Vega 64 modded + Corsair AIO

NattyKathy

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Jan 20, 2019
Messages
1,470
i finally got around to mounting an aio on my Vega 64, rather pleased with how it turned out

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ready to be hacked! could have ended here with a simple drill and cut to the AIOs' 1151 X-bracket but the coldplate won't fit thru the aperture... so off comes the frontplate

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H100i Pro RGB dry fit onto frontplate after first round of dremeling

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I kept the original X-bracket from the Vega & used modified 115x-type bracket and stock thumbscrews on the H100i. Only additional hardware needed was four 3mm x 18mm stainless machine screws

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the shroud fits!!! my attraction to Corsair for this for their low-profile pumpheads pays off

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frontplate remounted with original vrm pads miraculously preserved. areas I chopped retouched in matte black

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the scary part is done! now-debranded block very carefully torqued down. note breakout cables including 12vdc for pump unit, pwm for synchronizing external fans, and USB for the corsair

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aaand fully assembled with meshified shroud showcasing pump glow over the core

finally, the results:
@150W core-only actual
rad fans 2000 rpm / gpu fan 1200 rpm / pump 2100 rpm
core 40-45* / hotspot 45-55* / hbm 45-50* / vrms ~60*

@280W core-only actual
rad fans 2400 rpm / gpu fan 1500 rpm / pump 2100 rpm
core 45-50* / hotspot 65-75* / hbm 50* / vrms ~70*
 
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AIO really is the best way to cool these.. great results! Thanks for sharing - been considering this route.
 
nice. ive done this with my 280x and my current rx470. did you tie the aio fans into the gpu fan header? you can and then the card will control them or you can use afterburner to create a curve.
 
nice. ive done this with my 280x and my current rx470. did you tie the aio fans into the gpu fan header? you can and then the card will control them or you can use afterburner to create a curve.

I'm just controlling the fans with the Corsairs fan headers right now but I could use the PWM splitter I installed to tie them to the GPU fan if I so wished. I haven't done so yet because the H100i seems to be doing a competent job... and keeping the fans decoupled I can keep the curve on the internal fan nice and low as cooling the Vrms only needs the radial blower at =<30% PWM duty. It's definitely an option though, that PWM breakout header is there if I want it.
 
Looked great until I got to the drilled out holes in the shroud.
had the right idea...but would have been nice to have a more factory quality holes and cuts (if the holes were even needed)....i know its hard to take a proper amount of time since we all want to get in a rush and finish....

I would love to have a AIO with a full cover block but lord those kits are expensive (almost as much as the dam card)
 
had the right idea...but would have been nice to have a more factory quality holes and cuts (if the holes were even needed)....i know its hard to take a proper amount of time since we all want to get in a rush and finish....

I would love to have a AIO with a full cover block but lord those kits are expensive (almost as much as the dam card)

yeah, I could have done a lot better on that part with better tools... I even have a miniature compound table but I don't have anything to put it under at the moment as the rest of the mini-mill it came with is permanently out of commission. Oughta pick up one of those lil dremel drill press stand things so I can get more precision for stuff like this ;) The holes are just there to let out light from the AIO pumphead... I gotta say, with it installed in the system the glow looks rather nice and my uglyass drill job is facing down where I don't have to look at it, so I'll live with it

Agreed re: full cover AIOs... those Eiswolf units look real nice but oof the cost!
 
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I decided to swap the H100i for a H115i that was being underutilized on a 'Zen 3600 and boy howdy was that a good call. I think I got the mounting pressure a bit better as my hotspot temps @330W dropped from high 90's to low-mid 80's and core dropped from high 50s/around 60 to high 40s/low 50s. And to top it off it's extremely quiet doing it with 140mm fans @1200rpm instead of 120mm @2400rpm. While I had the card apart I cleaned up the shroud a bit doing away with the holes and adding a diffuser as well as some custom paint for extra fun. Could still be a bit cleaner yet but I'm rather pleased with how it's looking & running at this point. Probably going to call this one finished and iterate on the next card I get :)

