the edge? Well, the right one interferes with a component on the board, you need to cut it off. A little work with the knife and you should end up with something like this:

 

The last thing is to plug the new fan into the old connector(which should look like 2 pins coming out of the board). It only “kind of” fits, so it might require some fiddling around, and be very careful with those 2 pins since they bend relatively easily. Remember the connector polarity, red is positive and black is negative(refer to the first image if needed).

(Note): There is a little component that slightly interferes with the connector(as highlighted). It shouldn't harm anything, just don't mash the connector on cause it might smash this component).

 

And that's it, hopefully you have something similar to this:

If you have any questions, comments, or tips feel free to ask or tell

[Tweakforce_LG]

Thanks so much! Couldn't ask for better since this version of the gpu is a pain to find. 2 things, would these rubber band things snap under heat after a long time and would i be able to have 2 fans in the gpu plug? 50c idal temps is worrying though. Since it was 28% fan speed, couldnt i make a custom fan curve. And wow this guide is so good it needs its own thread !

[QueenDemetria]

Thanks so much! Couldn't ask for better since this version of the gpu is a pain to find. 2 things, would these rubber band things snap under heat after a long time and would i be able to have 2 fans in the gpu plug? 50c idal temps is worrying though. Since it was 28% fan speed, couldnt i make a custom fan curve. And wow this guide is so good it needs its own thread !

I'm not sure about the longevity of rubber bands(or hair ties), but I would imagine they would last a while. I did this before but I used very old rubber bands(that were deteriorating) and they lasted about 6 months before failing, so I imagine fresh rubber bands(or the thick, tan colored ones) would last a year or two. I wouldn't be too concerned about it, especially if you check them regularly.

 

50c is fine at idle, although on the high side. This GPU doesn't throttle aggressively at idle like newer GPU's, so its basically running at full speed all the time(at idle mine drops to 600Mhz on the core and 900Mhz on the memory, compared to the load clocks of 775Mhz/1000Mhz, so it doesn't throttle by much). I forgot to include my stock cooler temps, but I averaged 55c at idle and 78c under load, so this tiny fan is still an improvement. If you want I can show you how to mount 2 fans(and have them on the same fan header), but it will have to wait a few days(since I'm away from my computer part stash at the moment).

 

And thank you, I was thinking about making it a thread(or just making a general "ghetto fan mod" thread, since I have done this with other GPU's as well).

[Tweakforce_LG]

I'm not sure about the longevity of rubber bands(or hair ties), but I would imagine they would last a while. I did this before but I used very old rubber bands(that were deteriorating) and they lasted about 6 months before failing, so I imagine fresh rubber bands(or the thick, tan colored ones) would last a year or two. I wouldn't be too concerned about it, especially if you check them regularly.

50c is fine at idle, although on the high side. This GPU doesn't throttle aggressively at idle like newer GPU's, so its basically running at full speed all the time(at idle mine drops to 600Mhz on the core and 900Mhz on the memory, compared to the load clocks of 775Mhz/1000Mhz, so it doesn't throttle by much). I forgot to include my stock cooler temps, but I averaged 55c at idle and 78c under load, so this tiny fan is still an improvement. If you want I can show you how to mount 2 fans(and have them on the same fan header), but it will have to wait a few days(since I'm away from my computer part stash at the moment).

And thank you, I was thinking about making it a thread(or just making a general "ghetto fan mod" thread, since I have done this with other GPU's as well).

That would be neat, becuse i dont know if im using 1 or 2 fans. Have u tried zip ties

[QueenDemetria]

That would be neat, becuse i dont know if im using 1 or 2 fans. Have u tried zip ties

No, but that's because I'm a cheap ass lol, but I'm sure they would work fine. The nice thing about the rubber bands is that they are really easy to install and provides some "vibration protection" but I can try zip ties if you want, they don't cost that much (This too will have to wait until I get home on Wednesday).

[Tweakforce_LG]

No, but that's because I'm a cheap ass lol, but I'm sure they would work fine. The nice thing about the rubber bands is that they are really easy to install and provides some "vibration protection" but I can try zip ties if you want, they don't cost that much [emoji14] (This too will have to wait until I get home on Wednesday).

Have as long as you need, im greatful

[Tweakforce_LG]

Any progress, i just got a 120mm FDB Arctic cooling f12 fan for $5 at a second hand store. Works well. How would i safely mount this bigger 120mm fan to the gpu? Becuse its bigger it will move the same amount of air at a lower setting meaning super quiet. thanks 

[QueenDemetria]

New mod, and this time its universal, so basically any GPU will be compatible.

 

The things you will need are:

 

80-120mm fan(preferably 25mm in thickness... I think)(I used a 120mm OEM NZXT case fan)

“small zipties”, basically just thin enough to fit through the mounting holes on fans. The longer the better.

Phillips screwdriver

2x PC screws(6/32” thread, ¼” length, phillips and bolt head combo for those curious)

Wire cutters(snipies)

 

For this mod its simple, all you have to do is is remove three PCI slot covers  and ziptie two of the corners of the fan to the (now) empty PCI slots/mounts. The fan needs to be spaced 1 space away from the GPU, however this has no effect to the fans effectiveness. 

 

Here are the Zipties and fan I used, I wish I chose longer zipties so that I could use 2 instead of 4(but oh well):

 

And here it is finished:

I know I used the wrong GPU, but trust me I did test it with the shroudless HIS 5670, I just put the cart before the horse and took the final picture after I was experimenting with other GPU's. The temperatures were fine, as the 5670's heatsink was cool to the touch even with Foldin@Home running, but due to lm-sensors being a piece of crap on Linux I couldn't get my GPU temps.

 

I started by making a loop for the top hole, but the key to this is to not make the loop small, you will have to tighten it later(this makes more sense with the top view pics down below). Then I put the fan in place and created a loop through the two pci slots and fan mounting holes.

 

I then screwed in two of the PCI slot screws, but they weren't screwed in much. I used them as a “hook” for the upper zipties.

 

Then after this, just tighten each ziptie one by one and tighten them firmly. I tightened the bottom ones first, then did the top ones. Last step its to cut away the the excess on the zipties. For controlling the fan, use the method above.

[Tweakforce_LG]

I think ill be able to squeeze it 1 pcie slot up , reducing the gap between fan and heatsink. Anyway, i will be able to make a start by oiling the current fan in hmmm, lets say 4-5 days from now . Also just traded 512mb ram for an ati x1300 with no heatsink to another student in my school, dodgy pc deals lol. I feel ripped off, but i got the ram for free so lol. 

[Tweakforce_LG]

Unfortunely im not sure i can use the pci mounting that we came up with becuse a pci slot below the gpu forces the fan to be raised up so the mounting holes are above where id screw the zip ties to the pci screws. Any better ideas. I know ill be able to do this within the next month and post back results