CPU cooler on GPU (for super silent cooling)

[TheGuy]

Hey everyone, I've done an experiment that I think will be of interest to a few of you (I'm new here by the way! Hello!)

One of thing with graphics cards is that they usually use more power than CPUs (often TWICE as much), but their heatsinks are not very efficient at all. The air is just recycled, rather than blown out of the case. There are some coolers that do vent air directly out, but they're usually noisy.

Add the fact that the space available on the side of a GPU limits fan sizes to about 90mm, things can get a bit hot and noisy...

soooo, I did this:

CPU cooler on GPU - YouTube

My idea is that I can make a little compartment for the GPU (in a custom case of course) and have a fans at both ends making a little wind tunnel. The GPU can then be cooled SILENTLY. :brrr:

The max TDP of the graphics card I was usuing was roughly 170w, so this should easily work for higher wattage cards like the GTX 680 etc.

 

[Araxie]

HI, welcome to the forum I hope you find the forum very useful and share all your knowledge with all of us, the cooler look good, but I think it will require Lot of Work to make it worth having in the market coolers like the arctic accelero Xtreme III for example, which will really perform better than most CPU air coolers able to mount in a GPU with silent operation even at 100% fans and will allow a fully and enhanced VRM and memory cooling, it make it pointless all that effort and time, maybe as a hobbies, it will worth, for example with Closed Water cooler kits which are really common this days btw and will work better than a big tower coolers and you still can keep the card in the mobo without a raiser.

 

[CombatChrisNC]

Soo... memory and VRM need cooling.

Also, since the heat pipe works on evaporation and condensation, shouldn't it get better results when the video card is on the bottom and HSF on the top, instead of the other way around?

 

[TheGuy]

Thanks for the welcome! I've often visited the forum, but only now decided to register (because I actually have something cool to share )

I understand your points completely. I think it could work quite nicely as the air can just flow straight out of the back of the case, but I guess it's only worth it if you're like me and want to try something different and unique. I think the temps for the silence are pretty... cool however.

I'm not going to make voltage regulator or memory heatsinks for this card, I think. I need a better one... this one is a bit outdated already.

@CombatChrisNC

I'm not sure how much orientation would affect the performance of the heatpipes... it actually didn't occur to me at the time, but I think you may be right! The design I have for the case (which this might be in) has the heatsink the right way up, so it may perform even better than suggested here.