Behold, Vega 64 Magenta Edition!
LlV5Gn1h.jpg


testing the lighting before I attempted to fix my sloppy masking. I have iCue set to cycle from a deep teal thru icy blue to hot pink as the GPU core temp goes up, makes for a nice visual effect!
ZqLxMPKh.jpg
 
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I decided to swap the H100i for a H115i that was being underutilized on a 'Zen 3600 and boy howdy was that a good call. I think I got the mounting pressure a bit better as my hotspot temps @330W dropped from high 90's to low-mid 80's and core dropped from high 50s/around 60 to high 40s/low 50s. And to top it off it's extremely quiet doing it with 140mm fans @1200rpm instead of 120mm @2400rpm. While I had the card apart I cleaned up the shroud a bit doing away with the holes and adding a diffuser as well as some custom paint for extra fun. Could still be a bit cleaner yet but I'm rather pleased with how it's looking & running at this point. Probably going to call this one finished and iterate on the next card I get :)

Behold, the only known MAGENTA Vega 64!
View attachment 199948

testing the lighting before I attempted to fix my sloppy masking. I have iCue set to cycle from a deep teal thru icy blue to hot pink as the GPU core temp goes up, makes for a nice visual effect!
View attachment 199949
Actually works nice and looks good! :D Great results.
I'm still a yinmin blue fan though, will get one of those FEs one day...

edit: now I get why you went pink xD
 
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Hi Kate! I am inspired by your mod and would love your guidance! Is there anyway to private message you? I guess here is fine. I was wondering what additional items would I need to make this happen? You mention something about x bracket. "I kept the original X-bracket from the Vega & used modified 115x-type bracket" where can I find this? And is there a certain items I would need for a dremel? I would have to buy a dremel, never used one but I consider myself somewhat handyman. Probably like lvl 5-6 out of 10. I love this mod because you are able to keep the stock fan to cool the other things like the vrm and even the aio headplate lol. I want to make this happen asap since I am unable to use my card until I complete a mod. Thanks in advance! =)
 
Hi Kate! I am inspired by your mod and would love your guidance! Is there anyway to private message you? I guess here is fine. I was wondering what additional items would I need to make this happen? You mention something about x bracket. "I kept the original X-bracket from the Vega & used modified 115x-type bracket" where can I find this? And is there a certain items I would need for a dremel? I would have to buy a dremel, never used one but I consider myself somewhat handyman. Probably like lvl 5-6 out of 10. I love this mod because you are able to keep the stock fan to cool the other things like the vrm and even the aio headplate lol. I want to make this happen asap since I am unable to use my card until I complete a mod. Thanks in advance! =)
glad you like it! inspiring others to hack their stuff is exactly the kind of influence I hope to have :)

you already have a Vega and a Corsair AIO I take it? note that to keep the pumphead hidden under the shroud, a Corsair h100/h110/h115 should be used as others are too thick to fit inside. I think some EVGA units may have the right dimensions too but I'm not sure. the only additional parts that I needed were some screws to attach the block to the card using the thumbscrews that came with the AIO, I think I used 3mmx10mm but I'd recommend taking the thumbscrews to the hardware store to make sure you get the correct diameter. There are two x-brackets involved, one is the bracket that comes fitted on the backside of the GPU to hold the stock heatsink in place and the other is the Intel type bracket that comes with the AIO. the rear bracket will need the holes enlarged to fit the new screws but be careful not to make them too big or the integrity of the bracket might be compromised. The AIO bracket will need more serious modification; it will need its legs shortened to fit inside the shroud and new holes drilled to mirror the dimensions of the rear bracket. Additionally, you will have to remove the front plate from the card (the bit that cools the Vrms) and enlarge the aperture where the GPU core sits to allow the coldplate on the block to fit, and of course slots must be added to the shroud to allow the hoses and cables egress. As for dremel attachments, I needed a cutoff wheel, a 3mm drill bit, and a sanding drum. if you're buying a dremel for the first time I recommend also getting one of the combo kits that had a bunch of attachments in one box (it's cheaper than buying them individually). Just remember to take your time and measure twice! please let me know if any of that is unclear of if you've any other questions about the mod. happy hacking!
 
