Thermalright SI-97 GPU Cooler Mod Guide Posted!

Discussion in 'Reviews & Articles' started by Dashken, Aug 13, 2005.

  1. Dashken

    Dashken Administrator!

    The stock coolers on most graphics cards barely do the job. If you are into overclocking, you would most certainly opt for a third-party cooler from the likes of Zalman or Arctic Cooling.

    But for a select group of extreme overclockers who enjoy voltage-modding their cards for the extra edge, even third-party coolers just won't hack it.

    Today, Max_87 shows us just how easy it is to mod a Thermalright SI-97 CPU cooler into an awesome GPU cooler capable of handling even voltage-modded cards!

    [​IMG]

    Link : Thermalright SI-97 GPU Cooler Mod Guide!
     
  2. Papercut

    Papercut Newbie

    Just a comment...I think the results chart needs a bit more explanation. I presume those figures are the delta T between GPU temp reading and ambient temp reading, but it took me a few seconds to figure that out... ;)
     
    Last edited: Aug 14, 2005
  3. werty316

    werty316 Newbie

    Wow now that is freakin sweet. Thats hardcore so sure. I like it :thumb:
     
  4. Max_87

    Max_87 huehuehue

    Yup, those are delta T between the GPU temperature and ambient temperature :mrgreen:
     
    1 person likes this.
  5. Adrian Wong

    Adrian Wong Da Boss Staff Member

    Sorry about that. I failed to notice that Max_87 sent me the Excel file! :wall:

    Going to correct that with a new chart soon.
     
  6. Adrian Wong

    Adrian Wong Da Boss Staff Member

    Okay, done! Check out the new charts. :beer:
     
  7. Johnie

    Johnie Newbie

    Congrats Max_87...congrats TeamARP! :clap: :dance: :thumb:


    GREAT ARTICLE! I wish I had one such moded cooler... ;)

    Btw...Max_87?...do you think it would be able to install it also on R300 core (R9700pro)? :think:



    Have a nice weekend everyone.... :beer: :wave:
     
  8. SAMSAMHA

    SAMSAMHA Newbie

    hahahha, these hsf are offering people to do mod and stuff and you guys even do mod on mods, you are crazy:).
     
  9. Max_87

    Max_87 huehuehue

    Thanks Johnie :D

    before I can answer you question, I need you to check something on your card and mainboard.

    First, I need you to measure the lenght where I labelled with an arrow in the picture.
    Second, you need to check whether or not there is any capacitor which is taller than the PCI slot around the 1st to 3rd PCI slots (from AGP slot).

    :mrgreen:
     

    Attached Files:

  10. Max_87

    Max_87 huehuehue

    ROTFL! Can't live without modding anything :mrgreen:
     
  11. aKho

    aKho beat around the bush

    wow. using a cpu cooler as a gpu cooler. impressive. looks heavy. but having that on would mean your only able to run one card only, no option for SLi (dual 9800 etc). very wicked looking. :wicked:
     
  12. Adrian Wong

    Adrian Wong Da Boss Staff Member

    Yup, as mentioned in the guide, no way you can use this for SLI cards.

    However, it's actually lighter than third-party GPU coolers like the Zalman heatpipe coolers! That was one of the reasons why Max_87 chose the SI-97 (see page 1).
     
  13. Max_87

    Max_87 huehuehue

    ROTFL! It's even lighter than those Zalman heatpipe coolers (200+g) :mrgreen: That's why I choose it ;)
     
  14. Olle P

    Olle P Newbie

    Your comment about where to put the fan is needed, and I'd like to add a few more issues/options.

    Using a regular 25mm thick fan mounted between the heatsink and card, as shown in the article, will have a negative impact on the airflow. Not only because that plate blocks 1/3 of the fan, but also because the rest of the fan is too close to the PCB to allow free flow. (Rule of thumb: Have at least a gap equal to the thickness of the fan to allow free flow.)

    This blocking force the fan to work harder and will increase the noise level.

