Thought for cooling multiple cards...

[mike85123]

Was thinking how to cool multiple card setups without having to use riser cables (while a great idea, they are kind of pricey and I don't feel like building a wood (or other) chassis to hold the cards on top).

What if you dremeled off the one side of the fan shroud (see my professionally produced diagram below), and put a fan there to push air directly through. This would probably only work on 3 or 4 card setups that use the reference style fan shroud (the boxy looking one) and would only work on cards where the power is coming out the top not the side.



You could get a 120mm (or whatever fan size fits your setup - smaller for 3 card setup & bigger for 4 card setup) fan that pushes 100+ CFM directly through the card. Would be easy to mount a fan there with some zipties or small L brackets

Seems something like this would be much more efficient. You aren't pulling 'pre-heated air' off the card below it. It wouldn't have to make that 90 degree turn which slows the air down. You could drastically slow down the onboard fan (been reading a lot of people having issues with their fans dying after a month or so running at high %). Maybe even seal off the side port with a thin piece of plexi or something (would probably definitely have to seal off the fan port on the card that has the exposed fan port to keep air from diverting out).

Anyone see any flaws with this idea (other than voiding warranty)? I haven't taken one apart yet, so I don't know what kind of components could be in the way.

Let me know what you think.

[1.21gigawatts]

The Sapphires vent this way.  The big fan is in the middle, hot air gets pushed out of both ends of the video card.
With the position that the fan is in for these cards (fan on the right side of the card not middle), I am not sure cutting a hole on that end would help it much

[mike85123]

I am not looking for the air to exit where you cut the side off the shroud.  Where you cut the shroud would be the intake only. The mounting bracket side with the DVI ports would be the exhaust only. From there, close off the current intake and make the air flow only in 1 direction, from the side you cut the shroud to the side with the DVI ports. Make sense? Sound like it would do a better job than the current cooling setup on these cards?

[1.21gigawatts]

I believe the current intake is through the fan of the card.  I am not sure it's as easy to redirect this intake by simply covering the hole of the fan.  It's possible that the fan needs to be replaced with a different kind of fan in order to redirect the intake, and open the part of the card that you suggest.

Either way, riser cables are fairly cheap, and the benefit is keeping your video card stock.  If you Frankenstein your card, you it will have a tough time reselling it later if you want to upgrade the card, get out of mining, etc...

[Mousepotato]

I don't think you quite understand how an exducer-type of fan works   If you cut a hole in the end of the card and blow air into it, it's just going to get blown back out. 

[fascistmuffin]

I don't think you quite understand how an exducer-type of fan works   If you cut a hole in the end of the card and blow air into it, it's just going to get blown back out. 

Exactly. Cards are designed by engineers who know their stuff.

You should be focusing on getting the most hot air out of the area of the graphic cards instead of modifying the cards themselves.

[mike85123]

I am full well aware that I don't know much about the mechanics/engineering of these cards.

Essentially I was thinking more along the lines of bypassing/replacing the current fan and using the new fan to move the air through the card better.

@facistmuffin - I am trying to focus on getting the hot air out of the cards. The bottleneck in the current approach is the air intake is choked by the card under it and sucking in pre-heated air. Just trying to come up with a way around those two issues. Any ideas on a better approach?

Just wanting to start a discussion to get everyone's input:

Anyone see any flaws with this idea (other than voiding warranty)? I haven't taken one apart yet, so I don't know what kind of components could be in the way.

They way I see it is there HAS to be a better way to provide cooling for these cards...

[enmaku]

They way I see it is there HAS to be a better way to provide cooling for these cards...

Part of me wants to say that millions in R&D can't produce results easily beaten by duct-tape-and-bailing-wire methods, but I've proven that wrong in the past...

Still, short of going to ridiculous extremes (Novec submerged cooling anyone?) I think you're best served by providing high volume flow of fresh cool air to the stock heatsinks.

[shotgun]

They way I see it is there HAS to be a better way to provide cooling for these cards...

Yes there is, it's called water cooling. http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=GPU+water+cooling

Plenty of options. Have fun.

[mike85123]

Yes there is, it's called water cooling.

Cool douche... Way to add an intellectual response to the conversation.

[xaxistech]

Yes there is, it's called water cooling.

Cool douche... Way to add an intellectual response to the conversation.

It is a good response, and is the best way to cool these cards.

[Mobius]

I just cut small cardboard baffles from the intake fans and silver vent tape (thin mylar tape for dryer ducts-Lowes) positioned them to provide fresh cool air to the intake fan of the card, at the vent side in the rear of the case I removed the slot covers and installed an 80mm(covers 3 slots) fan exhausting the air from the card, I boxed out (in cardboard) a compartment to isolate the rear vent to that 3slot/fan setup and dropped the temp by 6c, Plastic baffles are next when I have some spare time.

Addtionally-Wooden clothes pins or bic pen caps can be wedged in between cards at the front end (case side) of the cards to open more of an airgap. Losen the screws, insert wedge and open up gap, push cards to outer boundries and tighten.

Remember to test each modification 1 at a time and monitor the temps (card & ambiant air temp) for at least an hour. Found out my side case fan flowing inward toward the cards would raise temps by 3c. Worked better when I had the side cover open, leaning on the corner of the case and the fan blowing in at an angle. I turned the fan off in the same position and the temps went up 5c

The objective is air flow - to much pressure or vacum at the wrong spot can stagnate the air flow in the cards.

[Transisto]

A: Have all fan act as intake.

B: Take an old or broken board and try bending away two card in a pci slot until something breaks.
    Next, Do the same with your 4x pcie 16x and just stop before it breaks.