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toki
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VRM Heatsinks

Mon May 18, 2020 6:20 am

I'm going to put my EVGA 2080ti XC Gaming in an NZXT G12. My big problem is that I've found all the parts I need for the move, but I still can't find the right heatsinks for the VRMs. If anyone could point me in the right direction, it would be appreciated.
 
Aranarth
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Re: VRM Heatsinks

Mon May 18, 2020 6:46 am

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..)
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toki
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Re: VRM Heatsinks

Mon May 18, 2020 10:36 am

Aranarth wrote:
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..)
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.
 
Waco
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Re: VRM Heatsinks

Tue May 19, 2020 2:31 pm

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.

While I get what you're trying to say here, it's incorrect. You can't just add VRMs until you can run them passively - board real estate and cost both start to become a problem rather quickly. The better way to design is to have heatsinks on them.

I wouldn't run a GPU with active cooling on the VRMs by default without some kind of VRM cooling. Best case, you throttle prematurely. Worst case you ruin the card.
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ludi
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Re: VRM Heatsinks

Tue May 19, 2020 4:55 pm

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?
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Aranarth
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Re: VRM Heatsinks

Tue May 19, 2020 5:42 pm

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?


Exactly the thing.

You will see several possible scenarios:

Engineered not to need a heatsink - no heat sink included - runs cool
Engineered not to need a heatsink but marketing decides one should be included to appeas all those that think there should be one or becasue it looks "KEWL" - runs cool
Not engineered properly or nerfed by BOM restraints and the board runs hot as hell but passes so no heat sink included
Not engineered properly or nerfed by BOM restraints and the board runs hot as hell but to make sure it passes with enough thermal budget that no one notices a heat sink is included
Designed with overclocking and enthusiasts in mind and a heatsink is or is not installed properly and who knows if it runs better with or without a heatsink.
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Waco
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Re: VRM Heatsinks

Tue May 19, 2020 6:42 pm

I've definitely had boards in the past that overheated like crazy under stock speed CPU load to the point of smoking. They did not have VRM heatsinks and badly needed them.
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toki
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Re: VRM Heatsinks

Wed May 20, 2020 7:34 am

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
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Re: VRM Heatsinks

Wed May 20, 2020 11:19 am

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.
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toki
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Re: VRM Heatsinks

Wed May 20, 2020 4:27 pm

ludi wrote:
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.
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
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Re: VRM Heatsinks

Wed May 20, 2020 6:26 pm

every single video I have watched on this subject, not 1 person has put heatsinks on the cards. Not 1!
 
Aranarth
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Re: VRM Heatsinks

Thu May 21, 2020 2:33 pm

I looked at the card and it has a dual fan heatsink that seems cover all the important bits already.

I would leave it alone.
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