alright so after a long wait for parts to arrive and research/prep on how exactly to work with SMD, i spent the end of the weekend getting my fix on.
check out how the 0402 caps are shipped, encapsulated in that little strip.. grabbed some solder paste and since i have a surplus of these components now, i removed the other of these same variety caps in the mosfet step circuitry as they probably got subjected to excessive heat over their life span which is why the card was in its sorry state to begin with and it was parted with so cheaply.
![](https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.supload.com%2FS1gy5oscg.jpg&t=665&c=L_5QJaDLJJ0TFw)
you really have to be on your game with these tiny components.. i should have bought those visor goggles with magnification in them, but think i fared alright with the naked eye.. close up for scrutiny provided (: started with a toothpick but ended up using the head of a pin to apply paste, and worked great at picking up the capacitors also.
![](https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.supload.com%2FHJb2jqci9x.png&t=665&c=ja5ejcDrBSBukA)
the paste is sticky enough to hold the parts in place but i really wanted to get some smush on these components to ensure a solid connection.. i grabbed some foil tape, 3M foil tape.. it has an acrylic adhesive that holds up at least until the paste starts to work its magic. polyimide tape is the way to go here if you got it.. or simply omit the step, the residue left over made me think twice about going this route in the future.
![](https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.supload.com%2FSkMni5ciqg.png&t=665&c=tg9UGhKhymQOhg)
next its off to my designated reflow toaster oven. this paste melts at around 420F so i went 425 for 4 minutes and spiked it to 450 the last 2 minutes.
Now with the repair work out of the way and the GPU settling down after its roast in the toaster.. we can focus back on the mosfet heatsink mod i had originally intended.
![](https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.supload.com%2Fry7hi55sqg.png&t=665&c=Djc5lslcH-qm3A)
because i'll be using Arctic Alumina which is an epoxy adhesive with quick cure time, its vital to have your shit together while executing this mod.
above is a dry run planing the layout of my sinks and which gets designated to which chip.
![](https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.supload.com%2FByUniq5jce.png&t=665&c=eDHms_jW_-wnVA)
since it would be a waste to permanently fix these nice little copper sinks to this gpu, i'm only going to apply the epoxy to the corners of the mosfet and a conventional tim in the center.. not only does it provide a means to repurpose these heatsinks in the future by making them removable, but the conventional paste actually dissipates heat better than the epoxy so the benefit it two fold.
![](https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.supload.com%2FB1Hhoqqoce.png&t=665&c=pdm-iMjeAu5YGQ)
we're going to use a clamp once the sinks are all in place, one could have opted for cardboard or another buffer for the underside, it's much more practical to use the repurposed heatsink that was originally on the top side though.
![](https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.supload.com%2FHJP3oc9s5e.png&t=665&c=aeb8j5GhRvI6Tw)
and all clamped up, try to use a soft wood for this if you can. and leave it a minimum of 2-3 hours. overnight is best.
![](https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.supload.com%2FBJdhsc5sqg.png&t=665&c=V4SKONIyWUP3cg)
while the clamp is working for us, we can focus on the fans.. there were working great beforehand but maintenence can never hurt.
![](https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.supload.com%2FB1Fnjq9i5g.png&t=665&c=GN2dJSJX1Y3Z8w)
many complain their fans must not come off.. sometimes you have to be forceful. i have never broken a blade performing this maintenance.. using a flat blunt edge helps with prying action if it's super stubborn. dont waste your time with the dental floss around the fan blades trick. (:
after cleaning the blade cavities and the motors, put a small drop of oil in the middle of each fan motor.
![](https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.supload.com%2FSJ9hjq5sce.png&t=665&c=IPdaeXHY9Ei7JQ)
heatsinks come from factory in non optimal form as it is, but seriously.. who is the nutter that takes a razor blade to scrape old TIM off their heatsinks? i run in to this ALL the time.
![](https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.supload.com%2FHJsnocqjqg.png&t=665&c=nWiwAbsjDEuOuw)
properly lapping the heatsink surface does wonders. get your thermal tape ready too if thats what you plan to use on the GPU RAM.
![](https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.supload.com%2FSyTo95s5g.png&t=665&c=xwjQcUn8_Kentw)
properly applying TIM to the compute unit of the gpu is vital, depending on product you use, excess can be anywhere from catastrophic to just plain insulating heat.
better than new.
![](https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.supload.com%2FS1eTi9qo9e.png&t=665&c=B4wIjaJ7qQDLQQ)
better than new.
![](https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.supload.com%2FByW6i59icl.png&t=665&c=k2iwnEdZA2ieyA)
better than new.
![](https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.supload.com%2FSkG6j99s9l.png&t=665&c=ZeX-PBt99Oy7ew)
one thing of note, if you intend to keep the metal bracket on the side of the card (i suggest you do) and re purpose the mosfet heatsink for the underside, you will need to clearance that bracket a bit.. i just used an old file i had laying around but a dremel could do the trick just as easily. alternatively you can clearance the heatsink, as it's aluminum and softer.. this was an after thought for me ;/
![](https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.supload.com%2FryQ6j5qoce.png&t=665&c=ODy2535xaW-k-w)
here's the GPU back in action.. many solved blocks left in her, fingers crossed.
eyes peeled for next project!