Difference between parallel and perpendicular heatsinks on GPUs?

[hsjj3]

I was looking at the GTX 960 graphics cards, and noticed something. Some cards have the heatsinks perpendicular to the length of the cards, while others have the heatsinks running parallel. All of these are dual-fan models.

 

Can somebody explain this briefly? What kind of difference in behavior can be expected, if at all any? Searching on Google yielded no results.

 

Thanks!

 

EVGA GTX 960:

 

Asus GTX 960:

 

 

MSI GTX 960:

 

 

[don_svetlio]

It's a 960 - it's going to perform like crap regardless of the heatsink

[hsjj3]

2 minutes ago, don_svetlio said:

It's a 960 - it's going to perform like crap regardless of the heatsink

 

That's besides the point. I am talking strictly in terms of heat dissipation/temperatures/cooling ability. Should have been clearer about this.

[Prysin]

its just how the OEMs designed it. They have to stay within a certain width, so if you want the fins in the heatsink to be parrallell the heatpipes have to run out to the side of the GPU. The more bends and kinks in a heatpipe, the worse it conducts heat. The straighter the heatpipe, the better it will conduct heat.

[don_svetlio]

1 minute ago, hsjj3 said:

 

That's besides the point. I am talking strictly in terms of heat dissipation/temperatures/cooling ability. Should have been clearer about this.

There is little to no difference - it just slightly alters the air exhaust direction - nothing else. Cooling will bee good regardless as the 960 is too weak to push out any real heat. Honestly though, why are you even buying a 960? Pascal and Polaris are here, it will soon be driver-gimped to the level of a 1040

[DXMember]

they are all aiming for more surface area

[Mira Yurizaki]

5 minutes ago, don_svetlio said:

There is little to no difference - it just slightly alters the air exhaust direction - nothing else. Cooling will bee good regardless as the 960 is too weak to push out any real heat. Honestly though, why are you even buying a 960? Pascal and Polaris are here, it will soon be driver-gimped to the level of a 1040

1. Really? The GTX 960 doesn't push out any "real heat". I guess putting a heat sink on it is pretty pointless then.
2. Where is this magical crystal ball you have that's predicting the future?

[don_svetlio]

Just now, M.Yurizaki said:

1. Really? The GTX 960 doesn't push out any "real heat". I guess putting a heat sink on it is pretty pointless then.
2. Where is this magical crystal ball you have that's predicting the future?

1080 is out, 1070 is coming, Polaris is due in 2 weeks.

[DXMember]

1 minute ago, M.Yurizaki said:

1. Really? The GTX 960 doesn't push out any "real heat". I guess putting a heat sink on it is pretty pointless then.
2. Where is this magical crystal ball you have that's predicting the future?

1. Really, putting a heat sink of that caliber - definitely

2. History tends to repeat itself

[zMeul]

the vertical stacked fins should theoretically be more efficient since longitudinal fins would create turbulence where the two air fronts meet 

 

 

GigaByte 970G1 uses a similar heatsink design as EVGA's: http://www.techspot.com/articles-info/885/images/Image_02S.jpg

 

Edited May 21, 2016 by zMeul

[carzacc]

2 minutes ago, M.Yurizaki said:

1. Really? The GTX 960 doesn't push out any "real heat". I guess putting a heat sink on it is pretty pointless then.
2. Where is this magical crystal ball you have that's predicting the future?

If as the "crystal ball" you are talking about the fact that they will get gimped we have past evidence that NVIDIA does it

[Mira Yurizaki]

Oh, I didn't realize this was an NVIDIA bashing thread.

 

Carry on.

[carzacc]

2 minutes ago, M.Yurizaki said:

Oh, I didn't realize this was an NVIDIA bashing thread.

 

Carry on.

He just underlined how the 960 is absolutely not worth it and you questioned part of what he said, that's not like most of the thread is about how much NVIDIA sucks.

[done12many2]

5 hours ago, carzacc said:

He just underlined how the 960 is absolutely not worth it and you questioned part of what he said, that's not like most of the thread is about how much NVIDIA sucks.

 

It's just the LTT forum standard.  Everyone here is an expert and you're going to get their opinion of something whether it's related to the topic or not.  

[hsjj3]

Thanks. That's a helpful diagram. Now that you pointed it out, what will the side-effect of this turbulence be? MSI and Asus seem to have the parallel heatsinks for their dual fan models, while EVGA, Zotac and Gigabyte as you point our have perpendicular.

 

However, for the single fan models (not the blower ones, those with the normal single fans) all have parallel heatsinks.