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GPU Backplate Mod

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RushiMP

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I was messing around with my IR thermometer when I discovered that the backplate on my GTX Titans was almost 60 C. That was a lot warmer that I expected and I decided to see if there was anything I could do about it. I have a box of old heatsinks and placed a couple on the backplate with some thermal pads, the heatsink immediately warmed to about 50-60 C. I decided to take it a step further and make a backplate heatsink.

My motherboard has two slot spacing allowing for about 20 mm between video cards. I searched around and sourced some 300 x 100 x 20 mm tall slotted aluminium heatsinks from Hong Kong.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/321340702389



I then marked and cut the heatsinks to fit over my GTX Titans.



I then applied some Fujipoly thermal pads and installed them.











Now the back plates measures about 37-40 C. Not bad for $30. Might be of use to anyone folding or mining 24/7. I need to order some more Fujipoly so I can just remove the backplates and have direct contact with the back of the card.

 
Discussion starter · #3 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by qiplayer View Post

Nice
smile.gif
)
What about changing the thermal paste with liquid metal one? It should help much
wink.gif


I bought the fujipoly thermal pads from US, waiting for the WB and backplates to arrive
Click to expand...
The Fujipoly pads are actually very good and perfect for this sort of application. Liquid TIM would just make a mess.
 
#4 ·
that's awesome .. I like this kind of mod price vs performance.. is perfect. And its clean. hah

maybe even a slow rotating fan at the other end to cool both cards.. but I like it just the way it is.. looks factory.

That box looks nice and clean bud.

Folding team that says it all. You guys know what a stable machine is.

Sunset1
 
Discussion starter · #7 ·
Thanks guys, at some point I will pull the cards out and take some better, non camera phone, pictures. The nice thing is that when I retire these cards to my "GPU Graveyard" for folding duty I can just just place these on my new cards. I made three in anticipation of someone selling me their damn Titan, but no takers so far.

This is the heatsink in case anyone is wondering:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/321340702389
 
#8 ·
Nice,

Did you happen to notice any change in the temps of the rest of the card?
I suppose it's hard to poke around with an IR thermometer when the card is covered in the shroud!

I've always thought they should make a few more backplates on cards that already come finned for the extra surface area.
It's an added bonus that it makes the cards look even beefier than they already do.

A fan on the front of the cards pointed towards the expansion slots could help even more, are the expansion slot covers vented?

On a related note, I have had an IR thermometer added to my list of "Must buys when I have extra cash" along with stuff like a digital vernier caliper, better soldering iron and some other modding / electrical supplies!
 
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Discussion starter · #9 ·
The slot covers are vented, but I think I am going to modify them to make them even more free flowing. I have noticed about a 3 C drop in load temps on both cards, but I was more concerning with evening out the PCB hot spots and decreasing VRM temps since they are overclocked at 1202 mhz and fold or game 24/7.

It is very creepy how you just mentioned all three pieces of gear sitting on my table right now. If you appreciate quality I highly recommend these items:

Mitutoyo Calipers and Micrometers. Very high quality. Made in Japan:

https://www.mitutoyo.com/



Hakko Soldering Station:

https://www.hakko.com/



Fluke IR Thermometers:

http://en-us.fluke.com/

 
#10 ·
Nice, my GTX 680 sli setup spends most of their time idle.
I do have them running a bios with 1202 on the core, 300% power limit and 100% fan speed unlocked and I'd love to hack into them a bit and improve the cooling.

I definitely love quality stuff but not always the price tag that comes along with it.
biggrin.gif

I'll just have to keep my eye out for sales and items popping up on local classifieds.

By the way I checked out the pics of your computer room and that's a pretty nice set up you have there.
I like the modded SGI case, wall art and the cabinet with organizers.

I really want to get a better workbench set up at some point and photos like that are good motivation.
biggrin.gif
 
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#11 ·
Hey, I know that this post was from 2016 but was just wondering if that would do anything meaningful to do the same on a 3090 GPU backplate? You said your backplate was running at 50-60 celsius at full load by folding/mining/gaming 24/7, and it reduced that temp to 40 celsius during the same load.

Can you check your memory junction temperature to see if that actually affects that temp with HW info? I doubt if that thing can reduce it more than 5 celsius at all since there is no directed fan on it?

