GDDR3 + ramsinks = waste?

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CoW]8(0)

[H]ard|Gawd
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I notice alot of cards carrying GDDR3 these days. Some cards have the modules exposed while others have part of the HSF touching it. I've also seen some with ramsinks installed. Are there specific cards that benefit more with good ram cooling, while others not at all?

I've heard that GDDR3 runs cool enough to not need any ramsinks. Would adding ramsinks on a 6600GT help much with OC'ing?

Which is the bottleneck for the 6600GT, the GPU or the memory?
 
Ramsinks can always help with overclocking memory ecspecially on a card that runs as hot as a 6600gt.
 
6600gts run hot. Mine's at 47C idle with stock cooling, OCed (see sig).

Gonna get one of the zalman ones soon, and go SLI after that :p
 
But even at 47C, isn't that fairly low for most GPUs? I know 7800s run a bit higher with stock cooling (~70C?).

But at what temps would you estimate the memory to be running at? Has anyone with a 6600GT (or any other card that uses GDD3) notice a better OC after the addition of ramsinks?

The GPU of my 6600GT is watercooled right now and as I move to a high end watercooler core temps will be even less of a problem.
 
VulturEMaN said:
6600gts run hot. Mine's at 47C idle with stock cooling, OCed (see sig).

Gonna get one of the zalman ones soon, and go SLI after that :p
Click to expand...


Maybe I'm thinking of the 6800 cards well anyways they usually help for attaining the highest possible OC.
 
From what ive read, which may be true or not, the gpu temp can heat up the metal traces to the ram which in turn heats up the ram. With really good cooling you probably dont have to worry about ramsinks at all. But if you are on air and can fit them on it probably wouldnt hurt.
 
you could try it by touching a mem chip with your finger when running a 3d application. if its hot get ramsinks if not, oh well .... imo most ramsinks look sexy , get some ;)
 
It's funny... when I see all those pics of peeps who have the custom dry ice cascades and such all lined up they never use ramsinks... but that's likely because the ice in the area keeps the temps down... with high end water cooling I see ramsinks a lot.. I debated on wether or not to use them myself with my 7800GTXs, but they seem to be working very well, I got the new Swiftech ones... I think they work very well if you keep a bit of air on them, and make sure you use some high quality thermal adhesive. AS epoxy is great, but it's hard to get the sinks off if you are thinking about returning the card to default state at some point.. The other option is ultra high qual thermal tape - which the Swiftech sinks come with, but you have to really follow the directions with that to make it work well... when you first apply the sink, you have to apply good constant even pressure on it for like 30 seconds to a minute, then let go.. and it does have a "cure" peroid of about 24 hours... well, I noticed it didn't perform well right off the bat, but the next day it worked very well... ymmv. Anyways...so you can try seeing if your mems are getting hot with the touch test, even so, the combo of good adhesive on the sinks with a little air will cool them very well. I think they look nice also.. :)
 
CoW]8(0) said:
But even at 47C, isn't that fairly low for most GPUs? I know 7800s run a bit higher with stock cooling (~70C?).

But at what temps would you estimate the memory to be running at? Has anyone with a 6600GT (or any other card that uses GDD3) notice a better OC after the addition of ramsinks?

The GPU of my 6600GT is watercooled right now and as I move to a high end watercooler core temps will be even less of a problem.
Click to expand...

But see, that's with like 7-8 case fans...the rest of the comp is below 30C, and only goes to 42C under full load. The video card goes from the 46C idle to 65C full load....too big of a jump for me.
 
Since I use a WC system, my temps only vary from 48C idle to 54C under load.

Can anyone post their OC gains before and after applying ramsinks? (on video cards using GDDR3)
 
as soon as i get my VF900, i'll tell you :p Gonna play for a week to break in the ceramique, then apply ramsinks after test.
 
IMO, it can't hurt to have ramsinks especially if you're going to do memory overclocking. It won't make or break your OC, but it will probably elongate the life of your card, since the high heat over long periods can cause your card to have problems down the line. Of course, Im talkign a few years, and Im not sure how often you replace equipment, but I know that I eventually starting having problems with my 4200 because it ran hot and I thought nothing of it(After about a year).

If you're asking the question because of a money issue, then yes, the touch test is the best way to tell. Leave your case open, run an intensive game or 3d mark and touch your VGA memory. If it doesnt feel hot you probably dont have to worry about it. Be sure to try it again after the OC, sometimes the increased heat can make a big difference!
 
:(
I was hoping the touch test wouldn't be the answer because it's so relative. And the more modifications I make to the card, the harder it is to get it under warranty.

But does OCing really hurt the life of the card that much when you're not touching the voltages?
 

I got my 6200 game edition card just for $70 :D
PCI-Ex16 interface
128 bit 128MB GDDR3

A64 3000+

6200 GDDR3 (580/1100)

3DMark03：7036

If the memory is DDR1 , it will only get 4000+



14801083578.jpg
 
With or without ramsinks?

And also, can one RMA the card if it's been modified, but the damage is not a result of that modification?
 
It does hurt the life of the video card, because it's putting it under more stress than it would usually take for long periods of time. Even if you dont increase the voltage, you're increasing the heat output of the video card as well as how much work the processor has to do.

I think modifying the card does void the warranty. Even overclocking it voids the warranty, but they have to be able to figure it out.
 
Ram sinks are totally NOT a waste. Infact, im debating going water cooling on my 7800gt. I can 3dmark 05 up to 1340 @ stock volts and ram sinks, but they get hot too quickly and i crash in FEAR and Quake 4. THe gpu is water cooled and typically idles @ 35C and load up to 43C with core @ 490.
 
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