View Full Version : Aluminum can video card ramsinks?
This is something I've been thinking about for a while now. How effective would it be to use the sides of a coke can as video card ramsinks? They would be very thin, but if I made them long enough and had multiple fins I think they should work well enough. I have no need to do this right now, but if someone else wants to use this idea feel free to give it a try. :)
Here's a quick drawing I made to show a possible way to set this up. I hope it's not too confusing. This was just a quick illustration and if I ever make some of these myself it will have more fins. It's viewed from the side.
White = Aluminum strips
Blue = Thermal epoxy
Red = Ram chip
http://www.theforumisdown.com/uploadfiles/0802/Ramsink.gif
Cheesy Peas
10-30-02, 12:26 PM
that looks pretty weird on the picture?... is it to any sort of scale coz that aluminium looks huge
you could get a strip and keep the middle flat and then bend the two sides into waves that might be pretty good
Stedeman
10-30-02, 12:38 PM
sorry, kieronholden but your pic is mia
Cheesy Peas
10-30-02, 12:38 PM
something like this
Cheesy Peas
10-30-02, 12:39 PM
Originally posted by Stedeman
sorry, kieronholden but your pic is mia
sorry... crappy webspace doesnt work.. attacthed it in post above:D
The pic isn't in any scale, I just drew it as an example. I would try and make the strips as long as I possibly could though to increase surface area.
Your idea would probably work well and wouldn't be as long (assuming you had more of those stacked on top of each other). It would also be sturdier than mine. Good idea. ;)
mbentley
10-30-02, 12:57 PM
i would think that the ramsinks made of an aluminum can side would probably be too thin to make a whole lot of a difference. if you check out those you can buy, they seem pretty thick and those are made of stuff like copper. i just can't see getting much out of some aluminum from a can. it wouldn't really be worth the tiny increase IMO. what video card are you hoping to put this on? just curious. who knows... maybe i am wrong and the thin aluminum might work...
Cheesy Peas
10-30-02, 01:00 PM
it wont hurt to try will it?:P if you can get a big enough surface area.. by folding it or whatever then it could be ok
Originally posted by mbentley
what video card are you hoping to put this on?
Right now I don't have any plans to try this on a video card since my current one came with ramsinks. I just wanted to get input as to how well it would work.
If I remember correctly JigPu used only super glue and staples for ramsinks and has the second highest memory speed here for a 8500LE:
http://forum.oc-forums.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=125340
If just staples stuck on with superglue can do that, I think aluminum can ramsinks with thermal epoxy should work much better.
The main advantage of using aluminum cans is that they're nearly free. I also remember seeing a recipe for makeing thermal epoxy out of regular epoxy and thermal grease. It was somewhere on the Overclockers.com main site but I can't find it. JBweld also conducts heat. If you already had all of those things you would be able to make ramsinks for free. But if i were going to use this on one of my future video cards (especially an expensive one) I would use Artic Alumina thermal epoxy.
Cheesy Peas
10-30-02, 02:04 PM
Originally posted by Adamu
If I remember correctly JigPu used only super glue and staples for ramsinks and has the second highest memory speed here for a 8500LE:
http://forum.oc-forums.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=125340
Really? kewl! why not try paperclips? there bigger i beg if you twisted them you could fit a tew on each memory chip
EgeWorks
10-30-02, 03:57 PM
I'm using thin Al for my ramsinks, admitted they're not made from a can but they work great. The Al is about twice as thick as can material and the fins are about 15mm long, there are three of them on each base.
SemiCycle
10-30-02, 04:03 PM
How about making a very small "Zalman type" heatsink?
something that looks like this
http://www.frostytech.com/articleimages/zal6000alcu_perspec.jpg
Ugmore Baggage
10-30-02, 05:31 PM
When you add metal objects to your case either use metal that is stiff enough to resist bending if bumped/pressed or be constantly aware of it when working in your case. If it bends and shorts something out -- you lose.
country_3030
10-30-02, 05:40 PM
What about staple like you would use in a staple gun. Put them on with a little Artic Silver Epoxy. I think the can would work great if done right. Now where did that staple gun go???
I have used stacks of pennies a couple of times for ram sinks.
