Albatron Ti4200 Turbo thermal problems

[Nixxon]

I've just bought this card hoping to achieve the high overclocks others reported with the Turbo series from Albatron.

The first thing that struck me was the temperature of the videocard after a few rounds of 3DMark01, at stock speeds I couldn't keep a finger for more than 5-10 seconds on the back of the GPU, the memory was moderately warm but there was lots of heating at the back end of the card (the PCB is longer, Ti4600 style and the voltage regulators and other power circuitry is near the back of the card)

I put some huge fan blowing air into my computer and decided to try some overclocking: the GPU craps out at 275 and the memory seems to have the breaking point between 610 and 625 (where it gets really hot), I will do more tests to see the memory's limit but anyway this seems pretty low for 3.3 ns DDR (I haven't checked under the heatsinks, do you think this could be slower memory?)

So today I lapped the GPU, it took me close to two hours using 350 and then 1000 grit sandpaper. Unfortunately this didn't make any difference, I was able to run 3DMark at 275MHz only once after that I've tried again and same old story, freezing at 275, running fine at 270. Seeing that I've lapped a Coolermaster sk A heatsink, and attached to it two long screws - I'll try to replace the card's seemingly inefficient copper cooler with this, see if I'll be able to hit 300...

The thing that concerns me the most is the heat on the back-end of the card, the capacitors there get warm enough to get me worried... Has anyone experienced this problem with a Ti4200 (or 4600 better said, as this card has Ti4600 layout)? Should I put a fan under the card blowing air at the power circuits?

 

[tio]

Well you could try it and see if it helps at all. That overclock does seem low though. If you can't leave your finger on the GPU's HS for more than 5-10 seconds, then it would seem that the HSF isn't doing it's job. You mentioned it is copper, so that's good, but what about the fan? Is the fan blowing much air? I think I'd try mounting an 80mm case fan to your card's heatsink, and if that makes a big difference, then either stick with that or purchase a new GPU cooler.

 

[Nixxon]

Well, I wasn't clear enough: the copper heatsink stayed pretty cold, but the GPU was hot - I could feel it through the circuit board. Tried today the socket A heatsink & fan, the temps are noticeably lower, worked at 275 but I couldn't get past 285MHz. Tomorrow I'll try cooling the back of the GPU, see if that helps... If not I'll do a voltage mod (I really want those 300MHz )

 

[tio]

Well, I wasn't clear enough: the copper heatsink stayed pretty cold, but the GPU was hot - I could feel it through the circuit board.

Oh sorry, I misread your post.

(I really want those 300MHz )

I hear you. We're always trying to reach those milestones, yet they always seem to linger just out of reach!

Hopefully the extra cooling will help you out, but if it doesn't, I hate to say this, but you may just be plain unlucky.

 

[Nixxon]

The default GPU voltage on my card was 1.6v, that's .05v less than normal voltage for a GF4Ti. I increased it to 1.7v but 290MHz was no go so I guess I'm plain unlucky...

Now the card is returned to its normal state, with its original copper HS (now lapped) and without the voltage mod. I think it's not worth the effort and the noise and the risk of ruining the card, so I only overclock it just a bit, to 256/600. Perhaps in a year's time, when the Ti4200 drops to $50 I'll do a extreme voltage mod and some watercooling to get those 300MHz...