glad you like it! inspiring others to hack their stuff is exactly the kind of influence I hope to have :)

you already have a Vega and a Corsair AIO I take it? note that to keep the pumphead hidden under the shroud, a Corsair h100/h110/h115 should be used as others are too thick to fit inside. I think some EVGA units may have the right dimensions too but I'm not sure. the only additional parts that I needed were some screws to attach the block to the card using the thumbscrews that came with the AIO, I think I used 3mmx10mm but I'd recommend taking the thumbscrews to the hardware store to make sure you get the correct diameter. There are two x-brackets involved, one is the bracket that comes fitted on the backside of the GPU to hold the stock heatsink in place and the other is the Intel type bracket that comes with the AIO. the rear bracket will need the holes enlarged to fit the new screws but be careful not to make them too big or the integrity of the bracket might be compromised. The AIO bracket will need more serious modification; it will need its legs shortened to fit inside the shroud and new holes drilled to mirror the dimensions of the rear bracket. Additionally, you will have to remove the front plate from the card (the bit that cools the Vrms) and enlarge the aperture where the GPU core sits to allow the coldplate on the block to fit, and of course slots must be added to the shroud to allow the hoses and cables egress. As for dremel attachments, I needed a cutoff wheel, a 3mm drill bit, and a sanding drum. if you're buying a dremel for the first time I recommend also getting one of the combo kits that had a bunch of attachments in one box (it's cheaper than buying them individually). Just remember to take your time and measure twice! please let me know if any of that is unclear of if you've any other questions about the mod. happy hacking!

Ok just to clarify, the rear bracket (the one that came with the graphic card in the back) needs the wholes a tad larger to fit the new 3mmx10mm screw and AIO bracket will need 4 new holes to match the rear bracket with some of the legs shortened to fit inside the area. Ok got it! I have two rear brackets so hopefully I will only need 1 haha =). Yes I have the vega, I will be ordering the AIO tonight. Based on my research, I came to the same realization as you, it was either corsair or EVGA because the dimensions look right. However the EVGA, the cheaper unit, the two water hoses from the block sticks up, so that won't work here. So Corsair it is!

I also noticed you migrated to the H115i and noticed better temperatures and it was a lot more quiet, so That's what I will be getting! Well close, the H115i Pro or Platinum version! (can't decide yet lol) =) Very anxious to get this done asap, not fun having a vega64 parked in the garage when there's games you want to play! My current card has the oem reference liquid cooling unit which I got it for free and would think my reference card would fit it perfectly which it did. However, I realize at the end, the board doesn't have the jst connector to power the cooler master unit *face palm*. DUHHH! I could pay someone $50 to migrate the jst connection and this one capacitor from the old dead card to the new board for $50, but i'm not sure how safe it is or if it would even work....So I might want to go this route! Unless you know it could work? Who knows lol...

A) Pay $50 for someone to solder those two pieces and hopefully it would work with possibiliy of frying the unit somehow

or

B) Go your route which I feel is more safer unfortunately lol.

SoooOooo Leaning towards B unless someone with experience says otherwise

vegaliquid1.jpeg
vegaliquid3.jpeg
vegaliquid2.jpg
 
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hm the h115i platinum looks little different from the pro, you think it will still work? which one is the intel x plate that you were referring? I assume its the one connected to the cooler head right?

h115i platinum
h115iplatinum.jpg

platbracket.PNG

platxplate.jpg



h115i pro
115ipro.jpg

h115iprocontents.jpg
 
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Ok I think I understand now, there's one screw that links the back x plate to the front vrm plate and then the Intel x plate using the thumb screw that came with it. I saw some videos of corsair hg10 (their pre-made ones) uses standoff. So I just need to find the 3mmx10mm that accepts the thumb screws to combine them all together right?
 
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yep that's right. the screws go thru the rear bracket thru the card thru the front bracket and are fastened with the thumbscrews (I guess they're technically nuts).

one thing I noticed that might give you issues is the dimensions of the h115 platinum vs the h115 pro... it looks like the pump block is thicker on the platinum which means you may have to have the top of the block sticking out of the shroud. the pro version already barely fits. thought I should warn you about that, if you haven't already purchased the AIO it may be worth seeing if you can get the h115 pro instead since that's guaranteed to fit.

as for modding an air Vega to use the cooler from the LC Vega, it looks like attaching that additional connector would be a relatively easy solder job but I'm not sure if there would be issues with the VBIOS on the air card not properly communicating/powering the cooler. flashing the LC BIOS onto air cards used to be a thing but since the 19.2 drivers it doesn't work anymore, there's some sort of issue that causes weird throttling behavior.
 
