• Welcome to Overclockers Forums! Join us to reply in threads, receive reduced ads, and to customize your site experience!

Cold Gpu Preparation

Overclockers is supported by our readers. When you click a link to make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn More.

ChanceCoats123

d20 in a jacket
Joined
Feb 1, 2009
Location
Illinois
I've got a Phatty behind me waiting to be used and it won't unless I get my 5850 setup. That's where all of you come in. ;)

I've got the pot, I've got eraser, and in-place of conformal, I'll be using clear nail-polish.

So to begin, I've read guides on conformal-ing motherboards, so I know components that have to make contact with a cooler need to be taped off (IE: The gpu die), but other than that, I've really no idea what needs to be left uncovered. :shrug:

I don't plan on running anything like the tiny heatsinks on VRM of mosfets, but I will have a medium/strong pointed at it instead.

Anyway, here are the pictures:

DSCN1311.jpg

Based on the contact points on the stock heatsink, I know that I will have the fan pointed at the power-end of the board.
 
nail polish everything except the gpu die and ram.

Cover the backside in eraser, and the front up to the ram in eraser.
 
Just conformal the front and back, tape off die, ram and power sockets, nailpolish is messy and you will never be able to RMA it afterwards, will take you 10 min to do the conformal, no need for eraser afterwards either.
 
nail polish everything except the gpu die and ram.
I'll go up to the sides of each of those. :thup:

Cover the backside in eraser, and the front up to the ram in eraser.
Cover the entire backside?

Edit: Edmund, I have no access to conformal. I called the fry's by me earlier in the week and they "don't" have it." Should I drive over and check if they actually do carry it? Anyone know of other retail outlets that carry Silicon conformal?
 
All Fry's have it, the guy probably don't know what you referring to, go to where the electronics cleaners are shelved
 
Actually Ed, I've been to a couple frys that didn't have it.
Could have been a socal thing though.
 
Sweet. I'm going to there right now. :) By the way, I mounted the pot just to check for solid contact, and the card lives. So far, I've gotten past Xoke's first run. :)

Ps. I miss that guy.
 
Conformal? Check. Card prepped? (that check is up to you all)

Edit: Here's the updated picture after I cleaned up the edges with an exacto knife.

DSCN1314.jpg

Edit2: And she's done. Drying now. I'm going to take her cold tomorrow. My sister's BF, AJ, might be joining me. :)

Finalcoat.jpg

I like how the conformaled card and the stock card look exactly the same... that is, unless you know where to look. ;)
 
Last edited:
Thanks, Ed. Here's where we're at on the board:

DSCN1316.jpg

Full layer of eraser to seal incase any water forms from cold, and then FK to keep the cold from getting to the board from the pot.

Does Vaseline work the same as dielectric grease? :chair:
 
Alright, so I've got a piece of Sham-wow cut in the same shape as the FK, but it covers all the slots except the one in use. Tomorrow, before I go cold, I'll get some Vaseline in the slot, and then the whole get up will be paper towel/toilet papered. :thup:

If I'm alone, I'll live stream, but if Aj is with me, odds are I won't. I'll definitely post how it goes, so wish meh luck. :)
 
Thanks! :)

I'm installing Vista and Win 7 as I type to get a jump on tomorrow. It looks like Ben might be joining me for some 01 action. :)
 
Great job Chance. I could only tell by making the 2nd one bigger. Clean as a whistle!
 
Great job Chance. I could only tell by making the 2nd one bigger. Clean as a whistle!

:D Like I said, you gotta know where to look. ;) Even with three coats, it's very hard to notice it.

With that said, it's going to be so weird benching an electrical component with no real insulation. :eh?:
 
I think bobnova's recent pic speaks volumes
attachment.php


Hell you could probably freeze gear with zero insulation, conformal, polish etc. Just as long as you stopped before the frost melted and didn't turn it on until it was dry. // it would be dangerous though.

Anyway. Looks good. I'm going to do the same thing tomorrow morning. Pretty much for the first time. Hope you get some good scores!
 
You too! One thing I'm wondering about, is where (if at all) should I point fans at? I'm thinking the power section because it's not going to be close enough to the gpu to get as cold, but it's difficult to reach the power section without blowing a fan on other parts that need to stay cold. Maybe I should use paper towel to section it off?
 
Back