Do graphics cards have a standardized cooling mount?

LoveMachine

Senior member
May 8, 2012
491
3
81
As the title implies I'm curious about swapping coolers on two video cards. I have a passively cooled 7750, and I'm thinking about swapping that card out in my HTPC for a 650 (having some weird HDMI handshake issues with my AVR). Looking at Egg photos of the back of several video card PCBs (all newer lower end 7xxx and 6xx) it seems the screw patterns are about the same square configurations. I'd like to get a cheaper 650 and swap the cooler from my 7750 onto that.

Knowing that there are differences in board layouts, let's set that aside for the moment, will a given cooler on a board have the same MOUNTING pattern as a cooler from a different brand in the same price range? Notice, I'm only asking about the bolt pattern. I can already tell that some modification to the shroud, etc. will likely be necessary since the chip is in a different location on each board and that nothing is guaranteed. I hardly ever game, so I'm not too concerned with cooling as of yet. I'd at least like to experiment and see what happens.
 

p_monks33

Golden Member
May 22, 2011
1,292
5
81
Im thinking they will not be compatible, unless its a universal style cooler with the different mounting plates. Most cards you buy with a cooler installed on, the card and cooler are matched up for optimal performance across the card, GPU, VRM , Memory Modules. A universal style cooler will mount in the mounting holes, covering the GPU only, and comes with seperate heatsinks for the memory, and vrm's , that you will apply adhesive thermal compound too. I would bet that this idea wont work.