- Joined
- Feb 14, 2003
- Location
- Southeast US
I just had my box apart to reapply a thinner layer of AS3 to the core/HSF junction (success, lower temps!) and while I was in there, I decided to pull my Ti4200 to dust the heatsink.
My Ti4200 has a flat aluminum heatsink held on by two plastic spring pins with the spreading tips that go through holes on the card and spread to hold the pins in place. I thought to myself that it wouldn't be difficult at all to remove the HSF and replace whatever cheap stock gunk PNY used with AS3, so I decided to go for it. I used a pair of needle nose pliers to compress the 'spread' and back them through the hole.
When I pulled it off, I immediately wished I had a digital camera, because what I saw was downright dissapointing. First, the machining on the base plate is downright DISSAPOINTING. We're talking rough grooves here. Unfortunately, I don't have the materials on hand to lap it, or I would have. Second, the thermal compound used was the white paste variety, and it DIDN'T EVEN COVER THE CORE COMPLETELY.
Needless to say, I was glad I investigated. I carefully cleaned the HSF and the GPU to remove all the old white gunk, and applied new thin layers of AS3 to ensure complete coverage.
I haven't tried increasing the core's speed yet, so I can't say for CERTAIN that there is improvement there, but on the other hand, what I did *HAS* to be better than the job of the bored diffident monkey working the assembly line.
Something to check out if it concerns you.
My Ti4200 has a flat aluminum heatsink held on by two plastic spring pins with the spreading tips that go through holes on the card and spread to hold the pins in place. I thought to myself that it wouldn't be difficult at all to remove the HSF and replace whatever cheap stock gunk PNY used with AS3, so I decided to go for it. I used a pair of needle nose pliers to compress the 'spread' and back them through the hole.
When I pulled it off, I immediately wished I had a digital camera, because what I saw was downright dissapointing. First, the machining on the base plate is downright DISSAPOINTING. We're talking rough grooves here. Unfortunately, I don't have the materials on hand to lap it, or I would have. Second, the thermal compound used was the white paste variety, and it DIDN'T EVEN COVER THE CORE COMPLETELY.
Needless to say, I was glad I investigated. I carefully cleaned the HSF and the GPU to remove all the old white gunk, and applied new thin layers of AS3 to ensure complete coverage.
I haven't tried increasing the core's speed yet, so I can't say for CERTAIN that there is improvement there, but on the other hand, what I did *HAS* to be better than the job of the bored diffident monkey working the assembly line.
Something to check out if it concerns you.