Swiftech MCW80 & GTX 470 modding GT200 adaptor plate

FourierT

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Aug 6, 2010
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So I thought I would provide a MCW80 adapter plate modding guide for the GTX 470 since Swiftech has yet to release anything for the 400 series that's actually in stock. I know you can buy the G80 kit, but some of us are dirt poor uni students and would rather save on the enormous shipping costs (if you're not in the US)

The plan is to drill a 1.98 mm hole close to , but not touching the original hole because if the two holes intersected, the risk of breaking a drill bit increase when the drill bites through the "wall". Because I didn't want to break the relatively small 2mm drill bit, I opted for a 0.5mm wall separating the original hole and the new hole.

I first made a sketchup model of the adapter plate and then printed the sketchup plan. I overlapped the GT200 plate with the printed plans and scored lines on the back side based on the sketchup guides. Then I drilled the holes to the best of my abilities (the first one sucked, the last 3 was better). Be sure to use a punch tool or the drill bit will go everywhere.

I then filed down the edges to make an elliptical hole that would fit the 470 GTX.



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http://hotfile.com/dl/63044013/2a74998/final_plan.skb.html


After trying the plate on, I realize that you need to make 2 more notches in the back plate so that it'll fit flush (I'd rather mod the $8 adapter plate than void the lifetime warranty on a $350 card)

Then be sure to file down the four corners of the MCW80 copper base about 1 mm to ensure that it fits flush onto the GPU. This shouldn't take long since copper is much softer than the adapter plate metal.



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After that, just screw the screws with the head on the bottom and the thumbscrews on the top and you're good to go!

Finished product:


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Close up


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All this took about 3 hours by hand... but it was fun and since it's during the summer, I have the spare time.

Results:

Max temp 44C @ 1.087v 900c/1800/1940

Vantage http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dmv=2432141
 
Last edited:
wow still up to 46 C...those things dump out some serious heat!

Opps, I meant to type 44C

Anyways, it's heavily dependent on ambient temps. When I measured the temp it was 28-29 degrees outside (even hotter at home). Now the temps are starting to drop since summer is ending :(

Today was much cooler and my ambient temps at home is 22C and here's the temp @ 1.087 890core:



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Idles at 29 (force constant voltage on) @ same settings and 28C when I undervolt to 875mV
 
I noticed that you left the fan attached. Does that fan still serve a function when you've got the gpu directly watercooled?
 
Shameless bump!

Anybody know where to get such an adapter. I have a GTX 580 and MCW80 but no adapter. Is it non realistic to think that I could let the memory run without extra heatsinks with just cooling the core? No overclock ambitions and I think I will get decent case temperatures.
 
Shameless bump!

Anybody know where to get such an adapter. I have a GTX 580 and MCW80 but no adapter. Is it non realistic to think that I could let the memory run without extra heatsinks with just cooling the core? No overclock ambitions and I think I will get decent case temperatures.

You'll need either big heatsinks or a smaller heatsink and a fan on it. I had to add a fan to my GTX560 Ti (using the small stock heatsink on it) to keep it from overheating. I managed to mount the MCW80 angled but it isn't making good enough contact as any overclocking will put the heat too high.

I think I'll also look into modifying the mounting plate as it seems to be impossible to get the Swiftech mounting kits over here.
 
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