Yeah that makes a lot of sense. I just picked up the platinum for $170 from best buy. Good thing they say it can be returned without restocking fee.

The thing is the h115i pro is $160 and those two RGB lights that come with it are like $40 each! = value town. I might look into seeing if I could mod the top like you did with the translucent sheet and have the entire block stick out a little, which could be cool.

If not, I'll just get the 115i pro for $160.

Or even better. The 100i pro RGB for $100 from someone locally, brand new no tax. Which is the one you originally had. Hm decisions lol 😅

BTW thanks again for the replies, super appreciated! 🙌🏻👍🏻
 
you're welcome! wishing you a smooth build.

do be aware that the H100i is A LOT louder than the H115i when removing the same amount of heat due to the stock fans maxing out at 2400rpm instead of 1200rpm to compensate for the smaller radiator. Of course if you put 2400rpm fans on the 115 it'll be just as loud but that's not really necessary because the extra radiator size compensates for the lower airflow. I definitely recommend the 115 for this application due to the lower noise with the stock fans.
 
How's the vram cooling after this mod? I assume it's the same since it's using the reference plate and blower? I was trying to buy a h115i pro from someone locally, and he suggest I go water cooling with custom loop. Should cost roughly $200-230 from ebay. He said he been doing overclocking and stuff for 20 years and hold 2 world records for overclocking and about 50 evga and sponsored build..."he does this for a living" he says lol...He told me to go water cooling because the vrm heat would be an issue. Wow that open a can of worms haha! I'm sure both options is 1000x better than the reference blower omg not to mention the sound as well.
 
I haven't had any issue with VRM cooling. with the GPU core pulling 250W the voltage regulators stay comfortably under 90C with the blower fan running under 1000rpm. a full cover waterblock would keep things cooler at extreme power levels (like 300W+) but I think in this case the difference between the stock cooler and an AIO is much larger than the difference between and AIO and a custom loop.
 
Ok just to clarify, the rear bracket (the one that came with the graphic card in the back) needs the wholes a tad larger to fit the new 3mmx10mm screw and AIO bracket will need 4 new holes to match the rear bracket with some of the legs shortened to fit inside the area. Ok got it! I have two rear brackets so hopefully I will only need 1 haha =). Yes I have the vega, I will be ordering the AIO tonight. Based on my research, I came to the same realization as you, it was either corsair or EVGA because the dimensions look right. However the EVGA, the cheaper unit, the two water hoses from the block sticks up, so that won't work here. So Corsair it is!

I also noticed you migrated to the H115i and noticed better temperatures and it was a lot more quiet, so That's what I will be getting! Well close, the H115i Pro or Platinum version! (can't decide yet lol) =) Very anxious to get this done asap, not fun having a vega64 parked in the garage when there's games you want to play! My current card has the oem reference liquid cooling unit which I got it for free and would think my reference card would fit it perfectly which it did. However, I realize at the end, the board doesn't have the jst connector to power the cooler master unit *face palm*. DUHHH! I could pay someone $50 to migrate the jst connection and this one capacitor from the old dead card to the new board for $50, but i'm not sure how safe it is or if it would even work....So I might want to go this route! Unless you know it could work? Who knows lol...

A) Pay $50 for someone to solder those two pieces and hopefully it would work with possibiliy of frying the unit somehow

or

B) Go your route which I feel is more safer unfortunately lol.

SoooOooo Leaning towards B unless someone with experience says otherwise

View attachment 239318View attachment 239319View attachment 239320
Were you ever able to get the transfer of one vega over to the other to work? Or did you end up going the aio route?
 
Were you ever able to get the transfer of one vega over to the other to work? Or did you end up going the aio route?
That person hasn't been online since last May, doubt they'll see this. Dunno if you'll see this either but I'm bumping the thread because I'm also curious if ppl have successfully done the transfer.
 
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