Deadphishy
10-30-02, 08:34 PM
i made ramsinks that look just like a flowersink, from my retail heatsink. i made a post and said i post pictures but i've been really bussy since i'm training for the state compition in cross country. i'll try to get the pic posted asap and i'll make a thread.
juliendogg
10-30-02, 08:44 PM
i have some thick copper flashing........
hmmmmmmm........
Namagomi
10-30-02, 09:08 PM
Originally posted by cack01
I have used stacks of pennies a couple of times for ram sinks.
uh... you know that pennies are only copper coated, and are mostly zinc, right? ok. good. just checking. :beer:
i think pepsi cans may have a better thermal transfer. hell its got to be good for something!
Originally posted by Namagomi
uh... you know that pennies are only copper coated, and are mostly zinc, right? ok. good. just checking. :beer:
Well, the pennies got warm, so they did there job to an extent. I mainly use them to test if I need sinks or not.
juliendogg
10-31-02, 06:21 AM
i been thinkin about doing something like this for a while now, i've had this stuff laying around forever for just this reason. i'm just gonna have to get on it now :D think it'd also make a nice heat spreader for my ddr, problem is i don't have easy access to thermal adhesive. any suggestions on how to secure it to the ram without thermal epoxy?
*edit... better pic,
http://www.imagemagician.org/images/juliendogg/DSCF0020.JPG
Thanks for the replies everyone. I wasn't really suggesting that using staples would be a good idea though. :p Steel doesn't conduct heat very well and super glue is even worse.
Posted by Ugmore Baggage
When you add metal objects to your case either use metal that is stiff enough to resist bending if bumped/pressed or be constantly aware of it when working in your case. If it bends and shorts something out -- you lose.
That's something I hadn't considered. The aluminum would have to be reinforced somehow possibly by epoxying two or more strips together.
Posted by juliendogg
think it'd also make a nice heat spreader for my ddr, problem is i don't have easy access to thermal adhesive. any suggestions on how to secure it to the ram without thermal epoxy?
For the DDR heatspreader I saw once where someone had used those clips you put on potatoe chip bags. Remeber to be careful about shorting something out. JBweld is also supposed to conduct heat, but it's permenant.
Cheesy Peas
10-31-02, 11:37 AM
isnt jbweld conductive tho(electric)
CrashOveride
10-31-02, 11:51 AM
i chopped up a old heastins for mine... htough i am using my friends new 9700 so i am not really OC'ing it vvery much right now:D :eh?: :D
Originally posted by kieronholden
isnt jbweld conductive tho(electric) No, but it still isn't a good idea to get any on the actual electronic parts. Just the top of the chip.
I would just glue it on the corners and put some thermal past on the Chip
Cheesy Peas
11-01-02, 03:47 AM
nice sig borgy!
When you design a Heat Sink there are a few things you should consider like surface area & heat capacity & conductivity. Seems like in this thread that all of you forgot about capacity, you really want a 3mm thick base, relative thickness, on a heat sink to be able to absorb the heat & pull it away from the heat source. Another thing is a good way of attaching this to the ram, glue on the corners & thermal paste in the middle is almost useless unless you can compress the heat sink to the ram until the glue dries otherwise your not making good contact. JBWeld has terrible heat properties so using it would not be the best choice in evaluating a heat sinks performance, you never know if its the heatsink or the thermal interface thats not doing its job. Good Luck in your future designs & hopefully you find one that's cheap & easy to make with material easily available from the grocery or limitedly stocked hardware store.
Cheesy Peas
11-01-02, 04:13 PM
Originally posted by Sonny
When you design a Heat Sink there are a few things you should consider like surface area & heat capacity & conductivity. Seems like in this thread that all of you forgot about capacity, you really want a 3mm thick base, relative thickness, on a heat sink to be able to absorb the heat & pull it away from the heat source. Another thing is a good way of attaching this to the ram, glue on the corners & thermal paste in the middle is almost useless unless you can compress the heat sink to the ram until the glue dries otherwise your not making good contact. JBWeld has terrible heat properties so using it would not be the best choice in evaluating a heat sinks performance, you never know if its the heatsink or the thermal interface thats not doing its job. Good Luck in your future designs & hopefully you find one that's cheap & easy to make with material easily available from the grocery or limitedly stocked hardware store.
the pros view
hehee.. how many stars is that?
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