And if you are still confident can you advice if that would help for a 3090 which is drawing like 300W with similar activities? (I also have a watercooling block on mine so GPU temps are not an issue, but all I worry is about mem junction temps..
 
#12 ·
Hi im looking of a way to solve this as well with my 3090 FE just for gaming. Ive trialed with a 120mm fan placed firing up and out the case with 2mm thick thermal pads on the corners of the fan contacting the backplate. Ive directly positioned the fan over the vrams on the backplate. In theory the 2mm gap should cause a rush of air under and out moving past the hot surface of the backplate and wick the heat away out the top firing case fans. On a quick test set my 3090 at 65% power limit i get max temps of 89degc with fan fitted and at 90% power limit on afterburner it rises a bit to 98degc which is much better than 90% power limit and no fan fitted which was showing 102-105degc. Worth a go if you mine in an open case. Application of low level heatsinks on the backplate with thermal tape might help wick the heat upwards as well.
 
#13 ·
Iainc said:
Hi im looking of a way to solve this as well with my 3090 FE just for gaming. Ive trialed with a 120mm fan placed firing up and out the case with 2mm thick thermal pads on the corners of the fan contacting the backplate. Ive directly positioned the fan over the vrams on the backplate. In theory the 2mm gap should cause a rush of air under and out moving past the hot surface of the backplate and wick the heat away out the top firing case fans. On a quick test set my 3090 at 65% power limit i get max temps of 89degc with fan fitted and at 90% power limit on afterburner it rises a bit to 98degc which is much better than 90% power limit and no fan fitted which was showing 102-105degc. Worth a go if you mine in an open case. Application of low level heatsinks on the backplate with thermal tape might help wick the heat upwards as well.
Click to expand...
I used the same method, took out the fan block from my old GT670, and slapped it to the back of a 3090 strix, yes it reduced it from 102 to 96-98 ish and cause that rush of hot air coming out, but I was just thinking if there is another way. I'm also thinking about slapping the huge heatsink i took from that gt 670, with copper pipes and fins, but don't think that it will do anything more than a celsius difference. Counting down for EK backplate watercooling block, but they still did not publish.... I also bought a second hand 1080 water cooling block thinking that I can slap that to the back of the gpu, but I simply could not connect it due to clearance issues with the current watercooling...
 
Discussion starter · #14 ·
I have a 3090 FE but I have not yet tried to mod it, if I get some time I will take a look at the temps and see if anything changes with a heatsinked backplate.
 
#15 ·
Last night I was making identical thoughts about my incoming GTX 1060, this with bare PCB, but I am not convinced about the existence of benefits.
Engineering wise, the back plate serves as heat-spreader and not as heatsink, heat generated by thermal hot-spots (GPU - VRM) such load this is transferred at the back plate and temperature this equalizing within the lower heated parts of back-plate.

Most back plates I have seen they serve aesthetics and or PCB protection.
Over bare PCB if you do add full size thermal pad and a heatsink block, this is a point that you do have expectations about cooling.
At air-cooled CPU by a large tower, as is my own, due the fact that this is only 3~4 centimeters away from the VGA, there is active flow of air by the CPU cooler sides.

Therefore in my system it might work best a heatsink not taller than what is used for VRM dedicated cooling = 10mm(H) x 180mm(L) x 90mm(W).
Plus identical in dimensions 3mm thermal pad.
 
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#17 ·
superj1977 said:
Had good results using these
Click to expand...
I would love to see of how you did clamp this thing over the PCB.
Fins orientation this is in the wrong way, they should be horizontally, any airflow from nearby GPU cooler this be in assistance.
 
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#18 ·
kiriakos said:
I would love to see of how you did clamp this thing over the PCB.
Fins orientation this is in the wrong way, they should be horizontally, any airflow from nearby GPU cooler this be in assistance.
Click to expand...
2482805
 
#19 ·
It attaches via the "C" or "U" shaped clips (6) grabs the edges of PCB and then grabs the edge of the aluminium plate. Also you can screw into GPU around the core and use the 4 posts or alternative screws and the 4 rectangular washer plates.

The fins seem to work quite well as in a single GPU.
I ran one. I have back to front air intake in my case. Intake from above and rear. Exits front. Had air flowing directly over the fins from above case fans. You use 3mm thermal pads in between the GPU and back-plate. They are 3mm and quite thick but that is so the backplate and GPU do not touch and cause a short.
 
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