To watercool a gpu, do you need the backplate?

[chowderblue]

^

[JHY]

it depends on what cooler you get.

[chowderblue]

Just now, PCNoobie said:

it depends on what cooler you get.

What. gtx 1080 waterblock, do i needa  blackplate?

[JHY]

1 minute ago, chowderblue said:

What. gtx 1080 waterblock, do i needa  blackplate?

I'm kinda confused about your question. Are you swapping your air cooler to water cooler?

[chowderblue]

Just now, PCNoobie said:

I'm kinda confused about your question. Are you swapping your air cooler to water cooler?

Yes i am taking off the stock cooler on my gpu and putting a water cooling block on there. do i need a backplate or is that for aesthetics??

[JHY]

Or are you talking about the gpu that pre-installed with water cooler?

Can I know which cooler you are getting?

[chowderblue]

Just now, PCNoobie said:

Can I know which cooler you are getting?

what. why? https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-fc1080-gtx-nickel

[SeanAngelo]

9 minutes ago, chowderblue said:

^

i think you do need it since some heat can be cooled using the backplate

[JHY]

1 minute ago, chowderblue said:

what. why? https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-fc1080-gtx-nickel

Ok with that water block you don't need backplate.

[Crowes]

Backplates have nothing to do with the water block, unless it's related to the way the block is screwed.

[KE2012]

Err no? I'm unaware of any 3rd party GPU water block which 'needs' the back plate. 

[ForsakenLive]

You don't need the backplate at all.

The GPU, Vram and VRM cooling is not related to the backplate. Backplates are just for aesthetics on 95% of the cases, sometimes backplates can cool and help with the heat a little bit with the addition of heat transfer pads, however that's just and aid to the cooling, and most of the times it changes the temperatures VERY little. 

What you don't want is a backplate that traps heat, like EVGA did recently with their 10 series GPUs, they fixed the issue by sending thermal pads to the people with those GPUs. 

The bare back side of the PCB is perfectly fine regarding temperatures on all GPUs (excep those rare cases of GPUs that have vram chips on the back). 

[Sniperfox47]

The 1080 and Nvidia Titan X (Pascal) do benefit from the backplate slightly, but you don't need it. If you had a Titan X I'd suggest picking it up, but honestly with the 1080 the difference should be fairly minor.

[brokencross]

12 minutes ago, ForsakenLive said:

You don't need the backplate at all.

The GPU, Vram and VRM cooling is not related to the backplate. Backplates are just for aesthetics on 95% of the cases, sometimes backplates can cool and help with the heat a little bit with the addition of heat transfer pads, however that's just and aid to the cooling, and most of the times it changes the temperatures VERY little. 

What you don't want is a backplate that traps heat, like EVGA did recently with their 10 series GPUs, they fixed the issue by sending thermal pads to the people with those GPUs. 

The bare back side of the PCB is perfectly fine regarding temperatures on all GPUs (excep those rare cases of GPUs that have vram chips on the back). 

The backplate didn't trap the heat, or at least that wasn't the main issue, since even the regular 1070 SCs didn't have backplates. They only sent those additional bigger thermal pads to apply in the back in order to help dissipate additional heat from the VRM mosfets. The issue was the lack of active cooling on the VRMs themselves (i.e.: there was nothing that dissipated the heat from the VRMs to the heatsink base) which was down to poor design. 

 

The backplate original function is to add rigidity to the PCB, that's why heavier cards usually come with them installed. Looks are secondary.

[Mick Naughty]

No, if it was required it would come with the block.

[chowderblue]

22 hours ago, Mick Naughty said:

No, if it was required it would come with the block.

lol that is not the case at all, it could fully be required and not come with the water block.

[Eddie Current]

Back-plates originally were only cosmetic add-on's. I have read that some GPU cards that come with water-blocks come with back plates and it seams to me that at least one (EVGA?) claims it's done to stiffen the card. 

 

With that said, if my cards were configured so that the card(s) were hanging off the slot(s), I would probably install a back-plate. However, if the card(s) were sitting in the slot(s) like mine do now, I wouldn't waste the money (unless I was going for looks). 

 

Looking down into the Cooler Master XB-EVO case (Not configured for looks!)

[Sniperfox47]

23 minutes ago, Eddie Current said:

~snip~

Pretty much this, although on some cards with parts mounted on both sides of the PCB, or where there's excess heat produced, it does act as a giant heat spreader too. On the Titan X Pascal for example, I'd strongly suggest leaving the rear heat spreader/backplate on the card even if it's well supported because it does help with stability at high load, especially if you're overclocked.