    A third option is to use two thinner fans, 10-15mm, mounted on both sides of the heatsink. Thinner fans are less powerful (move less air when restricted), but mounted push - pull they can do wonders!
    This solution is somewhat more expensive but produce a better airflow and less noise with a minimum obstruction of PCI slots.

    /Olle
     
  15. Bestia(ry)

    Bestia(ry) Mac'ster

    *errm*

     
  16. Max_87

    Max_87 huehuehue

    Well I did mention about the drawbacks of mounting the fan between the fins and base of SI-97 :mrgreen:

    It's a good idea actually, putting two thinner fans on both sides on the heatsink. However, I think putting a 25mm fan on top of the heatsink still performs better. :mrgreen:
     
  17. CmdrTaco

    CmdrTaco Newbie

    Whoa dude WHOA DUDE

    That thing is a big mother****ing piece of shit :beer:

    A BIG UGLY FAT ****ER

    Much like Chris Nandor. Yeah, he's fat. Yeah.

    Holy shit that sonofa***** is ugly.
     
  18. M0b1u5

    M0b1u5 Newbie

    not THAT impressive.

    I love it when people mod stuff - particularly when adding funky-looking heatsink solutions. I've moded quite a few CPU heatsinks and put them on GPUs, and also RAM on graphics cards.

    This mod doesn't impress me very much however. Mostly because:

    1) The HS isn't really modified much at all.
    2) The heatflow is totally messed up.
    3) The requirement for a very noisy fan = BLECH.

    Here's what I would have done with the same HSF and the same graphics card.

    a) Removed the CPU cooler "foot" (where it contacts the die) and inverted it 180 degrees. Even if the heatpipes are soldered into the foot, gently warming the foot with a smallgas tourch would release the solder and allow easy removal (I've done this before).

    2) Reinstall the "foot" but with the contact patch of the foot now facing INWARDS.

    3) Now when then cooler is mounted it'd actually be ABOVE the card, allowing for completely passive cooling via the airflow generated by the CPU fan, and the PSU fan. (Or just natural airflow in the case if the machine is already (mostly) passively cooled.

    The space occupied by a dirty great big fan in *this* mod, is now where the Graphics card is located. You don't lose a PCI slot, and the efficiency of the cooling is probably sufficient to allow substantial overclocking without having to use any kind of fan at all.

    ================

    I too, once prided myself on wringing the absolute maximum out of every piece of gear in my boxes - no matter what the cost in terms of noise pollution (That's what 500W 7.1 surround sound is for - right?) but over the years with new heat pipe technology, fan-speed mods, ultra quiet TMD fans, large 120mm cruisers, and silent PSUs, the new challenge is to create cooling solutions which are far quieter than the original, and yet perform in a superior fashion.

    Over all, I'd give this effort a 6/10 - mostly because he has the guts to publish what isn't a very remarkable achievement.

    To get higher than a 6/10, he'd have to show silent (or quieter) operation than stock, more overclockability than stock, a method of avoiding ruining access to 2 other PCI slots, and more actual modifications.
     
  19. werty316

    werty316 Newbie

    wow look at this noob. He thinks he is all big and can do better. Well actions are louder than words buddy so lets see what you got. Why would you criticize Max_87 work? The point is he used a non GPU cooler to cool a vid card geeeze. I like it because of that fact I wanna see you mod it using your suggestions. What you don't want to?

    On another note anyone else find the site loads really slow? I get a long wait time for the ads to load before the rest of the website is loaded.
     
  20. Bestia(ry)

    Bestia(ry) Mac'ster

    @M0b1u5:

    First of all ... hi and welcome to the ARP. ^^

    Second ... as for myself, there will never be any sort of modding able to impress me. And I'm talkin about real modding, not putting some fancy light on like decorating a X-mas tree.
    The thing is I do RESPECT the time and effort ppl are spending on it, no matter if it works out, looks ugly or is just plain useless.
    That's why I dun like it when some pop up and tell others "I'm so much better than you, I've done so much more and I can do this better even with one hand." ;)
     
    1 person likes this.

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