Personal computing discussed
Moderators: renee, morphine, SecretSquirrel
Aranarth wrote:Thank you for the reply. I've actually watched some videos, and basically the VRMs are just covered with thermal pads, and from what others are saying, actually do better with just open air to them, like the G12 fan.The video card should already have heatsinks on the VRMS if they are needed.
If there are no heatsinks on the VRMS as configured from factory then they are not need.
VRMS only need a heat sink if there are insufficient phases so the heat gets concentrated and cannot dissipate fast enough to the the substrate.
If you are modding the card by adding heatsinks make sure it is mounted properly and the vrms do not overheat because of a lack of airflow.
(Yes adding heatsinks incorrectly can exacerbate a heat problem by insulating with an air gap rather than dissipating heat through direct contact..)
Aranarth wrote:VRMS only need a heat sink if there are insufficient phases so the heat gets concentrated and cannot dissipate fast enough to the the substrate.
Aranarth wrote:If there are no heatsinks on the VRMS as configured from factory then they are not need.
ludi wrote:Aranarth wrote:If there are no heatsinks on the VRMS as configured from factory then they are not need.
Depends. Did an engineer decide they weren't needed, or did an accountant decide they weren't needed?
toki wrote:I've been reading around the nets and it's all over the place. Some say it's fine with no heatsinks, and others say the cards are cooking! A lot of people have been adding heatsinks to the card. I am unsure what kind of heatsinks to get. Most say they're using these https://www.amazon.com/Cosmos-Copper-Co ... B00637X42A my concern with this is that the VRMs aren't the same size as the VRAM. https://imgur.com/Mqcmxjw I was also reading the copper would be better than aluminum, but the only thing I found that would be the exact size of the VRMs are aluminum, and the copper would fit the VRAM. I am also putting in a Noctua can in the bracket instead of the NZXT fan.
ludi wrote:I'm also concerned with the weight of copper vs. aluminum since the card will be upside down, and I do not want anything falling off.toki wrote:I've been reading around the nets and it's all over the place. Some say it's fine with no heatsinks, and others say the cards are cooking! A lot of people have been adding heatsinks to the card. I am unsure what kind of heatsinks to get. Most say they're using these https://www.amazon.com/Cosmos-Copper-Co ... B00637X42A my concern with this is that the VRMs aren't the same size as the VRAM. https://imgur.com/Mqcmxjw I was also reading the copper would be better than aluminum, but the only thing I found that would be the exact size of the VRMs are aluminum, and the copper would fit the VRAM. I am also putting in a Noctua can in the bracket instead of the NZXT fan.
Aluminum vs. copper is mostly hype and aesthetics at this level. Copper does have nearly twice the thermal conductivity, meaning heat will move through it faster, but both materials have a similar similar range of emissivities once the heat reaches the surface. At that point it depends mainly on surface geometry and airflow to get the heat out of the metal.
For an aftermarket VRM heatsink the material won't make any meaningful difference. What matters is how well you apply the sink to the surface you're trying to cool, and whether it is exposed to a fan or just sitting in a stagnant pocket of hot air.