Best way to cool down a GPU?

[The Extreme]

Greetings-

I'm mining LTC with a Sapphire 7870XT (Tahiti).  I was wondering what some options might be for helping cool the card down. 

Ironically, I find I get the best hashrate (400kH/s or so) when the card is underclocked (850 Mhz).  My case is small, though, so even with good fans and such my temps were constantly around 85C - which as the absolute maximum I want to be at (and I don't want to be in the "red zone" all the time).  So I took the side of the case off and I am now at 80C.  That's better, but I'd still prefer to be lower than that. 

I figure I have a few options.  What do you guys think of:
1.  Is it worth re-seating the cooler with Arctic Silver 5 (AS5)?  I have heard that because of its conductivity, AS5 may not be my best bet for a GPU, but I already own it. 
2.  What about a third-party cooler to replace the stock cooler?  I know these things are not cheap - I've seen some units at $150 or more!  Unless I can get a big drop in temps, I'd prefer not to outlay so much cash. 
3.  Is there a water/liquid cooled solution?  If so, how risky do you think it is and how much would it cost? 

Thanks for any and all ideas!

[1713547379]

1713547379

[worldinacoin]

I just control the fans manually and adjust the speed so that the temperature drop to about 65-70 degrees

[zvs]

Greetings-

I'm mining LTC with a Sapphire 7870XT (Tahiti).  I was wondering what some options might be for helping cool the card down.  

Ironically, I find I get the best hashrate (400kH/s or so) when the card is underclocked (850 Mhz).  My case is small, though, so even with good fans and such my temps were constantly around 85C - which as the absolute maximum I want to be at (and I don't want to be in the "red zone" all the time).  So I took the side of the case off and I am now at 80C.  That's better, but I'd still prefer to be lower than that.  

I figure I have a few options.  What do you guys think of:
1.  Is it worth re-seating the cooler with Arctic Silver 5 (AS5)?  I have heard that because of its conductivity, AS5 may not be my best bet for a GPU, but I already own it.  
2.  What about a third-party cooler to replace the stock cooler?  I know these things are not cheap - I've seen some units at $150 or more!  Unless I can get a big drop in temps, I'd prefer not to outlay so much cash.  
3.  Is there a water/liquid cooled solution?  If so, how risky do you think it is and how much would it cost?  

Thanks for any and all ideas!

the best option would be to remove the case entirely and get a $15-$20 floor fan (honeywell, lasko, w/e).

the other option is to keep the case on and just put the fan in front of it angled slightly so it exhausts out the back of the case (assuming that you have fans in front that are intake etc)

oh, the answer to #1 = yes, if it doesn't void your warranty

[ssateneth]

Open-air style (no computer case).
100% fan
External fan to push fresh air into and past the video card as a whole.
Lower your core volts.

I implement all these for my GPUs. Temperatures vary from 58-65C. Ambient is about 33C

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9768004/SAM_0181.JPG
Older picture, but you get the idea.

[worldinacoin]

Best way is to change to liquid cooling but it is not too easy to implement that, and I guess it will definitely void the warranty.

[crazyates]

Best way I've found is to install a duct that takes the freezing cold northern US winter air, and vents it right into the GPU intake fans. Can OC those suckers all day long with no issues.

[ssateneth]

freezing cold northern US winter air

What cold northern US winter air? I live in northern wisconsin and its 85F (29.5C) out!

[razorfishsl]

Open-air style (no computer case).
100% fan
External fan to push fresh air into and past the video card as a whole.
Lower your core volts.

I implement all these for my GPUs. Temperatures vary from 58-65C. Ambient is about 33C

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9768004/SAM_0181.JPG
Older picture, but you get the idea.

I hope that is not in a basement just below wooden support beams....

[GoldSeal]

dump a couple ice box pro units in the room and run the hoses outside to a 55 gallon drum full of water. http://www.hydroinnovations.com/product-details.php?title=ICE_BOX_Pro&pro=30

Each unit is equivalent to 8500 BTU of cooling and this is enough to cool 2.4kw of electronics.

[stevegee58]

Stop mining with it. 

[crazyates]

freezing cold northern US winter air

What cold northern US winter air? I live in northern wisconsin and its 85F (29.5C) out!

Well it's been in the 80s this past week, and even stretching almost into the 90s (gasp!), but most of the spring/autumn it's below 70, and in the winter it can get pretty damn chilly. This past winter was rarely above 40F or so, often down into the teens at night.

[Zanatos666]

Water cooling.  But hey, thats just me.  Had access to all the parts.  Only thing it cost me was the $10 for the tubing and the $15 for a new case.  Its an old 5830 and 5870, OC'd at 950 and 1000 respectively, 305mh/s and 440mh/s and temps stay around 45.

[worldinacoin]

Water cooling.  But hey, thats just me.  Had access to all the parts.  Only thing it cost me was the $10 for the tubing and the $15 for a new case.  Its an old 5830 and 5870, OC'd at 950 and 1000 respectively, 305mh/s and 440mh/s and temps stay around 45.

Took me a long time to get one done, but it is as pointed above the best solution if you do not need the rigs as heater, for me the rigs were very good heaters.

[thedonvon]

Do GPUs use the vents in the back of the cards (by all the video output ports) as air intakes or air exhausts?  I am running an open air case with a box fan for cooling. I want to direct my airflow correctly to get maximum cooling and not restrict the way air is supposed to be flowing for cooling the card.

[Zanatos666]

Do GPUs use the vents in the back of the cards (by all the video output ports) as air intakes or air exhausts?  I am running an open air case with a box fan for cooling. I want to direct my airflow correctly to get maximum cooling and not restrict the way air is supposed to be flowing for cooling the card.

Back is exhaust.  If you have your case open, point the fan directly at the cards as though it was the side panel with a fan on it.  Cool air onto the card, stock fan blows it down over the card to cook, and then goes out the back.

[worldinacoin]

Go to Lulea as what Facebook has done for their datacenters, they need to on all their servers to keep them warm given its proximity to the Artic

[thedonvon]

Do GPUs use the vents in the back of the cards (by all the video output ports) as air intakes or air exhausts?  I am running an open air case with a box fan for cooling. I want to direct my airflow correctly to get maximum cooling and not restrict the way air is supposed to be flowing for cooling the card.

Back is exhaust.  If you have your case open, point the fan directly at the cards as though it was the side panel with a fan on it.  Cool air onto the card, stock fan blows it down over the card to cook, and then goes out the back.

Thanks.  I have an open air case that i built.  I will put the fan on the other side of the cards so i am not blowing air into an exhaust vent.

[iGotSpots]

Best way I've found is to install a duct that takes the freezing cold northern US winter air, and vents it right into the GPU intake fans. Can OC those suckers all day long with no issues.

Wisconsin is warm as shit right now, I'm not sure where else is colder