- Joined
- Nov 4, 2010
- Messages
- 24
- Motherboard
- Asus Sabertooth Z77
- CPU
- i7 2600K @ 4.3 Ghz
- Graphics
- 2x GTX 660Ti
- Mac
- Mobile Phone
So as many of you maybe aware, the some of the higher end graphics card that can be used in hackintosh builds can run extremely hot depending on the applications you run and various other factors, some of these include the 4xx and 5xx series cards from Nvidia. Up until now, you would have to just monitor it closely and pray it didn't melt.
One of the main issues that caused the heating problem was that you had no control over the fan speeds to regulate cooling. This was the issue I decided to focus on.
I have found a solution that has fixed the problem of overheating cards AND gives you the ability to manually control your fan speeds. However this mod will require a little bit of cash and some minor skill when it comes to dismantling electronics, but the end result is worth it.
Parts You Will Need: (PLEASE Buy from the links provided, they help support the forum)
Accelero XTREME Plus: (Price: $66)
Accelero XTREME Plus on Amazon
This is the major component to this mod the Accelero XTREME Plus, this extra large heat sink is a MAJOR improvement to the stock heat sink that is currently on your video card. As you may have noticed, this cooler comes with fans already on it, those however, can only be controlled by the card, the connector it comes with plugs into where the original fan would connect to.
PLEASE NOTE: This cooler is EXTREMELY large, in most cases, larger than the actual card its being attached to, PLEASE make sure it is going to fit into your case before purchase. I was lucky and found a way to fit it into my case, but JUST, technically it does not fit.
IMPORTANT:Now there is a very important piece that you will need to purchase along with the cooler picture above. Since every card has different mounting hardware, you will need to get the compatible mounting hardware for your card. There are five different mounting brackets that you can get for your card, this cooler supports a wide range of cards, so be sure to find the mounting hardware that is compatible with your card listed below:
VR001 Buy Here
ATI Radeon
6970,6950,6870,5870, 5830, 4890, 4870, 4850, 4830, 3870, 3850
nVIDIA GeForce
GTS 250, 9800GTX+, 9800GTX
VR002 Buy Here
nVIDIA GeForce GTX
285, 280, 275, 260+, 260
VR003 Buy Here
nVIDIA GeForce GTX
465, 470
VR004 Cant find a place to purchase this mounting hardware at this time
nVIDIA GeForce GTX
580, 570, 480
VR005 Buy Here
nVIDIA GeForce GTX
460, 560 Ti
Fan Controller: (Price: $15 - $60)
Fan Controllers on Amazon
This is one of the areas that you have some choice as far as looks and price goes. I would recommend getting something that has at least 3 controllable channels, anything less and you wont cool your card correctly.
Personally, Im using the NZXT Sentry 2 which is priced about $30 USD.
NZXT on Amzon
3 Fans (92 MM): (Price: $4 - $25 each)
92 MM Fans on Amazon
Please Note: For best results, I recommend getting fans that are square in design, not round. This will help when attaching them later. This is another area where you can decided for yourself as far as pricing goes, but some other things to consider are air flow and noise levels.
REMEMBER: YOU WILL NEED A TOTAL OF THREE (3) 92 MM FANS!
Once you have your parts, just follow the directions on attaching the new heat sink to the card. Now, attaching the fans you purchased is a totally different scenario, I have used rubber bands to hold the fans onto the card, and recently replaced them with metal wire that is wrapped around the heat sink, NOT the card, to prevent shorting.
All that is left is to place your modified card back into the case and hook up the fans to the fan controller you purchased. While testing this mod, I found that the GPU on my GTX 470 has yet to break 50 C under load, which is a MAJOR improvement from before.
PIC FROM MY BUILD:
Stripped Card:
Side View In Case:
Bottom View In Case With Stepped Fans:
Its a Tight Fit in There:
Front of Case with Fan Controller:
I hope that helps a lot of you with your cooling problems as much as it has helped me. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them below, I will answer them as best as I can. Thanks again!
One of the main issues that caused the heating problem was that you had no control over the fan speeds to regulate cooling. This was the issue I decided to focus on.
I have found a solution that has fixed the problem of overheating cards AND gives you the ability to manually control your fan speeds. However this mod will require a little bit of cash and some minor skill when it comes to dismantling electronics, but the end result is worth it.
Parts You Will Need: (PLEASE Buy from the links provided, they help support the forum)
Accelero XTREME Plus: (Price: $66)
Accelero XTREME Plus on Amazon
This is the major component to this mod the Accelero XTREME Plus, this extra large heat sink is a MAJOR improvement to the stock heat sink that is currently on your video card. As you may have noticed, this cooler comes with fans already on it, those however, can only be controlled by the card, the connector it comes with plugs into where the original fan would connect to.
PLEASE NOTE: This cooler is EXTREMELY large, in most cases, larger than the actual card its being attached to, PLEASE make sure it is going to fit into your case before purchase. I was lucky and found a way to fit it into my case, but JUST, technically it does not fit.
IMPORTANT:Now there is a very important piece that you will need to purchase along with the cooler picture above. Since every card has different mounting hardware, you will need to get the compatible mounting hardware for your card. There are five different mounting brackets that you can get for your card, this cooler supports a wide range of cards, so be sure to find the mounting hardware that is compatible with your card listed below:
VR001 Buy Here
ATI Radeon
6970,6950,6870,5870, 5830, 4890, 4870, 4850, 4830, 3870, 3850
nVIDIA GeForce
GTS 250, 9800GTX+, 9800GTX
VR002 Buy Here
nVIDIA GeForce GTX
285, 280, 275, 260+, 260
VR003 Buy Here
nVIDIA GeForce GTX
465, 470
VR004 Cant find a place to purchase this mounting hardware at this time
nVIDIA GeForce GTX
580, 570, 480
VR005 Buy Here
nVIDIA GeForce GTX
460, 560 Ti
Fan Controller: (Price: $15 - $60)
Fan Controllers on Amazon
This is one of the areas that you have some choice as far as looks and price goes. I would recommend getting something that has at least 3 controllable channels, anything less and you wont cool your card correctly.
Personally, Im using the NZXT Sentry 2 which is priced about $30 USD.
3 Fans (92 MM): (Price: $4 - $25 each)
92 MM Fans on Amazon
Please Note: For best results, I recommend getting fans that are square in design, not round. This will help when attaching them later. This is another area where you can decided for yourself as far as pricing goes, but some other things to consider are air flow and noise levels.
REMEMBER: YOU WILL NEED A TOTAL OF THREE (3) 92 MM FANS!
Once you have ordered all your parts, your next step is to wait for delivery....
Once you have your parts, just follow the directions on attaching the new heat sink to the card. Now, attaching the fans you purchased is a totally different scenario, I have used rubber bands to hold the fans onto the card, and recently replaced them with metal wire that is wrapped around the heat sink, NOT the card, to prevent shorting.
All that is left is to place your modified card back into the case and hook up the fans to the fan controller you purchased. While testing this mod, I found that the GPU on my GTX 470 has yet to break 50 C under load, which is a MAJOR improvement from before.
PIC FROM MY BUILD:
Stripped Card:
Side View In Case:
Bottom View In Case With Stepped Fans:
Its a Tight Fit in There:
Front of Case with Fan Controller:
I hope that helps a lot of you with your cooling problems as much as it has helped me. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them below, I will answer them as best as I can. Thanks again!
