DIY: GPU Cooler Replacment
By Jakob Griffith on Feb 7th, 2009 at 10:49PM
Ask any geek (whilst he/she is on the PC) and they could tell you their CPU speed, RAM usage, or most importantly their current temperatures. However, if you happened to ask me about my GPU temp during a slightly demanding game I would simply say “too high”. For a month or so I let my GPU run at 80C on load. Depending on who you ask, the normal temp is around 50C-60C. Why did I not upgrade the cooler on my GPU? Simply put, FEAR. No, not the game. I was afraid that I would mess up my new card when installing an aftermarket GPU cooler. But this weekend I took the jump and now I have a guide for all those with high temps but don’t have the encouragement to do anything about it.
Let’s start with parts. You’ll need a GPU with high temps (9800GT in my case), and a new cooler. My tutorial uses the Coolink Gfxchilla 4 Heatpipe VGA Cooler. Some Arctic Silver 5 is also recommended.
They say pictures are worth a thousand words, so here we go!
The GPU with stock GPU cooler:
Unplug the fan.
Unscrew old cooler.
Take it off, baby.
Clean off your GPU’s CPU. Mirror shine using isopropyl alcohol and Q-tips.
Get the new cooler ready.
This would be a good time to note this. Read through the instructions for your GPU cooler because all coolers are different. Mine required a special screw and RAM heatsink installation that would be too lengthy to place up here.
Test fit (dont screw it on yet!).
Peel off the backs of the RAM heatsinks, and stick them onto each RAM chip. Also, place some on your voltage regulators. (Note: RAM and voltage regulators are in different places for every card).
Stick a pea size of Arctic Silver 5 on the center of your GPU’s CPU and spread it out using a credit card.
Place the new GPU cooler and start screwing it all together.
Checking clearance between GPU cooler and RAM heatsinks.
Finished replacing the GPU cooler! (You can see the heatsinks on the voltage regulators on the right).
The new cooler dropped my temps by about 10C. Not a big difference, but it could help make the card last longer.
Whenever placing the GPU back into your PCI-E slot, DO NOT plug the new fan into the old GPU fan’s plug. Either use your motherboard or preferrably run it off of a molex.
Thanks very much Jake. I have also got a 9800GT and I may have to change cooler soon too!
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hmm you spread out your paste? I like to let it settle on its own. I’ve never replaced a GPU heatsink and fan though. Nicely written.
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Well, the application of the thermal grease is the same as it would be for a CPU. Everyone has different methods, just treat it as you would your CPU.
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